Bridge
Restorations
Urban design draws together the many strands of place-making, environmental stewardship, social equity and economic viability into the creation of places with distinct beauty and identity.
PROJECTS
The Merritt’s 69 exceptional bridges, each of singular aesthetic design, are key to the byway’s intrinsic quality. Over the years, the Conservancy has worked closely with CT DOT on restoring the architectural features of these overpasses and underpasses that have been compromised due to age and insensitive repairs. The Conservancy guided aesthetic work in rehabilitating the bridges, exemplified by Lake Avenue in Greenwich and Clinton Avenue in Westport.
Merritt Parkway Bridges
A Virtual Tour by Wes Haynes
We believe that these bridges are pleasing to the eye, represent a radical departure from highway bridges, and are decidedly individual in character.
- George Dunkelberger
Bridge Restorations
Greenwich
Lake Avenue
Kenneth Lynch who created the gargoyles and fittings on the Chrysler Building in 1930 and the Atlas rings on the Rockefeller building produced all the metalwork on the Merritt Bridges. One of the most decorative bridges is the Lake Avenue Bridge in Greenwich with its arches are covered in cast-iron vines. The frames, railings, grapevine grills, urns and scrolls were originally painted contrasting and varied colors. Recent restoration in 2020 brought the historic ironwork back to life. The Conservancy sponsored the analysis of the original 1940 paint colors and the successful collaborative restoration with CT DOT earned the project awards from the National Scenic Byway Foundation and Preservation Connecticut.
Norwalk
Comstock Hill Road
With its bas reliefs of the Native American and colonist and subtle gentle receding planes, the Comstock Hill Bridge has long been one of the Merritt’s most iconic structures. A water main leaked causing structural damage to the span and graffiti was blocked out by brown paint. After repairs, water cleaning exposed a failed clear waterproof coating applied in the 1990s. MPC advised that this coating would accelerate the deterioration of the bas reliefs. CT DOT agreed to remove this coating by sponge blasting. MPC retained Jablonski Building Conservation to prepare specifications for sponge blasting and determine the gentlest means of cleaning without damaging the concrete.
New Canaan
White Oak Shade Road
The scope of work included patching and coating with Keim mineral paint color-matched to the original concrete.
New Canaan
South Avenue
Circles indicate areas where the sunburst and state seal cartouche at the center span have been missing since the 1980s. They were cast from molds generated by 3-D imaging (right) and replaced in this project.
After
Before
New Canaan
Clinton Avenue
As part of the planning for the repair of the Clinton Avenue bridge in 2015, MPC received a grant from the CT Trust for Historic Preservation (now Preservation CT) to engage Mary Jablonski Conservation of New York to determine the bridge's overall original color and character of its inset decorative precast mosaic panels that were lost over time. The original pinkish cast finish imitating the state's famous Stony Creek granite — singular among the Merritt's bridges — was restored along with new lattice red glass derived from the original 1937 "reflecto-lite" panels following the conservator's specs. The transformation has prompted positive popular feedback since the project's completion in 2021.
Stratford
James Farm Road
This monumental double-span, barrel-type bridge was one of the last to be built in 1940. The end pylons (main structural supports) feature a shield with the initials CHD, a “celebration” bridge honoring the Connecticut Highway Department. Each cylindrical center pylon serves as a pedestal for two uplifted precast Nike wings created by the sculptor Edward Ferrari. The shimmering effect was achieved by mixing white quartz into the concrete.
