Brian Stern spent nearly 4 terms on the Board of Finance — including serving as chair from 2014 to 2022.
He moved to Westport in 1977, and spent 40 years with Xerox. Since 2008, he has been an entrepreneur.
He is keenly aware of the political process for a project like repair of the Jesup Road bridge. He knows how to get it done — and what can slow it down. Brian writes:
Two weeks ago, an intense rainstorm severely damaged the Jesup Road Bridge. Logistically, it is super important to downtown activity and emergency services.
The timing of repairs is consequently an urgent priority for us all. This week I interviewed the Public Works Department director, Larry Roberts, to assess the process and issues related to the project. I thank him for the open and factual discussion.
The Project: The Jesup Bridge was constructed in 1950. It has a small span of 12 feet, and was constructed on pillars of stacked granite native rocks packed with local dirt and fill.
On September 14, the water pressure from Deadman Brook was so intense that fill was eroded and granite rocks were shifted, some over 1000 pounds, which rendered the span structure and integrity of the bridge dangerously fragile.
Compounding the problem are the hydraulics of a stream that floods frequently, combined with the impact of two tides per day.
The bridge cannot be repaired. It requires complete redesign and replacement, taking in to account the environment complexities of its location. Likely the new bridge will be wider, and certainly more substantial.
Jesup Road Bridge, before it was damaged.
The Interested Parties: The engineering complexity is compounded by the number of regulatory bodies impacted. At the state and gederal level these include the Army Corps of Engineers, state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Flood Recovery Board, and the State Bridge Program (Department of Transportation).
At the local level: the Flood and Erosion Control Board, Conservation Commission, Planning & Zoning Commission, and Architectural Review Board.
Funding bodies also get into the loop; the Board of Finance, Representative Town Meeting and Board of Selectpersons. Obviously, this spaghetti of legitimately interested parties will need to be deftly aligned.
The Design Process: In the past 2 weeks, discussions have commenced between the federal, state and local commissions.
Today, an RFP will be published to invite engineering firms to bid on the critical design phase. This will include the design itself, soil testing, hydraulic planning, the permitting applications, estimated costs and key elements of project management.
This bidding process will take 21 days, and will include site visits, etc. The successful bidder will be judged on cost, expertise, prior experience and timing.
The design phase itself will take approximately 45 days and is estimated to cost $172,000.
Damaged underside of the Jesup Road bridge.
The Construction Phase: Immediately following design approval, the project will go out to bid with expected completion in 30 days.
Then starts the construction, which from a standing start will take about 180 days with the availability of materials being critical to a timely completion.
Additionally, reviews and amended specifications will be potential sources of delay. My suggestion is for residents who have specific asks — for example on architectural aesthetics — to speak up now, and not when the train is in motion.
The Review Process: We are informed that the chairs of the relevant commissions are engaged, and prepared to fast track their specific area of responsibility.
The trick here is to ensure that the review process is performed in parallel to the design, bidding and construction phases. Clearly this requires careful orchestration, and an ability to force these interested parties to expedite with due regard for quality, long term sustainability, and safety. The essential ingredient is timely and clear communication with the public.
In our experience public confusion is the lifeblood of review delays. As of today, we have seen no articulation of the plan and the stages at which the public can input. We anticipate each relevant committee chair will publish their review plans, in coordination with the 1st selectman’s office. This public review is the wild card in the timing of project completion.
The Funding Process: The administration informed us that it is unlikely the federal government has funds applicable to the new bridge construction, but there maybe 50% matching by the state. (Stay tuned on this source of funding).
At the local level the Board of Finance has an approval pending for the $172,000 initial design costs at their next meeting, October 7. This delay will not impact the design RFP timing.
The RTM is due to meet the following day to confirm the recommendation of the BOF. Importantly, the tone of urgency by all funding bodies has been set.
A Call to Action: If one accumulates the days of actual activity, the project time would total 276 days from Monday. (21 days for design RFP response, plus 45 days for design completion, plus 30 days for construction bids, and then 180 days for construction).
This assumes zero delays, and excludes any review time. Given the these assumptions we have received, 276 days is a very best case. As a frequent user of the bridge this already a very frustrating time frame.
The town’s management non-trivial task is to anticipate and forestall any physical activity delays and eliminate delays due to interested parties’ reviews and public input.
This can only be achieved with
- 1) the full force and articulation by the 1st selectman
- 2) the cooperation of all committee chairs
- 3) the full and speedy cooperation of State and federal agencies
- 4) and most important, a documented plan where all parties understand their specific responsibilities and can be held accountable.
The urgency of the project demands a call to action. This is not business as usual. In this regard, I believe Westport residents of are ready to be led.
Stay tuned.
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As with most all governmental projects sounds like we are advancing in only red tape citizens be damned
Don’t forget utility relocations (including aerial, for crane usage).
I’m sure the word “ red tape” will be used, however, truthfully I am not familiar with this bridge and don’t even see any bridge in the picture. With that said, you could install a prefabricated, pre- engineered steel panel bridge like the ones used in war zones. There’s the 192nd Engineering Battalion in Stratford, which I was in during the Vietnam War, and the more advanced 250th in I think Norwich. You could have something up and functional in three weeks. It’d be temporary and ugly, but safe and functional. Traffic will flow safely. That’s the bottom line, vehicles traveling safely while you battle the red tape for the permanent bridge. Hope that helps.
