The Maple Street bridge will close for two years starting March 15, city officials announced Wednesday.
The bridge is in bad shape and has been on a replacement list authored by the state Department of Transportation.
The city received word Wednesday the bridge will be replaced, said Steve Blume, president of the Board of Aldermen.
Blume is serving as interim Mayor as Mayor James Della Volpe recovers from heart surgery.
The bridge was closed for emergency repairs several months back after a large hole was discovered. Pedestrians could look through the missing asphalt and see the Naugatuck River, officials said at the time.
“They’re going to rip it down and build us a new bridge,” Blume said.
Blume said the city and residents will deal with the inconvenience.
“The other option is we’ll have to call ARMS (Ansonia Rescue Medical Services) out because someone’s gone through the bridge. It’s public safety. The inconvenience is small compared to what could happen.”
The closing will not — repeat, will not — cause an interruption to the city’s annual Memorial Day Parade.
This year’s parade will take a different route, but still pass by the Main Street viewing stand, police Chief Kevin Hale said.
The parade will start at Nolan Field, continue south onto Wakelee Avenue, make a left onto Jackson Street, continue onto Maple Street, then Olson Drive, cross the Naugatuck at Bridge Street, make a left onto West Main Street, then a right onto Kingston Drive, where it will connect to Main Street.