NORTH BRANFORD - A significant rain event earlier in the week led to some water damage to interior sheet rock and insulation beneath a section of incomplete roofing under installation at the North Branford High School (NBHS) building project. The damage is being addressed and won’t delay scheduled building completion set for early 2023.

The incident occurred Tuesday, September 6. Action being taken to address the incident was reported to the Town Council at its September 6 meeting, which was broadcast by Totoket TV and can viewed at the Totoket TV Facebook page.

Amar Shamas, Senior Project Executive for project construction company Gilbane Building Co.(Enfield) said the company was working with the building inspector and North Branford’s Permanent Project Building Committee to ensure the issues are addressed.

Shamas said some areas of the roof under construction were breached during a 24-hour significant rain event, wetting some sheet rock and insulation. The rainwater breach was due to a ridge vent not yet installed where a section of roof was 90 percent complete.

A walk-through with the building inspector on Sept. 6 identified areas where remediation and removal were required, said Shamas, with workers brought in to begin attending to the issues as of September 7.

All roof work on the building, which will be topped by a metal roof, is expected to be completed within the next 6 weeks, according to information provided to the council on Sept. 6.

In response to Mayor Jeffrey Macmillen’s question regarding cost of the rain incident repairs, Shamas said while he felt there will not be “significant costs,” the project does have contingency funds in place with avenues to address such incidents arising.

The council was also told the removal/remediation/replacement work created by the rain incident is not expected to delay the anticipated early January completion of the building, in response to another question from Macmillen.

Once it is complete, NBHS students will move into the new building, which is the project’s academic wing. Phase 2 of the project will then begin with demolition of the remaining portion of the original NBHS building. New construction of the NBHS project will then get underway at the former building site.