Repairs to the Waterbury Branch line following last month's devastating floods will likely take longer than the initial 4 to 5 week estimate, officials said Monday, pointing to difficulties accessing the area of trackbed that was washed away by floodwaters.
Service on the branch line — which connects passengers to Metro-North's New Haven Line and New York City — has been suspended since Aug. 18, when nearly a foot of rain fell in parts of the Naugatuck River Valley, swelling the river past its banks and damaging dozens of homes, businesses and roads.
The storm also caused critical damage to a section of track in Seymour overlooking the Kinneytown Dam. Because of the location of the damage on a steep embankment set back from access roads, officials said they have encountered difficulty getting to the site, causing the delay in repairs.
A spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said Monday that service on the Waterbury Branch is currently estimated to resume in mid-November, but that timeline could be pushed back if the weather causes further disruptions.
"The contractor has been mobilized and is working six days a week," the spokesman, Josh Morgan, said in an email. "They are currently making improvements to access roads which will allow material and equipment to access the washed-out sections of railroad."
Morgan said the cost of the repairs is approximately $11 million and that the state will be seeking federal funds to cover the costs. Torrington's O&G Industries is the emergency contractor on the project.
Earlier this month, Gov. Ned Lamont's administration requested $300 million in federal disaster relief to help repair damage to property and infrastructure, including the Waterbury Branch and state roads.
"Garrett Eucalitto, the secretary of Transportation, has give all the costs for for the state roads and bridges, so we get to the front of the line there in terms of [ Federal Emergency Management Agency] reimbursement," Lamont told reporters on Sept. 4.
Prior to its damage in the historic August floods, the Waterbury Branch had been experiencing a strong resurgence in riders following the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 138,000 people rode the route during the first half of the year, a 14 percent increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Metro-North, which operates service along the branch through a partnership with DOT, has been running regular bus service along the line to replace the suspended trains.
The branch line runs between Bridgeport and Waterbury, with stops in Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia, Derby- Shelton and Stratford.
___
(c)2024 The Middletown Press, Conn.
Visit The Middletown Press, Conn. at www.middletownpress.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
