[4] In 1958, the Route 1 bypass containing the Gold Star Bridge was connected to the Connecticut Turnpike by extending west to what is today the interchange of Interstates 95 and 395 in East Lyme.

[6] On July 1, 1972, during construction of the north span, the masts of the US Coast Guard Academy's USCGC Eagle (WIX-327) caught the safety netting slung below the new bridge.

[8] The original span was closed for reconstruction on June 28, 1973; it reopened on December 16, 1975, with four lanes of northbound traffic.

[12][13][14] The crash dumped approximately 2,200 gallons of oil onto the bridge[citation needed] which caught fire.

The pedestrian/cyclist section of the bridge remained closed, giving those users no way to cross the Thames River.