Orange cones, excavation equipment, exposed dirt, and heavy equipment greeted parents and young students at Deep River Elementary School on Aug. 27 on the first day of school. This construction project is set to correct an ongoing drainage problem, which occurred at the entrance and exit of the school during rain events and snow storms.

“Because the pitch wasn’t right, every time it rained that area would get two to three inches of accumulated, pooling water and the same would happen when it snowed,” said First Selectman Dick Smith. “Ice, slush and snow would accumulate in that area and create an uneven roadway at the entrance and exit of the elementary school.”

To remedy this problem, the project included correctly pitching the roadway into and out of the school, installation of new piping for correct drainage and new granite curbing, and the inclusion of five new parking spaces on the road in front of the school, as well as two more additional spaces in the school circle.

“When this is completed, it is going to look great,” said Smith.

“Every year we put money into projects for the schools, the Town Hall, the library, and all our of our town’s infrastructures. We have to maintain these buildings for our residents and we have to do it right,” Smith said. “This school drainage project has been on the to do list for a long time and while the road was torn up for the gas line, rather than tear it up twice, we decided to get this done now.”

This work, along with work done on the elementary school roof, including changing a flat roof into a pitched roof to prevent leaking, cost approximately $100,000. Most of the work was performed by the Deep River Highway Department, which helped to offset costs. Layton Construction of New Haven, which has completed other jobs in town, did the work on the granite curbing.

“Now the area looks better and is safer for walkers,” said Smith. “In addition the drainage is taken care of and we gained several needed parking places.”