It's a question that’s been bounced around for more than 100 years: Should Connecticut and Long Island be connected by a bridge?
Lawmakers in Connecticut could be tasked with considering it this session.
A bill before the Connecticut Commerce Committee would direct the state Department of Economic and Community Development to study creating a Connecticut Bridge Authority to oversee the creation of a bridge between Connecticut and Long Island.
Stephen Shapiro is the Easton-based developer who’s pushing the idea.
“I have talked to the Federal Highway Administration in Washington [D.C.], they were open to the conversation,” Shapiro said. “New York, I think, would be very open to this. They've funded most of the study and research on this, as recently as Governor Cuomo did one in 2017 exploring various locations, including this specific one.”
Shapiro wants the 14-mile bridge to connect Bridgeport and the Sunken Meadow State Parkway on Long Island. Advocates say it could clear traffic on the state’s main highways and increase visitors.
If the bill passes, findings from the study would be due to the legislature at the beginning of 2027.
Senator Heather Somers (R-Groton) said she had concerns that the study would become another expense that didn’t lead to action. She wasn’t thrilled about the impacts on the Sound, either.
“I am concerned about the environmental impacts,” Sommers said. “I'm also concerned about the cost. And I happen to represent a town that has a very large bridge, the Gold Star bridge, that goes across the Thames River, and we can't seem to even maintain that, let alone a 14-mile-long bridge.”
Cost estimates for the construction are around $50 billion.
