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The Five Mile River Bridge on West Cedar Street Friday, April 30, 2021, in Norwalk.

The Five Mile River Bridge on West Cedar Street Friday, April 30, 2021, in Norwalk.

The Five Mile River Bridge on West Cedar Street Friday, April 30, 2021, in Norwalk.

NORWALK — Engineers plan to replace the 112-year-old bridge on West Cedar Street that crosses the Five Mile River with a wider overpass that can accommodate two full lanes of traffic and a sidewalk.

The larger concrete bridge will be designed to match the historic but slowly deteriorating stone structure that stands near Norwalk Community College’s main campus, according to Vanessa Valadares, a city engineer.

“We would like to keep the same look that we have on the bridge that is there now,” Valadares said during a meeting with the Norwalk Conservation Commission last week. “We think it's very important for the neighborhood.”

In 2019, the city hired Alfred Benesch and Company, a Glastonbury engineering firm, to design a new bridge after state inspectors raised concerns about the existing structure’s condition. The narrow bridge was built in 1910 and an estimated 4,500 vehicles pass over it every day.

“A lot of people currently utilize the bridge as a one-lane alternating roadway,” said Ricky Mears, an Alfred Benesch project manager.

Mears said the firm is proposing to replace the aging structure with a bridge that is 28 feet wide, a 10-foot increase over the existing bridge. The wider bridge will be able to accommodate two 11-foot lanes, a pair of 3-foot shoulders and a 5-foot sidewalk.

Engineers believe the wider and sturdier bridge will allow pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles to travel over the river more efficiently and in a safer manner.

In an effort to resemble the appearance of the yet-to-be demolished bridge, Mears said the proposed bridge will employ a “precast concrete arch” system with stone masonry walls.

“A stone veneer will be utilized on the face of the proposed arch, parapets and wingwalls to replicate the aesthetics of the existing bridge,” engineers wrote in an application submitted to the city.

The replacement bridge is expected to cost $3.8 million. Valadares said the project is being paid for with a combination of local, state and federal funds.

In addition to handling more traffic, Mears said the new bridge will also be better positioned to withstand flooding since it will be wider and will stand slightly taller than the existing overpass, which sits in a floodplain.

Mears said engineers plan to submit a finalized bridge design by early July. Demolition of the old bridge and the construction of the new structure is not expected to begin until the spring of 2024.

Since the bridge is surrounded by a series of wetlands, the construction plans must first be approved by the conservation commission before work can begin. The commission voted to hold a public hearing for the project on June 14.

Commission members did not voice any concerns about the bridge design following the presentation. Chairperson John Moeling praised the engineer’s proposal for “salvaging the look” of the old bridge.

“Despite the fact that it jams everybody up traffic-wise, it's a pretty cool looking bridge, especially in context with the surrounding river and wetlands,” Moeling said.