354:, and steel arches. Innovative erection methods, the availability of very large structural components, and special metals all contributed to the development of long-span bridge technology. For example, nearly a third of the Arrigoni Bridge utilized high-strength silicon steel, and the bridge was almost entirely erected by building the arches outward from the center pier, letting them balance each other as they were extended over the water. Another notable engineering feature are the chains of huge eyebars under the roadway that tie together the ends of each arch; the tied-arch technique resisted the outward horizontal thrust of the arches and thus allowed the piers to be much smaller and more economical.
374:
358:
390:
88:
83:
720:
402:
31:
111:
736:
731:
414:
303:, jointly known as Chatham until Portland separated in 1841, were originally part of the vast settlement of Middletown in 1652. Middletown families settled the towns east of the Connecticut River, and until the latter half of the 19th century, the only way to cross the river was via ferry. The first ferry service in Middletown began operation in 1726. The first bridge spanning the Connecticut River at Middletown was a
366:
280:. When it opened in 1938, the 1,200 feet (370 m) bridge was the most expensive bridge ever built in Connecticut, at a cost of $ 3.5 million. Its two distinctive 600 feet (180 m) steel arches have the longest span length of any bridge in the state. The bridge has an average daily traffic of 33,600.
325:
in the world at the time. Known as the
Portland Passenger Bridge, it was built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company for $ 180,000, and measured 1,300 feet (400 m) in length and had a draw span of 450 feet (140 m). It provided a roadway and an electric passenger car, accommodated foot traffic,
349:
From a technical standpoint, the bridge exemplifies the long-span bridge engineering of the first half of the 20th century. Because of the growing need to provide uninterrupted highway passage over large bodies of water, engineers increasingly were called upon to design large cantilevered trusses,
345:
The choice of large steel through arches for this location, with the roadway suspended from the arches by cables, allowed wide navigation channels on the river, minimized pier construction, and provided a profile to the bridge that was aesthetically pleasing. By replacing the old drawbridge with a
334:
As motor traffic increased in the early 1900s, drivers clamored for a way to cross the river without being interrupted to let marine traffic pass through. Studies for a new bridge date back to at least 1933, when the state was calling it the Route 346 Bridge.
346:
high-level crossing (the bridge provides more than 90 feet (27 m) of clearance above the river), the
Arrigoni Bridge foreshadowed subsequent major highway crossings of Connecticut's navigable rivers.
789:
338:
Construction on a new bridge began in 1936. Once the
Arrigoni Bridge was completed in 1938, the old drawbridge was demolished. That same year, the Arrigoni Bridge won the
774:
794:
804:
779:
612:
423:
745:
315:
339:
138:
369:
From a commemorative booklet entitled "The
Middletown-Portland Bridge" August 6, 1938. Click the image for the accompanying text.
45:
598:
311:
532:
799:
284:
588:
499:
2005 State of
Connecticut Department of Transportation Traffic Volumes State Maintained Highway Network Traffic Log (pdf)
472:
769:
714:
784:
326:
and charged tolls for the crossing. The
Portland Passenger Bridge was heavily damaged by flooding in 1936.
228:
38:
283:
It was named after state legislator
Charles J. Arrigoni, who promoted the project. Arrigoni served in the
562:
498:
321:
When the first non-railroad bridge in the area opened in 1896, it was said to be the longest highway
300:
288:
373:
273:
124:
680:
652:
454:
277:
128:
638:
265:
261:
95:
91:
8:
510:
477:
257:
153:
114:
357:
428:
418:
406:
351:
697:
690:
594:
269:
184:
105:
394:
685:
540:
763:
60:
47:
377:
Portland
Passenger Bridge over the Connecticut River; no longer in existence
389:
342:
first prize of "Most
Beautiful Steel Bridge" in the large bridge category.
