High on the list of things I took for granted during my Connecticut childhood are the bridges of the Merritt Parkway. Named for Congressman Schuyler Merritt, the Parkway was constructed between 1935 and 1940 as a public works project. Its woodsy 37 miles runs through southwestern Connecticut, and, during off-peak hours, is a lovely alternative to the truck fumes of I-95. It has been featured on Letterman Top 10 lists (“Little Known Provisions in President Clinton’s Crime Bill: No speed limit on Merritt Parkway for late night talk show hosts”) and is the highway on which most 16 year old Fairfield County residents first drove 55 mph. The 70+ bridges that needed to be constructed for the Merritt were designed by architect George Dunkelburger to fulfill its scenic purpose. Historic motifs and various styles are represented in the bridge decorations. Complexity ranges from a simple “stone wall” to fancy concrete detailing. An ambitious traveler took photos of 28 of the bridges. The Parkway has inspired a conservation effort.

There is one rather reviled bridge along the Merritt route. The “Sikorsky Bridge” forms one end of the Merritt, connecting it up to the Wilbur Cross Parkway, over the Housatonic River. Named, informally, after nearby Sikorsky Helicopters, visible to the north, the bridge has an open steel-grid deck. What it lacks in aesthetics it does not make up for in user friendliness. Driving across the open grid gives me the same feeling I get when I can’t get an amusement park bumper car to go where I want it to. It’s as if my tires are as scared as I would be if I were walking across the see-through grate, with the river waters clearly visible far below. However, the wheel trembling will be a mere memory soon. The bridge is being replaced and the new structure will have a solid deck of concrete and asphalt.