Navigating the Arrigoni

If you figured you would cross that bridge when you came to it, then either you have or you will soon.

To cross or not to cross. That’s the dilemma motorists are facing as work on the Arrigoni Bridge begins in earnest this week.

For commuters, the concern is the potential for traffic backing up during the morning and late afternoon rush hours. Avoiding the Arrigon is an option, but one with few alternatives.

Taking Route 17 to Glastonbury and connecting with Route 2 or the Putnam Bridge is one.  The East Haddam swing bridge another. Jumping on Route 2 in Marlborough also is a possibility. Whether these are viable options for residents in Portland or East Hampton depends largely on where you live and where you are going.

Portland First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield suggested those who use the bridge can think about alternate plans and routes on days when traffic will be especially slow.

For some, contending with rush hour traffic on the Arrigoni, as undesirable as it might sound, could continue to be the most logical route.

Many, however, are taking the wait and see approach.

“I’m going to play it by ear the first day. I’m going to try and leave a little bit earlier,” said East Hampton resident Thom Cordeiro, who works in New Britain. “I’m obviously concerned about the traffic. I’m trying to pay attention to the web sites and the DOT information.”

To try to alleviate some of the congestion and to alert motorists of delays, the state Department of Transportation has installed smart zone signs and also is offering alerts by email and Twitter that motorists can sign up to receive. Those interested can go to this DOT web site.

In addition to about a dozen of the mobile smart zone signs being set up, Terri Thompson, a spokeswoman for the DOT, said sensors will be deployed to measure the flow of traffic leading to the Arrigoni on either side of the Connecticut River, as well as the bridge itself.

The sensors and signs will be linked to a DOT control center, and all the signs will be coordinated to deliver information as quickly as possible.

Dave Cutler, a supervising liaison engineer, said the idea is to allow drivers to make decisions to take an alternate route if necessary. Cutler said it might be the first effort of its kind for a state project.

The good news, at least early on, is that non-rush hour traffic on Tuesday was smooth sailing, with no traffic backups.