Groton seeks public input on Groton Long Point Road Bridge project
Groton — Public Works Director Gary Schneider said the town wants to hear directly from the people who use the Groton Long Point Road Bridge over Palmer's Cove and live nearby what their priorities are for a project to replace the bridge.
The bridge, built in the 1930s, serves as the main way into Groton Long Point and Mumford Cove.
The town is inviting people to stop by Town Hall Annex, Community Room 1, any time from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, to provide their feedback.
Schneider said the event isn't a presentation or a lecture, but a "listening session" for the town and its consultants to hear from people about what they see as the most important elements that should be considered for the bridge project, from global warming sea level rise to what pedestrians crossing the bridge would like to see.
"We're listening and getting input from the public," he said.
During the session, people can walk around the room to different stations and see photos of what the bridge looked like when it was built in the 1930s and provide comments.
Schneider said the town knows from the inspection reports, which the state does every two years, that the bridge needs some work. He said while the bridge is stable and still safe — the state has not posted load limits — it's "getting of age." The bridge needs to be addressed, along with the causeway.
The town held listening sessions on the bridge project seven years ago, but the project never got into the funding cycle, he said. The town wants to see if the issues identified by the public remain the same or have changed and gather all the input before making recommendations to the Town Council.
Schneider estimates that it will be a multimillion-dollar project. Once there is a consensus on what the bridge should look like and how it should operate, the town will do preliminary estimates and then seek funding for the design and construction, he said.
Town Manager John Burt said the funding isn't set yet, but the town will be looking at grants and potentially bonding.
More information is available at grotonlongpointbridge.com.
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