The Gold Star Memorial Bridge is a pair of steel truss bridges that carries both 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...

 across the Thames River

Thames River (Connecticut)

The Thames River is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at the Long Island Sound.Differing from its...

 between New London, Connecticut

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Groton, Connecticut

Groton, Connecticut

Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....

. The bridge is the largest structure in the state with over 1000000 sq ft (92,903 m²). of deck area and the longest bridge in the state at 6000 feet (1,828.8 m). Its 11 highway lanes accommodate an average daily traffic of 117,000 vehicles. Local media outlets and residents refer to the bridge as "The Goldstar".

History

The structure was completed in 1943 as a single span. It was part of Southeastern Connecticut

Southeastern Connecticut

The Southeastern Connecticut region comprises, as the name suggests, the southeastern corner of the state of Connecticut. It is sometimes referred to as Greater New London or by the tourist slogan Mystic and More....

's "free span" highway bypass, a short 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long four-lane stretch connecting Waterford, Connecticut

Waterford, Connecticut

Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,152 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place .-Geography:...

 to Groton, Connecticut

Groton, Connecticut

Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....

. As part of the new highway, the bridge's purpose was to remove automobiles from congested route 1 and the strained Thames River Bridge

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...

 which at the time allowed rail and auto traffic. In 1958, the bypass was connected to the I-395/I-95 intersection in East Lyme, Connecticut

East Lyme, Connecticut

East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,118 at the 2000 census. The latitude of East Lyme is 41.353N...

.

On December 12, 1964 after completion of the 13 miles (20.9 km) Route 184 bypass to the Rhode Island border, the bridge and both bypasses were officially part of Interstate 95. During this year the bridge was designated as the "Gold Star Memorial Bridge" in honor of those members of the Armed Forces of the United States from Groton, New London, and Waterford who lost their lives during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and the Korean War.

The bridge's second span was completed in 1973.

Design

The design is a pair of steel truss bridges, each composed of eleven spans.

The posted traffic speed limit

Speed limit

Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...

is 55 miles per hour.

The bridge's southbound span has a sidewalk/bike path accessible from Bridge St and Riverview Ave on the Groton side and Williams Street on the New London side.