On the horizon: A new Connecticut River crossing for walkers and cyclists

Cyclists and pedestrians will have a new route across the Connecticut River starting next month, when the opening of the long-awaited multi-purpose trail along the Putnam Bridge creates a scenic connection between Wethersfield and Glastonbury.

Contractors have completed the roughly 1.4-mile paved trail, and the state transportation department expects to open it in mid-May.

“People are going to enjoy it. There probably won’t be a deluge of people going to either town, but I think it will surprise some people how often it gets used,” said Kevin T. Sullivan, co-founder of Bike Walk Wethersfield , a prominent advocacy group for cyclists and pedestrians.

The project took two years and has spurred planners in both towns to look for ways to link established cycling routes to what is being called the Putnam Bridge Trail.

Walkers and cyclists will be able to go from Great Meadow Road in Wethersfield to Naubuc Avenue in Glastonbury.

The Putnam carries about 55,000 cars and trucks each day, but until now non-motorized traffic had to take an 8-mile trip to the Charter Oak Bridge in Hartford to cross the river. Alternatives to the south required an even greater detour: 26 miles to the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown and back, or else 11 miles to the seasonal Glastonbury-Rocky Hill ferry.

The plan is for trail connections on the east side of the river to reach the Goodwin College trails in East Hartford, while on the west side Wethersfield planners are putting together a temporary route to Main Street in Old Wethersfield.

Eventually the town plans a permanent, dedicated trail for that, and Wethersfield officials are meeting in May to give a public update about progress.

Sullivan said recreational riders can do 10- or 15-mile rides using connector routes from the bridge trail, but said he anticipates that most of the use will be from people traveling locally.

“I’ve heard from quite a few people regionally who are excited about it, but I don’t know if they’re planning to ride it or they’re just happy to have more trail connections,” he said Thursday. “My personal bet is that more people will be using it for everyday transportation.”

Wethersfield resident Joseph Sica, who was out riding near the oil tanks along the river recently, said he’s looking forward to the bridge route opening. But he questioned whether there will be enough routes to connect with after getting to the other side.

“Sometimes I do 10 miles a day. I like going over a bridge, so I’ll definitely go over to the other side. But there really aren’t many places to go over there, so maybe I’ll just turn around and come back,” Sica said.

With the trail work done, the state department of transportation is now turning its attention to a makeover for the bridge itself.

In a presentation earlier this month, DOT planners said they anticipate launching a major rehabilitation project in the spring 2026 that will run through the end of 2027.

The bridge is 64 years old and is suffering corrosion that needs to be addressed, the DOT said. The plan is to replace any deficient structural elements and make repairs to extend its life by 20 to 25 years.

The Putnam isn’t at risk right now, but overall gets just a five rating — “fair” — on a scale of one (imminent failure) to nine (excellent), according to Tracey Brais, a DOT project manager, and Ron Sacchi, project manager for the GM2 consulting firm.

“There appears to be some seepage through the deck that’s starting to produce corrosion,” Sacchi said.

Workers will replace expansion joints, patch the deck, strengthen steel support elements, strip the asphalt off the bridge deck and repave the roadway, the DOT said.

The four-lane bridge will be repaired in stages, with one lane in each direction kept open and most lane closures limited to nights and weekends, the DOT said.

“When we’re doing top of the deck repairs, we’ll probably have to close one lane in each direction,” Sacchi said. “If more lane closures are required it might involve a weekend closure that would involve a detour over the Charter Oak Bridge. At this point, we are not expecting any long-term closures or long-term detours.”

Federal grants will pay 80% of the cost, with Connecticut covering the other 20%. Brais said planners are still evaluating the cost, which could vary from a base of $31.4 million to slightly more than double that if the entire bridge undergoes repainting.

The cost of removing the bridge’s existing lead paint makes up most of the difference, largely because contractors would need to use a containment system to prevent contamination from falling paint chips.