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spread to buildings below the bridge, but they later stated that it only spread to adjacent brush. Following the crash, the
Connecticut Department of Transportation shut down the southbound bridge to traffic, waiting for engineers to confirm the bridge's structural integrity. It reopened to automobile traffic later that day. The pedestrian/cyclist section of the bridge remained closed, giving those users no way to cross the Thames River. It took 23 days of this closure before shuttle service was provided to pedestrians and cyclists.
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303:. The bridge is the largest structure in the state, with more than 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m) of deck area, and the longest bridge in the state at 6,000 feet (1,829 m). Its 11 highway lanes accommodate an average daily traffic of 117,000 vehicles. The bridge is actually a set of twin bridges, but they are generally spoken of using the singular "bridge".
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On April 21, 2023 a truck carrying heating oil collided with a vehicle on the southbound bridge, killing the driver of the oil truck and injuring at least two others. The crash dumped approximately 2,200 gallons of oil onto the bridge which caught fire. Initially, authorities believed that the fire
393:
The bridge's second (north) span was opened on June 13, 1973. The original span was closed for reconstruction on June 28, 1973; it reopened on
December 16, 1975, with four lanes of northbound traffic. The northbound span underwent an emergency bearing replacement in 2014.
374:
was completed to the Rhode Island border on
December 12, 1964, officially making the bridge and both bypasses part of Interstate 95. The stretch of I-95 containing the bridge is known as the Jewish War Veterans Memorial Highway.
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The newer southbound (north) span has a sidewalk/bike path on the north side of the bridge, accessible from Bridge St and
Riverview Ave on the Groton side and Williams Street on the New London side.
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339:. In 1951, the bridge was designated as the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in honor of members of the Armed Forces from Groton, New London, and Waterford who lost their lives during
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caught the safety netting slung below the new bridge. The upper portions of two of the masts were snapped off. The ship had to undergo emergency repairs as a result.
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The current south span (northbound) of the bridge was completed in 1943 as a single span carrying traffic in both directions. It was part of
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https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/dot-shuttle-service-gold-star-bridge-pedestrians-18098009.php
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752:"Police: Massive fire closes I-95 southbound after truck crash on Gold Star Bridge in Groton"
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323:'s "free span" highway, a short 3.6-mile (5.8 km) long four-lane stretch connecting
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597:"STATE ROADS AND BRIDGES WITH NAMES COMMEMORATING VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS OR GROUPS"
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Traffic diversion during resurfacing and repair work on the southbound span in 2017
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778:"1 dead, 2 hurt in fuel tanker truck's fiery rollover crash on Connecticut bridge"
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The design is a pair of steel cantilever bridges, each composed of eleven spans.
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In 1958, the Route 1 bypass containing the Gold Star Bridge was connected to the
836:"Fiery Fuel Tanker Rollover Shuts Down I-95 South at Gold Star Bridge for Hours"
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On July 1, 1972, during construction of the north span, the masts of the
718:"Fuel Tanker Explosion on Connecticut Bridge Kills at Least One Person"
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The two spans of The Gold Star
Memorial Bridge from the New London side
549:"2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 13a-31. Gold Star Memorial Bridge named"
501:"2006 Traffic Volumes State Maintained Highway Network (Traffic Log)"
806:"Deadly fuel tanker rollover sparks fire Gold Star Bridge in Groton"
697:. Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University
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by extending west to what is today the interchange of
Interstates
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474:. Women's Transportation Seminar. April 8, 2010. Archived from
679:. December 17, 1975. p. 120 – via Newspapers.com.
691:"Investing in the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in Connecticut"
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Panorama from the south, showing the northbound span and
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Emergency responders at the scene of the April 2023 fire
370:. East of the bridge, a 13-mile (21 km) bypass of
661:. June 28, 1973. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
643:. June 13, 1973. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
625:. July 2, 1972. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
637:"New Bridge Across Thames Formally Opened To Traffic"
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Bridges of the United States
Numbered Highway System
469:"WTS CT Valley Chapter: 2009 Annual Awards Program"
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776:Shapiro, Emily; Faul, Alexandra (April 21, 2023).
