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“Last year, we reopened Pleasure Beach to the public after decades of closure and neglect,” Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said Monday. “Now, we’re seeing further investment that will help safeguard the barrier island and the thousands of visitors who enjoy this newly reopened gem in our city. Thanks to the federal government and our congressional delegation members for supporting these investments.”
The Bridgeport Breakwaters were originally authorized for design and construction in 1790, and the last known update was in the 1800s. In 1892, Bridgeport, took ownership of Pleasure Beach after annexing the island from West Stratford.
The most significant investment made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Pleasure Beach was in 1948 when the barrier island was enlarged by 2 million cubic yards. It was done by pumping sand and gravel from the harbor on its western and southern sides. The goal of the project was to provide increased recreation and parking facilities, and was seen by engineers as an action against erosion. By enlarging Pleasure Beach, it became connected to Long Beach in Stratford.
Through the end of the 19th century and more than half of the 20th century, Pleasure Beach served as home to an amusement park. But in 1966, it was shut down for the last time due to a steady decline of visitors. And 30 years later, on Father’s Day of 1996, the bridge to Pleasure Beach – which served as the only way to reach the barrier island for visitors – was set ablaze and deemed unusable thereafter.
On June 28, 2014, after nearly two decades of neglect, Finch reopened Pleasure Beach to the public. In the two months that it was open and accessible to the public via free water taxi last year, more than 25,000 people visited Pleasure Beach.
Click here for video from the city of Bridgeport of the work on the breakwaters off the Pleasure Beach shore.
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