By Susan MacEachron

The Board of Finance (BoF) heard about the increased cost of replacing the River Place bridge at its meeting on Aug. 13. The bridge reconstruction that began in the spring of 2022 was halted in the fall of 2022 and has recently recommenced. The cost has increased from the original estimate of $2.1 million to over $4 million.

Norfolk will receive significant financial support for this project from the Federal Local Bridge Program. Administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, this program will cover 80 percent of the cost. First Selectman Matt Riiska said Norfolk’s 20 percent share of the project cost will be $821,000. Bridge work was suspended several months after it began when it was discovered that the abutments needed repair, an issue that had not been identified during the design phase. Reconstruction is expected to be complete in spring 2025. 

Interest rates have risen in the interim. Riiska had originally secured a 10-year loan at 2.25 percent from NBT Bank (formerly Salisbury Bank) to finance Norfolk’s 20 percent. He said NBT recently indicated that the loan the rate would be increased because of the delay.

Riiska also addressed the two bridges in South Norfolk that washed out in the July 2023 flooding. The state has promised to pay for 100 percent of the cost to replace the bridges but will not pay for a temporary bridge. See the article regarding the proposed temporary bridge for more information. Riiska noted that the Maple Avenue reconstruction is virtually complete, with some landscaping still needed. He said that he has followed up with Connecticut’s Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) about when Norfolk will receive the promised $500,000 grant for the project. The reconstruction cost approximately $2.6 million, with the balance financed by a 25-year bond for $2.1 million.