EAST HAMPTON, Conn. — A broken bridge in East Hampton is getting a big fix after town residents have spent money and time for the last two months navigating a dirt road detour.
The washed-out crossing on Wopowog Road has divided a neighborhood in two and sparked a town debate on the best course of action to fix it considering its location on environmentally sensitive wetland.
“Well it certainly hasn’t made it any easier,” said East Hampton resident Michael McGuire.
“It’s really not that big of a deal to me,” replied fellow East Hampton resident Patty Burdick.
The crossing of Wopowog Road was washed out after heavy rain in January overwhelmed Safstrom Brook and the massive metal culverts that carry water underneath.
“It was like Old Faithful,” described Burdick. “The water came down so fast it shot straight up into the air.”
Burdick has not let the 15 minute detour bother her.
“I think people just need to have patience,” she said.
Burdick has lived in the first house on the other side of the bridge for 37 years and said the bridge has washed out at least three times before.
After spending nearly three months in the hospital with COVID pneumonia, she said she worries about emergencies.
“When and if I have an attack it’s scary knowing it’s going to take a little longer for the guys to get here,” said Burdick.
The good news is that there is now a plan to fix it. Town officials just sent residents a letter detailing the installation of a larger square culvert that can handle more water.
In the letter, the town said, “…an end is in sight and we believe it will be a long term solution with excellent value for the Town.”
“It feels like it probably should have been taken care of a little sooner,” said McGuire.
McGuire, who lives on the other side of the bridge, said the closure signs have caused confusion for delivery drivers.
"They see the road closed signs at the top of ours and they don’t know that there’s access to three driveways beyond that so they drive all the way around," added McGuire.
He was most concerned about the heavy rain that fell over the weekend.
“We haven’t seen a ton of activity from the town really addressing the bridge so our biggest concern is the bridge is going to completely fail and then we’re going to have a major flooding issue on our property,” said McGuire.
If the town council approves the plan during Tuesday night’s meeting, work is slated to begin in April and take up to 60 days, costing the town just over $400,000.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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