The Latest on the Walk Bridge Construction Project

Whether you live in Norwalk or you’ve taken a train through the city, you’ve probably seen the towering cranes and heard the work taking place along the Walk Bridge and surrounding area. 

“A lot has been happening now that the project is in effect,” Vanessa Valadares, the city’s chief of operations, told the Common Council at its meeting on April 8. “As you cross the river you can see a lot of changes.”

While the overall $1 billion+ Walk Bridge project has been in the works for more than 10 years, construction has really heated up over the last few months prompting Norwalk city officials and Common Council members to ask for an update for the public. Construction officially kicked off at the site in 2023. 

In addition, with all the news about the Trump administration cutting off or getting rid of federal funding for programs, Council Member Greg Burnett questioned if there has “been any indication or concern that funding might be a concern” as the project is supported by both state and federal dollars. 

“No, there has not—the project is under construction,” Gustavo Melo, the project manager for the Walk Bridge, said.

“All the funding has been secured,” Valadares added. 

The project includes not only replacing the nearly 130-year-old Walk Bridge that spans the Norwalk Harbor, but also associated work, like replacing other train bridges along the ride, improving the tracks in the area, and enhancing local roadways.

Melo said that Connecticut Department of Transportation, which is leading the efforts, knows that it has “a large impact in Norwalk” and that the workers will “be here for a couple of years.”

Melo noted that the construction officially kicked off in 2023, with a lot of the initial work taking place underground, such as moving the power lines that span over the bridge under the river.

But now that work is beginning to shift above ground, over the next year, he said. 

The Walk Bridge Itself

“One of the biggest operations we’re going to have in 2026 is removal of the high towers,” he noted, adding that “2027 is really the first float in period” for the new structure. The plan is to assemble the northern and then southern lift spans for the bridge at Manresa Island and then float them down the river on a barge to put them in place.

Manresa Island is home to the decommissioned oil and coal-fired power plant. Last year, the property was purchased by Austin and Allison McChord, a local philanthropic couple in Norwalk, that aims to turn the site into a “one-of-its-kind community hub” public park.

Melo said that CTDOT is “working with the Manresa Association to accommodate their future construction” and to be able to “help them move that project along.”  

The goal is to have the construction wrapped up by 2029 with cleanup work and site restoration continuing into 2030, Melo said. 

The new multi-span movable bridge will be “a big difference from what we currently have up there now,” he said. 

East Norwalk Projects

In addition to the Walk Bridge itself there are railroad bridge replacements taking place at Fort Point Street, East Avenue, and Strawberry Hill Avenue as a part of the overall Walk Bridge program, Melo said. The East Norwalk Train Station is also currently being renovated and East Avenue will undergo major roadway improvements.

Melo noted that they’ve received a lot of concerns and complaints from residents regarding the condition of East Avenue. He said they’ve been working since 2021 to underground utilities in the area and “that project we’ve had several delays,” but he said they are on track to wrap that project up this fall and then will repave the road.

East Avenue overall will be widened, sidewalks will be added, and two lanes of traffic will consistently go in each direction—whereas currently some lanes become turn only lanes and others merge together.

“It’s going to be a big change for East Norwalk and East Ave in that area,” he said. 

The plan is to wrap up all of the work in East Norwalk by 2028, according to the CTDOT schedule. 

“It’s such an impactful project and seeing the photographs of the work being done and how extraordinarily massive this project is, it’s really encouraging to see what we’ll have when it’s completed,” Council President Barbara Smyth said. 

Other members of council pushed to make sure that residents are informed when major work is being done in their area, such as the residents who live around the entrance to Manresa Island when materials are being brought to the site.

“I want us to continue to be mindful—we have a new school going up in the area,” Council Member Darlene Young said. “We talk about safe routes to school and we just need to be mindful of that and that residents know what to expect.”