WESTPORT — The North Avenue Bridge over the Merritt Parkway is closed for construction, and will remain closed for nearly the whole summer.
The 24/7 closure is required so that work can be completed by the time school opens again, officials said. The target date to finish the project is Sept. 15. The bridge itself may reopen by Aug. 25. Work began in 2015 but was delayed several times.
Trucks, which are not allowed on the Merritt, have nonetheless gotten on and then struck the overpass because the vehicles were above the height limit. The bridge was damaged in some of those incidents.
“Due to numerous crashes caused by illegal oversized vehicles last year, the integrity of the temporary support system was compromised,” DOT officials said. “The temporary support system was removed and a different system with greater clearance will be utilized.”
There will also be intermittent lane closures on the parkway itself during the $2.8 million project.
Those heading north on North Ave will be directed to take Cross Highway 0.9 miles west to Weston Road; 0.3 miles north on Weston Road; 1.10 miles east on Easton Road to the intersection of Easton Road and North Ave.
Those heading south on North Ave will be directed to take Easton Road 1.1 miles west to Weston Road; 0.3 miles south on Weston Road; 0.9 miles east on Cross Highway to the intersection of Cross Highway and North Ave. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Environmental group appeals court’s dismissal of Eversource lawsuit
A New Hampshire environmental group is a appealing a decision made by that state’s Superior Court last month to dismiss a lawsuit against Hartford-based Eversource Energy and its Northern Pass transmission line project. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is appealing the dismissal of its Northern Pass lawsuit to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The lawsuit was filed in November 2015. “We believe strongly that the Superior Court erred by not getting to the root of the private property rights issue in its decision,” said attorney Tom Masland of Ransmeier & Spellman, the firm representing the Forest Society.
Eversource officials, in a statement provided by company spokesman Martin Murray, said they are confident that New Hampshire’s high court will uphold the lower court ruling. “The New Hampshire Superior Court spoke clearly and decisively on May 25th when it dismissed the Forest Society’s lawsuit that claimed that the Northern Pass project does not have the right to bury the project under public roads in the North Country,” the statement says. “The Court’s Summary Judgment decision was based on over a century of New Hampshire law.” The Forest Society’s lawsuit contends that Eversource Energy is making an unauthorized attempt to use land the group controls to build part of the regional utility company’s 192-mile transmission project. The environmental group wants the company, which wants to use the transmission line to bring hydropower from Canada for use by the New England power grid, to bury all of Northern Pass.
The current plan for Northern Pass is that less than a third of it will be buried. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests contends its owns the land under less than a quarter-mile of U.S. Route 3 near the Canadian border. That stretch of the road is where Eversource Energy wants to bury a portion of the Northern Pass transmission line. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Long awaited project to move Route 15 on-ramp begins in Wallingford
WALLINGFORD — Preliminary work to move a troublesome Route 15 north on-ramp has begun, according to the state Department of Transportation and town officials.
Alex Basel of Empire Paving Inc., of North Haven, said survey work has started. The company will discuss which trees can be cleared for the project.
“We’re working on our layout and we’ll be starting to mobilize next week,” Basel said.
The state agreed in 2013 to move the Exit 65 on-ramp to the north to improve safety on the Wilbur Cross Parkway and decrease traffic congestion on River Road and Route 150. The $4.3 million project will move the on-ramp east of the northern bridge parapet carrying Route 150 over Route 15. The ramp will be aligned parallel to and between Route 15 and Community Lake Park.
The project is 90 percent federally funded. The remaining 10 percent will be state funds.
The current on-ramp will remain open during the estimated 16 months to complete the new ramp.
“We had the pre-construction meeting and the contractor has been given the green light,” said DOT project manager Matt Vail.
Discussions about replacing the entrance ramp began nearly a decade ago because of a high accident rate on the ramp, mainly vehicles rear-ending other vehicles at the stop sign before the highway entrance, according to the DOT.
