The What: Inside the Latest Walk Bridge Construction Updates; Manresa Wilds Heads to a Vote; Flooding Cleanup Continues; and more

Monday, September 21

Happy Monday! I know many of you were still dealing with the cleanup from last week’s storm only to get hit with a new round of rain yesterday. It’s a relatively busy week across southwest Connecticut so let’s dive in. 

Highlights 

This section gives a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.

• The towers of the Walk Bridge, which have been a part of the Norwalk waterfront for 130 years are officially coming down, marking a huge milestone in the nearly $1 billion project. 
• Residents and business owners continue to clean up and deal with the aftermath of the flooding rains that came through last weekend as another round of rain hit. 
• The zoning application for Manresa Wilds is up for a vote this week in front of the Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission after months of debate and discussion. Explore the proposed vision for the site. 

Spotlight

This section features our main reporting each week.

If you’ve read this newsletter, you know that we’ve reported a few times on the Walk Bridge construction project—and there’s a decent reason for it. In 2024, the New Haven line (which runs from New Haven to Grand Central in NYC) had 32 million passenger trips, many of whom had to cross the Walk Bridge to get where they were going—not including the Amtrak passengers who also travel through this busy corridor. This bridge is a vital piece of train infrastructure, not just in Connecticut, but in the country, as it links some of the busiest cities—Boston to New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and more. 

That’s why we have an update for you on the latest work on the Walk Bridge project, which involves removing the cables and tall towers along the river. 

For 130 years, the high towers along the Norwalk River have been part of the city’s skyline, helping to keep the trains—and their electricity—running across the waterway. But now, as a part of the Walk Bridge construction project, they are starting to come down. 

“These towers have stood as part of Norwalk's skyline and as a symbol of the bridge that has connected our community and supported one of the most important transportation corridors in the Northeast,” Mayor Barbara Smyth said at a press conference on Sept. 9. 

The work on the towers has been some of the most visible construction work taking place as part of the Walk Bridge construction project, which began in earnest in 2023, thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

The overall, nearly $1 billion Walk Bridge project will replace the 130-year-old bridge that spans the Norwalk River, as well as other improvements to bridges, roads, and railroad tracks in the area. The project is part of the state’s Time for CT initiative, which aims to speed up the time it takes to get from Connecticut into NYC (and vice versa.) 

Explore the work taking place and what that means for you, or see the work in action through our highlight video.  

This Week at a Glance

This section includes a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.

Bridgeport

Featured Meeting: The City Council will meet on Monday, Sept 21 at 7 p.m. and continue hearing from residents on the updates to the city’s parking ordinance as well discuss other items, such as a proposed resolution to pursue a pedestrian bridge connecting the East End Neighborhood to Pleasure Beach and expanding public access to the waterfront.

• Monday, Sept. 21: City Council at 7 p.m. | Board of Education at 5:30 p.m. 
• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Ordinance Committee at 6 p.m.

Stamford

Featured Meeting: The Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. and hear the city’s plans to demolish the existing building at the site of the new Lower School as well as plans for the school building itself. 

• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Planning Board at 6:30 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m. 
• Thursday, Sept. 24: Operations, Parks and Recreation Committee at 7 p.m. 

Norwalk

Featured Meetings: The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. to continue reviewing, and potentially vote on, the proposed zoning map for Manresa Wilds, a planned new park and event space in the city. Learn more about the Manresa Wilds project. In addition, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Parking Authority will meet at 6 p.m. and hear an update on the proposed new residential parking program.

• Monday, Sept. 21: Fair Housing Advisory Commission at 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Board of Health at 8 a.m. | Water Pollution Control Authority at 5:30 p.m. | Urban Forestry Commission at 6 p.m. | City Council at 7:30 p.m. 
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: Harbor Management Commission at 6 p.m. | Parking Authority at 6 p.m. | Community Services Committee at 7 p.m. | Facilities/Planning Committee of the Board of Education at 6 p.m. 
• Thursday, Sept. 24: Planning and Zoning Commission at 7 p.m. | Public Safety and General Government Committee at 7 p.m.

Fairfield

Featured Meeting: The Town Plan and Zoning Commission will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. and continue discussing potential updates to its regulations to prohibit smoke shops, vape shops, and tobacco stores.

• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Dwight School Building Committee at 2 p.m. | Board of Education at 7 p.m. | Town Plan and Zoning Commission at 6:30 p.m.  | Affordable Housing Committee at 7 p.m. | Board of Finance Budget Committee at 7 p.m. | RTM Informational Session at 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 24: METROCOG at 10 a.m. | Fairfield Cultural District Advisory Board at 3 p.m. | Human Services Commission at 4 p.m. | Board of Finance at 7 p.m. 

Greenwich

Featured Meeting: The Board of Estimate & Taxation will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. and review multiple items including a nearly $800,000 additional appropriation for the Railroad Avenue/Greenwich Avenue traffic signal improvement project. 

• Monday, Sept. 21: FS Hamill Rink Development Committee at 3 p.m. 
• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Board of Estimate & Taxation at 6:30 p.m. | FS AI Task Force at 3 p.m. | First Selectman’s Youth Commission at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: Planning & Zoning Board of Appeals at 7 p.m. | Riverside School Building Committee at 7:30 a.m. 
• Thursday, Sept. 24: Board of Education at 7 p.m. | Board of Selectmen at 7 p.m

Darien

Featured Meeting: The HHR Building Committee will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 3:30 p.m. and host an opening discussion on lessons learned about the overall school construction process.

• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Board of Education at 7:30 p.m. | HHR Building Committee at 3:30 p.m. | Housing Authority at 6:30 p.m. | Planning & Zoning Commission at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: RTM - Finance and Budget at 7:30 p.m. | Zoning Board of Appeals at 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 24: Advisory Sidewalk Committee at 9:30 a.m. | Great Island Parking Design Committee at 4 p.m. | RTM Town Government Structure and Administration Committee at 7:30 p.m. 

Westport

Featured Meeting: No featured meeting this week.

• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Zoning Board of Appeals at 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: Board of Selectmen at 9 a.m. | Conservation Commission at 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 24: Human Services Commission at 9:30 a.m.

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Please note: All of these agendas and information here are current as of Sunday night. Meeting times and agendas may get adjusted throughout the week.

Have a great week,

Kelly Prinz

Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times