Allan Appel Photo
Barriers remained lowered and lights flashed at the western approach.
The Mobile Barbershop owner Elliot Echevarria said the continuing closing of the Chapel Street Bridge over the Mill River hasn’t affected his business.
That’s because most of Echevarria’s (pictured) customers arrive by appointment, he said. He doesn’t rely on passing vehicular traffic to notice the barber pole oscillating from the van that he parks at a welcoming angle at Chapel Street’s east side ascent to the bridge across from Criscuolo Park.
There hasn’t been any traffic on the bridge since the city decided, out of “an abundance of caution,” to close the bridge on Friday through the weekend and into this week.
According to city spokesperson Laurence Grotheer, the bridge continues to remain operable but solely for marine traffic, is staffed 24/7 per U.S. Coast Guard regulations, and can be lifted as needed.
The closed bridge from the east side.
Echevarria said he hasn’t noticed any work being done on the bridge.
That’s because the replacement part required for the repair has not yet arrived, Grotheer reported in an email message late Tuesday afternoon. The replacement part was due to arrive late Tuesday, and work is scheduled to begin on the repair Wednesday morning, Grotheer added.
Here’s the specific nature of the problem to be addressed, according to Grotheer: “Each of the four corners of the swing bridge has a wedge arm to keep the bridge in place while it’s closed. Last Friday, as the bridge was being closed after allowing for marine traffic, couplings in one of the four wedge arms broke.
“Since one of four anchoring devices was compromised, and with an abundance of caution, a decision was made to close the bridge to vehicular traffic until that wedge arm could be repaired.”
During a brief visit Tuesday afternoon, at least two vehicles charged by the “detour” and “bridge closed” signs at Chapel and East. The driver of a red Nissan hybrid (pictured) got the picture a few feet before the barrier, and turned around.
However another traveler, this one on foot, just kept right on going. The bridge remains open to pedestrian traffic; you just have to negotiate the barriers.
“This is my normal route,” said the jogger, and moved on.
The work is being done by the Branford-based Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman company under the supervision of the city’s department of public works.
