MONROE, CT — Town officials and emergency responders surveyed extensive damage in the aftermath of Sunday’s torrential rains, which caused flash floods throughout the town and the region.
On Monday morning, First Selectman Terry Rooney drove down Monroe Turnpike in his black Ford Expedition. Cones were up by East Village Road and an electronic sign flashed, notifying drivers of the closure of Route 34 ahead.
Route 34 (Roosevelt Drive) sustained extensive damage, including a total collapse of the small bridge near Lake Zoar Drive-In.
A sawhorse barricade, orange cones and police vehicles were set up at the railroad bridge, where a Connecticut Department of Transportation crew worked near the bottom of Route 111.
The first selectman asks drivers to avoid roads that are barricaded and cordoned off with yellow tape. “A lot of these roads are undermined by water, so the weight of a car could make it collapse,” he said.
Rooney’s Expedition was allowed to go through and he turned right onto Route 34. Cones and yellow tape cordoned off Route 34 at The Waterview’s driveway, where the first selectman navigated around it and picked up Town Engineer James DiMeo along the way.
Both men exited the SUV further up and walked toward the collapsed bridge. Along the way, a large chunk of pavement had broken off on the side of the roadway and debris from trees littered one section.
Just beyond a state van parked on the side of the road, the bridge was completely caved in. Bent metal guardrails lined each side and huge pieces of crumbled asphalt lay in the dirt below.
Across from Rooney and DiMeo, a young woman surveyed the damage. Rooney told her to step back as she approached a piece of asphalt with nothing supporting it underneath.
To the right of the collapsed bridge, water rushed down to a culvert.
“That culvert created extreme pressure that blew out the bridge,” Rooney said.
DiMeo will work closely with Public Works Director Chris Nowacki and Deputy Director Bill Phillips to identify priorities, while planning projects to repair the town’s roads and drainage.
“We’ll probably start with things that can be done quickly,” DiMeo said.
“The first priority is to open all of the town-owned roads,” Rooney said.
He said the lobby of the Monroe Police Department is open to the public as a charging station, adding other resources could also be made available based upon the need.
Damage could be seen along the shore of Lake Zoar. Some boats that had been docked there were pulled further into the lake. A green shed toppled over onto its side was leaning into the water.
The Waterview
Rooney drove to The Waterview, where a wedding party had to evacuate Sunday after much of the rear of the property washed away.
Police and fire vehicles were in the parking lot as Police Chief Keith White and Capt. Greg Smith and officers surveyed the damage with firefighters and town health department officials.
A massive crater was created when the lawn sunk in behind an outdoor wedding area.
“We’re assessing, seeing what businesses are good,” White said.
The shopping center with the Dunkin’ Donuts on Route 34 and the Henny Penny across the street were still open Monday.
White said Wolfe Park is still closed. “The parks are closed, because all of the trails are compromised,” he said. “Trees are down and trails are washed out.”
Cottage Street, Turkey Roost
Later in the morning, Rooney drove to Cottage Street, which was in one of the hardest hit areas of town.
The Expedition went through a large puddle on the right side of the road, where a concrete barricade and cones closed off the other lane. A few feet ahead, mud covered the road and concrete barriers totally closed it off.
Rooney parked at the barrier. Beyond it, half of the road had collapsed. The other half was covered with mud and rocks and trees lay across the road by Brookside Terrace, where a barricade kept people out of the danger zone on Cottage Street.
The first selectman took a ride out to Turkey Roost Road, where a public works crew used a backhoe to clear debris away from a section of road that collapsed in the 230-block.
Rooney said DOT crews have territories to perform repairs in and Monroe’s public works crews are also out working to get everything open, even if it’s just one lane.
“My goal is to get Turkey Roost open by the end of the day, even if not fully paved,” Josh Krize, of public works, said at the work site.
Road update
Police Lt. Kevin McKellick released an update on road closings on the Monroe Police Department’s Facebook page just before 2:30 p.m.:
Yesterday’s storm caused significant disruption to our roadways throughout town and in the surrounding areas. Most of the water has receded, however, there is more rain in the forecast this afternoon. Public works has been working all day, and they will continue to work into the evening, to get as many roads open as they can.
We have put cones and barricades in several areas around town where the roads are not safe to travel — please do not go around these barricades. If you need to go out, please use caution. The following roads are still closed as of 2 p.m. today.
Turkey Roost Road near #238
Bagburn Road near the Newtown Line
Old Zoar Road near #322
Cottage Street near Brookside Trail
Brookside Trail
Hammertown Road near #310
Route 34 eastbound towards Oxford. Businesses may be open but you can not go past The Waterview.
In his office at Monroe Town Hall, Public Works Deputy Director Bill Phillips coordinated the roadwork. He asks residents to be patient as public works concentrates its efforts on opening the main roadways.
“It was pretty bad last night with Cottage Street going under,” Phillips said of the storm. “Route 34 was devastation like I’ve never seen. Say what you want, but the force of water is unbelievable.”
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