The first person to walk across over the newly-constructed, officially-opened Maple Street Bridge Tuesday was none other than Ansonia resident George Thomas.
Thomas walked across the bridge from Olson Drive to Main Street at about 3 p.m.
The bridge’s opening wasn’t accompanied by official ceremony, ribbon cutting or press release to alert the masses — a few Ansonia police officers simply moved the barriers.
Thomas — and a few lucky motorists who happened to drive by — were on their way.
The bridge was shut down suddenly in March 2010 after parts of the structure had deteriorated so badly pedestrians could look through a large hole and see the Naugatuck River below.
The $4.2 million new bridge was supposed to open Friday, but a few construction punch list items weren’t completed until Tuesday.
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There are two bridges close to each other spanning the Naugatuck River in downtown Ansonia. The Maple Street Bridge closure had an annoying affect on traffic patterns in downtown Ansonia.
Main Street, with its many traffic lights, became more crowded as vehicles lined up to get across the Bridge Street Bridge. West Main Street became, at times, a race track for motorists looking for a short cut to avoid Main Street.
It also meant longer walks for guys like Thomas trying to get downtown.
While readers on Facebook said people have been crossing the bridge for a few days, Thomas was the first to cross the new bridge after it “officially” opened.
Thomas is a character. He calls himself “The General” and can be seen just about every day on Ansonia’s Main Street engaging in conversations with merchants and random passersby. Topics range from race relations to why people no longer say “Good morning” to strangers on the street.
When the Valley Indy caught up with Thomas on Main Street, he stopped the interview for a moment to stop traffic so a woman could cross the street.
Thomas said the Maple Street Bridge represents local history — it still symbolizes the Flood of 1955, he said.
“Over on that bridge, there’s a flood line,” Thomas said. “Did you know that? There’s a flood line. And I was in that flood. I was 2.”
Upon hearing the news about the opening of the bridge, several readers chimed in on the Valley Indy Facebook page. Here’s a sampling:
Lyn Baumgartel: Hallelujah!
Kristen A. Sheehan: About friggen time. They’ve been messing up my commute forever!!!
Becky Hromjak: … Such a little bridge provides a great service.
Carol Agnello: Whoot Whoot!!
Keith Murray: Just took a walk over it. Everyone driving over appears to be smiling at the novelty of not having to drive all the way down to Bridge Street.
Darlene Bomba Zawisza: Now we’re just going to have to remember to stop for the red light lol!
