The West Main Street Bridge: A Divide at the Heart of Stamford

This article has been updated following a decision from the Stamford Board of Representatives on April 7.

The West Main Street Bridge sits in the center of the city of Stamford. It’s also been at the heart of political disagreements, community disputes, and competing visions for the future of the city.

The historic bridge, which crosses the Rippowam River and connects the West Side neighborhood to downtown, has been closed to vehicular traffic since 2002 and to pedestrians within the past few years as its condition has deteriorated. The structure was built in 1888 and in the 1980s was erroneously painted purple, leading to its nickname, “The Purple Bridge.”

On April 7, the Stamford Board of Representatives voted 24-12 on a resolution selecting a plan to replace the bridge with one open to both cars and pedestrians.

“Option 4A involves rehabilitating the existing structure for both vehicular and pedestrian use. It is anticipated that the existing trusses and iron railing will be removed and transported to an offsite shop, where they can be cleaned, inspected, restored, and painted,” according to a report from consultant BL Companies. “The existing prefabricated pedestrian bridge will be removed as part of this option and the existing utilities will be permanently relocated to the new superstructure.”

The repairs necessary to reopen the bridge are estimated to cost at least $6.7 million, the report said. This option also will “require full depth roadway reconstruction to be performed at both approaches,” and the “bridge’s integrity of location and setting would be maintained.”

Split Views

Since its closure, now more than 20 years ago, the area around the bridge has changed dramatically. Mill River Park was created and opened to the public. There’s been a massive amount of development in the area, leading to new residents and businesses.

But for many the deteriorating structure is a sign of how the city has neglected both its infrastructure and some of its neighborhoods. Residents of the West Side say they’ve been ignored for years as they fought to save and revitalize the structure.

The Operations Committee conducted a public hearing in March and received a great amount of divided feedback. More than 20 residents spoke in-person and over 100 sent emails. Though the public did not have a consensus, the Operations Committee ultimately voted 6-2 to advance a resolution supporting rehabilitation. The overall board vote was also split with 24 members voting in favor and 12 opposed.

Stamford residents remain divided over how the bridge should be reopened and what that means for the areas around it.

“I really do find it amazing that a bridge that was built in 1888 and is still up barely is the center of so much controversy,” Representative Jeffrey Stella, who voted in favor of rehabilitating the bridge for both cars and pedestrians said. “We’re talking about a bridge that was neglected, that's been neglected—the city didn't maintain it; 23 years have passed and nothing has been done to maintain this bridge. [It’s] the biggest blight we have in the city of Stamford.”

Centrally Located

The West Main Street Bridge cuts between Mill River Park and the Mill River playground, with Washington Boulevard to the east, Tresser Boulevard to the south, and Broad Street to the North. A prefabricated pedestrian bridge was added just north of the structure allowing people to cross the river on foot in 2023.

Its location is a major reason why many residents from downtown and across the city advocate for not returning vehicles to the structure and instead just making it a pedestrian crossing.

“As a steward of Mill River Park, I see thousands of children, families and seniors who walk this park everyday,” Nettie Compton, the president of the Mill River Collaborative, the nonprofit that supports the park, said during the public hearing. “I want a city where everyone no matter their age or their ability has the chance to relax and unwind without traffic cutting through it.”

Others also highlight that the surrounding roads are built to accommodate the cars and this area could be kept walkable. Chris Dawson, a resident involved with People Friendly Stamford, an advocacy group that supports making neighborhoods more walkable and bikeable, said that the city would be spending “$6 to $10 million building an unnecessary bridge.”

“The bridge is literally a stone’s throw from a 6-lane wide Tresser bridge and a block from the Broad Street bridge,” he said at the public hearing, adding that reopening the bridge would require children and park goers to “navigate an impossible 5-way intersection.” “The money would be way better spent on pedestrian infrastructure

Resident Angelo Bochanis said he uses the pedestrian bridge daily to walk to work and for recreation.

“It is a pleasant, safe experience which is rare in Downtown Stamford,” he said. “We’ve seen what happens with these roads, drivers are careless and crashes happen. I walk here because it’s safe and it’s pleasant and I’m asking you to keep it safe and pleasant.”

Others noted that adding more car traffic is inconsistent with the city’s goals of Vision Zero that emphasizes getting to zero traffic deaths, while becoming more walkable and easier to navigate without cars.

“This takes one of the few car-free places in the city and it plows cars through it,” resident Zach Oberholtzer said. “It’s going to increase air pollution, it’s going to increase traffic, it’ll actually make traffic flow on that road that much worse. This bridge has been closed for 20 years which demonstrates its lack of necessity.”

Two members of the Board of Representatives on the Operations Committee Don Mays and Ashley Ley voted against the resolution. Both said that adding vehicle traffic to the area would just cause safety issues and air pollution.

“There’s so many opportunities to improve this neighborhood and make it accessible,” Ley said.

Disconnecting Neighborhoods

But many longtime residents of the West Side neighborhood shared that they felt the bridge closure cut them off from downtown, contributed to more traffic in their neighborhoods, and was an example of the city not listening to minority communities. Stamford’s West Side neighborhood is one of the most diverse in the city. According to city profiles from CT Data Haven, 49% of residents are Latino, 36% are Black, and 10% are white, and most economically challenged, with a 14% poverty rate and 39% of its residents classified as low-income.

West Side resident Cynthia Bowser urged the board to reopen the bridge to both cars and pedestrians saying that it’s “time for us to have that bridge reopened as it was originally constructed.”

“Stamford is a great place to live but unfortunately in my opinion it’s not an equitable place to live,’ she said, adding that the board should “let the West Side residents speak for the West Side.”

“I miss the Purple Bridge, I want it back,” said resident Debbie Joyner. “Help build up this community, we’re part of Stamford, make us look like we’re part of Stamford.”

Richard Lyons said that the “bridge has done nothing in the last 23 years, but divide that neighborhood…it’s now been lengthier than anyone thought to resolve.”

“We have an opportunity to link that neighborhood back—I don’t think it’s right that Stamford continues down this path to split and separate,” he said.

Members of the Board of Representatives said that they believe it’s important to support what the local community members were asking for.

“I have found that the majority on the West Side want that traffic flow going through there,” Representative Sean Boeger said. “I refuse to be dismissive to the people who are most marginalized and impacted by this…It was forcibly closed due to lack of upkeep. If the bridge had been constantly maintained it would be open today.”

Representative Bonnie Kim Campbell, who represents the West Side said she feels like “the mother of the Purple Bridge.”

She argued that the residents of the West Side, particularly its Black residents, have been “living off of scraps and leftovers since the beginning.” She also noted that many residents of the West Side need to drive to run errands and making things solely for cars and bicycles doesn’t solve all the issues.

“How do you expect a mother with 4-5 children to go to the grocery store on a bicycle?” she said.

Representative Nina Sherwood said that she wanted to both protect the history of the city and support the West Side residents in their efforts to reopen the bridge.

“It’s not a good decision to leave a dead end in downtown Stamford, the fastest growing city in the state,” she said. “It is my duty to protect the history of this city. This is worth preserving.”