The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) Fairfield Avenue Bridge project won the Grand Prize in the 2025 America’s Transportation Awards competition. The project addressed substantial damage following a fire that resulted from a collision on Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Crews rapidly reopened the highway then constructed a new bridge under budget and ahead of schedule.
“This emergency had the potential to impede travel and freight movement on the busy I-95 corridor,” said CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “I am so incredibly proud of our crews and contractors who answered the call and delivered for Norwalk, the state of Connecticut, and the entire northeast region. From reopening I-95 in both directions in a matter of days to rebuilding the entire Fairfield Avenue Bridge in just seven months, this project, from unexpected start to celebratory finish, showed what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal governments work together.”
The America’s Transportation Awards competition, created by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 18 years ago, highlights the positive impact of state department of transportation projects on communities nationwide. The 2025 competition received 113 nominations from 35 states.
“The 2025 America’s Transportation Awards competition received the most state DOT nominations to date — highlighting this year’s most innovative transportation projects that bolster safety, boost the economy, and improve the quality of life for everyone,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s Executive Director.
Nominated projects competed in four regional contests, with the three highest-rated projects from each region advancing to the final stage. An independent panel of industry judges selected the Grand Prize winner.
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| Pinnacle Central Co Inc |
The Grand Prize includes a $10,000 cash award for a charity or transportation-related scholarship of the winner’s choosing. CTDOT donated the funds to the Andrew DiDomenico Memorial Foundation and Connecticut Foodshare.
The Fairfield Avenue Bridge project resulted from a collision on May 2, 2024, involving a flatbed tractor trailer and a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of fuel. That accident led to a fire that engulfed the bridge for nearly two hours, heavily damaging the two-span structure.
After quickly determining that the structure needed a full replacement, CTDOT mobilized resources for demolition, including Yonkers Contracting Company, Inc., of Yonkers, New York.
“Yonkers was working on a job a mile up the road and had the equipment and personnel readily available,” said Eva Zymaris, CTDOT Spokesperson. “We had to work around the clock to get the bridge removed to reopen I-95 to traffic as quickly as possible. With the highway completely shut down, we were able to work across all travel lanes, which allowed the demolition and reestablishment of traffic to occur much faster.”
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Crews removed tons of concrete, steel, and debris, then milled and repaved the roadway. They reopened northbound I-95 lanes on the night of May 4 — just two days after the fire — and southbound lanes on May 5.
After the reopening, reconstruction of the bridge began. CTDOT awarded the emergency replacement project to Yonkers Contracting. The work finished in just seven months — ahead of schedule and almost $3 million under the original budget.
“Strong planning and coordination with federal, state, and local partners, including the utility companies, was key,” Zymaris said. “We set an aggressive timeline for completion and were thrilled to finish even earlier. The work itself was standard concrete rehab, steel girder with concrete deck. But it was the coordination, all-hands-on-deck effort that made this project unique — and a success.”
During construction, “Coordination with TRANSCOM [a coalition of transportation and public safety agencies in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut metropolitan region] and our neighboring states helped detour heavy truck traffic and keep the work zone safe,” Zymaris added.
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The overall bridge replacement and demolition was completed for $16.8 million. Spanning approximately 170 feet in length, the new bridge over I-95 includes sidewalks on both sides.
- Owner: Connecticut Department of Transportation
- General Contractor: Yonkers Contracting Company, Inc., Yonkers, New York
- Engineer: CTDOT and AI Engineers, Middletown, Connecticut
- Other Contractors: Structural Services; Safety Marking LLC; Atlantic Concrete Cutting Inc.; Santoro, Inc.; Quaker Corporation; Next Gen Iron, LLC; Rizzo Electrical Contractors; Penna Construction
- CTDOT Bridgeport Operations; Communications; Bridge Design; Bridge Safety; Traffic Design; Highway Design; and District 3 Maintenance, Surveys, and Construction
- Norwalk Fire Department
- Norwalk Police Department
- Connecticut State Police, Troop G
- Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Hazmat Emergency Response Unit
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Commercial Enforcement Unit
- Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
- Darien Police Department
- Westport Police Department
- Stamford Fire Department
- Westport Fire Department
- Eversource
- South Norwalk Electric and Water
- Frontier Communications
- King Industries
- Metro-North Photos courtesy of CTDOT.
In addition to construction and engineering partners, the rapid emergency response included teamwork from many CTDOT departments and other agencies:
