Branford town dock open after summer closure

BRANFORD — The town dock at Branford Point, where one can see fishermen casting off on most warm days, is now open after being closed for repair all summer into early fall.

On Facebook, many residents complained that they missed peak fishing season with the closure this past spring and summer.

“Although we understand the timing of the project was not convenient for the users of the dock, the structural repairs were urgently needed,” said Town Engineer John Hoefferle. “With these types of coastal projects, we avoid the harsh winter months and try to have them completed outside of the hurricane season.“

The seawall beneath the dock was crumbling, and during the design phase, more extensive damage was discovered.

In planning since 2019, the town “took a proactive approach” after a coastal firm told officials that “repairs should be made with moderate to high urgency,” according to Hoefferle.

“The town was extremely concerned with the structural integrity of the seawall, as we are well aware the dock gets a fair amount of use,” Hoefferle said in an email.

The town expanded the scope of work to include the full replacement of the timber elements that would be directly impacted by the seawall repairs.

Hoefferle said that during the design phase of the project, rock ledge was discovered through exploratory drilling, as well as the “deteriorated state of the timber wharf elements.”

The project was delayed by a few months because of the discovery of the ledge and the necessity of replacing lumber. This required an increase in the original appropriation, which had to be granted through the Board of Finance and RTM prior to advertising to bid, Hoefferle said.

Originally the town appropriated $225,000 for the work; another

$225,000 was requested for the project, bringing the total to $450,000.

The contractor was given a four-month window to complete the project, but supply chain issues for lumber caused the work to be delayed an additional two months.

The project went out for competitive bidding in January; low bidder, Loureiro Contractors was awarded the contract in March.

“At the time the contractor had no concerns with the procurement of materials for the project,” Hoefferle said. “As the pandemic continued, the lumber industry began to collapse around the same time as the contractor was trying to lock in the lumber order.”

“The lumber shortage continued throughout the project, leading to a significant delay to project completion which was out of the contractor’s control,” he said.

However, once the materials were available, the contractor was able to finish quickly, he said.

Town officials did a walk-though last week and came up with a minor punch list.

Susan Braden / Hearst Connecticut Media This fisherman looks like he got a prime spot on the newly refurbished town dock in Branford, which was closed all summer due to repairs and lumber shortages.