Ferry Street Bridge Reopens, Reconnects Communities

Skateboards, scooters, bikes and feet carried children and adults over the newly opened Ferry Street bridge in a joyous rush of communal celebration — and gratitude to officials who helped make the $17 million project happen five months ahead of schedule.

Click on the play arrow to watch the crowd run, bike, scoot and skate across for the first time in years.

City Transportation chief Mike Piscitelli served as master of ceremonies for the Saturday event, heaping praise on city Engineer Dick Miller (pictured) and his team for overseeing the reconstruction of the bridge. The bridge was closed precipitously back in 2002, in need of ​“immediate and urgent repairs.”

The closure severed the connection between two parts of Fair Haven, whose residents could no longer cross over the Quinnipiac River en route to work or school or to visit family or friends. Click here for a previous story recounting the person toll.

Dozens of youngsters came to the festivities. Evan Lee Bryant is pictured on the right, as kids lined up behind the barrier as the open bridge swung down into place. ​“Now it will be easier to get to East Haven,” he said. ​“I have some friends in East Haven and it will be nice to see them again.” How will he get there? ​“Maybe by bike, if my mom lets me.”

“I’m happy because I can go to my grandmother’s easily. Before,“Quincy Reivera (on the left in photo) said, making a big arc with his arm, ​“I had to go way over there.”

Grace Ozyck (pictured in photo above, behind Quincy) lives on Quinnipiac Avenue. She had a special reason for celebrating — ​“for no more traffic in front of my house.” Of course there will still be some traffic on her street, but not all the traffic that’s been diverted from Ferry Street for most of her life. Her dad, Chris, added, ​“And we won’t have to wait so long to cross the street to get to the car. Drivers see you holding two kids in the rain and they won’t stop. But once the bridge opens, it will be a lot easier.” (Click here to read about the situation there.)

Many city alders were present at Saturday’s event, as was State Sen. Martin Looney. He described growing up on one side of the bridge, and now living on the other side. He said the bridge closing ​“was a terrible blow to the Fair Haven area, and Fair Haven Heights area, and the Annex and the East Shore. He praised the efforts of U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the state legislature, and the regional Council of Governments, in getting funding expeditiously to get the job done. ​“This artery is pivotal to our city, and the eastern part of the city in particular.”

Fair Haven Alderwoman Erin Sturgis Pascale thanked everyone — from neighborhood activists all the way up to federal officials — who moved the project forward. ​“In a way,” she said, ​“the closing represents a beginning of public awareness of what the public infrastructure means to public life – not just about transportation, but about our social networks.” Click here to hear more of her comments.

Many of the kids (pictured at top of story) got to hold the ceremonial scissors to cut the ribbon as the bridge was lowered. Khirstyn Brunson (second from right in the top photo) said she lives on one side of the bridge and her grandparents live on Lancraft Street, on the other side. Now that the bridge is open, she said, ​“I can see my grandparents more because it won’t take forever to get there. We used to have to go on that highway [pointing in the direction of I‑95], and when there was traffic, it took forever.”