DERBY – SHELTON — State officials said the majority of repairs on the Route 8 Commodore Hull Bridge between Derby and Shelton should be done by the end of November, weather permitting.
Emergency work on the bridge started in June after an inspection showed gusset plates were in need of immediate repair. The state Department of Transportation set a weight limit on the bridge and crews have been making repairs ever since. The work results in closed travel lanes and delays on Route 8.
“Over the last several weeks, crews have been working underneath the bridge. This includes steel repairs and additional concrete at the support piers,” DOT spokeswoman Eva Zymaris wrote in an email in response to a Valley Indy inquiry.
Since starting, the DOT has ordered the contractor to add more workers and work hours, Zymaris said.
“On this accelerated schedule, crews are working 12-hour shifts, seven days per week,” she said.
Repairs to the underside of the bridge should be done this week. Then workers will shift the focus to the topside of the bridge and bridge deck.
Also:
* Concrete barriers will be in place on both the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 8 to protect workers making the repairs.
* As a result of the overnight temperatures, this work must be completed during daytime hours.
* Depending on where the work is occurring, various onramps and offramps may be temporarily closed.
“We ask the public to remain patient, as this project nears completion. Remember there are people behind these cones and barriers, and we need them – and motorists – to stay safe,” Zymaris said. “Follow all posted detour routes and signage, keep speeds down, and put distractions away.”