Arrigoni Bridge

The Arrigoni Bridge is a steel through arch bridge carrying Route 66 and Route 17 across the Connecticut River, connecting Middletown, Connecticut to Portland, Connecticut. When it opened in 1938, the 1,200ft bridge was the most expensive bridge ever built in Connecticut, at a cost of $3.5 million. Its two distinctive 600ft steel arches have the longest span length of any bridge in the state. The bridge has an average daily traffic of 33,600.It was named after state legislator Charles J. Arrigoni, who promoted the project. Arrigoni served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1933-1936 and in the Connecticut State Senate from 1937-1940.HistoryPortland and East Hampton, jointly known as Chatham until Portland separated in 1841, were originally part of the vast settlement of Middletown in 1652. Middletown families settled the towns east of the Connecticut River, and until the latter half of the 19th century, the only way to cross the river was via ferry. The first ferry service in Middletown began operation in 1726. The first bridge spanning the Connecticut River at Middletown was a swing truss bridge opened in 1872 carrying the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Still in active service, it is now known as the Providence & Worcester railroad bridge.