The ramp is short, and drivers must wait at a stop sign to enter the parkway and then rapidly accelerate to reach proper speeds. The new design allows for a longer ramp that will give drivers more time to accelerate. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The project entails tearing down the boathouse and constructing a new boathouse and basketball court, according to bid documents. A schedule provided in the documents anticipates beginning construction in August, having two boat bays ready for use by mid-November, and finishing by Dec. 1. The project went out to bid earlier this month, and the Boathouse Hains Park Committee held a "pre-bid" walk-through at Hains Park. At Monday's Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectman Skip Sibley said 15 contractors showed up for the walk-through.
He said October is a target date for completion of much of the work. During the walk-through, he noted that the contractors, given their quality, could likely work ahead of that schedule, if they decide to bid on the project.
"I'm pretty excited for tomorrow," he said.
The committee plans to review the bids, which are due at 2 p.m. Tuesday, on Thursday evening.
Plaza at Buckland Hills to undergo major facelift
A retail-anchored strip center adjacent to Manchester's Buckland Hills mall is preparing to undergo a major facelift, beginning next spring, its landlord says.
The Plaza at Buckland Hills is a 309,000-square-foot shopping center at 1470 Pleasant Valley Road, at the northwest corner of Pleasant Valley and Buckland Roads, at I-84.
Maryland realty investment trust WP Glimcher is the property's master landlord.
According to Glimcher's Development Vice President Steve Nikel, the renovation will begin next April, with completion set for that fall. New York's Create Architecture Planning & Design LLC is the designer.
Glimcher declined to say how much it's investing in the latest renovations, though it says the upgrade will be the first since a 1993 "refresh'' at the time the landlord acquired the property. Glimcher does not own the larger The Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall.
"W.P. Glimcher routinely evaluates its assets to assure that properties have a clean, fresh, modern look for our consumers and tenants,'' Nikel said via email. "We want to remain competitive in the market."
According to Manchester Planning Director Mark Pellegrini, the town awaits filing of Glimcher's formal application to the planning and zoning commission for review and approval of its proposed renovation of some of the plaza's buildings that it owns, and others owned by tenants. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New Plan Would Rid Route 9 Of Middletown's Highway Stoplights
MIDDLETOWN — State engineers may have found a way to finally get rid of those highway traffic lights that have plagued commuters, beach-bound travelers and local motorists on Route 9 for decades.
The state Department of Transportation has a new proposal to add bridges, ramps and a roundabout that would remove the need for the lights by eliminating crossing traffic. With an early estimate of $75 million, the plan is a fraction of the cost and logistical nightmare of prior plans to raise or bury the highway — plans that were estimated at $400 million or more.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Transportation Commissioner James Redeker are expected to provide details about the proposal Tuesday. The new plans also include improvements on Main Street and a new pedestrian bridge over the highway to Harbor Park and the riverfront.
Right now, every driver has to stop even if they're not turning off in Middletown. But with DOT Principal Engineer William Britnell's plan, they barely need to slow down.
"The traffic is so bad on Route 9 that people avoid Middletown, because who wants to go shopping in Middletown when you have to go sit in traffic?" Britnell said. "This allows you pretty much free flow access right into the city and once you're in there, the [improvements] on Main Street make it a much more pedestrian-friendly environment." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
HAMDEN >> The School Building Committee will be hiring an architect to file the paperwork with the state for potential “like new” renovations to three schools, but what actually will end up being done to the buildings remains to be seen.
