HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut's ambitious natural gas expansion plan took its first step with a project announced Monday to establish gas lines in downtown Wilton. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined Wilton officials and representatives of Yankee Gas to launch the start of a 3.5-mile natural gas expansion project. Wilton will be the first community in Connecticut to work with a utility using a state plan enacted last year intended to cut energy costs by expanding Connecticut's natural gas distribution systems. First Selectman William F. Brennan said the town approached Northeast Utilities a few years ago. "We mentioned we'd love to expand natural gas to Wilton," he said.
The state plan extended loan payoffs for capital expenses to 25 years from 15 years. Brennan called that provision a "key element in the success of the program." The typical homeowner faces no upfront connection costs and will pay an extra 10 percent premium on monthly bills for 10 years. An average-size business would pay an extra 50 percent premium on its monthly bills over a decade. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Small wonder Congress has kept federal highway and transit programs teetering on the edge of insolvency for years, unable to find a politically acceptable long-term source of funds. The public can't make up its mind on how to pay for them either. Six in 10 Americans think the economic benefits of good highways, railroads and airports outweigh the cost to taxpayers. Yet there is scant support for some of the most frequently discussed options for paying for construction of new roads or the upkeep of existing ones, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. Among those who drive places multiple times per week, 62 percent say the benefits outweigh the costs. Among those who drive less than once a week or not at all, 55 percent say the costs of road improvement are worthwhile. Yet a majority of all Americans — 58 percent — oppose raising federal gasoline taxes to fund transportation projects such as the repair, replacement or expansion of roads and bridges. Only 14 percent support an increase. And by a better than 2-to-1 margin, Americans oppose having private companies pay for construction of new roads and bridges in exchange for the right to charge tolls. Moving to a usage tax based on how many miles a vehicle drives also draws more opposition than support — 40 percent oppose it, while 20 percent support it.
Support for shifting more responsibility for paying for such projects to state and local government is a tepid 30 percent. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hartford's transportation plans clash with traditional model
At some point in the next 10 years, the vision for how people will move in, out, and around Hartford will clash with reality. The result will be more people walking, more public transit options, and a transportation infrastructure that still must accommodate large volumes of cars. Balancing all those needs and desires will be one of the greatest challenges the Capital City wrestles with over the next decade, experts say. "At the end of the day, Hartford is going to be the central business district," said Tim Sullivan, director of waterfront, brownfield, and transit-oriented development for the Department of Economic and Community Development. "Young, talented people who are critical drivers of economic growth want walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented places to live." This vision for Hartford — and, largely, Connecticut — seeks to create a city where people can move around freely without cars, either walking or biking short distances while fully developed transit networks can take them longer distances inside the city and beyond. Driving a car, particularly without passengers, would be discouraged as parking, highway congestion, and the rising price of fuel makes it less economical. This vision, though, clashes with an American culture where the automobile still is the lifeblood of mobility and remains a status symbol for the majority of the population, said Donald Poland, senior vice president of planning at Goman + York Property Advisors in East Hartford. That is particularly true in Hartford, which has long been a commuter city. Hartford should make some efforts to become a more desirable place to live for the younger generation, but the proper balance must be struck with today's car-centric lifestyle, Poland said. If the city starts putting too many restrictions on its car infrastructure — by reducing the number of lanes or limiting turns — that could have a negative impact. "Individual mobility through the automobile is the preferred mode of transportation in all of the world's richest countries, and the U.S. is no exception," Poland said. "[Transportation development] is about finding a balance that strikes a greater mobility for everybody." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Private sector construction picks up in CT
Q&A talks about the state of the construction industry with Thomas E. Beebe, senior program manager of Middletown construction consultancy Arcadis Inc., and president of the Connecticut Building Congress (CBC).
Q: What is the state of the construction industry in CT? How does it compare to New England and the country?
A: Our members have been seeing steady, but slow growth, and margins remain thin. Our friends in Boston and New York City have enjoyed both a more rapid growth and robust market.
In Connecticut, as reflected in the region and the rest of the country, development seems to be concentrated in urban areas, with particular emphasis on health care, education, brownfield, and transit-oriented development. For instance, this year CBC is exploring adaptive re-use opportunities in the higher education and urban/post-industrial areas like Bridgeport. UConn is reusing an existing facility in Hartford and the University of New Haven developed an off-campus facility from the old Hubbell Headquarters in Orange. We're seeing more interest in brownfields in part because of economic assistance from the state and the fact that some locations are very desirable.
