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Health & Fitness

PHOTOS & UPDATE: Latest from Knickerbocker, Walnut Hill Road - Limekiln Brook Bridge Project

Report and Photos by Paula Antolini

I've spoken to First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker about the Walnut Hill Road - Limekiln Brook Bridge Project progress a few times.  Here is the latest update on the situation as per my conversation with Knickerbocker on February 11, 2014.

Question: "What is the outlook of the Walnut Hill Bridge Project, when is the projected completion date, when will workers return, etc.?" Knickerbocker said,  "At this stage, the projected completion date is still approximately May 1st.  That is still going to be dependent on weather and where we are today right now, the bridge abutment is complete, the drainage is in, everything is ready to install the bridge beams and decking and then pave the road, and what we're waiting for now is for the average daily temperature to climb above 40 degrees."  

Question: "Last I left off with you I think you said they were removing the old wall.  Do they still have to do that? Knickerbocker replied, "No, that's done.  It wasn't completely removed. They took the top of it off and put a cover on it and then kind of took some of the field stones and blended it in with the new abutment. So there's sort of a new-old look to it, so they reused part of it. But that's all done."

Question: "You said that the last process would be to restore the homeowners driveways or property, and that will be done after the first of May?" Knickerbocker stated, "Yup. Oh, probably in the middle of the summer because there will be, um, once they get the bridge decking and roadway done, then there's landscaping on either side, there's guardrails that are going to be put in, so the final phase after everything is done would be to, like restore all the properties that had to be affected, to their natural beautiful condition."

Question: "Where is the funding coming from for the bridge repair and for all the property repair?" Knickerbocker said, "That's all paid for out of the Federal Highway funds, that's part of it.  The only part of this that the town of Bethel ever has to pay, and this is standard operating procedure with Federal and State projects, is the design cost.  We pay for the architect and we pay for the advertising, like when you put the legal notice in the paper, but the construction costs including restoration of any affected properties, are all covered by that highway grant."  

Question: "And you don't have a figure on that? Knickerbocker replied, "On Bethel's share of it?" I said, "Right." Knickerbocker said, "I don't because I'd have to do some research on that because most of this was paid, the design work, it was paid years ago.  We are responsible for some of the changes that had to be done, like when the architects had to come back and redesign parts of it.  Like we were talking about with the problems they ran into with into with rocks underground.  But I don't have a final figure on that."

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You can view a series of 3 MONTHS of photo documentation and a video response from Andrew Morosky, of the Walnut Hill Road / Limelkiln Brook Bridge Project here, in the "NEWS" gallery of picturesbypaula.com

Or view 117 photos directly from links here:

View Walnut Hill Road - Limekiln Brook Bridge Project photos from Thursday, November 21, 2013 here. Photos show rods in place, ready for the abutment to be attached. No workers present. Soon after these photos were taken we had heavy rain and flooding of this area.

View Walnut Hill Road - Limekiln Brook Bridge Project photos from Tuesday, January 7, 2014 here. Photos show everything frozen, and drainage systems that are in place. No workers present. The magnitude of the project is shown by the volume of materials placed at the worksite and on the surrounding roads and private properties. Several residents who live in the homes surrounding the worksite said they were told that their properties would be restored back to the original condition after the bridge project is complete.

View Walnut Hill Road - Limekiln Brook Bridge Project photos from Wednesday, January 15, 2014 here. Photos show very muddy ground due to heavy rain we had during that period, but four workers were present.  One worker was underneath a plastic tarp cover as he was sanding the cement bridge abutment and two others were working on the old wall section.  A third worker pulled in with dump truck which quickly sunk into the mud as he backed up, but he managed to pull out again with some effort.  There are still many large supplies and equipment placed along the roadsides and on residential properties.  First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker was at the location checking on progress that day.

View Walnut Hill Road - Limekiln Brook Bridge Project photos from Tuesday, February 11, 2014 here. Photos show heavy snowfall, everything frozen in place, and no workers present.

I will continue to report on the progress of this project as it moves forward.

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