By Ken Valenti

WESTPORT–The Ned Dimes Marina’s armored revetment replacing its 800-foot seawall is almost complete, the Cross Highway Bridge will be open well before the first day of school, and new tidal gates are regulating the flow of seawater in and out of the Mill Pond.

Those are just three of the projects that Department of Public Works Director Larry Roberts inherited when he took over the job in late June. He replaced Peter Ratkiewich, who retired this summer. Roberts says the projects are going smoothly with no more than the usual hitches that always come with large construction projects.

“We’ve had hiccups, but nothing that has been either surprising or overwhelming,” he said.

A native of Westport, Roberts was hired from Weston, where he served as director of public works and facilities management. Taking on his new position, he visited each project with the engineer overseeing it.

“I spent some time getting their perspective on the progress and prognosis,” he said.

One of the next steps in the projects will be the opening of the new Cross Highway Bridge, expected this week, which is helpful for the Westport schools. Buses traverse the Cross Highway, and Bedford Middle School and Staples High School sit near the span, said schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice.

Scarice said he was “very appreciative of the efforts of Larry Roberts and the Public Works Department” for keeping the project on track.

“A detour on Cross Highway at the beginning of the school year would create significant challenges for our transportation operation, so completing the work before students return will be a real benefit to our families and schools,” he said.

For further improvement, the department will install a sidewalk along Cross Highway from Wakeman Town Farm to North Avenue, and the entire road from North Avenue to Bayberry Lane will be milled and repaved. Those projects are expected to begin in the fall and be completed in November.

Scarice said the sidewalk improvements are also welcome, “particularly where they can provide safer and more convenient access for students and families in that area.”

For anyone who wants to keep track, starting this month, Roberts has initiated monthly reports for the community with updates on major projects.  The updates are posted on the Public Works Department webpage found here.

“Our residents will now have the ability to know what work is happening in their community, what the current status is, and when they can expect it to be finished,” he said in announcing the bulletins. “This is one more way we are keeping the lines of communication open.”

First Selectman Kevin Christie touted Roberts’ experience when he announced the appointment on June 26.

“He has successfully led multi-division municipal departments, overseen complex capital projects, and built strong working relationships across organizations,” Christie said.

Roberts’s connection to the town runs deep. A graduate of Staples High School, Roberts lived out of the area for only a few years, from 1985 to 1991. During that time, he received a Bachelor of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and later held jobs flying, first in Washington state, then in California. 

When he returned to the area, he reconnected with a childhood sweetheart, Sondra, and they later married. They are the parents of two sons in their 20s.

Roberts spoke with the Westport Journal at the tidal gates, which regulate the flow in and out of the pond. Their operation ensures that some water always remains in the pond to keep it from becoming a mudflat, while flushing the water to keep it from becoming stagnant or polluted. The eleven gates – each about eight-feet wide – are working, and the contractor Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman Inc. of Branford, Connecticut, is removing a temporary pier it built as a staging platform.

That project includes a wooden walkway that is the only access that residents of the 19 houses of the Compo Cove Park Association, on the western end of Sherwood Island, have to their homes. It was completed in sections to keep the passage open at all times, Roberts said. The walk and rail are made of ipe from South America, a type of wood similar to the traditional teak, Roberts said.

“Ipe is a good alternative to teak and can be sourced in a sustainable fashion,” he said.

Roberts served with the Greenwich Fire Department from 2000 to 2020, retiring as a deputy chief, according to his LikedIn page. While there, he received a master of science in fire science and public administration from the University of New Haven. He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.

During his time at the fire department, he was part of construction supervising teams for the rebuilding of one firehouse and complete renovation of another in Greenwich. As a volunteer firefighter in Weston, he also served on the team supervising the rebuilding of a firehouse in that town, First Selectwoman Sam Nestor said.

After leaving the Greenwich Fire Department, Roberts served as director of the Weston Communications Center, later taking over the public works department.

It was not a traditional path to the job, but it worked out well for Weston, Nestor said.

“Larry Roberts was one of the best hires we ever made here in Weston,” she said, calling his tenure at the Department of Public Works “nothing short of transformative.”

In the town of 10,150 residents, he oversaw the construction of three bridges, repaving of 29 miles of roads and reconstruction of six miles of road. In 2023, he oversaw the installation of Weston’s first-ever sidewalks, Nestor said.

His success, she said, came from his hands-on approach.

“He was in the field making sure that these things were done well and meeting with residents,” she said.

Roberts lives in Weston, but feels a strong connection to Westport, a town that he says “has everything you could ever want.”

He and his wife come for strolls on Westport’s shore two or three times a week.

So when the Westport position became available, it was good fortune, he said.

“The opportunity just seemed like a perfect fit and too good to pass up,” Roberts said.

Here’s a look at the major projects

Mill Pond tide gates 

The entire project includes a spillway, reconstruction of the wooden pier and four short sections of seawall and repair of the longer seawall sections.

Completion is expected by Thanksgiving.

Compo Ned Dimes Marina

Replacing the 800-foot seawall with an engineered revetment along the excavated bank, about 1,000 cubic yards (2,190 tons) of stone has been replaced to form the revetment structure, which will be capped with 800 feet of 6-inch concrete curb along the crest. Will better protect the marina and nearby properties from storm surges and wave-driven damage. 

Completion is expected this fall.

Cross Highway bridge replacement

The bridge over Deadman Brook is being replaced. The road is closed to all traffic, with posted detours, but is expected to be opened Aug. 19, in time for the start of school, as the bridge is used by district buses and is near Staples High School and Bedford Middle School.

A sidewalk will be added along Cross Highway from Wakeman Town Farm to North Avenue, providing pedestrian access from North Avenue to Bayberry Lane. The road surface along that stretch will be milled and repaved once the bridge work is done. 

Completion of the entire project is expected in November. 

Compo Road South sidewalks

New and replaced sidewalks on Compo Road South from Post Road East to Bridge Street. This involved the installation of new sidewalks along Compo Road South.  The new sidewalks will provide a safe, continuous walking route with improved ADA accessibility for pedestrians along this corridor. Upon completion, they will establish an uninterrupted pedestrian connection from Post Road all the way to Compo Beach — a significant enhancement for walkers, joggers, and families throughout the neighborhood. 

Completion expected at the end of fall 2026.

Ken Valenti

^{_{A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.}}