Murphy, Blumenthal, Himes Announce $24.6 Million For Congress Street Bridge Replacement

BRIDGEPORT-U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04) joined Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim to announce that Bridgeport was selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to receive a $24.6 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to fund the construction of a new Congress Street Bridge spanning the Pequonnock River.

"This project has been a long time coming, and our delegation has been fighting to get the federal funding it needs to be successful. Replacing the Congress Street bridge will make it easier for people living on the East Side to get to downtown, saving them time and reconnecting the two communities," said Murphy.

"This over $24 million federal investment to replace Congress Street Bridge will provide tremendous relief to Bridgeport residents after years of advocacy," said Blumenthal. "Today's announcement marks the first step toward improving connectivity, safety, and accessibility in Bridgeport - literally bridging communities. I'll continue to work with the Connecticut delegation and the city of Bridgeport to ensure that this project is realized quickly and efficiently."

"Since my election in 2008, I have worked tirelessly on the reconstruction of the Congress Street Bridge- a project that would reconnect Bridgeport's downtown with the East Side. We have met many bureaucratic barriers throughout this frustrating process, but I hope that this grant will finally deliver the results the people of Bridgeport have waited on for so long. They deserve to be able to move about their city freely, and I will continue pushing until we see this bridge rebuilt in full," said Himes.

"I want to thank Congressman Jim Himes, Senator Chris Murphy, and Senator Richard Blumenthal for their steadfast advocacy to secure final funding for this project," said Ganim. "After thirty years, the Congress Street Bridge will finally reconnect the bustling East Side and Downtown neighborhoods and will increase public safety response times. The City of Bridgeport is prepared to get to work and ensure this project is completed expeditiously."

The $24.6 million included in this RAISE grant brings the total federal funding delivered by Murphy, Blumenthal and Himes to $26.9 million, including $2.3 million federal dollars to demolish the bridge in 2010. The federal delegation passed legislation in 2018 to approve reconstruction over the Pequonnock river, and supported the City of Bridgeport, CTDOT, and local partners in securing an additional $24 million for the replacement of the bridge in 2019.

The RAISE program allows project sponsors, including state and local governments, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs. RAISE grants are awarded to eligible surface transportation projects that will have a significant local or regional impact.

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