I think this is the bridge that goes to Imperial Avenue. At first I couldn’t distinguish it in the picture, but I believe that’s Imperial Avenue in the background. That doesn’t change anything; you could still have something up and functional in three weeks. Functional and safe are the two most important factors.
Dan, thank you for keeping us informed. Sounds great and as a contractor I agree with the guy above many moving parts to involved especially widening it. Sounds like a good one year plan to me. In advance, thanks to all of our hard-working towns people keeping it moving in the right direction.
Can’t we buy a prefabricated bridge and put it into place? The COVID vaccine came out faster than this.
I posted this yesterday on Westport Journal. As Jack stated, this is an ideal temporary fix.
“This short span can be temporarily fixed in literally 3 -4 weeks inclusive of engineering, temporary shoring of the abutments and installation of bearing plates and as required temporary grading of the approaches and final inspections. The actual installation of a temporary modular bridge can be accomplished in 1-2 days. Rough total cost all in engineering, installation and rental of temporary bridge should be in the neighborhood of $150k.
It seems given the critical location of EMS and Police services….any time saved on response time makes it a worthwhile consideration. The difference between 1 minute of response time many times is the difference between life and death. You can’t put a price on that”
So in other words, two years when everyone wants to add their two cents. I mean, if the bridge gets widened, don’t we need a new traffic study? Not to mention retaining its historical look and feel. Maybe the town should hold a charrette to discuss. OK, three years.
I live in this neighborhood. As there are fairly convenient alternative routes to Jesup Road, I’m not sure I share the writer’s very high level of interest in putting a rush on the bridge’s replacement. We’ve lost bridges before. The Kings Highway bridge over the Saugatuck was once swept away. That was absolutely a strategic span.
At any rate, time certainly ought not be wasted in addressing the Jesup Road Bridge. But let’s not freak out and possibly short sheet the effort. After all, it would be rather easy to drop some over scaled, precast interstate highway style span on the site and declare the mission accomplished. Those can even be ordered with that cringe-y fake rock look – which is just as regrettable as it sounds.
As it happens, the Jesup Road Bridge is the gateway to a designated Local Historic District. Thus, serious thought should be given to the scale, nature and character of the replacement span – to make sure it is sympathetic with the setting and extant historic built environment. Further, since the State Building Code specifically identifies bridges as structures, the bridge in question is subject to our local demolition ordinance as it is over the age of 50. This means, among other things, that its disposition would be subject to a public hearing conducted by the Westport Historic District Commission.
None of the above would or should interfere with the orderly and efficient replacement of the Jesup Road Bridge – but it should be part of the process.
Something to consider: The Empire State Building was completed from start to finish in one year with 1931 technology. Nuff Said!
I’ll bet the Governor could sign something to activate the 192nd and or the 250th Engineering National Guard units to do the job and Westport wouldn’t need to do anything. This is their specialty! It could be argued that it’s right near the Westport Police Department and the fix is essential. This kind of work is the specialty of these two units.
“public confusion is the lifeblood of review delays” could be interpreted as a fairly cynical take.
I think that, more often, a lack of transparency causes public hesitation. (See the Long Lots project.)
Thanks to Brian Stern for laying out the process in clear terms and providing a realistic best case scenario for getting a replacement bridge built! Very helpful.
Complexity galore. Requires strong management.
“No Comment” Administration I’m sure can manage 🤣
I think Brian should be asked to head an inter-department task force to get this done. I worked with him on the BOF for two+ years and he’s by far the best person to bring everyone together.
The effort set forth by Mr. Stern will, if accomplished, reflect all Town bodies working together, almost simultaneously. If done, we will avoid the inherent slowness and perils of our Town’s usual approach, the “silo” approach of our town government.
I agree, Brian Stern would make a perfect quarterback to lead this project. If Brian does not want to lead the project, then what about a guy named Kevin Christie? Are we not paying him to do this kind of thing?
I don’t understand why this will take one year
The bridge which collapsed on I95 near Philadelphia was repaired in 2 weeks which appears to be a much more difficult road. Also why are bid requests placed with estimates already in place. Isn’t the purpose of requesting bids to be competitive? If a budget is in place it should be kept confidential
Richard Burman
Maybe…… a design could be implemented to repurpose some of the Cribari bridges truss system as a decorative historic twist, just a small section. (Ducks)
We have aging infrastructure and facilities all over Westport, this bridge being just an example. It’s not correct to say it isn’t important – in fact, just yesterday I had to circumvent this part of Jesup Road on three different occasions that, with traffic patterns on the Post Road what they are today, didn’t make life easy. And I am not a police officer being called to an emergency. I think what Brian is more trying to make sure doesn’t evaporate is the timely and deliberate handling of municipal projects that are essential to the town with clear and open communications and adherence to proper governance. This isn’t the only project in need of this type of goals-driven collaboration to bring it to successful completion.