Industrial History: 1938,1994,2020 Arrigoni and 1910 PW/NYNH&H Bridges over Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland, CT

1938: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

1910: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

PW = Providence & Worcester

NYNH&H = New York, New Haven & Hartford

1938 Arrigoni Bridge

User Denimadept via Wikipedia via ArchivedBridgeHunter_1938, License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)

I tried to frame the Arrigoni Bridge with the NYNH&H Swing Bridge.

Boat View, Aug 2019

Taylor Hunt, Oct 2022

HistoricBridges
This 3428' (1045m) long bridge has two 600' (183m) spans.

Historic Bridge Foundation posted 11 photos with the comment:

The Arrigoni Bridge stands as one of Connecticut’s most important engineering landmarks and one of the most significant steel arch bridges constructed in the United States during the late 1930s. Spanning the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland, the bridge represents a rare convergence of structural innovation, economic necessity, aesthetic ambition, and historical timing. Completed in 1938, the bridge was constructed during the final years of the Great Depression, when public infrastructure projects served not only transportation needs but also national recovery efforts and technological advancement.
More than a river crossing, the Arrigoni Bridge symbolizes a turning point in American bridge design, reflecting both the maturity of steel arch construction and the evolving relationship between engineering efficiency and architectural form.
Prior to the Arrigoni Bridge, the primary river crossing between Middletown and Portland consisted of an aging swing bridge that had become increasingly inadequate for modern traffic. Repeated flooding of the Connecticut River exposed the vulnerability of the old structure, with high-water events regularly disrupting transportation and commerce. The river itself, a vital navigable waterway, further complicated matters by requiring substantial vertical clearance for shipping.
By the mid-1930s, it had become clear that replacement—not rehabilitation—was the only viable solution.
The Arrigoni Bridge was designed as a twin tied-arch bridge, a configuration that allowed the structure to span the wide Connecticut River without the need for massive masonry abutments or extensive falsework in the water. The tied-arch system transfers horizontal thrust forces into the deck itself rather than into the foundations, an essential advantage given the river’s width and soil conditions.
Each of the two main steel arches spans approximately 600 feet, making the bridge the longest highway crossing in Connecticut at the time of its completion. The roadway deck is suspended from the arches by vertical hangers, allowing the arch ribs to rise gracefully above the river while maintaining a relatively shallow structural depth below the deck.
The engineering challenges were substantial. According to Engineering News-Record’s August 25, 1938 feature on major bridge completions, the erection of the Arrigoni Bridge required the development of an innovative cable tieback system that allowed the arch halves to be cantilevered outward from the piers without extensive temporary falsework in the river channel
This method dramatically reduced construction risk, minimized obstruction to navigation, and represented a major advancement in long-span erection techniques.
The success of this approach placed the Arrigoni Bridge among the most technically sophisticated bridges of its era.
Construction began in 1936 under the direction of the Connecticut Highway Commission. Steel fabrication was performed by Bethlehem Steel, one of the dominant structural steel producers of the period. The bridge’s erection sequence—documented in detail by contemporary engineering journals—demonstrated the increasing precision of 20th-century structural analysis.
Rather than relying on massive timber falsework towers rising from the riverbed, engineers erected each arch half outward from the piers using temporary cables anchored behind the structure. As segments were added, cable tensions were adjusted incrementally to maintain precise geometry. Once the two arch halves met at midspan, the structure became self-supporting and the temporary systems were removed.
This method dramatically reduced construction materials, shortened the schedule, and eliminated the hazards associated with river-based scaffolding. At the time, it was considered a textbook example of modern cantilever erection practice.
The bridge opened to traffic on August 6, 1938, at a total cost of approximately $3.5 million, a substantial but justified investment during the Depression era.
Beyond its structural efficiency, the Arrigoni Bridge possesses exceptional visual elegance. The sweeping steel arches rise prominently above the Connecticut River, forming one of the most recognizable silhouettes in the state. Unlike earlier heavy masonry arch bridges or utilitarian truss crossings, the Arrigoni Bridge reflects a growing belief that infrastructure should contribute positively to the visual landscape.
The bridge’s proportions—long horizontal deck balanced by tall, slender arches—create a sense of lightness despite its immense scale. The structure harmonizes with the wide river valley rather than dominating it, an intentional design goal emphasized by its engineers.
This aesthetic philosophy aligns with broader trends of the 1930s, when civil engineers increasingly embraced the idea that beauty could be achieved through structural clarity rather than ornamentation. The Arrigoni Bridge exemplifies this principle.
From a national perspective, the Arrigoni Bridge occupies an important position in the evolution of American steel arch bridges. It represents the mature phase of tied-arch design prior to World War II, combining advanced analytical methods with construction experience gained from earlier projects such as the Hell Gate Bridge and the Bayonne Bridge.
Unlike experimental structures, the Arrigoni Bridge demonstrated that long-span tied arches could be built efficiently, economically, and safely for highway use. The techniques refined during its construction influenced subsequent arch bridges throughout the United States in the 1940s and 1950s.
Few bridges of this era remain so intact today.
Today, the Arrigoni Bridge remains in active service more than eighty-five years after its opening. Despite carrying traffic volumes far beyond those anticipated by its designers, the structure continues to perform reliably, a testament to the quality of its materials and engineering.
Its preservation is significant for several reasons:
• It is one of the longest and most important Depression-era bridges in Connecticut
• It represents a rare surviving example of early tied-arch highway design
• It retains exceptional historic integrity
• It stands as a physical record of 1930s construction methods
Unlike many historic bridges that have been replaced or heavily altered, the Arrigoni Bridge continues to convey its original engineering intent and visual character.
The Arrigoni Bridge is far more than a crossing of the Connecticut River. It is a monument to American engineering at a pivotal moment in history—when innovation, necessity, and public purpose aligned to produce infrastructure of lasting value.
Its elegant twin arches, advanced erection techniques, and enduring service life place it among the most significant bridges in New England. As documented in contemporary engineering literature and proven through decades of performance, the bridge exemplifies the highest ideals of civil engineering: efficiency, durability, beauty, and service to society.
For Connecticut and for the broader field of historic bridge preservation, the Arrigoni Bridge stands as a reminder that infrastructure, when thoughtfully designed and well built, can transcend utility to become lasting cultural heritage.

Don Wurst: It also won the AISC "Most beautiful bridge" award.

Roy Guild: The design, engineering and construction of the bridge span were excellent. The Political pressures at the time caused the approach’s to the span on both sides of the river to be turned on to the main streets rather than continuing in a straight line and connecting with Rt. 66 near the railroad crossings on Portland - cobalt rd and Washington street. This has restricted the traffic flow across the span and choked both Main Streets.