"Eighteen months is an expedited timeline." Public Works Director Larry Roberts said that to the Representative Town Meeting at its Oct. 8 meeting, according to the Westport Journal. The bridge he was talking about is one that, by 06880's account, most Westporters didn't realize existed until the storm last month.
The Jesup Road bridge at Imperial Avenue covers a few yards of pavement over Deadman Brook. It was damaged in the Sept. 13 storm and has been closed since. Until a replacement opens, the corner of downtown that holds the Westport Library, Jesup Green, police headquarters and the Levitt Pavilion depends on Bay Street and Taylor Place, two short one-way streets that were never designed to be anyone's main route. Each step of the interim plan and the permanent fix comes back to those two streets or to the permit rules on that brook.
What a few yards of road were doing
In its Oct. 1 post, 06880 wrote that "most Westporters never even realized there was a bridge on Jesup Road at all." It sits at the foot of the street where Jesup meets Imperial Avenue. The post called it "a quick way to avoid the Post Road, on the way to the Library and Levitt Pavilion."
When it closed, that shortcut disappeared. The Westport Journal reported on Sept. 14 that Jesup Road was shut from Imperial Avenue to Bay Street. The span had been one of the links between Imperial Avenue and the Library, police headquarters and Levitt. The town's Sept. 30 announcement says the bridge is closed to pedestrians as well as cars, so the walk from Imperial Avenue across Deadman Brook is gone too.
The traffic moved to the next nearest route. Roberts told the Board of Finance that traffic has increased at the intersection of Post Road East, Imperial Avenue and Myrtle Avenue since the closure, the Westport Journal reported on Oct. 8.
Emergency response was the first worry. Westport EMS is dispatched from the Police Department property on Jesup Road. In a Sept. 23 Westport Journal story, First Selectman Kevin Christie said EMS Chief Patrick Riddle ran test routes under emergency conditions. For calls on Imperial Avenue south of the bridge, the detour added about 30 seconds to one minute. For calls south of Jesup Road but east of Imperial Avenue, the tests found no noticeable difference.
Why the fix is measured in seasons
The 18-month estimate surprises people because the bridge is so small. The time goes into paperwork and approvals more than construction. Here is the order of events from the town's announcement and the Westport Journal's coverage of the October votes:
- Design money is approved. The Board of Finance voted 6-0 for $172,500 for initial design and permitting, and the RTM gave final approval 26-0 on Oct. 8.
- Design firms submit proposals. The town's request for proposals covers surveys, hydraulic analysis, environmental review, design, permitting and bid support. The town lists the deadline as Oct. 28, and Westport Journal reported it as Oct. 24. The town has also said it is studying a temporary bridge or other short-term access.
- The new bridge gets bigger. Roberts told the RTM it must be wider so Deadman Brook flows under it more easily, with "hardier abutments." Deadman Brook is tidal, and he said all of those factors mean longer reviews before permits are issued.
- Grants come before construction. Roberts said a state grant could pay 50 percent of the estimated $3 million-plus construction cost. Grants are not paid after the fact, though. "We can't build the bridge first and then get paid back for it," he said.
- The old span could come down sooner. The damaged bridge can be removed before any grant money arrives. Roberts said that may happen, because a collapse could block the brook.
That grant rule shapes the whole schedule. RTM member Nancy Kail asked whether paying the full cost locally would speed things up. Roberts said design, engineering and permitting would take about the same time either way. Larry Kleinman asked whether the bridge could be built off-site and installed later. Roberts said that was under consideration and pointed to the new Cross Highway bridge, which was built from precast concrete pieces.
