Construction began in Wilton, Conn. To alleviate the floods in the high school sports complex damaged by the hurricane Ida. A subsidy of USD 1.425 million finances a retaining wall and drainage system. Phase 1 aims at the soccer field, with phase two begins after July 4th. The project aims to complete the October 1st.
Wilton Public School's logo
A construction project that aims to alleviate problems with floods in a sports complex of a Connecticut High School started on February 3, reported the Norwalk Hour.
Frank Smeriglio, the director of Wilton's public work, produced the first plans for the project in April 2022 after the Turf football field of the Wilton High School damaged Wilton High School the year before, a project that the city 1 million Had cost US dollar.
In 2023, Wilton Municipal received icons as part of a federal scholarship for residential and urban development, $ 1.425 million to build a concrete retaining wall to prevent floods from the stream behind the school's sports complex. In addition, the financing would also pay the costs for the installation of a drainage system that leads the water from the electricity to the nearby cider mill pond in accordance with the proposal.
Then the route on the Veterans Memorial Field The Wilton High School was damaged again last summer after the heavy rain and the widespread flooded parts of Connecticut and three deaths. The Wilton Town Board approved 175,000 US dollars in September to repair the route, while the tendering and approval process for the project continued.
A few days before the start of the construction, Smeriglio said that the city had already started to mobilize the project.
“We all got concerned about starting this as soon as possible before we have another big rain event,” said Joshua Cole, member of the Wilton Board of Selectmen at his meeting on January 21.
Dayton Construction in Watertown, Conn., Secured the offer for the flood protection project at the meeting.
According to the hour, Smeriglio informed the city officials that the offers were higher than expected, which led to a decline in the emergency budget, which covers all additional costs under construction. The financing proposal shows a reduction from $ 200,408 to $ 63,670 in the amount assigned for eventualities, the newspaper reported.
“Emergency is a problem with every project,” said Smeriglio, but added that he always tried to give the city administration an idea of what is to be expected when it comes to additional costs.
Despite the higher figures than expected, Dayton Construction had the lowest offer, he said Wilton officials.
“This is the first phase [of the project]”He noticed,” but we have to end on time for the high school sports season. “
The original part of the flood protection at Wilton High should be completed by March 15 and include the installation of a retaining wall and Berm next to the soccer field, said Smeriglio in an e -mail.
“We also plan to carry out Utility test pits to locate existing service programs that are needed for the second work,” he wrote.
The construction of this work phase should begin shortly after Wilton's celebration of July. It includes the installation of an elliptical drainage tube on the north side of the field, which connects the electricity to the apple wine mill pond, said Smeriglio.
The city's proposal stipulates that the entire project has been completed by October 1st.
Questions from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USAACE) slowed down the approval process for phase two, but Smeriglio said that Wilton Town leader had time before the start of this work to go through the issues of the Federal Authority and provide them with answers.
However, he admitted that the USAace needs “so many environmental permits”.
According to Smeriglio, the USAace is responsible for environmental protection together with several other agencies, and its questions have mainly focused on the location of the pipe, which is to be installed in the second work phase in the high school sports complex.