East Hartford to seek $713,000 state grant for bridge replacement

Joseph Villanova, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

May 28—EAST HARTFORD — The Town Council voted unanimously Thursday to allow the town to seek $713,000 from the state for replacement of the Hills Street Bridge over Porter Brook.

A local match is required for the grant, bringing proposed funding for the project to at least $1.4 million. Applications will be approved beginning in July.

Town Engineer Douglas Wilson said today that the funds would be used to replace the bridge due to a recommendation from a report from an engineering consultant.

Wilson said if the town doesn't receive the grant, it will use operational funds to address certain safety concerns on the bridge and look for a different funding source to replace the bridge.

At a virtual special meeting Thursday night, Chairman Richard Kehoe said the Town Council's vote authorizes the town to seek funds through the Local Bridge Program, created in 1984 and run by the state's Department of Transportation.

"We prefer not to have our bridges fall down," Kehoe said, chuckling.

Wilson at the meeting Thursday night said that out of the six bridges in town that are eligible for the grant, the Hills Street Bridge had the lowest sufficiency rating at 59.5%.

"This should be the right target to hit to get the program," Wilson said.

Wilson said today that the sufficiency rating is a factor ranging 0% to 100% based on structural safety of the bridge, how essential it is to public use, and "whether the bridge is serviceable or functionally obsolete."

Wilson said Thursday night that the next most likely candidate for the program is the Walnut Street Bridge, a structure that council members mentioned as an area of concern.

Wilson added that the program is made available every few years, with the next round of funding likely scheduled for 2024 or 2025.

Councilman Awet Tsegai said the Walnut Street Bridge serves as one of two access points to his neighborhood and could use improvements.

Joseph covers East Hartford and South Windsor. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.