By Alia Shoaib

Copyright newsweek

A long-discussed plan to build a bridge between New York and Connecticut is gaining fresh momentum, as New York developer Steve Shapiro has pushed to turn the decades-old concept into a potential reality.

Newsweek contacted the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Bill Lucey, the Long Island Soundkeeper at nonprofit Save the Sound, for comment via email on Monday.

Why It Matters

A bridge over the Long Island Sound that would connect New York to Connecticut has long been discussed and would likely transform travel and commerce between the two states.

What To Know

The idea for a bridge connecting the two states has been floated for decades, but Shapiro told News 12 that he thinks that now is the “perfect” time to turn the idea into a reality.

Shapiro is pushing for the construction of a 14-mile bridge spanning Bridgeport to Long Island, saying that it would be “a game-changer.”

An aerial view of the Throngs Neck Bridge, connecting Queens with the Bronx at the entrance to the Long Island Sound, February 22, 2024, over the borough of Queens, New York City.

Shapiro predicted that a completed bridge would “dramatically increase the GDP of both states while also reducing carbon emissions.

The Connecticut-based housing developer is hoping to generate interest and awareness of the proposal in the hopes that the federal government might push it forward with funding, the CT Insider reported.

He told CT Insider that such a bridge would help alleviate two major traffic bottlenecks—I-95 and the Merritt Parkway in Fairfield County—which are two of the most congested in the country.

Shapiro predicted that once the initial construction costs were covered, the bridge would $8 to $10 billion a year in revenue, becoming an “economic boon.”

The developer said that a $39 bridge toll would pay for construction in 48 years, and this does not take into account the other economic benefits of connecting the two states.

Shapiro says that the bridge concept is not his original idea, it is a long-overdue project.

He pointed to a 2017 study, commissioned by state and regional authorities, which outlined the cost estimate and potential benefits of a bridge across Long Island Sound but never moved forward.

However, some critics warn that a bridge being built over the Long Island Sound, a tidal estuary between the two states, could damage its ecosystem.

This includes potential stress and harm to marine life from construction noise, along with possible water-quality impacts from heavy traffic, Lucey from Save the Sound previously told CT Insider.

Shapiro acknowledged that the bridge construction wouldn’t be “fantastic for the wildlife in the vicinity,” but argued to CT Insider that the long-term environmental benefits would outweigh the downsides.

What People Are Saying

Connecticut State Representative Joe Hoxha told CT Insider: “A project that can bring in revenue and that will lower taxes, bring jobs and economic growth as well as protect American lives in the event of a natural disaster should welcomed with open arms.”

What Happens Next

Shapiro is hoping to drum up public support for the bridge, with the hope that federal funding could help make the project a reality.