Reviving the Bridgeport harbor
Bridgeport Harbor, the most-neglected of the state’s three deep-water ports, may finally get the makeover it has needed for decades.
With financial muscle behind it, a new statewide Connecticut Port Authority will be able to fund the long-delayed dredging of the silted-up harbor and turn the port into an economic engine once again. The new Port Authority is not even up and running yet, but the Army Corps of Engineers is already busy working on a dredging plan.
"This port authority will help bring Connecticut into the future by creating jobs, boosting economic development and furthering our freight and rail connectivity,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said. “As we build a best-in-class transportation system, our ports will be not just an important part of that equation, but a central economic driver throughout the state, from Bridgeport all the way to New London."
The quasi-public agency, contemplated for years and approved in the recent special session of the General Assembly, will focus on the deep-water ports: New Haven, New London and Bridgeport. It will also, however, be in charge of all harbors along the coast, from Greenwich and Stamford to Stonington. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Follow Regan's lead on highways
Can you name the U.S. president who raised taxes during a recession to fund increased infrastructure investment? Must be a real liberal, right? Actually, it was none other than Ronald Wilson Reagan, in 1982. He made this tough decision to ensure we had adequate investment in our transportation network. Reagan’s unlikely move is all the more amazing when you consider that he did it without facing the pressure of a potential shutdown of the federal highway and transit programs, as we do now.
By the end of this month, Congress will have to bail out the Highway Trust Fund for the seventh time since 2008. Since that time, Congress and two administrations have been unwilling to increase excise taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel and the trucking industry, which together raise about $40 billion per year. They have also been unwilling to decrease new spending commitments drawn on the trust fund or to make any significant effort to spend what we have more effectively. Thus we are stuck in what feels like a permanent stalemate. Congress is drifting toward yet another temporary bailout without addressing the nation’s long-term needs. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Nutmeg Companies to handle construction of Ledyard's new police facility
Ledyard — The Permanent Municipal Building Committee Monday night approved a general contractor for the construction of the new police facility, which
voters approved in May 2013.
The Nutmeg Companies Inc. of Norwich, Mayor John Rodolico said, will sign a $4,935,500 contract that gives the company 14 months to complete the work.
At this point, Rodolico said construction likely will begin in August, after the building committee chooses a clerk of the works to monitor the project toward the end of this month. The job opening closes July 20.
Nutmeg's $4.9 million contract is more than $500,000 less than those involved had budgeted for in April, meaning extra money is available for contingencies, and the project is still operating within its $6.75 million budget.
Once finished, the more than 11,300-square-foot, two-story building at 741 and 737 Colonel Ledyard Highway also will feature landscaping, a parking lot and other improvements. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
With last $8M in hand, Capewell is set
Redevelopment of the long-dormant Capewell Horsenail Factory site into 72 affordable and market-rate apartments and about 6,000 square feet of office-retail in Hartford's South End finally has crossed its last financial hurdle, authorities say.
Hartford nonprofit developer The Corporation For Independent Living (CIL) says construction will commence later in July, following final remediation of contaminated soil and flooring inside the site at 70 Popieluszko Court, at the corner of Charter Oak Avenue.
A July 22 groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the site, featuring the governor and other invited state and local dignitaries, CIL CEO Kent Schwendy said Thursday. Completion is set for late 2016.
The $26.1 million Capewell project obtained its final financing piece, an $8 million mortgage from the InsurBanc arm of Farmington's Connecticut Community Bank, Schwendy said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
ConnDOT's early stumbles, successes in development
Ridiculed as the “busway to nowhere” during construction, the state’s new bus rapid transit system, CTfastrak, is an early success by one modest metric: Sudden interest in a vacant police building near a transit station in New Britain.
“We’ve had four or five developers call asking, ‘How much do you want for the property?’ ” said Erin Stewart, the city’s Republican mayor. “It wouldn’t even be a question if fastrak wasn’t across the street.”
West Hartford, whose elected officials were skeptical about the busway, already has rezoned industrial land along the transit corridor to allow housing in response to market interest. Neighboring Newington, with two stations, has gone the opposite way, adopting a moratorium while it considers a new transit-oriented development zone.
In fits and starts, transit-oriented development, TODs in planning jargon, are taking root in Connecticut, a state expanding mass transit with the Hartford-to-New Britain busway, commuter rail service from Springfield to Hartford to New Haven expected in 2017, and Metro-North improvements from New Haven to New York. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
I-84 landscape to see big changes this week
WATERBURY -- The landscape of Interstate 84 will start to change this week, with the demolition of a portion of the Hamilton Avenue bridge and the removal of a metal beam on the median, between Scott Road and Austin Road, set to begin excavation.
The superstructure of the western portion of the Hamilton Avenue bridge will be demolished. Though safety measures are in place to protect cars from falling debris, the lane directly underneath the work area will be closed, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Traffic on the Hamilton Avenue bridge has been shifted to the eastern portion of the structure. Three lanes will remain open while demolition is underway.
The portion that was demolished will be reconstructed to widen the bridge.
Workers will place temporary barriers along the shoulder of I-84 at night to help segregate the highway from work areas.
Crews also will begin construction of the new Exit 24 eastbound off ramp, west of Hamilton Avenue, which will run underneath the bridge.
In addition, workers will be placing fill in the area of a former dam, which has since been drained, along Harpers Ferry Road. Because the newly constructed highway will be built on top of the former dam area, engineers devised a plan to pack the area with fill to force the ground to settle before the highway is built.
“We'll place piles of dirt preload to accelerate settlement of the ground,” said Christopher Zukowski, state Department of Transportation project engineer.
Meanwhile, nighttime rock blasting will occur along the I-84 eastbound Exit 23 off-ramp and I-84 westbound near the Hamilton Avenue bridge, as well as along Reidville Drive. Blasting is scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Traffic will be stopped on I-84 at Hamilton Avenue, Harpers Ferry Road and Reidville Drive for brief periods while blasting is underway.
Also occurring this week:
-- Workers will place temporary barriers along the shoulder of I-84 to help segregate the highway from construction activity.
-- Jacking of a sewer pipe under the highway, east of Hamilton Avenue, will continue.
-- A pedestrian bridge is being built across the Mad River south of Hamilton Park.
-- Retaining walls are being constructed along the Exit 23 eastbound on- and off-ramps.
-- A detour remains in place between Harpers Ferry Road and White Oak Lane, where water and sewer work is underway.
- Sand bags will be installed in the Mad River by the closed section of Plank Road to divert water and allow widening of the river channel.
-- On Reidville Drive, one lane will be closed intermittently with alternating traffic for sewer work.
-- The state DOT has established a waste stockpile area on Route 322 in Southington, near Exit 28. Materials will be trucked from the site to a disposal facility.
Toll fight on the horizon
If Connecticut’s border communities appeared to have dodged highway tolls in this legislative session, well — not so fast.
Lawmakers could get called back to Hartford in the fall for yet another special session, this time to deal with funding a $100 billion long-term transportation overhaul prescribed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Malloy is seeking a constitutional amendment ensuring that the money in the state’s Special Transportation Fund cannot be spent in other areas. The fund is set to take in $1.5 billion in revenues from gas and petroleum taxes, as well as a portion of the sales tax, for the current fiscal year.
The “lock box” measure is expected to rekindle the raging debate over tolls, which have been absent from state highways for 30 years. This would be the second special session of the year, with lawmakers summoned back to the Capitol during the final week of June to hammer out the details of a controversial and tax-laden $40 billion, two-year budget. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE