The Merritt Parkway Blog II: a Welcome New Honor at 69!

The view of the Merritt from the bridge at Round Hill Road, Exit 28 in

Greenwich, Connecticut

On the eve of its 70th birthday, the World Monuments Funds Watch List has included the Bridges of the Merritt Parkway on its list as one of the most endangered man-made structures in the world. This designation is because its infrastructure is in serious need of upkeep and so funds must be allocated for necessary maintenance. (see earlier blog on Capturing Fall )

It was the vision of landscape architect Weld Thayer Chase that created this archetypal American Highway laid out in a natural setting of "native trees and plants, including maples, birch and wildflowers" that meander along the serpentine roadway that runs 37.5 miles from Greenwich to Stratford.

With this important citation, the Merritt's bridges joins Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin (Wisconsin's Driftless Area), Taliesin West (Scottsdale, Arizona) and Taos Pueblo (New Mexico) amongst dozens of worldwide monuments on the watch list.