There was no crossing the bridge at Oxoboxo Dam in Montville yesterday, when TJ Mallon's grandmother needed to get to the hospital.
"She's 87 years old, had a few issues, so the ambulance had to take not the main road but the back roads and loop around," he said, standing in front of her house just up Old Colchester Road from the closed bridge..
"Ultimately things worked out well, the town planned it pretty well so the ambulance crew knew to do this turn around so it worked out pretty well," he said.
The bridge project that's created detours til it reopens August 21 has forced everyone to remember the turnaround.
Andrea Mallon, who had to rush to her mother's home from Norwich, said, "You're in a habit of driving a certain way so if you're not thinking straight you have to calm down, relax and think things through and take the detour."
The bridge was open only to one way traffic for years before Montville officials decided to go ahead with the project. With the heavy equipment on the bridge authorities figured they'd have to keep traffic completely off. And with help from firehouses in surrounding towns they're confident they can get help here without delay.
After the bridge reopens next month it'll have to close again in September, for more work
