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Groton Scrambles to Cover $6.7M Seawall Cost Overrun After Missing Out on State Funding
City officials are scrambling to find a way to reimburse millions of taxpayer dollars after dipping into the capital fund balance to pay for a more than $6.7 million overrun of seawall construction. Groton City’s plan to cover the multimillion dollar cost for what Mayor Keith Hedrick called a “re-engineering” of the replacement Shore Avenue seawall through a state grant, collapsed on Sept. 30 when it was not chosen for a state Community Investment Fund grant. Hedrick said what initially started out as a $4.1 million project to replace a “failing” seawall has ballooned to project that will cost at least $10.7 million. BL Companies, a Hartford-based engineering firm, originally bid to reconstruct the seawall for $2.7 million. But after construction on the project began in March 2024, the planned work required a significant overhaul. Since the re-engineering of the seawall started, Hedrick said the added work has added $6.6 million to the project costs — but records show the city has asked for $9.8 million to complete the project, a $3.2 million discrepancy.
Fairfield, Bridgeport residents lead rally against UI monopole project
A landmark South End church was the rallying point Sunday afternoon for Fairfield and Bridgeport residents who want a proposed $300 million United Illuminating Co. power line project to be buried underground instead of strung across 7.3 miles through residential backyards as well as religious and commercial properties. About 180 people filled the sanctuary of the Shiloh Baptist Church in a sometimes rowdy secular revival meeting, concerned that if the Connecticut Siting Council approves the plan later this month and its 102 towers – called monopoles – UI could force the take over of more than 19 acres of property from historic Southport east into Bridgeport’s South End and downtown. While residents and advocates have spoke about fears of buildings being demolished, UI has previously stated it does not have plans to take people’s homes nor demolishing them. Instead, it is looking for easements. Ganim described UI officials as less-than polite during an attempt by the city and town to persuade UI to bury the 115 kV line. “The city’s not going to get stepped on, rolled over, pushed aside,” said Ganim, pointing to recent burying of similar high-voltage lines in Stamford and Greenwich.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/politics/article/monopoles-fairfield-bridgeport-ui-21085717.php
Drainage worries resurface with Norwalk’s plan for $125M rebuild of West Rocks Middle School
Dunn, who represents the district where the school sits, said residents of the abutting Sunrise Hill condominium complex are likely to bring up the drainage issues. Many of them, she said, still have “very hard feelings” about the previous flooding. The tentative plan is to build the new West Rocks on the location of the athletic fields and construct new fields on the spot where the school currently sits. That means that the new three-story school would be closer to the condos. Committee Chair Barbara Smyth said there are real concerns from residents about water runoff from the site. However, she said building a school at the location would be a good opportunity to address those issues. The new West Rocks Middle School, projected to cost about $125 million, would open in the fall of 2030, with work scheduled to begin in the spring of 2028. The state would pay for 60% of the work. The project will be part of the the 2026-27 capital budget request, meaning it still needs approval from local boards.
Aetna Bridge Co. Works On Conn.’s Gold Star Memorial Bridge Rehabilitation
Aetna Bridge Co. of Warwick, R.I., the lead contractor on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge rehabilitation project, has completed work on the northbound span and is currently working on the southbound span, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The Gold Star Memorial Bridge is the largest bridge in Connecticut, with separate northbound and southbound structures connecting New London and Groton over the Thames River. Carrying more than 100,000 vehicles daily, the bridge is a critical transportation link for both commercial and recreational traffic, playing a key role in the movement of people and goods throughout the region. The total cost for the rehabilitation work on both the northbound and southbound bridges is approximately $80 million. A portion of the funding is provided through a grant from the federal Bridge Investment Program, with the remainder covered by 90 percent federal funds and 10 percent state funds. Construction began in February 2025 and is expected to be complete by February 2026. Bridge strengthening began in March 2025 and is scheduled for completion by November 2025.
Bridge work to bring extended lane closures on part of busy CT highway. See where and when.
Drivers can expect lane closures beginning today, Monday Oct. 6 on a very busy Connecticut bridge. The land closures are due to road work that includes repairs to the Commodore Hull Bridge, which carries Route 8 over the Housatonic River and connects Route 110 in Shelton and Route 34 in Derby, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. There will be lane closures on Route 8 northbound and southbound between Exit 12A and Exit 12B from Monday, Oct. 6 to Nov. 21. Two lanes will be maintained during daytime hours, and one lane of traffic will be open at night, according to the DOT. The bridge remains safe to use, according to DOT. The project will be performed by Mohawk Northeast Inc.
