Connecticut and New York state lawmakers will hear a proposal on June 15 for a long-discussed bridge connecting Connecticut to Long Island via the Long Island Sound.
Developer Steven Shapiro is seeking support for the $50 billion bridge-and-tunnel project that would include mile-long tunnels on either end that he believes will be a “gamechanger,” according to the Hartford Courant.
The tunnels are intended to reduce the visual impact of the crossing while eliminating concerns over concrete piers, support structures and an elevated highway running through established neighborhoods.
Supporters argue the connection would reduce travel times, ease congestion on Interstate 95 and the Long Island Expressway, lower air pollution and provide an evacuation route during major flooding events, the Hartford Courant reported.
According to WTNH, the bridge would reduce travel time to an expected 15 minutes.
While critics have questioned the project’s enormous cost and scale, Shapiro contends it could be financed through a public-private partnership, with private investors covering half the cost, the federal government contributing 45% and Connecticut and New York each providing 2.5%.
Under this proposal, public and private investors would recoup their investment through toll revenue, with drivers paying approximately $40 each way.
The concept resembles a reverse version of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel. Instead of bridges transitioning into tunnels, Shapiro’s design would begin with tunnels extending one to two miles beneath the Long Island Sound before rising above the water and joining as a bridge.
The proposal is the latest attempt to connect Connecticut and Long Island. Previous efforts — including Robert Moses’ proposal for a bridge between Rye and Oyster Bay and more recent concepts for an underground rail tunnel from Bridgeport — failed to gain traction because of cost and environmental concerns.
Connecticut lawmakers considered a feasibility study for a bridge connecting Long Island and Connecticut in the 2026 legislative session, though it did not come to fruition, WTNH reported.
Shapiro will host Connecticut and New York lawmakers in Hartford on June 15 in an effort to build support for advancing the project.
Sources: The Hartford Courant, WTNH
