Two Southbury bridges will receive funding for major replacements thanks to a newly announced round of state grants under the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) Local Bridge Program.
The program, which provides matching funds to municipalities to repair or replace aging bridge infrastructure, has awarded the Town of Southbury a combined $1.14 million to replace bridges on Bucks Hill Road and Munn Road, both of which span Walnut Hill Brook.
- Bucks Hill Road over Walnut Hill Brook: $581,100
- Munn Road over Walnut Hill Brook: $562,250
The projects are two of 15 municipal bridge efforts across the state selected to receive support in this latest funding round, totaling more than $17.3 million in state grants. Since 2016, the State Local Bridge Program had provided approximately $162 million in grants to Connecticut cities and towns.
Southbury’s Director of Public Works, Blake Leonard, says the next steps include a design phase, a public information meeting and communication with abutters, permitting, a bidding and award phase, followed by construction. The process will typically take about a year or two to complete, he added.
“We look forward to completing these two bridge projects which are very close to each other in proximity,” Leonard tells The Record. “The new bridges will have larger hydraulic capacity, and will be built resiliently to stand up to today’s challenging weather.”
The cost-matching grant program provides 50% of project costs for locally owned bridges. Cities and towns administer all design and construction aspects of their projects, while the CTDOT oversees project milestones and provides guidance for the municipalities.
“This program helps keep locally owned bridges in good repair, ensuring they remain safe and reliable for all travelers,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “As the program continues to deliver real results for communities both big and small, its popularity grows year after year. We’re proud to support these efforts and get the projects to the finish line.”
A full list of grant awards are available at: https://portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-press-releases/2025/ctdot-awards-state-local-bridge-funding-for-15-projects?language=en_US
The Southbury Record 