STAMFORD — Construction around the northbound Interstate 95 Atlantic Street ramp will trigger some road closures Saturday.
While crews erect cranes in the project area, South State Street will be closed between Guernsey Avenue and Canal Street and Atlantic Street will be closed between North State Street and Dock Street, beginning at 6 a.m., the Connecticut Department of Transportation said in a statement.
The I-95 Exit 8 Northbound off ramp will be closed. All roads and the I-95 ramp will reopen at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Traffic will be detoured around the construction area during the closures.
The project causing the closures will make improvements to the Exit 8 off-ramp and to the surrounding side streets with reconfigured lanes along South State Street and a new Exit 8 flyover bridge. The work will require temporary off-ramp lane reductions.
The closures will be used to allow for the installation of the four steel girders that will span Atlantic Street for the new Exit 8 off ramp bridge, the DOT said in its statement.
Stonington — The K-12 School Building Committee will hold a community meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Stonington High School Commons to update residents on the upcoming $67 million project to renovate and expand Deans Mill and West Vine Street elementary schools.
Committee members, along with the project’s architect and construction manager, are scheduled to offer details about the updated construction schedule. There also will be an opportunity to ask questions about the projects.
Groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 5, at Deans Mill School and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at West Vine Street School. Work is slated for completion in the late fall of 2018.
School officials then will decide when students and staff will move into the renovated sections of the schools. Both schools will remain open during the work.
Town Meeting In Farmington To Discuss High School Project
Farmington residents next week will again voice their opinions on the long-planned high school building project, ahead of the scheduled referendum on the proposal.
A special town meeting is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. in the Farmington High School auditorium. From there, the plan for a new, $135 million high school will head to referendum on June 15. The proposal, which has been in development for about nine months, calls for the demolition of nearly all existing buildings at the high school campus on Monteith Drive. A new building would be built at the same location while repurposing some existing portions, including the original high school, built in 1928, which will be preserved CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
West Haven to apply for $2 million grant to upgrade part of Railroad Avenue
WEST HAVEN >> The city will apply for a $2 million state “Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development” grant to construct lighting, a walkway and a bike path along Railroad Avenue between the Metro-North railroad station and the Yale West Campus, officials say.
The application, which must be filed by June 24, follows the recent 10-1 approval of the grant application by the City Council and the subsequent unanimous endorsement by the South Central Regional Council of Governments.The one council vote against it came from Councilman David Riccio, R-At Large, the council’s only Republican member and an announced candidate to oppose Mayor Ed O’Brien in November. Approval of the application follows the receipt last year of $984,000 in federal highway funds for the same project, of which nearly $300,000 has been spent so far on design. The total cost of the project, which will link Yale University’s West Campus to the railroad station, is a little more than $3 million, city Commissioner of Planning and Development Joseph Riccio Jr. told the City Council at a recent meeting. As part of the project, which is being designed by Luchs / DeCarlo & Doll of Meriden, the width of Railroad Avenue will be narrowed to 26 feet as the city installs separate lanes for walking and bicycles and lighting along the length of it, Riccio said. This is the second straight year the city has applied for the state grant, Riccio said. The state did not approve last year’s $1.4 million grant application. “We were not successful last year,” Riccio, the planning and development commissioner, said. “We hope to be successful this year.”
A little more than $700,000 remains from the original federal grant, Riccio said. Dave Riccio also cast the one vote against last year’s state grant application. Responding to a question from City Councilman Ron Quagliani, D-At Large, Riccio said there is no city share required for the grant. “Would this have to go through zoning?” Quagliani asked. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Trump Wants More Interstate Tolling, But Lawmakers Skeptical -
President Donald Trump fleshed out his proposal last week to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure by listing tolling on interstate highways as one way to raise funds, but his idea is encountering a reluctance in Congress.
Several key lawmakers said they were receptive to the idea, but cited obstacles to moving forward.
“Everything’s on the table: Gas tax, tolling,” said Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. “I’m not a big fan of tolling — I don’t like paying for a road twice, but that’s my opinion.”
Graves told reporters Thursday that lawmakers were considering even politically tricky sources
of money, including raising fuel taxes.
The administration raised the tolling option in a fact sheet released Tuesday, the same day as the fiscal 2018 budget request. The fact sheet lists several infrastructure proposals that were part of the budget request, but the tolling idea was listed CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
How Regulation Rollbacks Could Affect Construction Equipment
Regardless of whom you voted for in the recent election, there's no arguing the fact that our new president is considering some regulatory rollbacks that will have steep implications for the U.S. for years to come. Although many of the new administration's proposals are innocent at first glance, it is the indirect consequences that have some experts worried.
Equipment Emissions
One of the biggest and most obvious dangers of reducing regulations is the increased carbon emissions we'll likely see in the coming years. According to some estimates, his new policies could result in an
extra half-billion tons of greenhouse gases by the year 2025.
While the U.S. has experienced a steady decline in carbon emissions throughout the past few years, this trend will reverse itself under Trump's presidency. The phenomenon is being referred to as the Trump Effect.
