The Liberty Street Bridge, which had been out of commission since September 2018, when it was washed out during the Sept. 25, 2018, flood, is now once again usable.

Following the bridge damage, the Army Corps of Engineers approved the needed permits for the project, which allowed the Town of Chester, and its contractor Arborio Road and Bridge Contractors Corporation of Cromwell, to get a jump on the repairs before bad weather hit.

First Selectman Lauren Gister is pleased with the rapid repair for several reasons, particularly the advancing winter weather. Had the bridge not re-opened before the season’s first major snowfall, the town would have encountered additional difficulty with buses and plows navigating the area.

In addition, the town was concerned that if bad weather hit and temperatures dropped, the asphalt plants in the area would have been shut down, creating the potential for further delays.

Repairs included work on the underside and waterline of the bridge, which required divers in the water, and work done to rebuild the structure of the bridge, as well as the replacement of topsoil, additional road work, and new guardrails making the bridge and the surrounding area usable once again.

The project also required the removal of debris washed down river by the storm that had built up at the bridge’s base.

The Board of Selectman approved a contract for the project that allowed no more than $205,000 to be spent on the repair work. Those funds, although not specifically allocated for this project, came out of the town’s capital fund normally used to fix and improve roads and bridges throughout Chester. Gister previously explained that the town is looking at the possibility to push off some other budgeted projects to balance the funds that were spent for this bridge repair.