More Funds Approved for Branford River State Boat Launch

BRANFORD, CT - Rep. Lonnie Reed (D-Branford) and Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr. (D-Branford) announced recently funding for improvements to Branford River State Boat Launch.

The State Bond Commission approved a $297,000 request that’s in addition to $700,000 in federal funding.

The improvement project includes:

replacement of the existing ramp surface
replacement of the gangway free dock system
entrance area repaving
addition of an ADA compliant floating dock

"The Branford River Boat Launch is one of the most popular along the shoreline.” said Rep. Reed in a statement. “Boats of every size - from kayaks to wave runners to significant fishing vessels - have flocked to this launch for years and the resulting wear and tear have made it downright dangerous. Given the budget cuts needed to close our deficit, we are especially grateful to the Governor, the Bonding Commission and DEEP for making our boat launch a priority project."

"Citizen access to Long Island Sound is one of the remarkable benefits to living on the Connecticut shoreline,” said Sen. Kennedy, adding in a statement that the “the Sound is the keystone environmental and recreational asset of our state. Boaters from Branford and beyond will soon be able to easily trailer and launch their vessels from a newly redesigned and constructed concrete ramp and dock system. I am pleased that my colleague, Lonnie Reed, and I were able to successfully petition DEEP to make sure that the Branford boat launch became one of the agency's top funding priorities."

The boat launch is currently closed during renovations and is expected to re-open in late Fall.