David Atwater states in his letter, “Rebuilding tiny Groton-Stonington bridge would waste tax dollars,” (March 31), “rebuilding the bridge in Old Mystic doesn’t make economic or practical sense.”

Atwater thinks the closure of this bridge is simply an inconvenience of 30 seconds extra drive time. Fire Chief Ken Richards's editorial, “$318,000 shouldn't be too much to spend to protect the public,” (March 29) stated the safety issues of getting this bridge repaired now. He stated that the closure of this bridge has caused the fire department’s response time to increase by over four minutes. This time could be the difference between life or death or loss versus minimal damage to a home.

Legal counsel for the fire department stated in a letter, Feb. 12, 2020, to Groton and Stonington, “the continued delay in replacement of this bridge perpetuates a potential life-threatening hazard to citizens of the Town of Groton.”

This bridge is a lifeline for firefighters to respond in an emergency. With the bridge closed, fire apparatus must make a right-hand turn at the narrow intersection of Main Street and Route 27. Vehicles parked at the General Store and Post Office can make passage even slower and sometimes impossible.

Officials from Groton and Stonington should realize that public safety must take priority. Fund the bridge repair in the  2020-2021 budgets.

Michele and Ken Peters

Mystic