Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Andover updates bridge projects as Bunker Hill nears reopening and Long Hill readies for 2026 work
Summary
Town Administrator Eric Johansen told the Board of Selectmen that final work on the Bunker Hill Bridge is nearly complete with a planned reopening Dec. 1 if weather allows, and that Long Hill Bridge construction inspection services have been selected and bidding will start late November ahead of an anticipated April 2026 construction start.
The Andover Board of Selectmen heard updates Nov. 10 on two major bridge projects that town staff say will shape transportation work into 2026. Town Administrator Eric Johansen said the final concrete pours for the Bunker Hill Bridge are complete and the project’s next steps—waterproof membrane, deck rail, paving and drainage—are scheduled over the coming weeks. "The contractor is still hoping to bring this in by the official date of closure, which is November 29," Johansen said; he added that the bridge could reopen by Dec. 1 "as long as the weather cooperates."
Johansen also reported progress on the Long Hill Bridge replacement, which the town expects to begin construction around April 1, 2026. The town and Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) have picked SLR to provide construction inspection services, and Johansen said SLR will move from the Bunker Hill project into Long Hill work when that contract concludes. He told the board the engineering team will go out to bid for construction around Nov. 25 and that the lowest qualified bidder will set the final construction cost.
The board heard a funding note: final costs for Long Hill have risen since the project’s original federal-local-bridge estimate because labor and material prices have increased over the past four years. Johansen said DOT has already approved an increase and that the Capital Regional Council of Governments will consider a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) amendment to cover about an extra $1 million the design estimates suggest may be needed. "That presupposes that, at the next Capital Regional Council of Governments, they have a favorable TIP amendment to cover the increase in costs," he said.
Board members pressed procedural questions about timelines and contingency: the town will rely on federal and state funding for construction if the TIP amendment moves forward, and Johansen warned the town might need to reassess plans if regional or DOT approvals do not follow. Members affirmed they want construction to proceed but acknowledged the final price will be set by bids and any change orders.
The meeting’s other infrastructure items included a status update that DECD canceled a meeting related to athletic-field projects, leaving the town unable to finalize a playground contract by a Dec. 5 deadline and risking an estimated 9% price increase. Johansen said the town is monitoring that schedule and will return to the board with recommendations.
