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State Funding Uncertainty May Slow North Haven's Sackett Point Road Bridge Renovation

The bridge on Sackett Point Road between Universal and Republic drives was identified as “in decline” by the state Department of Transportation (DOT) several years ago, and scheduled for redesign in 2018 and renovation beginning in 2019. While the town, state, and federal funding has already been approved for the project, a recent hold on state funding means delays are likely.

The federal government will pay for 80 percent of the roughly $13 million project, with the state and town each paying the remaining 10 percent of costs. First Selectman Michael Freda said a bond resolution was passed at a town meeting in 2008 or 2009 to authorize the town’s portion of funds for the project, which is about $1.3 million.

Third Selectman Sally Buemi had asked for an update on the status of the bridge renovation project at the Dec. 7 Board of Selectmen meeting, noting that traffic had been in the spotlight following the unsuccessful Old Dominion Freight Line proposal for the area.

Freda said the design for the bridge won’t be completed until the end of 2018, with construction beginning in 2019, and the bridge won’t be finished until 2021. The project is a collaborative project between the federal government, the state, and the town. The DOT is in charge of designing the project.

However, Freda told Courier on Dec. 22 that he was notified that all road and bridge repair projects in which the state is involved are on hold right now because there’s no money in the state transportation fund to fund the projects. Freda said he was told that the state transportation fund problem will be addressed during the next legislative session.

The bridge will have a 160 foot span, and the roadway will be widened near the Fastenal and TCB Bar and Billiards plaza to set up for better traffic flow in the future.

Part of the process includes widening the mouth of the bridge to allow water in the Quinnipiac River, which is underneath the bridge, to pass through more freely to alleviate potential flooding upstream. During the construction period, Freda said the bridge will maintain two lanes for traffic.

“If the lanes get widened, which the north side will be widened, that’ll help the traffic flow, but the largest issue is the safety,” Freda said. “Without a plan of replacement, it would have been seriously compromised in the upcoming years.”