Stevenson Dam Bridge

Stevenson Dam Bridge
Coordinates	41°23′00″N73°10′17″W / 41.3832°N 73.1715°W / 41.3832; -73.1715
Carries	2 lanes of Route 34
Crosses	Housatonic River
Locale	Monroe and Oxford (Connecticut)
Official name	Stevenson Dam Bridge
Maintained by	Connecticut Department of Transportation [1] (Owned by the Connecticut Light and Power Company)
ID number	1843
Characteristics
Design	concrete arch
Total length	1213 ft
Width	42 ft
History
Opened	1919
Statistics
Toll	None

The Stevenson Dam Bridge carries Connecticut Route 34 over the Housatonic River in the U.S. state of Connecticut, connecting the town of Monroe to the town of Oxford.

The Stevenson Dam Bridge sits on top of the Stevenson Dam, constructed by the Connecticut Light and Power Company. It is a concrete span featuring 24 arches. ^[2] The current bridge was constructed in 1919 and is 1213 feet in length by 42 feet in width, featuring one lane in each direction for automotive traffic. It is the only highway bridge in Connecticut on a dam spillway. ^[3] In 2009, the DOT estimated the dam carries approximately 10,300 vehicles per day. ^[4]

It has been claimed to be one of two dams in the country with a public road over top, but this is false. ^{[5] [4]}

History

A prior, one lane wooden suspension bridge known as "Zoar Bridge" existed just south of the confluence of the Halfway River with the Housatonic, at what is now the Monroe/Newtown town line, about 3/4 mile upstream from the dam/bridge current location. The supports for the old bridge were inundated with the construction of the dam. This bridge was not the predecessor to the current Derby-Shelton Bridge. ^[6]

In the winter of 1875, a flood carried Zoar Bridge a mile down stream. ^[7] In 1890, county commissioners ordered the removal of a toll house connected to the Oxford side of the bridge, as it was deemed a fire hazard. ^[8]

Renovations

• 1959 - New mercury vapor lights added, elimination of a sharp traffic approach. ^[9]
• 1987 - 80 post tensioned anchor cables are installed to improve earthquake resiliency. ^[10]
• 1979 - Widening project requires the bridge to be closed entirely to traffic for approximately six months. ^[11]
• 2005 - The bridge was closed on five weekends in summer for repairs to the concrete decks. ^[12]
• 2009 - A new bridge is planned for completion and has been bonded at $34 million. ^[13]

Notes

1. "Department of Transportation". Connecticut Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 7, 2003.
2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
3. "Stevenson Dam, Stevenson Dam Bridge, 19.3 miles upstream of the mouth of the Housatonic River, Monroe, Fairfield County, CT". Library of Congress. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
4. Burgeson, John (November 16, 2010). "Stevenson: A bridge too far?". Connecticut Post. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
5. "In Addition To Electricity, Stevenson Dam Generates Much Lore And A Few Myths". www.newtownbee.com. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
6. "The View From/Stevenson Dam; How to Fix or Replace an Aging Bridge Over the Housatonic?". The New York Times. March 29, 1998.
7. "Great Freshet in Naugatuck and Housatonic Valleys". Oxford Historical Society. February 27, 1875. Archived from the original on July 31, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
8. "TROUBLE OVER A TOLL HOUSE New Haven and Fairfield Commissioners Meet today to Talk About Zoar Bridge". Oxford Historical Society. April 19, 1890. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
9. "1959-Main".
10. Burgeson, John (September 6, 2017). "Stevenson Dam celebrates 100 years". Connecticut Post. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
11. Burgeson, John (November 21, 2010). "Past, present and future of a dam bridge in Conn". Boston.com. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
12. Holtz, Jeff (April 10, 2005). "IN BRIEF; Weekend Closings Set For Stevenson Dam Bridge" – via NYTimes.com.
13. "Hovey". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2009.

41°23′00″N73°10′17″W / 41.3832°N 73.1715°W / 41.3832; -73.1715