Q: What are some of the challenges facing construction in CT? What are some steps that could be taken to resolve them?
A: A lot of change in construction is being driven by the demand for ever-increasing efficiency. Our members are constantly challenged to deliver projects and results faster and more cost effectively with fewer resources. The focus to meet these challenges is on technology and innovations in design, construction methods, and project delivery systems. Technology is a huge response to that, including Building Information Modeling (BIM). Drawings are better coordinated and more design is modeled on computer as opposed to discovering conflicts in the field, where the solutions are more costly.
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Southington's highway project offers hope for Hartford
The recent closure of I-84 in Southington to replace a bridge may have sounded like a last-resort effort causing maximum disruption on a major Connecticut thoroughfare, but it really represents a new way the state Department of Transportation is approaching its long slate of major highway projects, including potentially reconstruction of the Hartford viaduct. "The Southington project was one of the best planned and most perfectly executed construction projects that this department has undertaken in years," said DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick. The I-84 project used a new DOT methodology called an accelerated bridge construction where the bridge's decks were built off the roadway and then moved into place over one weekend. Rather than impacting I-84 with lane closures for two years, DOT chose the method that shut down the entire highway for three days.
"Using this accelerated bridge technique, we think we will be able to minimize the impact on travelers while finishing projects quicker," said DOT Commissioner James Redeker.
DOT will use this technique on planned road and rail bridge replacements for many future projects, Redeker said, as they finish quicker with less impact on the traveling public. Similarly structured projects already are planned for bridges in Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford.
While completely shutting down a freeway, even for a weekend, may seem like a drastic step, Southington businesses and residents say they were pleased with the way the project was executed since it shortened the length of time the roadway was impacted, said Art Secondo, president of the Southington Chamber of Commerce. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
XL Center previews $32M arena upgrades
The XL Center has started giving exclusive tours to showcase its ongoing $32 million in renovations, which aim to enhance the fan experience and keep the arena relevant for another decade in an increasingly competitive entertainment market. "Annually there needs to be some upkeep and that hasn't been done for the past several years," said Chris Lawrence, XL Center general manager. "This was an opportunity to really modernize and upgrade the XL Center to give it a fresh cosmetic feel."
Construction began last summer and is marked for completion in time for an Oct. 8 NBA preseason game between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. "The focus of the project is to enhance the fan experience with upgrades and fully renovated amenities," said Robert Saint, director of construction services at the Capital Region Development Authority.
The XL Center, first opened in 1975, competes for entertainment acts with the Comcast Theater in Hartford, the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, the venues at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket and even Wallingford's Oakdale Theatre. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Middletown's sewer pipe project to start by end of August
MIDDLETOWN — Residents will soon see construction equipment setting up for directional drilling of the new pipeline that will link the city's sewer system with the Mattabassett District in Cromwell.
The pipeline is part of a $40 million project that also includes a pump station off East Main Street, and the decommissioning and demolition of the sewer treatment plant on River Road.
Directional drilling machines dig a horizontal channel underground, where the pipes can be slid into place through one opening rather than installing them with a major excavation along the entire length of the pipeline. Work will start with the replacement and relocation of a water main in the Bridge Street area to make room for the 30-inch pipeline, said Guy Russo, water and sewer director.
