Madison's Tuxis Pond Walkway Almost Set to Reopen
The Tuxis Pond Walkway is within a week of opening after a handful of delays to the long-planned project, according to Assistant Town Engineer Rob Russo.
Russo said that the walkway is essentially complete, and workers are finishing up a new system of step lights and bollards before the public can enjoy the renewed and rebuilt scenic route that skirts the pond from Boston Post Road to Bradley Road.
Construction began on the project in September, with an expected completion date of early December. Bad weather, along with some difficulty getting materials shipped in during the busy holiday season pushed that timeline back, Russo told The Source earlier this year.
About two weeks worth of working days were lost due mostly to rain, Russo said.
Russo said these kinds of delays are not unexpected for a project of this size and scope.
“It’s a pretty labor intensive project,” he said. “Between replacing all the decking and a whole new railing system on top of adding lighting that the walkway has never really had before...It’s a lot of materials. There’s no real cause...this is just how long it’s taken.”
The town received a $400,000 state grant for the project, but needed a special appropriation of an additional $147,000 last August when bids came in over budget. That extra was money was mostly needed to cover the new lighting system, according to town officials.