Phase 2, 2009-2013, construction of the Niantic Bay Beach and eastern half of Boardwalk
Before – 2009
After – 2013
- Niantic River Bridge Historical Documentation – August 2000.
- Niantic Railroad Bridge Construction Progress – Wednesday, January 18, 2012 View Graphic
- Much of the iron work on the new Niantic River Railroad Bridge is being fabricated at G&G Steel Company in Russellville, Alabama (See: https://publictrustfoundation.org/docs/vol-1-no-4-elptf-bull.pdf). The following photographs show the result of the G&G Steel bascule heel construction loaded and beginning its long ocean journey to Niantic from Russellville on a 58’ x 180’ barge. Total weight of the cargo is 1,135.627 tons of steel.
- Beginning in Alabama on January 15, 2012, the shipment is expected to arrive at the work site on approximately February 5th, having been towed approximately 2,060 miles.
- Niantic River Railroad Bridge as it Will Look in 2013
Fall 2010
This artist’s rendering of the new Niantic River Rail Road Bridge is based on the actual engineered drawings from which the bridge is being constructed. Absent from the rendering are the catenary transmission wires, poles, and their supports used to transmit electricity to the trains. Also not shown is the shoreline and new pedestrian underpass that will provide access under the western most trestle to the new Niantic Bay Overlook.
- Reconstructed Overlook Progress Vol. 2 No. 1 – Tuesday, June 5, 2012 View Graphic
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New Facilities Virtually Completed: North and South Views
Fall 2008
New Entrance Signs Installed
Summer 2008New entrance signs, made possible by funds donated to East Lyme by the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, Inc., were placed on July 18, 2008 at Cini Park and at Hole In The Wall, just in time for “Celebrate East Lyme Day” on July 19th. Both the front and back of each sign is shown here.
New Facilities Taking ShapeSpring 2008The on-going expansion and reconstruction of the Hole in the Wall Parking Lot and Overlook Support Building is seen here as it appeared on June 9, 2008. We expect completion of the facility by mid-July, 2008. It will include:- New ADA Accessible Bathrooms
– Free Standing outdoor shower and drinking fountain
– Support office for Lifeguards, Boardwalk and Gate Attendants
– Storage area for Parks and Recreation Equipment including an all-terrain vehicle
– Landscaping will consist of sustainable native species
– Turf grass demonstration sites
– Storm water runoff demonstration areas
– Permeable parking areas using various types of pavers and grasses
– Newly designated parking spaces for beach and boardwalk users
– Widening of Baptist Lane with added sidewalk for Main Street
– Multiple Video Surveillance of the building and parking lot, funded by the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation
Maintenance Funds Donated
Spring 2008
New for the 2008 season of the Niantic Bay Boardwalk, the Public Trust Foundation donated maintenance funds specifically dedicated to the Boardwalk, to the Town of East Lyme . Part of those funds were recently used for the purchase of this all-terrain vehicle to help with Boardwalk security and maintenance. It will be housed in the new Support Building at Hole in the Wall Parking Lot where you can expect to see it in regular operation along the Overlook. It’s For You: The 2008 summer season is about to begin on the Overlook. We all hope you will join us. Overlook Security Added: Several continuous recording video cameras, purchased by the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, have been installed.
Overlook Parking Lot Development
Spring 2008
Started in the Spring of 2008, development at the Overlook parking lot at Hole In The Wall will soon be completed. Your comments and suggestions are welcome. Contact the Foundation through our web site and we will promptly answer. New Interpretive Signage
Spring 2008
Click Image to Zoom In
The Mystic Aquarium for Exploration has recently placed a sign on the Overlook by the Cini Park entrance at the Niantic River Railroad bridge. It is in addition to the sixteen educational signs placed by the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation in 2005. Our Educational Curricum Packet will be soon revised to incorporate the information on this sign with the others.The Niantic Bay Boardwalk and Beach Revisited
Spring 2008
The East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to protect the public trust through which the gift of the Boardwalk to the community will be sustained with your help.The Niantic Bay Boardwalk and Beach is home to more than 1,280 commemorative and memorial plaques. Each was donated in support of the Boardwalk and its maintenance and each one bears an inscription that makes a walk along Niantic Bay a unique experience of feeling a community presence difficult to put into words but nonetheless, real. Each plaque represents a person or persons who want to share their thoughts with you and who have found the Boardwalk the space in which they can leave their mark. The first plaque represents a family from South Africa – Anna, Michael, Jordan and Garrick Blain, pictured here on the left. Anna and Michael were visitors in 1993 when they made friends before their return home to South Africa in 1995. The Boardwalk was dedicated on July 15, 2005 and the Blain’s returned with their two children in 2007 and, renewed their friendship with Carol and Dan Lemieux and their daughter Megan, pictured on the far left.
