Temporary solution identified

By Susan MacEachron

Residents of South Norfolk, impacted by the loss of two bridges in the July 2023 flooding, have met with First Selectman Matt Riiska twice to urge action on installing a temporary bridge. The message they delivered was simple: Three years is too long to wait for the start of construction of permanent bridges by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT-DOT).

The bridges connected Old Goshen Road and Smith Road to Route 272. Since they were washed out, residents have been forced to use Bruey Road to access Route 272.

  Riiska has been looking into a temporary bridge solution since last fall. The challenge has been significant—as evidenced by the attention devoted to the issue by the Board of Selectman, the Board of Finance and Riiska himself in this issue of Norfolk Now.

The state will pay the full cost of the new bridges but cannot assist with the cost of the temporary bridge. One solution, a modular bridge from Acrow Corp. used by the town of Scotland, has been deemed too expensive. Riiska said the bridge itself cost slightly over $200,000 and estimated that the overall cost would be $440,000. That bridge was essential because six homeowners had no way to access roads out of their neighborhood when they lost bridges in a flood.

Riiska has been pursuing a more cost-effective solution, using culverts to create a temporary bridge on Smith Road, similar to what had been in place and last updated in 1999. Riiska and Troy LaMere, Norfolk’s public works superintendent, have been conferring with Guererra Construction and Evergreen Construction. They believe this solution could be built for less than $100,000. 

The temporary bridge would require permission from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as a permit from the town’s Inland Wetlands Agency. Riiska said he has been in touch with people in each agency and is waiting for a response. He said the recent flooding in southern Connecticut must be the immediate priority for state and federal agencies, but is nonetheless hopeful that the work could be approved and done in the next few months

Marc Byrnes, project manager for CT-DOT’s Federal Local Bridge program hosted a webinar on Aug. 6 to describe plans for construction of the Smith Road bridge. He said the goal is a 75-year design, built to handle more significant storms, with minimum maintenance required. CT-DOT had initially planned to prioritize the Smith Road bridge but is reconsidering that decision because Smith Road is a better location for a temporary bridge. Byrnes emphasized that CT-DOT considers the town a full partner in this effort, wants close coordination and is working to accelerate the timeline.