President Trump's deregulation efforts are also
targeting vehicle testing and certification throughout the automotive and construction equipment manufacturing sectors. Those in the industry are concerned that the administration's attitude toward environmental protection could result in less funding and investment toward areas like business sustainability and indoor air quality.
What's more is that some players in the construction market have services which make equipment emissions-compliant. For example, the retrofitting of oxidation catalysts minimizes engine emissions; Carbon Monoxide is reduced up to 85%, Hydrocarbon by up to 60% and Particulate Matter up to 20%. Beyond emissions though, laborers could also be impacted by these regulation rollbacks.
General Labor
The general laborers who assemble, build and repair construction equipment are also facing new risks on account of overreaching regulatory rollbacks. For starters, the current administration's failure to act in an efficient manner has already cost would-be retirees well more than $400 million over the coming 30 years.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The U.S. Senate recently passed a resolution that makes it easier for employers to hide injuries and even fatalities that occur in the workplace. Instead of requiring employers to maintain logs of such workplace incidents for a minimum of five years, the new resolution only makes it easier to circumvent the standards of OSHA and similar regulatory agencies.
In hopes of dismantling the system even further, President Trump issued an executive order on January 30, 2017. According to the order, every proposal for a new regulation requires two previous regulations to be marked for removal. He's also letting companies penalize their employees for failing to disclose private medical history. CLICK TITLE TO CONTUNE
Oxford will vote in fall on middle school
OXFORD – Voters will have their say on a proposal to build a new middle school on Great Oak Road at a referendum this fall.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday to have a referendum on or before Nov. 7.
Robert Slie, chairman of the building committee, said the total cost is estimated at $48.6 million with state reimbursement ranging from $9.2 to $13.5 million. However, that estimate is still being refined.
First Selectman George R. Temple said, “we’re making no commitment as far as a dollar figure here. We had some estimates and we sent it back to the committee to reconsider, because we want the lowest possible cost for our goal of building a new middle school to take the town into the 21st century.”
New construction is eligible for 27.5 percent reimbursement from the state, but Slie said not everything in the project is eligible for reimbursement.
He said the town had to commit to having a referendum for the building project before the committee could file the application for state reimbursement.
The deadline is June 30, but Slie said the committee wants to file by June 16 to leave time should the state need any more information or changes.
The Board of Education plans to close Oxford Center School and the new middle school would be built between Quaker Farms Elementary and Great Oak Middle schools.
Anthony Hibbert, who attended Tuesday’s meeting, would move over from Great Oak and become principal of the new school for grades 6 to 8.
Heath Hendershot, principal of the Center School, would take Hibbert’s place at Great Oak for grades 3 to 5.
Herman Schuler, the committee vice chairman, said, “this committee met an aggressive timeline.”
Slie expressed his gratitude to Town Hall staff members, as well as the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and his building committee for holding several special meetings to move the process along.
Colliers International, the pre-referendum project manager, guided the building committee through the entire process, according to Slie.
The project was reduced from the 91,896-square-feet the education specifications called for, down to 81,984, which is the maximum square footage for state reimbursement based on 488 students. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Committee members, along with the project’s architect and construction manager, are scheduled to offer details about the updated construction schedule. There also will be an opportunity to ask questions about the projects.
Groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 5, at Deans Mill School and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at West Vine Street School. Work is slated for completion in the late fall of 2018.
School officials then will decide when students and staff will move into the renovated sections of the schools. Both schools will remain open during the work.
Town Meeting In Farmington To Discuss High School Project
Farmington residents next week will again voice their opinions on the long-planned high school building project, ahead of the scheduled referendum on the proposal.
A special town meeting is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. in the Farmington High School auditorium. From there, the plan for a new, $135 million high school will head to referendum on June 15. The proposal, which has been in development for about nine months, calls for the demolition of nearly all existing buildings at the high school campus on Monteith Drive. A new building would be built at the same location while repurposing some existing portions, including the original high school, built in 1928, which will be preserved CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
West Haven to apply for $2 million grant to upgrade part of Railroad Avenue
WEST HAVEN >> The city will apply for a $2 million state “Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development” grant to construct lighting, a walkway and a bike path along Railroad Avenue between the Metro-North railroad station and the Yale West Campus, officials say.
The application, which must be filed by June 24, follows the recent 10-1 approval of the grant application by the City Council and the subsequent unanimous endorsement by the South Central Regional Council of Governments.The one council vote against it came from Councilman David Riccio, R-At Large, the council’s only Republican member and an announced candidate to oppose Mayor Ed O’Brien in November. Approval of the application follows the receipt last year of $984,000 in federal highway funds for the same project, of which nearly $300,000 has been spent so far on design. The total cost of the project, which will link Yale University’s West Campus to the railroad station, is a little more than $3 million, city Commissioner of Planning and Development Joseph Riccio Jr. told the City Council at a recent meeting. As part of the project, which is being designed by Luchs / DeCarlo & Doll of Meriden, the width of Railroad Avenue will be narrowed to 26 feet as the city installs separate lanes for walking and bicycles and lighting along the length of it, Riccio said. This is the second straight year the city has applied for the state grant, Riccio said. The state did not approve last year’s $1.4 million grant application. “We were not successful last year,” Riccio, the planning and development commissioner, said. “We hope to be successful this year.”