Although the Blain’s have come the farthest of all those whose plaques line the walk, every plaque and every bench on the Boardwalk has a personal story to tell. Some are joyful, as is this one. Some are poignantly sad. All are touching.
Pets
July 7, 2007
The 2007 summer season along the Boardwalk has attracted a number of new visitors. The rules are that dogs, whether loose or leashed, are not permitted on the Boardwalk at any time of year. On the other hand, leashed dogs are permitted on the beach. Parrots have free access to both the beach and the Boardwalk. Bronze Plaques Refinished
June 7, 2007
Shortly after the Ribbon Cutting for the Niantic Bay Overlook on July 15, 2005, both the town and the Foundation dedication bronze plaques, mounted of the monument at The Hole-In-The-Wall, were defaced by vandals. Those responsible are suspected but, have yet to be apprehended.At a cost of $950 to the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, both plaques have now been refinished, just in time for the 2007 summer season. We are seeking donations to replenish our fund for maintenance and repair of the Overlook, so please consider a gift to the Foundation for that purpose. Overlook Temporary Repairs Completed
June 2, 2007
Temporary smoothing and repairs to the surface of the western 2,741 foot-long gravel walkway of the Overlook has now been completed and is open to the public with immediate access from The Hole In The Wall underpass. The Town of East Lyme hired Machnik Brothers Inc. of Old Lyme to do the repairs of storm damage that eroded the gravel as a result of several coastal storms that struck the Overlook since its opening in July of 2005.
With the return of the gravel pathway to public access, the Overlook offers a 5,348 foot long walkway between The Hole In the Wall beach on the west to its eastern terminus at Cini Park on the Niantic River.
Photo: The re-surfaced western 2,741 foot long walkway is now open to the public, as seen at 11:30 am on Saturday, June 2, 2007
Overlook Repairs are underway
May 31, 2007
Temporary Repairs to the storm damaged western 2,741 foot long gravel pathway of the Niantic Bay Overlook are now underway. This portion of the Overlook pathway is expected to be reopened to the public as soon as possible for use during the upcoming summer months. Making the present temporary repairs has required that the public not use this portion of the walkway. However, the eastern 2,607 foot long pathway and elevated boardwalk, accessible at the Cini Park entrance, remains open. In advance of the repair work, all 50 memorial benches on the western gravel pathway have been moved for safe-keeping to the elevated boardwalk. They are expected to be returned to their original locations as soon as the temporary repair work is completed.
Looking westerly, all 50 memorial benches have been placed on the elevated boardwalk while temporary repairs are made to the gravel pathway seen in the distance beyond the boardwalk.
Long Term Solutions to Expected Future Storm Events
May 31, 2007Negotiations for a more permanent solution for the Overlook and correction to the flawed design and construction of its western gravel pathway are progressing smoothly, according to the Town of East Lyme. The Town and CTE engineers continue to negotiate with a mediation scheduled in the near future. As a gesture of good faith, CTE has advanced the Town $45,000, which will be deducted from any future settlement amount.
Boardwalk Damaged in Storm
April 24 , 2006The purpose of this report is to document information gathered by the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, Inc., concerning the Niantic Bay Overlook Project. In particular, this material relates directly to storm damage on the Overlook resulting from rain and storm waves that caused various degrees of washout to the walking surface and revetment structure of the western-most 2,739 feet of the 5,348 Overlook Public Park.
Both engineering and marine science analytical studies are being undertaken at the time of this printing. Their results will be added to future revisions of this report as new information becomes available to the Foundation.
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