Built in 1922, the famous bascule bridge in Mystic is getting structural repairs this week.
Starting Wednesday morning and ending Friday evening, the Mystic River bascule bridge will be closed to boat traffic.
“It’s a very active waterway,” said the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Flax. “The people most affected are the boaters who are on the inside of the bridge towards the seaport. The seaport has a marina, so those boats will not be able to come and go.”
He says daily hundreds of boats cross under the bridge, which connect Groton and Stonington.
“It’s one of the iconic figures that draws people to Mystic,” Flax said.
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The bridge was built in 1922 and the city says it’s the oldest of its kind.
The need for repairs comes after Connecticut’s Department of Transportation discovered structural issues with the component that supports the counterweights when the bridge opens.
“They were just doing normal repairs that don’t impede the bridge and found this by chance,” said Flax.
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The DOT says the repair cost is estimated around $150,000 and will be state funded.
During the repairs the Mystic Seaport Museum, which runs charters and tours up and down the water, says it will continue operations, but change its routes.
Tourists looking to take a picture of the bridge will have to wait until the repairs are finished.
“With the bridge down,” said Flax, “the town is still open for shopping and eating and there’s a lot going on here.”
