Cathy Osten

Sen. Osten, Ledyard Officials Welcome State Bonding for Bridge and Dam Work in Town

LEDYARD – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) and Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn III today welcomed the news that the State Bond Commission is expected to approve $3 million in state aid for bridge and dam upgrades in Ledyard when the commission meets next week in Hartford.

The funds will provide a grant-in-aid to Ledyard for bridge and dam upgrades, including upgrading pump stations, adding a storage tank, extending an emergency connection in Ledyard, and other security upgrades.

More importantly, the state funding will help two local conservation groups repair three Colonial-era dams located on Long Pond and Bush Pond. The repair work is essential for the safety of downstream properties and for environmental reasons: one local group is working to install a fishway on the Long Pond Dam to help fish return from the sea to the pond to lay their eggs.

“Sometimes you get state bonding for a project that seems simple on its face, like repairing some dams and bridges, but which really has other, greater consequences, and I think that’s the case here,” said Senator Osten, who has been working with Ledyard officials for months to help secure this state aid. “Long Pond and the Whitford Brook are connected to the Mystic River and Long Island Sound, and so they’re connected to all of the fish that live in the Sound. It would be great if, along with protecting the integrity of some old dams and the private property downstream, we could give a boost to fish who historically have spawned in Ledyard’s freshwater ponds. My expectation is that’s what these state funds will ultimately help accomplish.”

“”I’m very much appreciative of Senator Osten for supporting this critical infrastructure investment in Ledyard. These are exactly the types of long-term investments that state bonding should be paying for,” said Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn III. “I truly appreciate all the work she has done for us here in eastern Connecticut.” 

“It’s a huge relief to me to know that this funding is happening, and that Senator Osten has been able to convince people that this project is a regional benefit,” said Betsy Graham, a member of the Lantern Hill Valley Association which owns two of the dams. “This is a wonderful project that everyone is working together to make happen.”  

The state Bond Commission is scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Room 1-E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.