State construction workers reopened a stretch of Route 34 on Wednesday that had been closed since severe flooding in August caused more than $300 million in damage. Gov. Ned Lamont heralded the completion of the bridge work in a Facebook post, saying it was completed two weeks ahead of schedule. Oxford arguably took the most damage from the storm — two of the three people killed were Oxford residents swept away by floodwaters that overwhelmed the Little River along Route 67, and dozens of Oxford businesses and homes were damaged or destroyed. The damaged section of Route 34 became a roaring river during the height of the flooding. As much as 16 inches of rain fell within seven hours in some areas on Aug. 18. Several roads in other municipalities also remain closed as of Oct. 9, including Route 67 between Kettletown Road and Community House Road in Southbury.
