Thames River Bridge, Railway bridge in Connecticut, US
Thames River Bridge is a railway crossing in Connecticut that links New London and Groton using a steel truss structure. A vertical lift mechanism enables the span to open for passing vessels while maintaining rail traffic.
The bridge was built in 1919 by American Bridge Company for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, replacing an earlier structure from 1889. It became a key link in the regional rail network connecting the northeast.
The bridge represents a major component of the Northeast Corridor rail system, facilitating passenger and freight transportation between major cities in the region.
The bridge opens regularly for sailing and fishing vessels, so occasional train delays may occur during vessel passages. Visitors wanting to see the lift mechanism in action should watch from along the river banks.
The original 1919 design included provisions for extra railroad tracks that were never actually built. Those unused structural preparations reveal the optimism of early 20th-century rail planners about future growth.
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