The Board of Education approved the renovation projects to Alice Peck, West Woods and Shepherd Glen schools. The work at Alice Peck School will be completely funded by the state because it is a magnet school for special needs students. How much of the tab the state will pick up for the other two schools is still questionable because of the state’s precarious financial state, members of the Legislative Council said as they debated whether to approve the three contracts with Silver Petrucelli architects Monday night.The members ultimately approved the motion, with Second District Councilman Harry Gagliardi abstaining, which allows the School Building Committee to hire the local architects and explore in which direction it wants to go regarding whether to renovate the two schools or possibly build a new, larger school instead. But several weren’t happy that Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler wasn’t at the meeting to answer their questions. He was attending a Board of Education Policy Committee meeting, school board Secretary Chris Daur told the council. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Wendell renovation OK'd Waterbury now looks to Hartford for state aid
WATERBURY — The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved Monday night a $46.2 million renovation and expansion of Wendell Cross Elementary School. It's the final step necessary before the city can seek school construction aid from the Connecticut General Assembly, which, if approved would cover about 78 percent of up-front costs. That would leave the city responsible for up to $11 million of the expense, plus associated financing costs, according to School Personnel Director Robert Brenker, who also serves as district spokesman. Mayor Neil O'Leary said he wasn't entirely comfortable with the cost and said he and city aldermen would work closely with school officials and consultants to seek savings The project would add grades six, seven and eight to a school already serving children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The current 332-student population would rise to about 560. Wendell Cross is consistently among the city's top-performing elementary schools.
O'Leary said he was "shocked" when he learned the cost of expanding the school. He said he didn't want East Mountain neighborhood parents to think he's not supportive, but that the cost bears scrutiny.
"I think we need to make sure the aldermen are comfortable supporting a plan that's efficient and meets the needs of the community in a fiscally responsible way," O'Leary said. O'Leary said he was open to Republican wishes for a committee to consider a program of school vouchers.
Aldermen Stephanie Cummings said the expanded school would prove a great draw for families to the neighborhood, helping to keep the East Mountain neighborhood strong. The proposal did see opposition from former Alderman Lawrence V. De Pillo and Board of Education member John Theriault. Theriault suggested shrinking enrollments at the middle schools mean more space may be available in existing district buildings. He also predicted the cost to clean asbestos and PCBs from the buildings could run millions over budget. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The Board of Education approved the renovation projects to Alice Peck, West Woods and Shepherd Glen schools. The work at Alice Peck School will be completely funded by the state because it is a magnet school for special needs students. How much of the tab the state will pick up for the other two schools is still questionable because of the state’s precarious financial state, members of the Legislative Council said as they debated whether to approve the three contracts with Silver Petrucelli architects Monday night.The members ultimately approved the motion, with Second District Councilman Harry Gagliardi abstaining, which allows the School Building Committee to hire the local architects and explore in which direction it wants to go regarding whether to renovate the two schools or possibly build a new, larger school instead. But several weren’t happy that Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler wasn’t at the meeting to answer their questions. He was attending a Board of Education Policy Committee meeting, school board Secretary Chris Daur told the council. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Wendell renovation OK'd Waterbury now looks to Hartford for state aid
WATERBURY — The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved Monday night a $46.2 million renovation and expansion of Wendell Cross Elementary School. It's the final step necessary before the city can seek school construction aid from the Connecticut General Assembly, which, if approved would cover about 78 percent of up-front costs. That would leave the city responsible for up to $11 million of the expense, plus associated financing costs, according to School Personnel Director Robert Brenker, who also serves as district spokesman. Mayor Neil O'Leary said he wasn't entirely comfortable with the cost and said he and city aldermen would work closely with school officials and consultants to seek savings The project would add grades six, seven and eight to a school already serving children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The current 332-student population would rise to about 560. Wendell Cross is consistently among the city's top-performing elementary schools.
O'Leary said he was "shocked" when he learned the cost of expanding the school. He said he didn't want East Mountain neighborhood parents to think he's not supportive, but that the cost bears scrutiny.
"I think we need to make sure the aldermen are comfortable supporting a plan that's efficient and meets the needs of the community in a fiscally responsible way," O'Leary said. O'Leary said he was open to Republican wishes for a committee to consider a program of school vouchers.
Aldermen Stephanie Cummings said the expanded school would prove a great draw for families to the neighborhood, helping to keep the East Mountain neighborhood strong. The proposal did see opposition from former Alderman Lawrence V. De Pillo and Board of Education member John Theriault. Theriault suggested shrinking enrollments at the middle schools mean more space may be available in existing district buildings. He also predicted the cost to clean asbestos and PCBs from the buildings could run millions over budget. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE