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DPW outlines spring 2025 road-restoration plan, asks council to press state on failing state roads
Summary
Public Works said a state-funded road-restore program will mill state roads and reuse millings on town dirt roads; Beacon Hill hills will get hot pavement, other sections recycled asphalt; DPW urged council help to prioritize New Shoreham on the state's 10-year plan and described Mohegan Bluffs stair safety and Corn Neck resiliency kickoff.
Public Works officials presented a multi-year approach to road restoration and coastal resiliency at the Dec. 18 Town Council session, asking the council to press the state to prioritize New Shoreham in its 10-year road-improvement plan.
The town—s DPW lead (Mike) said the state—s road-restore program — which the DPW described as paying roughly 33% of town road work — will begin in spring 2025. The plan calls for milling about an inch to 1.5 inches off designated state roads and reusing the millings on nearby town dirt-road aprons (Beacon Hill Road and parts of Connecticut Avenue). "Three spots on Beacon Hill are going to get actual hot pavement," Mike said, citing hills where runoff has made recycled material unsustainable.
Where possible, flatter areas will receive recycled asphalt; DPW warned that recycled pavement requires more maintenance and can develop potholes. The department said millings from the state roads and Connecticut Avenue will not be enough to finish Beacon Hill, so additional recycled asphalt will be barged to the island.
DPW also briefed the council on Mohegan Bluffs: after meeting with DEM, EMA and other agencies, staff aim to have a safe, limited opening for the coming summer and pursue a longer-term stair reconstruction. Options discussed included adding a mid-stair landing, improved signage, and an ATV-accessible maintenance path to move equipment and injured visitors. "Let's make this as safe as possible to get people down there, but at the same time, don't spend a huge amount of money down there because it's just gonna get washed away," Mike said.
The council was told an engineering kickoff meeting was scheduled with GZA for the Corn Neck Road resiliency and dune-restoration project (scoping Corn Neck between Scotch Beach and the Beachhead area).
Why it matters: road conditions and coastal erosion affect public safety, beach access and the town—s maintenance burden. DPW requested council assistance in advocating for state action on state-owned roads and flagged timing constraints (work will pause for summer season and resume in fall 2025).
