House Republican Press Release

November 1, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Miller Addresses National Association of Corrosion Engineers

Legislator Advocates Protective Measures in Keynote Address

HARTFORD- State Representative Larry Miller (R-122) gave the keynote address to a meeting of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Hartford on October 18, 2007.  The luncheon served as a workshop on corrosion assessment of bridges and other concrete structures, and was attended by approximately seventy-five members from across the nation. 

Miller told the audience that in light of Connecticut’s history with bridges including the I-95 collapse of the Mianus River Bridge in 1983, and more recently the deterioration of the Moses Wheeler Bridge in Stratford, he was greatly displeased by the fact that not one representative from the Department of Transportation found the need to attend the gathering. 

“The public is calling for greater accountability, more attention, and immediate solutions to our bridge corrosion problems,” said Miller.  “In my opinion, the Moses Wheeler Bridge is one of the worst bridges in Connecticut, if not all New England, in terms of safety and condition. According to the United States Department of Transportation, Connecticut bridges are in the top ten states with structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridges.  Given the location and environmentally sensitive area of the Moses Wheeler Bridge, the DOT has stated that they are using better materials in bridge construction.”

Miller encouraged Connecticut attendees of the conference to call upon state officials and offer their expertise in assessing the latest anti-corrosion technologies.

“It is my belief that a process utilizing direct electrical current and sacrificial materials to mitigate corrosion on reinforced concrete and bridge decks, known as cathodic protection, should be incorporated into the construction of the new $120 million bridge,” said Miller.