A Growing List of Town Projects

Where should I start? The list of projects seems to grow each month. We received unfortunate news that FEMA will not reimburse us for the damage to our roads, culverts and bridges that occurred during the flooding and heavy rains in July. The good news is that the Connecticut DOT will be replacing the bridges on Old Goshen Road and Smith Road. The cost for these bridges, which will be taken care of through the CT-DOT Local/Federal Bridge Program, is $5.8 million. The downside is that this process will take three to four years. In addition to the bridges, the flooding caused approximately $520,000 in damages to our roads. This was not planned for in our budget, and we will be talking to the Board of Finance about our options. We have applied for Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP) funds and will be receiving $209,000 from the State in LoCIP funding. The balance could be transferred from our capital reserve account.  

To assist the residents affected by the bridges being washed out, we are currently looking into the installation of a temporary bridge on Smith Road. After discussions with the First Selectman in Scotland, Conn., who was also affected by the heavy rains this summer, this is a possibility. We are now engaged with Cardinal Engineering to get the surveying and design work completed so we can expedite this process. We have also located a temporary bridge manufacturer to review our needs and to provide advice.

It has been 10 months since the gas spill and clean-up efforts continue. The remediation of Maple Avenue will be completed by the time this edition of Norfolk Now is released, but the testing and the addressing of a few issues on Greenwoods Road East will continue. Our next steps on Maple Avenue are to install the new sewer line in the remediation area and then continue with the Maple Avenue reconstruction project. This work will continue if the weather cooperates. And, to put everyone’s minds at ease, Maple Avenue will be open for trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

We have met with WMC Engineering and New England Infrastructure for an update on the River Place Bridge project. This project was put on hold while design changes were being completed to address the poor condition of the existing headwall footing. The design changes have been approved by the CT-DOT, so the project will restart. The projected completion date for the River Place Bridge project is the fall of 2024.

There is still plenty to do in Norfolk in the fall and I encourage everyone to either volunteer or participate in the Land Trust’s 10th Annual Haystack Mountain Challenge on Sunday, Oct. 1, and the Rails to Trails Tour de Forest event on Oct. 14. And, as you do your fall clean-up, remember that the Household Hazardous Waste Day is Saturday, Oct. 28. Stop by the Selectmen’s Office to sign up.

Take care and stay healthy.