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MDOT presents Oceanville bridge options; town told granite facing could cost roughly $100,000 share
Summary
MDOT engineers told Stonington officials the Oceanville bridge is structurally compromised and offered replacement options, including granite-facing restoration; town members were told a municipal agreement could cover half the facing cost, estimated roughly $200,000 total and about $100,000 town share. Abutters raised questions about aesthetics and piling stability.
At a July Selectmen meeting, Massachusetts (MDOT) engineering representatives outlined structural concerns with the Oceanville bridge and presented options for replacement.
MDOT engineers said northern pilings were compromised and not founded on bedrock, complicating repair plans and limiting low-cost fixes. Officials discussed preserving the granite-facing appearance on the bridge; MDOT noted estimates for the granite facing work could be in the low hundreds of thousands, and that a municipal agreement could make the town responsible for about half the cost (engineers cited an illustrative $200,000 estimate for the work, implying roughly a $100,000 town share under a 50/50 municipal agreement).
Audience members asked whether cement or other engineering fixes could avoid the expense of granite restoration; MDOT explained that aesthetics and foundation constraints complicate options because of the underlying glacial till and shoreline conditions. The board discussed the possibility of a one-lane signalized bridge as an alternative and requested further community feedback and cost estimates from MDOT.
Selectmen agreed to continue community outreach and to schedule follow-up site visits with MDOT; no appropriation or municipal commitment was made at the meetings recorded in the transcript.