307:
304:
30:
719:
735:
730:
401:
459:
322:
511:"GOV MALLOY: HISTORIC ARRIGONI BRIDGE FULLY OPEN AFTER CONSTRUCTION"
365:
642:, April 25, 2007, Middlesex County Advertising Supplement, page 7
613:"Before the Arrigoni, There was the Portland Passenger Bridge"
513:. CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. 23 October 2012
695:
429:
French King Bridge won the same award 6 years earlier
790:
Buildings and structures in
Middletown, Connecticut
314:. Still in active service, it is now known as the
761:
601:, retrieved via Google Books on January 16, 2009
653:"Charles J. Arrigoni Bridge, Bridge No. 524"
563:"The Longest Highway Drawbridge – Who Knew?"
450:
448:
446:
444:
746:Providence & Worcester railroad bridge
424:List of crossings of the Connecticut River
340:American Institute of Steel Construction's
316:Providence & Worcester railroad bridge
775:Through arch bridges in the United States
441:
312:New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
795:Bridges in Middlesex County, Connecticut
372:
364:
356:
139:Connecticut Department of Transportation
16:Bridge in Middlesex County, Connecticut
762:
681:Connecticut's historic highway bridges
657:Connecticut's Historic Highway Bridges
610:
533:"Middletown and the Connecticut River"
694:
285:Connecticut House of Representatives
13:
805:Steel bridges in the United States
780:Bridges over the Connecticut River
611:Warner, Elizabeth (3 April 2011).
14:
816:
674:
593:, p 7, Arcadia Publishing, 2004,
734:
729:
718:
412:
400:
388:
109:
86:
81:
29:
645:
329:
631:
604:
581:
555:
525:
503:
492:
465:
1:
706:
434:
287:from 1933 to 1936 and in the
715:Rocky Hill–Glastonbury Ferry
310:opened in 1872 carrying the
252:, also known locally as the
7:
800:Road bridges in Connecticut
686:Arrigoni Bridge Live Webcam
381:
10:
821:
455:Charles J. Arrigoni Bridge
294:
23:Charles J. Arrigoni Bridge
770:Bridges completed in 1938
740:
724:
709:
704:
242:
237:
227:
222:
214:
206:
198:
193:
183:
179:2 × 660 feet (200 m)
175:
167:
159:
149:
144:
134:
120:
101:
76:
37:
28:
21:
569:. Connecticut Humanities
289:Connecticut State Senate
537:Connecticut Communities
274:Middletown, Connecticut
587:McDougall, Robert W.,
419:Connecticut portal
407:Engineering portal
378:
370:
362:
785:Portland, Connecticut
473:"THE ARRIGONI BRIDGE"
376:
368:
360:
278:Portland, Connecticut
163:3428.1 ft (1044.85 m)
129:Portland, Connecticut
61:41.56917°N 72.64861°W
639:The Hartford Courant
395:Transport portal
291:from 1937 to 1940.
