The latest big idea to leap across Long Island Sound is getting serious airtime at the Connecticut Capitol: a 14-mile fixed crossing that would connect Kings Park on Long Island with Bridgeport, Conn. Easton developer Steve Shapiro and a coalition of backers have been pitching the concept in Hartford hearings, arguing that a bridge could slash travel times and juice economic activity. Skeptics, including some state officials and environmental advocates, warn it could come with massive construction and maintenance costs and serious risks to the Sound’s fragile ecology.
Lawmakers Weigh Study And New Bridge Authority
A bill in front of the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee would task the state Department of Economic and Community Development with studying whether to create a new Connecticut Bridge Authority to dig into funding, design and construction options for a cross-Sound link. The measure would set up a working group that has to report back to lawmakers in early 2027, according to CT Insider, and the bill text itself is posted on LegiScan.
Developer Pitches $50 Billion Span
Shapiro, who first pushed the idea into the public spotlight last year, told News 12 he is preparing a formal proposal and believes federal money could cover most of the projected price tag, which backers have pegged at around $50 billion. Supporters say a fixed crossing could dramatically cut current cross-Sound travel, which often means roughly a two-hour drive or about an hour by ferry. Critics counter that key details on tolls, long-term upkeep and traffic impacts are still big question marks, concerns laid out in coverage by News 12 and LongIsland.com.
What The 2017 Feasibility Work Found
A December 2017 feasibility study by engineering firm WSP, filed in the New York State Department of Transportation’s document repository, examined several possible routes across the Sound, including a Kings Park to Bridgeport option. The report modeled tunnel, bridge and hybrid designs and concluded that costs and impacts would swing widely depending on the alignment and configuration. It estimated potential capital costs from several billion dollars for some bridge concepts into the tens of billions for longer tunnel alternatives, and it highlighted environmental and community constraints that would heavily shape any future steps; the full analysis is available via New York State DOT.
Officials And Environmentalists Push Back
At a recent Capitol hearing, state leaders and some lawmakers questioned whether the project’s price tag, long-term maintenance needs and ecological risks make it a smart bet. Gov. Ned Lamont has been blunt that Connecticut will not be picking up the tab for a cross-Sound megaproject, and Sen. Heather Somers told colleagues she is worried the state is already struggling to keep up with the bridges it has, concerns reported by CT Post and WSHU.
Next Steps And The Politics Of Who Pays
The bill, introduced Feb. 26, remains in committee and would require the working group to deliver its findings to the legislature in early 2027, according to the legislation and accompanying press reports. Whether the bridge idea makes it past the study phase will likely depend on fresh cost estimates, environmental reviews and whether federal or private players show up willing to shoulder most of the financial burden, backers told lawmakers.
For now, the proposal is a long shot: supporters talk up jobs and faster connections, but past studies and local resistance suggest any cross-Sound crossing would face years of environmental review, permitting fights and political haggling before anyone gets close to breaking ground.
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