Wilton’s Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) approved a request by the town’s Department of Public Works (DPW) last week that will help keep the lengthy Honey Hill Rd. bridge replacement project on track.
The commissioners voted unanimously during their Thursday, Jul. 9 meeting to modify the project’s wetland permit to allow McNamee Construction to use a portion of a town-owned parcel adjacent to the bridge to temporarily store construction materials and to place a “support structure for temporary utility relocation” for the duration of the project. The contractor will restore the land when it has finished using it.
“Now that construction has begun, it is apparent the contractor will need additional space for material and equipment, especially once the bridge is removed as the project area is limited by Rte. 7 to the west and the railroad crossing to the east,” Acting Director of Public Works Jeff Pardo wrote to Director of Environmental Affairs Mike Conklin requesting the permit modification.
The IWC’s approval was necessary because the 30-by-30-foot area is within 100 feet of the wetlands boundary of the Norwalk River.
“I agree with [the contractor’s] assessment that without it, it’s going to be extremely difficult for him to build this bridge,” Pardo told the commissioners.
In an email to GOOD Morning Wilton, Pardo said that following the IWC’s approval, McNamee moved quickly to set up the staging area and has already placed piping and excavated material in it.
Town Parcel was Only Available Option
In his written request, Pardo noted that DPW considered other nearby town-owned parcels and discussed the possible use of a state-owned parcel with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), but none of them would be available for the duration of the construction project, which is expected to last at least 18-20 months.
During the IWC meeting, Pardo added that he had also approached the owner of an adjacent parcel on the other side of the bridge, but the owner “absolutely refused” to grant the town an easement.
Pardo said that the storage area, which will be located near the southwest corner of the vacant 1.2-acre parcel, cannot be located closer to Rte. 7 in order not to obstruct a drainage outlet pipe.
“Last week’s storm would have been a perfect example of why that pipe couldn’t be blocked,” Pardo said.
There are no trees within the 30-by-30-foot storage area. When the area is no longer needed, the contractor will replant it with a riparian seed mix anchored with heavy hay.
Tree Trimming, Utility Relocation Began in March
According to the most recent update on the town’s project update page, dated Mar. 13, 2026, the project was scheduled to begin the week of Mar. 16 with tree cutting and trimming, followed by the relocation of overhead utility lines.
The single-span bridge, which was built in 1957, is being upgraded due to deficiencies and structural concerns noted during previous inspections. Currently, the bridge has weight restrictions placed on it. The cost of the upgrade has been estimated at $4,760,000, which will be paid through a mix of federal and state infrastructure grants.
In his email to GMW, Pardo said the contractor is expected to begin drilling structural shafts to support the bridge footings and foundation wall this week.
On the Cannon Rd. bridge project, Pardo added that the bridge superstructure and the abutment walls on the east side of the bridge have been removed, and coffer dams are in the process of being installed.
As GOOD Morning Wilton previously reported, town officials said CT-DOT decided to schedule the Honey Hill Rd. and Cannon Rd. bridge projects simultaneously in order to save time and money. Construction on both projects has resulted in lengthy detours and have raised residents’ concerns about traffic safety, emergency access, and impacts to the quality of life in the affected neighborhoods.
These impacts are compounded by additional detours in place on and around New Canaan Rd. (Rte. 106) to accommodate the Aquarion/Eversource pipeline project scheduled for completion in October.
The State and the contractor should have secured a staging area before they began the project. Poor planning and almost three months of inconvenience before any work started