FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

SEN. OSTEN’s BILL SEEKING ECONOMIC STUDY OF MOHEGAN-PEQUOT BRIDGE IS RAISED BY TRANSPORETATION COMMITTEE 

MONTVILLE – A bill introduced by state Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) requiring an economic study of areas surrounding the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge was raised today by the Transportation Committee and will now be subject to a public hearing.

Senate Bill 1081 seeks “an economic study on the areas surrounding the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge that considers, at a minimum, the impacts on transportation, the impacts to projects located at  the Great Wolf Lodge, projects known as the Preston Riverwalk Project and the Thames River Development and the expansion of the Preston Incinerator site, the requirement that permitted loads traverse the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge instead of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, and the impacts to public safety in the event of an incident that negatively impacts the Gold Star Memorial Bridge.”

“I’m a firm believer in planning for the future, and I think the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge will very soon outgrow its two-lane restriction, and that could harm the economic growth that’s planned for the region. I’d like to see the state do a deep dive on the economics of the area before they do any planned renovations to the bridge. We may discover some facts that alter that renovation plan,” said Sen. Osten, who is a member of the Transportation Committee.

The State Department of Transportation has already announced plans to spend $33 million to repair the two-lane bridge’s steel bed, roadbed and river fender systems. Sen. Osten and other local officials believe the DOT should save the maintenance costs and expand the Mohegan-Pequot bridge from two lanes to four, at a cost of about $227 million, of which 80% should be covered by the federal government.