Cribari Bridge Review under discussion at the Y’SMEN May 21 meeting

Petition Update: Important Public Discussion on Cribari Bridge Traffic Questions At a recent public forum, consulting party Art Schoeller (Greens Farms Association) asked Westport First Selectman Kevin Christie an important question: how does the Town plan to address the potential for increased truck traffic and changed routing behavior if CTDOT replaces the William F. Cribari Bridge with a structure designed for greater capacity? You can watch that exchange here: https://7pazmveab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L6IN0u2cQxY5KpsWWY56JiwUuv0tjSQsvI2PdCV7xbRxsuXmIykj9TGgYiqVVzksApFXJ19GqlzYw3_ODkDJD0KP9NmESMYYVD5KzIoI0GX6OnJjoe-JWOU_mtSr3_K2Vjpvwc_BqYN3kfXWrRsre8CKfjyszJaj&c=BllDz2Rh4z3PqVZSoQXXHKCi6V5xZYW6C6SNC-B6h5tJZZL1SVvF2g==&ch=B0pxKSiiFt1e0B7F3pfpfktKTWUephsqFLX_a3WrJ1tYH1mj2vccBg== The exchange that starts in the final 8 minutes highlights exactly why federal oversight remains important. Our concern has never been simply the bridge structure itself. The larger question is whether changes in bridge clearance, width, geometry, and load capacity could materially alter traffic patterns through historic residential neighborhoods and the Bridge Street National Register Historic District—without those indirect and cumulative impacts being fully analyzed. That is why four federally recognized Section 106 consulting parties have now formally requested written responses from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), CTDOT, and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office regarding: • traffic and truck-routing assumptions
• potential diversion from I-95 and other regional corridors
• cumulative impacts on historic homes and neighborhood character
• the Area of Potential Effects (APE) used in the federal historic review
• anticipated Right-of-Way impacts affecting “10+ properties and a dock” that have not yet been clearly identified This is not about opposing change for its own sake. It is about making sure decisions affecting Westport’s historic neighborhoods are based on complete, transparent, and current analysis—not assumptions carried forward from an earlier bridge study. How you can help If you believe these questions deserve clear answers before irreversible decisions are made, please respectfully encourage local elected officials and community leaders to support a full federal historic preservation review. Your support continues to matter—and we will keep you informed as agency responses are received. We have over 1700 signatures.