By Susan MacEachron

Reconstruction of the bridge at Mountain and Westside Roads was the primary focus of the Inland Wetlands Agency meeting on Nov. 3. The project is expected to take three to four months and that section of Mountain Road will be closed during construction. Also, it was determined that a man-made pond at 205 Litchfield Road could be filled in and an application for an after-the-fact review of piping installed at 177 Estey Road was accepted.

Greg Gerrish, a hydraulic engineer with Vanesse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) representing the Town of Norfolk, presented plans for the Spring 2026 reconstruction of the Mountain Road bridge over Spalding Brook. The project will be fully paid for with federal and state funding. Consequently, the Connecticut Department of Transportation will be in charge of the bidding process and, along with VHB, will oversee the project design. The existing bridge is 70 years old and in poor condition. Gerrish explained that the new clear span bridge will replace the existing culverts and should reduce the possibility of flooding.
The request by homeowner Matthew Goldsmith to fill in a pond on his property at 205 Litchfield Road, first raised at the September Wetlands meeting, was quickly resolved once it was determined that the pond was not in designated forest land. Chippanee Construction was given permission to fill in the pond.
An application from Andrew Berger of 177 Estey Road, also discussed at the September meeting, for an after-the-fact review of the pipe he installed after the July 2023 floods, was accepted.