New Pier Provides Alternate Fishing Location While Old Lyme Boardwalk Closed During Construction of New Connecticut River Bridge
OLD LYME–The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the opening of the pier at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam as an alternate fishing location for local anglers and outdoor enthusiasts who have been displaced by the construction of the new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook.
The DEEP in a press release said Ferry Landing Pier/Boardwalk in Old Lyme is closed to make way for Amtrak’s construction of a new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook.
An announcement posted on the Old Lyme website earlier this month said reconstruction of the pier at the state park in Haddam was undertaken by Amtrak in anticipation of the temporary closure of the Ferry Landing Pier.
The DEEP said the new pier at Eagle Landing State Park, and Amtrak’s commitment to build it, resulted from public feedback during the environmental review phase of the Connecticut River Bridge Project.
This $1.3 billion project broke ground in September. It’s supported by an $826.64 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The remaining portion will be funded by Amtrak and the State of Connecticut.
According to Amtrak, the bridge project will replace the existing 118-year-old bridge with a modern moveable bridge that will support a maximum train operating speed of 70 mph – a 55 percent increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph.
Maritime navigation and safety will also improve due to the increased vertical clearance of the new bridge compared to the existing bridge, the company said.
The DEEP said Amtrak will build an improved, fully accessible observation deck more than 1,000 feet long at Ferry Landing State Park in 2029, once the new Connecticut River Bridge is in service and the old bridge has been demolished.
The Ferry Landing Pier and boardwalk upgrade is expected to open in 2030 or 2031, according to the DEEP. Plans call for a 50% wider walkway with improved accessibility in a location slightly west of the existing site. The state agency promised better access to deep water, and stronger, more durable concrete piles for more support compared to the wooden piles used for the original structure.