October 1, 2015

CT Construction Diges October 1, 2015

Norwalk Hospital marks $125M expansion project

Norwalk Hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday to celebrate the largest expansion project in its history with 95,000 square feet of new construction and 35,000 square feet of renovations in its new outpatient facility, the Anne P. and Harold W. McGraw Jr. Center.
The expansion cost $125 million, according to a report in The Hour in Norwalk.
The McGraw Center includes the new Bauer Emergency Care Center; C. Anthony and Jean Whittingham Cancer Center; James F. Guthrie, MD Center for Digestive Diseases; Ambulatory Surgery Center; and Christian J. and Eva W. Trefz Lobby.
The project was made possible through a $10 million gift in memory of their parents from Harold W. "Terry" McGraw III, Robert "Bob" McGraw, Suzanne "Sue" McGraw and the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Family Foundation, according to a news release.
Norwalk Hospital is a regional teaching hospital serving residents of southwestern Connecticut and adjacent New York. The 328-bed acute care, not-for-profit hospital offers cardiovascular, cancer, orthopedic, neurologic and digestive disease.

Connecticut bridges among worst traffic spots in US

NEWARK, N.J. >> As state and federal officials look for an estimated $15 billion for a new train tunnel between New York and New Jersey, passengers along the rail line known as the Northeast Corridor contend with regular disruptions caused by track configurations and infrastructure dating to the time of the Model T — or earlier. These antiquated structures, which will cost billions to replace or upgrade, conspire to slow train travel in a variety of ways. They can limit the number and speed of trains that pass through at a given time, and aging parts can lead to malfunctions when bridges open to allow boats to pass under. Regular maintenance can be costly and time-consuming. With Congress reluctant to fund major rail projects and states unable to foot the bills themselves, it paints a bleak picture for the Northeast Corridor, the nation’s busiest rail line, where annual passenger trips on Amtrak and eight commuter lines, currently at 260 million annually, are projected to double by 2040.
“It’s one of those things that when it happens, it really is scary,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker said, referring to when one of his state’s aging bridges malfunctions. “There is no alternative. There’s no option for that. When it opens and it doesn’t shut, the whole Northeast corridor is shut down.”
Talk of how to pay for a tunnel under the Hudson River, which the governors of New York and New Jersey have asked the federal government to help pay for, has gotten the most media coverage. A look at some of the other big bottlenecks along the Washington-to-Boston line:
CONNECTICUT BRIDGES
The nearly 110-year-old Connecticut River bridge along the coastline between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme stays open for marine traffic but closes when trains approach. That happens about 3,000 times per year, Galloway said, and that gradually wears down the pins and bearings that allow the bridge to move and then lock in place CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Winsted bridge-widening project still on course to begin in spring

WINSTED — The widening of the Holabird Avenue bridge is still on target to start in the late spring.
State Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Nursick said this week the department is completing the process of obtaining the rights-of-ways and permits necessary for the project. The bridge crosses the Still River and is close to Northwestern Connecticut Community College, a fire house, the Whiting Mills artist studios, and many homes and businesses.
The project calls for widening the bridge from 22 feet to 34 feet so it matches the width of the road. It also calls for replacing the deteriorating superstructure, which is the portion of the bridge that supports the deck and connects one substructure element to another.
State officials have said the state will cover the project's entire $4 million cost. The project's estimated completion time is 300 days.
The bridge will be closed during construction.