Metro-North rail bridge in Norwalk to stay shut for repairs

The Walk Bridge, a railroad swing bridge over the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Conn. The bridge has been kept in the closed position to ensure train service is not affected. Under normal conditions it is opened to allow boats to pass beneath. A Coast Guard spokesman said the bridge would be available to be opened on a limited basis during repairs. less The Walk Bridge, a railroad swing bridge over the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Conn. The bridge has been kept in the closed position to ensure train service is not affected. Under normal conditions it is opened to ... more Photo: Cathy Zuraw Buy photo Photo: Cathy Zuraw Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Metro-North rail bridge in Norwalk to stay shut for repairs 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

NORWALK -- The malfunctioning Norwalk River rail bridge will be swung open Saturday to let seven sailboats out onto Long Island Sound before creaking closed for possibly weeks of emergency repairs.

The 118-year-old bridge has repeatedly gotten stuck in the open position, most recently on last Friday and again last month, snarling commutes for thousands of rail riders and highway commuters. The bridge has been kept in the closed position since then to ensure train service is not affected. Under normal conditions it is opened to allow boats to pass beneath.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said the bridge would be opened on a limited basis during repairs.

Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders confirmed the closure of the bridge, but noted it will be opened manually on Saturday for seven sailboats coming from a marina upriver, which need to get out befoe the long-term closure.

Paul Tomko, owner of United Marine in Norwalk, has finished work on the boats and reached an agreement with the Coast Guard to open the bridge for all seven at one shot.

"I called them and told them, `I realize you got a problem, but I got a pack of boats that need to come out,' " Tomko said. So the agreement is to open the bridge at 9 a.m. Saturday when the line isn't very busy.

After that, he said his marina will only have about three boats that will need the bridge opened at a later date, and then the only business that would require the bridge to swing open would be for repair work.

Tomko is worried about the bridge, especially because it will be difficult to replace. He wondered how they would do that because they can't just build another one next to it, like they do with a highway bridge, there's no land to do that.

Tom Devine's fuel and building materials company is also upriver from the bridge, and he said this is a problem.

"The closure of the Walk Bridge has a large impact on this business," he said. `We depend on our water terminal. I know that Metro- North is making every effort to rectify the issue. This needs to be fixed ASAP."

Both U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said they are working to get funding to expedite the replacement of the bridge.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.