The town of Enfield has approved a contract to make emergency repairs to the damaged South River Street Bridge, which was closed early this year due to safety concerns.
The state Department of Transportation closed the bridge when a safety inspection found extensive deterioration and corrosion.
The bridge is scheduled to be completely replaced in 2021. In the meantime, the Town Council appropriated $100,000 to put toward emergency repairs. The contract was approved on Friday.
Hammonasset Construction, LLC will begin temporary repairs in October 2018 and the bridge is scheduled to reopen by November.
Acting Public Works Director Donald Nunes said his department has been working diligently to keep the project moving.
“We are on schedule and have overcome several, major hurdles to secure not only a design, but a contractor based on an aggressive timeline to repair. DPW can only empathize with the residents about the inconveniences posed from the bridge closure but rest assured that staff from many divisions have been working diligently not only in the foreground but in the background making certain the interim repairs happen as discussed.”
The bridge closure meant residents in one Thompsonville neighborhood had to use a 7.5-foot high tunnel to access their homes.
Most trucks can’t fit through the tunnel, which residents said meant constant issues with deliveries. Those who needed oil had to make appointments with the town to reopen the bridge, and with garbage trucks unable to fit through, residents used bags instead of bins that could be picked up by vans.
Emergency vehicles are still able to use the bridge.
For more information on the project schedule, click here.
