First Selectman Matt Riiska has begun the DEEP paperwork needed to get permission to install a temporary bridge on Smith Road, where the existing span and another nearby were swept away by a flash flood in 2023.
Left with a narrow, twisting road with several steep hills as the only access for fire trucks and ambulances,South Norfolk residents have been petitioning for a temporary structure to ensure their safety. The town wants to install a three-culvert bridge to serve until the state starts to make permanent improvements starting in 2026.
Riiska said CHA Solutions, a firm hired by DEEP, forwarded the wetlands study it did for the state to the town. The first selectman will forward the study to the Army Corps of Engineers, which must also approve the temporary bridge.
He said he will meet with state senator Lisa Seminara and state representative Maria Horn to see if they can help expedite the application.