Bushnell Park pond restoration nears completion, reopens ahead of Hartford Marathon
A six-month, $3 million restoration of the pond at Bushnell Park has wrapped up just in time for one of downtown Hartford’s biggest annual events. The Bushnell Park Conservancy announced this week that fencing around the pond has been removed and the restoration work is nearly complete, with the area now accessible to the public ahead of Saturday’s Eversource Hartford Marathon. The project, which began in May, addressed decades of sediment accumulation that had compromised the pond’s depth and water quality. Torrington-based Yield Industries completed the work under a $2.94 million contract with the city of Hartford. The reopening comes as Bushnell Park prepares for a series of major events that draw thousands of visitors to downtown Hartford. The marathon on Saturday will showcase the restored pond to participants and spectators from across the region. The park also recently hosted a wedding and the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Sunday.
$11M Connecticut Port Authority settlement will close out State Pier project
The Connecticut Port Authority agreed Friday to pay a construction management firm $11.3 million to both close out the $311 million State Pier reconstruction project and settle additional cost disputes at the New London-based heavy-lift port facility. The agreement, which has not been finalized, calls for the authority to release its final payment of $7.3 million to the Kiewit Infrastructure Co., which oversaw the transformation of State Pier into a staging area currently being used to assemble components for offshore wind farms. The authority argued Kiewit was responsible for the cost of project delays related to retaining-wall alignment, heavy-lift platform installation and work on the pier’s south wall. The settlement, once finalized, will prevent any further claims from being filed by either party related to the State Pier work. The settlement does not cover or affect an ongoing civil suit filed by Kiewit subcontractor Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman against both the authority and Kiewit alleging breach of contract, unfair trade practices and other claims. Under Friday’s agreement, Kiewit is set to receive a total of $278.7 million for its State Pier work.
Coast Guard museum bridge bid comes in ‘significantly higher’ than expected
The lone bid package for construction of a pedestrian bridge envisioned to connect a city garage to the incoming National Coast Guard Museum came in “significantly higher” than previously estimated and with a longer-than-anticipated building timeline, project officials said Friday. Plainville-based Manafort Brothers Inc. was the only firm last month to submit a bid for construction of a 400-foot, glass-enclosed walking bridge proposed to run from the Water Street garage to the museum with several entrance and exit towers along its length. The bridge will be turned over to the city once it is complete. The cost of the bridge is not part of the main museum project’s $150 million price tag, which is to be paid with a combination of state and private funding, though association officials are still trying to close a shortfall of up to $48 million. Work on the 89,000-square-foot, six-story building, which continues to rise on the city’s downtown waterfront, is slated to be complete next year.
Government shutdown threatens to stall federal construction projects
Contractors across the country are measuring the potential impact of a government shutdown. A meeting Monday between President Donald Trump and congressional leaders didn’t result in an agreement between the parties. The federal government will shut down Wednesday, Oct. 1, if Congress fails to reach a funding deal. Such a stoppage will freeze construction activity immediately on certain sites, both temporarily and in some cases permanently. The first pain point will be on projects that rely entirely on federal dollars, said Marsia Geldert-Murphey, a former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers and current senior associate at GBA, a Lenexa, Kansas-based AEC firm. Being in a state of limbo would have immediate effects on contracts and supply chains. Prices are locked for only so long, and prolonged delays force suppliers to reprice bids and contractors to remobilize crews at added cost, said Geldert-Murphy. “A prolonged shutdown lasting several months could potentially stunt progress for planning and development of future projects, leading to a disruption to the flow of work on a longer-term horizon,” Richter, the operations vice president, told Construction Dive.
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/government-shutdown-federal-construction-projects/761465/
Trump administration puts on hold $18 billion in funding for New York City infrastructure projects
President Donald Trump ‘s administration, citing the government shutdown, said Wednesday it was putting a hold on roughly $18 billion to fund a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and an extension of the city’s Second Avenue subway. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on X that the step was taken due to the Republican administration’s belief the spending was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles. Amtrak and the NJ Transit commuter rail system referred questions about the White House’s announcement to the Gateway Development Commission, which is overseeing the tunnel project. Commission CEO Thomas Prendergast said the agency remains “focused on keeping the project on scope, schedule and budget.” The Second Avenue subway was first envisioned in the 1920s. The subway line along Manhattan’s Second Avenue was an on-again, off-again grail until the first section opened on Jan. 1, 2017. The MTA is working toward building the line’s second phase, which is to extend into East Harlem.
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