Bay Street and Taylor Place carry the interim plan
Since Jesup Road can't be fixed quickly, the town is looking at the two streets that connect this corner to the Post Road. 06880 described the idea in early October, and Roberts later brought it to the Board of Finance and the RTM. The two streets are close together, but they need very different amounts of work to change.
| Bay Street | Taylor Place | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | From Post Road East past Design Within Reach and the Cake Box to Jesup Road | From the lower Library lot at the foot of Jesup Green to the Post Road, between Tonic & Green and Tiffany |
| Current direction | One-way, heading away from Post Road East | One-way, heading toward the Post Road |
| Proposed change | Two-way traffic | Two-way traffic, or two lanes split by turning direction |
| What changing it takes | Signs and new striping, per Roberts | Involves the state Department of Transportation, because of the traffic light and pedestrian crossing at the Post Road |
| What it would cost | Parking on Bay Street | A few 15-minute spaces and a delivery zone, per 06880 |
Bay Street is wide enough for two lanes and has no traffic light. That is why Roberts called changing it a matter of signs and paint, and why the state would not need to be involved. Taylor Place is a different case. According to the Oct. 8 report, the DOT was willing to retime the light where Taylor Place meets the Post Road but would not change the pedestrian crossing there. Roberts told the Board of Finance that a two-way Bay Street would also let EMS crews based at the Police Department reach calls in the southeast part of town faster.
Roberts told the RTM he planned to present both proposals to the Board of Selectmen at its Oct. 14 meeting, though the agenda would need to be revised. The published Oct. 14 agenda did not list either street. Treat both changes as proposals until signs go up. On Bay Street in particular, the arrows on the pavement are the thing to watch.
If Bay Street does go two-way and loses its parking, Roberts' suggestion is to park on nearby Jesup Road instead.
Jesup Road also has a new restaurant
The same street got a new place to eat this month. Chef Bill Taibe's hi'Amba opened Oct. 14 at 33 Jesup Road, in the space Basso recently left, according to CT Bites and 06880. It is an all-day bakery, café and restaurant built around a working bakery, with food from the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and Southwest Asia.
Downstairs has counter service and a grab-and-go market with house-made dips, breads, pastries and pantry goods. Upstairs is a full-service dining room with beer, wine and spritzes. The breakfast menu, per CT Bites, includes Jerusalem bagels, pita straight from the oven, man'oushe and shakshuka. Later in the day there are large sandwiches such as swordfish shawarma and lamb kebab, plus a long list of dips. Karen Nicolas is executive chef, and Michael Finehirsh runs pastry.
Opening-week hours were Wednesday through Sunday. Pastries and morning drinks start at 8 a.m., and savory food is served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Taibe said dinner would start a few weeks after opening, and CT Insider listed dinner hours from 4 p.m. as "coming soon." Before planning an evening visit, check hiamba.com for a start date.
The next few weeks at this end of town
Several events on the calendar bring people to the Library corner or to the busier Post Road, Imperial and Myrtle intersection:
- Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Westport Library and Aspetuck Land Trust host biologist Joan Maloof for the Haskins Lecture, according to the Library's October calendar.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28. The town's Halloween Parade starts on Main Street, turns right onto Avery Place, then left onto Myrtle Avenue, and ends on Veterans Green across from Town Hall. Trick-or-treating on Main Street and in Town Hall starts at 3:30 p.m. The parade is recommended for children up to age 8, and the rain date is Oct. 29. Myrtle Avenue is one of the three roads that meet at the Post Road East, Imperial and Myrtle intersection, which has been taking the extra traffic since the bridge closed.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 to 9 p.m. The Library holds the 2026 Westport Prize for Literature ceremony and a conversation with author Patmeena Sabit.
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 7 to 10:30 p.m. "Dead and Drinks," a Supper & Soul night at the Library, re-creates a Grateful Dead concert in two sets, according to the November calendar.
The Jesup Road shortcut from Imperial Avenue won't be available for any of these events, and the two proposed street changes may or may not be in place by then. Design firms' proposals for the bridge are due Oct. 28, and the town says it will announce a construction schedule in future updates.
The Kelly Higgins Team follows changes like this across Westport because they affect how a street works long before they appear on a map. If you have questions about how the Jesup Road closure or the Bay Street proposal affects your home or a move you're planning, contact us for a no-obligation consultation.
