William H. Putnam Memorial Bridge
| Putnam Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Western end of the William H. Putnam Memorial Bridge, before rehabilitation. | |
| Coordinates | 41°42′51″N 72°38′27″W / 41.71417°N 72.64083°W |
| Carries |
 Route 3 Expressway |
| Crosses | Connecticut River |
| Locale | Wethersfield and Glastonbury. |
| Official name | William H. Putnam Memorial Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Steel girder bridge |
| Clearance below | 80 ft (24.3 m) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 50,800 |
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The Putnam Bridge is a bridge in the state of Connecticut carrying the Route 3 Expressway over the Connecticut River, connecting Interstate 91 in Wethersfield and Route 2 in Glastonbury. It is the southernmost crossing of the Connecticut River in the Hartford Area and carries an average of 50,800 vehicles per day.
The bridge was built in the late 1950s as part of the Route 3 connector between Interstate 91 and Connecitcut Route 2. It was expected to be expanded to a double-decker in the early 1970s as part of the planned Interstate 491, a southeastern bypass around Hartford from Wethersfield to East Hartford. However, the project was cancelled in 1973, and the expressway portion of Route 3 from I-91 to Route 2 is all that was constructed from that project.
In 2013, the bridge underwent a $15 million rehabilitation project, which repaved the roadbed, repainted the girders, added new lighting fixtures and a new pedestrian walkway.
See also
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to William H. Putnam Memorial Bridge. |
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