The Devon Bridge malfunctioned because of heat, Stratford Public Safety Director Larry Ciccarelli says.

He says the bridge was stuck in the upright position Tuesday afternoon.

He says it had opened a few inches when some of the bridge mechanics expanded because of the heat.

Ciccarelli says firefighters tried to cool the area with water but that it didn't work so they needed to let it cool naturally overnight.

Part of Route 1 near the Stratford-Milford line sees a lot of traffic, so Ciccarelli says officials closed the bridge out of an abundance of caution.

Ciccarelli says in his nine years as Stratford's Public Safety director, aside from some minor issues, he can't remember a time where the bridge was out of commission for this long.