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MDOT presents Oceanville bridge replacement options; Selectmen asked to consider municipal cost share for granite facing
Summary
MDOT engineers told Stonington Selectmen that Oceanville’s northern piling is compromised and said granite-facing aesthetics and stability could be completed under a municipal agreement that would require the town to cover roughly 50% of facing costs (about $100,000). The board requested community input before deciding.
State Department of Transportation engineers outlined options for replacing the Oceanville bridge and discussed a municipal cost share for granite-facing work.
At a Selectmen meeting, MDOT’s Andrew Lathe and engineering partner Jaime French said the northern piling under the Oceanville span rests on unstable material and that a like‑for‑like granite facing would add cost and complexity. The engineers estimated facing work at roughly $200,000 and said a municipal agreement could shift half of that cost to the town as its share for aesthetic and protective treatments.
Residents asked whether a new metal span could be installed without full granite work; MDOT said the northern piling condition made a simple metal replacement impractical. The Selectmen discussed alternatives including a one‑lane span with traffic control and asked staff to solicit local feedback before committing to a municipal agreement.
Selectmen members said they would hold further meetings and accept community input on priorities — preservation of historic granite facing versus a lower‑cost functional replacement — and whether the town could budget a municipal share. The minutes indicate MDOT will continue outreach and that Selectmen will evaluate cost and municipal-agreement options before any formal local commitment.
