Bridge No. 696 carries Lake Avenue over Route 15 in Greenwich. Built in the early 1940s along with the rest of the Merritt Parkway, it's an Art Deco structure of double-arched rigid frames resting on steel center piers, adorned with cast-iron grapevines and classicizing urns in black with gold accents. In 2019, it was reconstructed to match its original look.

Replacing a structure with an identical one is rare. It's one of the reasons I love the Merritt Parkway: its bridges aren't just there to carry traffic. Each is a work of art, and every repair has to consider its visual impact.

The reconstruction restored the bridge to its original black and gold, replacing the light blue it had worn in recent years, which was a maintenance choice rather than the original look. Much of the ornamental work was restored off-site, and the pieces too deteriorated to save were recreated, some in stainless steel to last longer.

This is the second painting in my bridge series (2021–present).

Rev. 10/2026