FALLS VILLAGE — Falls Village has received state funding to replace a deteriorating bridge and culvert on Cobble Road, Falls Village First Selectman David Barger said during a monthly meeting on Monday, Aug. 10. The project could require temporary repairs to a separate bridge on the road that has been closed since March.
The grant, which totals $561,600, was awarded through the state’s Transportation Rural Improvement Program (TRIP), and will replace the small bridge and culvert over Wangum Lake Brook with a larger structure. The grant was previously announced in a July 23 statement by the state Department of Transportation.
“This project will replace the existing bridge and culvert over Wangum Lake Brook on Cobble Road with a larger structure that greatly improves hydraulic capacity and access between Upper Mountain Road and Huntsville-South Canaan Road (Route 63),” the DOT said.
Barger said that the Cobble Road culvert was installed after a major flood in 1955 and “worked well” for decades. In recent years, however, the culvert has filled with silt, suffered structural damage and is no longer functioning properly.
Complicating the project is a separate bridge at the opposite end of Cobble Road over the Hollenbeck River, which was closed March 30 after a state inspection found it unsafe.
In May, Barger said he received a 66-page report from the DOT outlining the issues with the Hollenbeck River bridge and warning of “imminent failure.”
Barger said the bridge is expected to be replaced in 2029 or 2030, with the project fully funded by federal money.
In the meantime, however, in order for crews to get equipment to the other end of Cobble Road for the Wangum Lake Brook project, it may be necessary to make a temporary repair to the closed Hollenbeck River bridge.
That repair would allow for one lane of traffic, including residential traffic.
Barger said nothing has been finalized, but the goal is to complete both the culvert and bridge projects with the least amount of disruption for the nearby residents.
