Amtrak Old Saybrook – Old Lyme Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Amtrak Old Saybrook – Old Lyme Bridge is the last crossing of the Connecticut River
before it reaches Long Island Sound
. It is a Truss bridge
with a bascule
span, allowing boat traffic to go through. Its tracks are owned by Amtrak
and used by trains on their Northeast Corridor
and Shore Line East
high-speed rail lines. It can be seen from the Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge
(Interstate 95
and U.S. Route 1
), as well as from various points on Route 154
.
Also known as Connecticut River Railroad Bridge and as Connecticut River Bridge, it was built in 1907. It was determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, but it was not finally listed due to owner objection, with decision noted in National Register reference number #87002125.
It is one of eight moveable bridges on the Amtrak route through Connecticut surveyed in one multiple property study in 1986. The eight bridges from west to east are: Mianus River Railroad Bridge
at Cos Cob, built in 1904; Norwalk River Railroad Bridge
at Norwalk, 1896; Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge
at Westport, 1905; Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge
at Bridgeport, 1902; Housatonic River Railroad Bridge, at Devon, 1905; this Connecticut River Railroad Bridge, Old Saybrook-Old Lyme, 1907; Niantic River Bridge
, East Lyme-Waterford, 1907; and Thames River Bridge (Amtrak)
, Groton, built in 1919.
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
before it reaches Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. It is a Truss bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
with a bascule
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
span, allowing boat traffic to go through. Its tracks are owned by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and used by trains on their Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
and Shore Line East
Shore Line East
Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation , SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport...
high-speed rail lines. It can be seen from the Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge
Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge
The Baldwin Bridge is a concrete segmental bridge composed of eleven spans crossing the Connecticut River between Old Saybrook, Connecticut and Old Lyme, Connecticut. The bridge carries Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1, with an average daily traffic of 82,500....
(Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
and U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
), as well as from various points on Route 154
Connecticut Route 154
Route 154 is a state highway in Connecticut running for . It serves as one of the main thoroughfares in the town of Old Saybrook, intersecting twice with U.S. Route 1. North of I-95, Route 154 runs parallel to Route 9, along to the west bank of the Connecticut River. The route ends in Middletown...
.
Also known as Connecticut River Railroad Bridge and as Connecticut River Bridge, it was built in 1907. It was determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, but it was not finally listed due to owner objection, with decision noted in National Register reference number #87002125.
It is one of eight moveable bridges on the Amtrak route through Connecticut surveyed in one multiple property study in 1986. The eight bridges from west to east are: Mianus River Railroad Bridge
Mianus River Railroad Bridge
The Mianus River Railroad Bridge, also known as the Cos Cob Bridge, is a bascule bridge built in 1904 over the Mianus River, in Greenwich, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987...
at Cos Cob, built in 1904; Norwalk River Railroad Bridge
Norwalk River Railroad Bridge
The Norwalk River Railroad Bridge — the Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad right-of-way over the Norwalk River was built in 1896, when the route was widened to four tracks...
at Norwalk, 1896; Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge
Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge
The Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge, also known as Saugatuck River Bridge, is a railroad bridge carrying trackage of Metro-North railroad's New Haven Line over the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut...
at Westport, 1905; Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge
Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge
The Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge is a railroad drawbridge over the Pequonnock River in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Owned by the State of Connecticut and maintained and operated by Metro-North Railroad, it is also referred to as Pequonnock River Bridge, PECK Bridge, and Undergrade Bridge 55.90...
at Bridgeport, 1902; Housatonic River Railroad Bridge, at Devon, 1905; this Connecticut River Railroad Bridge, Old Saybrook-Old Lyme, 1907; Niantic River Bridge
Niantic River Bridge
Niantic River Bridge, also known as Amtrak Bascule Bridge No. 116.74, is a railroad bridge carrying Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line across the Niantic River between East Lyme, Connecticut and Waterford, Connecticut...
, East Lyme-Waterford, 1907; and Thames River Bridge (Amtrak)
Thames River Bridge (Amtrak)
Amtrak's Thames River Bridge spans from New London to Groton, Connecticut, USA, crossing Connecticut's Thames River.The bridge was originally constructed in 1919 by the American Bridge Company for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad replacing a span dating from 1889...
, Groton, built in 1919.