The price tag on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge's northbound rehabilitation has climbed past $900 million, and the federal government's top highway official just stood on the span to call it one of the most important construction jobs in the country. The multiyear overhaul of the Interstate 95 crossing between New London and Groton is now underway, with work expected to stretch through 2030.
A Federal Spotlight on a Connecticut Crossing
Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster toured the bridge and didn't mince words about its importance, saying, “This is one of the most significant projects in the entire country,” according to wtnh.com. McMaster also pointed to the bridge's outsized role in regional commerce, noting that “fifteen percent of the freight that moves through Connecticut comes across these bridges right here.” The U.S. Department of Transportation shared footage of McMaster's remarks on Facebook, crediting WTNH News 8 for the original coverage.
The northbound span isn't a minor artery — it carries roughly 60,000 vehicles a day across the Thames River, per the same wtnh.com report. That volume, combined with the bridge's freight role, is part of why the project has drawn sustained federal attention and funding, including a $158.15 million FHWA investment in 2023 aimed at reconstructing and strengthening the northbound structure.
What's Already Been Built, and What's Left
Crews have completed work on the bridge's structural framework and replaced the northbound deck, the report notes. The broader scope of the rehabilitation includes structural steel and concrete substructure repairs, deck and bearing replacements, barrier upgrades, painting, lighting, joint replacements, and overhead sign structure work, according to ctpost.com.
Drivers have already felt the construction in the form of a new traffic pattern. Beginning in late May, two northbound I-95 lanes shifted onto the southbound bridge during the rehabilitation work, and the speed limit dropped to 45 mph in both directions, ctpost.com reported at the time. Construction is expected to enter a second phase in about two years, when traffic will shift to the opposite side of the northbound span, according to nbcconnecticut.com.
Cost Figures and Completion Timeline
The total cost for the project is now described as more than $900 million, wtnh.com reports — a figure that has grown since earlier planning documents. An earlier estimate from Connecticut's transportation department had pegged the construction cost at approximately $591.9 million. The current project total is more than $900 million.
Funding for the work comes mostly from Washington: the project is funded 90% by the federal government, ctpost.com reported, and is expected to be finished by the end of 2030. Separately, construction industry trade coverage has pegged the start of construction to early 2026, with completion expected in fall 2030, according to constructionequipmentguide.com.
Part of a Statewide Infrastructure Push
The Gold Star Memorial Bridge work fits into a much larger pattern of deferred maintenance across Connecticut. The state continues to grapple with aging transportation infrastructure statewide, nbcconnecticut.com notes, and a federal bridge inventory cited in that report shows 209 bridges across Connecticut currently rated in poor condition. Against that backdrop, the Gold Star project stands out both for its price tag and for the sheer volume of freight and commuter traffic riding over it every day.
