"It really is the start of a dramatic change to the city of Norwalk's skyline," Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said at the North Water Street lot on September 9. He was announcing that crews would begin taking down the two 234-foot steel towers that have stood over the Norwalk River for more than a century.
That work runs through October. So does South Norwalk's fullest stretch of the fall calendar, and much of it happens on Washington Street, a few blocks from the work zone. On the weekends when trains are scarcest, the parade, the theater run, the library's film series and the Halloween Nightfair are all within walking distance of the bridge. This October, SoNo works best on foot.
What the October Weekends Actually Change
The Walk Bridge opened in 1896. It is the oldest movable bridge still standing on the Northeast Corridor, and it carries about 175 trains and 125,000 passengers a day. Before the towers could come down, crews had to remove 31 cables strung between them, nine miles of wire in total. Tower removal started the weekend of September 12 and 13.
The two weekends still ahead are October 10 to 11 and October 17 to 18, which Metro-North calls high-tower work weekends. Electric trains will keep running through the work zone during scheduled work windows. About five trains are planned per window, and there will be roughly 30 percent fewer seats than on a typical weekend. The September wire-demolition weekends were harsher. They ran on diesel about every 90 minutes, with roughly 55 percent fewer seats. One section of the MTA's September 16 release applies the 55 percent figure to every affected weekend. CTDOT's date-by-date breakdown is the one that separates the two kinds of weekends.
On affected weekends, main-line trains run between Grand Central and South Norwalk. Service is express between Grand Central and Stamford and local between Stamford and South Norwalk. CTDOT is offering free weekend parking at the Stamford Transportation Center, with extra paid parking at the South Norwalk Parking Garage.
Two details are still loose. The project homepage says the reductions "continue October 3," but the published service plans don't give a schedule for that weekend. Eucalitto also said two extra weekends are held in reserve in case of bad weather, and no dates have been published for them. Check the MTA TrainTime app before every weekend trip through the end of the program on November 1.
East Norwalk Riders Get the Longer Version
If you board at East Norwalk, the disruption lasts all week, not just on weekends. The station is closed in both directions from Saturday, September 26 through Sunday, October 18.
- Alternatives: Regular service continues at Westport and South Norwalk.
- Free shuttle: On weekdays only, the #5 bus runs between East Norwalk and South Norwalk. Board at Winfield and East Avenue and show a Metro-North pass to ride free. Drop-off and pickup are at the lower level of the SoNo station, on the New York-bound side.
- Parking: The north side of the station has no parking. Permits are honored only at the 182 East Avenue lot.
On the street side, the October 2 project bulletin closes North Water Street between Marshall and Washington streets Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., for the week of October 5. It also lists partial closures on the Norwalk River east and west of the channel. That's the stretch along the river by the North Water Street lot, where the towers announcement was held.
The Calendar Sits on Top of the Work Zone
Here is October in South Norwalk, set against the bridge schedule.
| Date | Bridge work status | In SoNo |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 8 to 18 | Spans both high-tower weekends | The Wild Party, The SoNo Collection, 100 North Water St. |
| Sat. Oct. 10 | High-tower weekend | Trick 'r Treat, SoNo Public Library, 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. |
| Sun. Oct. 11 | High-tower weekend | Norwalk Black Heritage Parade, 11 a.m. |
| Wed. Oct. 14 | Weekday | "Seas The Night" gala, Maritime Aquarium |
| Oct. 17 to 18 | Final scheduled high-tower weekend | The Wild Party closes Oct. 18 |
| Sat. Oct. 24 | No scheduled work weekend published | Halloween Nightfair, Washington St., 2 to 10 p.m. |
Every event in the table sits between the Washington Street corridor and the river. The theater run lasts through both tower weekends, and the parade lands right in the middle of one.
October 11 Is Where Everything Overlaps
The Norwalk Black Heritage Parade was set for September 26 and moved to October 11 because of weather. This is the second annual parade. Joseph E. Mann is grand marshal. He is a lifelong Norwalk resident who served nine years on the Common Council and represented the 140th Assembly District from 2003 to 2007.
The parade steps off at 11 a.m. from 84 N. Main St. and heads south down North Main Street and South Main Street. It turns onto Haviland Street, then follows Washington Street west to the finish at 50 Washington St. A celebration starts there at noon. The route covers the heart of SoNo on a weekend when Metro-North is running about five trains per work window. If you're coming from outside the neighborhood, drive to the South Norwalk garage or plan a walk.
On Saturday afternoon, the day before the parade, the SoNo Public Library at 10 Washington St. screens Trick 'r Treat from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m., with registration through the library's listing. It's part of SoNo Screams, the library's free Halloween movie series, which runs on Saturdays through October 24.
The Wild Party is playing a few blocks away at The SoNo Collection. The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts moved Andrew Lippa's 1920s musical there after Bridgeport's Downtown Cabaret Theatre closed on June 28 after 50 years. Tickets start at $52, VIP tickets are $77.50, and the show is for ages 16 and older. "Norwalk needs a dedicated space for the performing arts," Conservatory president Danny Loftus George said in announcing the move. The Conservatory's November production is Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire.
Washington Street's Newer Tables
The block hosting the parade finish has changed this year. Brass & Bone opened at 136 Washington St. in February. It's a New Orleans-inspired restaurant and bar with a stage. "We're really trying to build a music scene here," a co-owner told CTbites in May.
Across the street, Norwalk Bagel Co. opened at 133 Washington St. on May 13 with sourdough bagels and deli items. A liquor license is planned for the café. Owner Emily King says the sourdough bagels are "simply easier on the stomach and more digestible." Parade day starts at 11 a.m., so the timing works for a bagel first.
For a cold evening, The Haven at 14 N. Main St. reworked its rooftop this year with a roof cover, heaters and fire pits, plus a bigger food menu. The rooftop is open for lunch and dinner and seats walk-ins first come, first served. OpenTable reservations are for the main-floor speakeasy only.
Two updates on the dining list. Pasquale's Osteria at 186 Main St. closed on September 29 after nearly 30 years. Its farewell announcement called it "that special place." Sally's Apizza held hiring events in August for a location at The SoNo Collection. As of the latest reports, no official opening date has been listed.
If you drive in from another part of the city, Norwalk Current checked parking on Friday afternoon, October 2. The reporter found open spaces in most metered areas around Wall Street and in the Yankee Doodle Garage. The reporter was clear that one afternoon isn't a full study and doesn't reflect event nights.
After October 18
East Norwalk station is scheduled to reopen after October 18, which is also the last scheduled high-tower weekend. The Halloween Nightfair follows on Saturday, October 24, from 2 to 10 p.m. on Washington Street. It's free and open to all ages. The lineup includes DJ Wuki, Similar Kind, more than 60 vendors, food trucks, pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating, a costume contest, and a 21-and-over Blind Rhino beer garden. No service reduction has been published for that weekend. Because the two weather-reserve weekends have no dates yet, check train service before heading in by rail.
The replacement towers will be about 100 feet shorter than the ones coming down. Crews installed the first steel for the new lift towers in July. The new dual-span vertical lift bridge is due to enter service in 2030, and more than 250 workers are on the job now.
If you own a home or an income property near the river and want to talk about how the new skyline might fit into a future sale, Bob Virgulak follows the Walk Bridge project closely. Request a Market Consultation and we'll go over what the construction schedule could mean for your timing.