567:Connecticut History
478:Wesleyan University
258:through arch bridge
154:Through arch bridge
66:41.56917; -72.64861
57: /
379:
371:
363:
352:suspension bridges
199:Construction start
757:
756:
752:
751:
698:Connecticut River
696:Crossings of the
599:978-0-7385-3642-2
270:Connecticut River
246:
245:
106:Connecticut River
812:
738:
733:
722:
707:
692:
691:
668:
667:
665:
663:
649:
643:
635:
629:
628:
626:
624:
617:Patch Middletown
608:
602:
585:
579:
578:
576:
574:
559:
553:
552:
550:
548:
539:. Archived from
529:
523:
522:
520:
518:
507:
501:
496:
490:
489:
487:
485:
469:
463:
452:
417:
416:
415:
405:
404:
393:
392:
207:Construction end
171:44.9 ft (13.7 m)
113:
112:
90:
89:
85:
84:
72:
71:
69:
68:
67:
62:
58:
55:
54:
53:
50:
33:
19:
18:
820:
819:
815:
814:
813:
811:
810:
809:
760:
759:
758:
753:
748:
744:
728:
726:Arrigoni Bridge
717:
713:
700:
677:
672:
671:
661:
659:
651:
650:
646:
636:
632:
622:
620:
609:
605:
586:
582:
572:
570:
561:
560:
556:
546:
544:
531:
530:
526:
516:
514:
509:
508:
504:
497:
493:
483:
481:
471:
470:
466:
453:
442:
437:
413:
411:
399:
387:
384:
332:
297:
254:Portland Bridge
250:Arrigoni Bridge
185:Clearance below
145:Characteristics
110:
87:
82:
65:
63:
59:
56:
51:
48:
46:
44:
43:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
818:
808:
807:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
755:
754:
750:
749:
739:
723:
705:
702:
701:
689:
688:
683:
676:
675:External links
673:
670:
669:
644:
630:
603:
580:
554:
524:
502:
491:
464:
439:
438:
436:
433:
432:
431:
426:
421:
409:
397:
383:
380:
331:
328:
296:
293:
244:
243:
240:
239:
235:
234:
231:
225:
224:
220:
219:
218:August 6, 1938
216:
212:
211:
208:
204:
203:
200:
196:
195:
191:
190:
189:89 ft (27.1 m)
187:
181:
180:
177:
173:
172:
169:
165:
164:
161:
157:
156:
151:
147:
146:
142:
141:
136:
132:
131:
122:
118:
117:
103:
99:
98:
78:
74:
73:
41:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
817:
806:
803:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
767:
765:
747:
743:
737:
732:
727:
721:
716:
712:
708:
703:
699:
693:
687:
684:
682:
679:
678:
658:
654:
648:
641:
640:
634:
619:. Patch Media
618:
614:
607:
600:
596:
592:
591:
584:
568:
564:
558:
543:on 2015-02-10
542:
538:
534:
528:
512:
506:
500:
495:
480:
479:
474:
468:
462:
461:
456:
451:
449:
447:
445:
440:
430:
427:
425:
422:
420:
410:
408:
403:
398:
396:
391:
386:
385:
375:
367:
359:
355:
353:
347:
343:
341:
336:
327:
324:
319:
317:
313:
309:
306:
302:
299:Portland and
292:
290:
286:
281:
279:
275:
272:, connecting
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
241:
236:
232:
230:
229:Daily traffic
226:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
192:
188:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
155:
152:
148:
143:
140:
137:
135:Maintained by
133:
130:
126:
123:
119:
116:
107:
104:
100:
97:
96:Route 66
93:
92:Route 17
79:
75:
70:
42:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
741:
725:
710:
660:. Retrieved
656:
647:
637:
633:
621:. Retrieved
616:
606:
589:
583:
571:. Retrieved
566:
557:
545:. Retrieved
541:the original
536:
527:
515:. Retrieved
505:
494:
482:. Retrieved
476:
467:
458:
361:Award plaque
348:
344:
337:
333:
330:A new bridge
320:
308:truss bridge
301:East Hampton
298:
282:
253:
249:
247:
176:Longest span
160:Total length
115:Route 9
268:across the
256:is a steel
80:4 lanes of
64: /
39:Coordinates
764:Categories
742:Downstream
460:Structurae
435:References
323:drawbridge
223:Statistics
125:Middletown
52:72°38′55″W
49:41°34′09″N
484:March 26,
260:carrying
711:Upstream
590:Portland
382:See also
266:Route 66
262:Route 17
238:Location
94: /
295:History
194:History
102:Crosses
77:Carries
662:3 July
623:3 July
597:
573:3 July
547:3 July
517:3 July
233:33,600
215:Opened
150:Design
121:Locale
305:swing
276:, to
168:Width
664:2015
625:2015
595:ISBN
575:2015
549:2015
519:2015
486:2024
264:and
248:The
210:1938
202:1936
127:and
108:and
457:at
766::
655:.
615:.
565:.
535:.
475:.
443:^
318:.
666:.
627:.
577:.
551:.
521:.
488:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
