(The following appeared on the WFSB website on June 2.)
NEW LONDON, Conn. — Amtrak’s shoreline service to Boston will be suspended for a few days while a bridge over the Thames River is replaced.
The plan to replace the 90-year-old bridge that connects New London to Groton has been in the works for years.
Construction crews have been working the past two years to build the underwater piers and uprights.
Crews have been given an intense four-day timeframe to remove the old bridge and install the new one.
Rail riders are being notified that Amtrak service will stop between June 14 and June 17.
“We are urging riders to contact Greyhound or other large bus transportation agencies,” said Cliff Cole of Amtrak.
Amtrak is also adding an extra train between Washington, New Haven and Boston via an inland route.
During the four days of construction, workers will cut up the old bridge and haul the 6 million pounds away.
The new bridge will then be floated downriver on a barge and lifted into place by a crane.
The $83 million project is one of the most ambitious undertakings ever by Amtrak.
At the same time the rail bed is shut down, Amtrak crews will seize the opportunity and make necessary repairs elsewhere along the shoreline route.
For more information about delays and rail changes, visit Amtrak online.