283:is a pair of steel truss bridges that carry both
506:. Connecticut Department of Transportation. 2006
919:"BIKE NEW LONDON BIKE ROUTES, TRAILS, AND MAPS"
619:"Coast Guard To Repair Damaged Training Ship"
18:Bridge in Connecticut and Groton, Connecticut
8:
599:. Connecticut Office of Legislative Research
1053:Bridges over the Thames River (Connecticut)
950:. Connecticut Department of Transportation
568:
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1038:Bridges in New London County, Connecticut
1043:Bridges on the Interstate Highway System
673:"Bridge Reopens Amid Flurry of Speeches"
595:James J. Fazzalaro (February 18, 2005).
181: in) / 1,941 m (6,368 ft
143:Connecticut Department of Transportation
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7:
525:Oglesby, Scott (November 30, 2009).
1063:1943 establishments in Connecticut
1058:Steel bridges in the United States
14:
921:. Bike New London. Archived from
655:"Work Will Affect River Traffic"
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899:. Structurae. February 28, 2007
750:Backus, Lisa (April 21, 2023).
945:"2009 Connecticut Bicycle Map"
877:. Bridgehunter. March 19, 2011
804:Brink, Jenn (April 21, 2023).
716:Tumin, Remy (April 21, 2023).
167:1,807.8 m (5,931 ft
1:
1013:Road bridges in Connecticut
897:"Gold Star Memorial Bridge"
875:"Gold Star Memorial Bridge"
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1033:Bridges completed in 1973
1028:Bridges completed in 1943
281:Gold Star Memorial Bridge
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264:1973 north span (twinned)
235:41.1 m (134 ft
135:Gold Star Memorial Bridge
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25:Gold Star Memorial Bridge
695:Local Infrastructure Hub
321:Southeastern Connecticut
215:24.4 m (80 ft
203:24.4 m (80 ft
426:is 55 miles per hour.
297:New London, Connecticut
122:New London, Connecticut
574:"Connecticut Turnpike"
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380:US Coast Guard Academy
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984:41.36417°N 72.08750°W
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356:Connecticut Turnpike
989:41.36417; -72.08750
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422:The posted traffic
329:Groton, Connecticut
301:Groton, Connecticut
126:Groton, Connecticut
103:, bikes/pedestrians
66:41.3642°N 72.0875°W
62: /
722:The New York Times
527:"Connecticut US 1"
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1018:U.S. Route 1
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952:. Retrieved
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927:. Retrieved
923:the original
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901:. Retrieved
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879:. Retrieved
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476:the original
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345:World War II
337:Thames River
333:U.S. Route 1
318:
293:Thames River
289:U.S. Route 1
280:
278:
213: in) /
164:Total length
158:Truss - Deck
112:Thames River
85:11 lanes of
15:
987: /
424:speed limit
384:USCGC
341:World War I
291:across the
69: /
44:Coordinates
1007:Categories
972:41°21′51″N
954:August 14,
929:August 14,
903:August 14,
881:August 14,
756:CT Insider
580:August 14,
555:August 14,
533:August 14,
510:August 14,
485:August 14,
325:New London
57:72°05′15″W
54:41°21′51″N
975:72°5′15″W
848:April 21,
817:April 21,
789:April 21,
761:April 21,
735:April 21,
730:0362-4331
398:2023 fire
372:Route 184
368:East Lyme
335:over the
249: in)
225: in)
195: in)
101:US 1
783:ABC News
603:June 18,
529:. Kurimi
295:between
269:Location
99: /
659:The Day
641:The Day
433:Gallery
307:History
254:History
244:⁄
220:⁄
208:⁄
190:⁄
176:⁄
108:Crosses
82:Carries
728:
415:Design
347:, and
259:Opened
153:Design
118:Locale
948:(PDF)
504:(PDF)
479:(PDF)
472:(PDF)
455:Notes
386:Eagle
200:Width
156:Twin
956:2011
931:2011
905:2011
883:2011
850:2023
819:2023
811:WTNH
791:2023
763:2023
737:2023
726:ISSN
703:2024
605:2022
582:2011
557:2011
535:2011
512:2011
487:2011
362:and
299:and
287:and
279:The
124:and
97:I-95
382:'s
366:in
364:395
327:to
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