In December, the Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley (COGCNV) awarded the Town of Southbury a Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LoTCIP) grant to repair the Pomperaug River Bridge in 2014.
The LoTCIP award, which grants municipalities state funds rather than federal, will cover 100 percent of the construction costs.
The Pomperaug River Bridge has been rated "poor" by the Connecticut Department of Transportation since 2004, according to a press release from the Town of Southbury.
The rating is of particular concern, since "The Pomperaug River Bridge is identified as the alternative access/egress route in the event the Rochambeau Bridge on Route I-84 is ever compromised or impassable, thus becoming a critical structure in emergency planning," the town says.
Southbury residents have long disagreed on whether the town should wait for bridge conditions to worsen in order to secure more federal funds for repair, or proceed with repairs while footing the bill.
Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson addressed the matter in a First Selectman's Letter on the Town's web site in December, saying "the idea of delaying activity to secure more Federal funding is fraught with danger for people and with liability for the Town."
The LoTCIP grant "confirms my administration’s pro-active approach to address known issues in town," Edelson said in a Jan. 9th email. "I also want to thank the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance for their support in recognizing the importance of this project and taking the necessary steps to put us in a position where we could qualify for such a grant."
For more information on Connecticut's Bridge Safety ratings, visit www.ct.gov/dot
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