Dozens of people rallied in Norwalk Wednesday to oppose the state's roughly $1 billion plan to repair the Walk Bridge over the Norwalk River.

The rally was sponsored by the East Norwalk Business Association, which wants the public to know just how the replacement project will impact the rest of the city.

As News 12 has reported, the state is expected to use eminent domain to claim several properties near the bridge.

The state says it wants to use the property of some local businesses as a staging area for equipment that will be used for the bridge replacement. Officials say the Walk Bridge, which carries Metro-North over the Norwalk River, has outlived its lifespan and is in dire need of being replaced.

However, those against the plan say staging could be done on other nearby public properties that haven't been considered. They also say the state hasn't looked at other options like using a barge as a staging area.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation says it has looked at other options, including Veterans Park or a harbor barge, but private land acquisition is the best one.