Clearing work along Route 9 and near the Mattabassett District facility has been in progress recently in preparation for the project. The construction contract was awarded to Northeast Remsco Construction of Farmingdale, N.J. earlier this year. Russo said the pipeline will run from the planned East Main Street pump station mostly under deKoven Drive until it gets to the Exit 14 off ramp of Route 9, where it will run alongside the highway all the way to plant in Cromwell. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Torrington High School track and field to be done by October
TORRINGTON >> Work on Torrington High School’s multimillion dollar athletic fields renovation are on track for completion in October. Turf Committee Chair Ed Arum said during their meeting Monday at City Hall that the field should be ready by Oct. 6, the target date set during a groundbreaking in June. Crews from H.I. Stone of Southbury were on site Monday as work on the field, which hasn’t been renovated in nearly three decades, entered its eighth week of construction. Work began at the site June 20. On Monday, the committee chose between eight designs for a new scoreboard, deciding to go with a black scoreboard featuring “Torrington” over the home score and the school’s logo, a large, maroon block “T”, at the center. The designs were created by OES Scoreboards. “It stands out better,” said state Rep. Michelle Cook, D-65, a committee member. Cook secured a $2.7 million grant to help complete the field, as well as an additional $200,000 for the project after funding issues arose earlier this year. Other options included using “Raiders” as well as a smaller “T” and a background that was maroon instead of black. The scoreboard previously only featured “Home” and “Visitor”, the latter of which will be replaced with “Guest”. The scoreboard will still have “Robert H. Frost Athletic Complex” inscribed, though it will be on the top of the scoreboard instead of the bottom. Arum said that by using the city’s name instead of the high school’s mascot, the scoreboard also works for Pop Warner teams. Cook added that it instills a better sense of “high school pride.”
Hartford's transportation plans clash with traditional model
At some point in the next 10 years, the vision for how people will move in, out, and around Hartford will clash with reality. The result will be more people walking, more public transit options, and a transportation infrastructure that still must accommodate large volumes of cars. Balancing all those needs and desires will be one of the greatest challenges the Capital City wrestles with over the next decade, experts say. "At the end of the day, Hartford is going to be the central business district," said Tim Sullivan, director of waterfront, brownfield, and transit-oriented development for the Department of Economic and Community Development. "Young, talented people who are critical drivers of economic growth want walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented places to live." This vision for Hartford — and, largely, Connecticut — seeks to create a city where people can move around freely without cars, either walking or biking short distances while fully developed transit networks can take them longer distances inside the city and beyond. Driving a car, particularly without passengers, would be discouraged as parking, highway congestion, and the rising price of fuel makes it less economical. This vision, though, clashes with an American culture where the automobile still is the lifeblood of mobility and remains a status symbol for the majority of the population, said Donald Poland, senior vice president of planning at Goman + York Property Advisors in East Hartford. That is particularly true in Hartford, which has long been a commuter city. Hartford should make some efforts to become a more desirable place to live for the younger generation, but the proper balance must be struck with today's car-centric lifestyle, Poland said. If the city starts putting too many restrictions on its car infrastructure — by reducing the number of lanes or limiting turns — that could have a negative impact. "Individual mobility through the automobile is the preferred mode of transportation in all of the world's richest countries, and the U.S. is no exception," Poland said. "[Transportation development] is about finding a balance that strikes a greater mobility for everybody." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Private sector construction picks up in CT
Q&A talks about the state of the construction industry with Thomas E. Beebe, senior program manager of Middletown construction consultancy Arcadis Inc., and president of the Connecticut Building Congress (CBC).
Q: What is the state of the construction industry in CT? How does it compare to New England and the country?
A: Our members have been seeing steady, but slow growth, and margins remain thin. Our friends in Boston and New York City have enjoyed both a more rapid growth and robust market.
In Connecticut, as reflected in the region and the rest of the country, development seems to be concentrated in urban areas, with particular emphasis on health care, education, brownfield, and transit-oriented development. For instance, this year CBC is exploring adaptive re-use opportunities in the higher education and urban/post-industrial areas like Bridgeport. UConn is reusing an existing facility in Hartford and the University of New Haven developed an off-campus facility from the old Hubbell Headquarters in Orange. We're seeing more interest in brownfields in part because of economic assistance from the state and the fact that some locations are very desirable.
Q: What are some of the challenges facing construction in CT? What are some steps that could be taken to resolve them?
A: A lot of change in construction is being driven by the demand for ever-increasing efficiency. Our members are constantly challenged to deliver projects and results faster and more cost effectively with fewer resources. The focus to meet these challenges is on technology and innovations in design, construction methods, and project delivery systems. Technology is a huge response to that, including Building Information Modeling (BIM). Drawings are better coordinated and more design is modeled on computer as opposed to discovering conflicts in the field, where the solutions are more costly.
