Process To Reconstruct Caved-In Road In Manchester Beginning

MANCHESTER, CT — The process to rebuild a caved-in section of Ambassador Drive in Manchester is about to begin, Public Works Director Tim Bockus said Thursday.

In August, the road was wrecked by rushing Waters from Tropical Storm Henri. Rainwater collecting in a stream alongside the Northfield Green condominium complex hit a portion of Ambassador Drive so hard that the pavement crumbled, leaving a chasm that divided the street.

Sidewalk sections also separated.

The rushing waters picked up a steel-framed picnic table like it was a model boat and slammed it into a drainage culvert.

Repairs will require a new box culvert and complete road reconstruction, Bockus said.

The project must first go out to bid, but could still be on track for construction to commence in February, Bockus said. The hope is to have a new section of road in place by March, he added.

It appears, however, the town will be stuck with a half-million-dollar repair bill. Bockus said the damage did not qualify for aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.