During the mid-1600’s Moses Wheeler, one of Stratford’s earliest settlers, opened the first ferry over the Housatonic River between the towns of Stratford and Milford. In honor of this noteworthy colonist, the Moses Wheeler Bridge was constructed in 1955 to carry I-95 over the Housatonic River, and opened to traffic in 1958. Currently, the bridge carries approximately 135,000 vehicles daily. Due to age of the bridge, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) initiated a program in 1996 to repair and reinforce bridge components to ensure motorist safety and preserve the structural integrity of this busy corridor.

During the summer of 2007 emergency deck repairs were completed to allow the bridge to remain functional until the replacement bridge could be designed and constructed. Completed in 2008 by Middlesex Corporation, this emergency project included repair and replacement of bridge deck ends and joints, patching the concrete deck and resurfacing the structure.

Now, nearly 50 years old, the bridge is about be replaced. To better manage the long-term risks associated with this intricate project, the proposed program is split into two projects which include construction of foundations and construction of the new bridge and approaches.