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Southington's highway project offers hope for Hartford
The recent closure of I-84 in Southington to replace a bridge may have sounded like a last-resort effort causing maximum disruption on a major Connecticut thoroughfare, but it really represents a new way the state Department of Transportation is approaching its long slate of major highway projects, including potentially reconstruction of the Hartford viaduct. "The Southington project was one of the best planned and most perfectly executed construction projects that this department has undertaken in years," said DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick. The I-84 project used a new DOT methodology called an accelerated bridge construction where the bridge's decks were built off the roadway and then moved into place over one weekend. Rather than impacting I-84 with lane closures for two years, DOT chose the method that shut down the entire highway for three days.
"Using this accelerated bridge technique, we think we will be able to minimize the impact on travelers while finishing projects quicker," said DOT Commissioner James Redeker.
DOT will use this technique on planned road and rail bridge replacements for many future projects, Redeker said, as they finish quicker with less impact on the traveling public. Similarly structured projects already are planned for bridges in Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford.
While completely shutting down a freeway, even for a weekend, may seem like a drastic step, Southington businesses and residents say they were pleased with the way the project was executed since it shortened the length of time the roadway was impacted, said Art Secondo, president of the Southington Chamber of Commerce. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
XL Center previews $32M arena upgrades
The XL Center has started giving exclusive tours to showcase its ongoing $32 million in renovations, which aim to enhance the fan experience and keep the arena relevant for another decade in an increasingly competitive entertainment market. "Annually there needs to be some upkeep and that hasn't been done for the past several years," said Chris Lawrence, XL Center general manager. "This was an opportunity to really modernize and upgrade the XL Center to give it a fresh cosmetic feel."
Construction began last summer and is marked for completion in time for an Oct. 8 NBA preseason game between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. "The focus of the project is to enhance the fan experience with upgrades and fully renovated amenities," said Robert Saint, director of construction services at the Capital Region Development Authority.
The XL Center, first opened in 1975, competes for entertainment acts with the Comcast Theater in Hartford, the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, the venues at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket and even Wallingford's Oakdale Theatre. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Middletown's sewer pipe project to start by end of August
MIDDLETOWN — Residents will soon see construction equipment setting up for directional drilling of the new pipeline that will link the city's sewer system with the Mattabassett District in Cromwell.
The pipeline is part of a $40 million project that also includes a pump station off East Main Street, and the decommissioning and demolition of the sewer treatment plant on River Road.
Directional drilling machines dig a horizontal channel underground, where the pipes can be slid into place through one opening rather than installing them with a major excavation along the entire length of the pipeline. Work will start with the replacement and relocation of a water main in the Bridge Street area to make room for the 30-inch pipeline, said Guy Russo, water and sewer director.
Clearing work along Route 9 and near the Mattabassett District facility has been in progress recently in preparation for the project. The construction contract was awarded to Northeast Remsco Construction of Farmingdale, N.J. earlier this year. Russo said the pipeline will run from the planned East Main Street pump station mostly under deKoven Drive until it gets to the Exit 14 off ramp of Route 9, where it will run alongside the highway all the way to plant in Cromwell. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Torrington High School track and field to be done by October
TORRINGTON >> Work on Torrington High School’s multimillion dollar athletic fields renovation are on track for completion in October. Turf Committee Chair Ed Arum said during their meeting Monday at City Hall that the field should be ready by Oct. 6, the target date set during a groundbreaking in June. Crews from H.I. Stone of Southbury were on site Monday as work on the field, which hasn’t been renovated in nearly three decades, entered its eighth week of construction. Work began at the site June 20. On Monday, the committee chose between eight designs for a new scoreboard, deciding to go with a black scoreboard featuring “Torrington” over the home score and the school’s logo, a large, maroon block “T”, at the center. The designs were created by OES Scoreboards. “It stands out better,” said state Rep. Michelle Cook, D-65, a committee member. Cook secured a $2.7 million grant to help complete the field, as well as an additional $200,000 for the project after funding issues arose earlier this year. Other options included using “Raiders” as well as a smaller “T” and a background that was maroon instead of black. The scoreboard previously only featured “Home” and “Visitor”, the latter of which will be replaced with “Guest”. The scoreboard will still have “Robert H. Frost Athletic Complex” inscribed, though it will be on the top of the scoreboard instead of the bottom. Arum said that by using the city’s name instead of the high school’s mascot, the scoreboard also works for Pop Warner teams. Cook added that it instills a better sense of “high school pride.”