File Photo
The good news is the town’s boat launch on the Branford River was open during the first part of the summer. The bad news is that it will be closed for re-construction from July 18 through Nov. 14, 2016.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is replacing the aging launch at 38 Goodsell Point Road with a new state-of-the-art structure. The DEEP said in February that the closure would begin in late spring, but it recently announced the exact dates.
The DEEP is suggesting alternate launch sites at the Guilford Town boat launch or the smaller East River State boat launch in Guilford.
The Goodsell Point Road launch is along the Branford River and has direct access to Long Island Sound.
Back in 2014, the DEEP held an open house to display preliminary designs for the project and answer questions. Bill Coleman, an engineer with DEEP’s boating division, said at that time that the new launch area would be larger, safer and “more user-friendly.”
Plans call for replacing the existing ramp with a grooved, concrete slab surface and concrete pavers to prevent erosion. A floating dock system, which is ADA accessible, will be added to make launching and retrieval of boats safer and more efficient.
Michael Payton, supervisor of the DEEP’s Navigation and Boating Infrastructure Unit, said parking lot improvements at the launch site that were discussed two years ago will be put on hold because construction bids exceeded the budget.
The project is expected to cost about $900,000, with 75 percent coming from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission; and 25 percent from the state.
State Rep. Lonnie Reed ( D‑Branford) said “the wear and tear on this boat launch, among the shoreline’s busiest, have made it downright dangerous.” She said she pressed DEEP to make upgrades and to consider the boat launch a priority project. She said she fought for the state bonding that combined with federal funds made the project possible.
The DEEP owns or operates more than 110 boat launches statewide, including 19 that have access to Long Island Sound. For additional information, see the DEEP’s state boat launch web site at www.ct.gov/deep/boatlaunches.
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