A little more than $700,000 remains from the original federal grant, Riccio said. Dave Riccio also cast the one vote against last year’s state grant application. Responding to a question from City Councilman Ron Quagliani, D-At Large, Riccio said there is no city share required for the grant. “Would this have to go through zoning?” Quagliani asked. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Trump Wants More Interstate Tolling, But Lawmakers Skeptical -
President Donald Trump fleshed out his proposal last week to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure by listing tolling on interstate highways as one way to raise funds, but his idea is encountering a reluctance in Congress.
Several key lawmakers said they were receptive to the idea, but cited obstacles to moving forward.
“Everything’s on the table: Gas tax, tolling,” said Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. “I’m not a big fan of tolling — I don’t like paying for a road twice, but that’s my opinion.”
Graves told reporters Thursday that lawmakers were considering even politically tricky sources
of money, including raising fuel taxes.
The administration raised the tolling option in a fact sheet released Tuesday, the same day as the fiscal 2018 budget request. The fact sheet lists several infrastructure proposals that were part of the budget request, but the tolling idea was listed CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
How Regulation Rollbacks Could Affect Construction Equipment
Regardless of whom you voted for in the recent election, there's no arguing the fact that our new president is considering some regulatory rollbacks that will have steep implications for the U.S. for years to come. Although many of the new administration's proposals are innocent at first glance, it is the indirect consequences that have some experts worried.
Equipment Emissions
One of the biggest and most obvious dangers of reducing regulations is the increased carbon emissions we'll likely see in the coming years. According to some estimates, his new policies could result in an
extra half-billion tons of greenhouse gases by the year 2025.
While the U.S. has experienced a steady decline in carbon emissions throughout the past few years, this trend will reverse itself under Trump's presidency. The phenomenon is being referred to as the Trump Effect.
President Trump's deregulation efforts are also
targeting vehicle testing and certification throughout the automotive and construction equipment manufacturing sectors. Those in the industry are concerned that the administration's attitude toward environmental protection could result in less funding and investment toward areas like business sustainability and indoor air quality.
What's more is that some players in the construction market have services which make equipment emissions-compliant. For example, the retrofitting of oxidation catalysts minimizes engine emissions; Carbon Monoxide is reduced up to 85%, Hydrocarbon by up to 60% and Particulate Matter up to 20%. Beyond emissions though, laborers could also be impacted by these regulation rollbacks.
General Labor
The general laborers who assemble, build and repair construction equipment are also facing new risks on account of overreaching regulatory rollbacks. For starters, the current administration's failure to act in an efficient manner has already cost would-be retirees well more than $400 million over the coming 30 years.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The U.S. Senate recently passed a resolution that makes it easier for employers to hide injuries and even fatalities that occur in the workplace. Instead of requiring employers to maintain logs of such workplace incidents for a minimum of five years, the new resolution only makes it easier to circumvent the standards of OSHA and similar regulatory agencies.
In hopes of dismantling the system even further, President Trump issued an executive order on January 30, 2017. According to the order, every proposal for a new regulation requires two previous regulations to be marked for removal. He's also letting companies penalize their employees for failing to disclose private medical history. CLICK TITLE TO CONTUNE
Oxford will vote in fall on middle school
OXFORD – Voters will have their say on a proposal to build a new middle school on Great Oak Road at a referendum this fall.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday to have a referendum on or before Nov. 7.
Robert Slie, chairman of the building committee, said the total cost is estimated at $48.6 million with state reimbursement ranging from $9.2 to $13.5 million. However, that estimate is still being refined.
First Selectman George R. Temple said, “we’re making no commitment as far as a dollar figure here. We had some estimates and we sent it back to the committee to reconsider, because we want the lowest possible cost for our goal of building a new middle school to take the town into the 21st century.”
New construction is eligible for 27.5 percent reimbursement from the state, but Slie said not everything in the project is eligible for reimbursement.
He said the town had to commit to having a referendum for the building project before the committee could file the application for state reimbursement.
The deadline is June 30, but Slie said the committee wants to file by June 16 to leave time should the state need any more information or changes.
The Board of Education plans to close Oxford Center School and the new middle school would be built between Quaker Farms Elementary and Great Oak Middle schools.
Anthony Hibbert, who attended Tuesday’s meeting, would move over from Great Oak and become principal of the new school for grades 6 to 8.
Heath Hendershot, principal of the Center School, would take Hibbert’s place at Great Oak for grades 3 to 5.
Herman Schuler, the committee vice chairman, said, “this committee met an aggressive timeline.”
Slie expressed his gratitude to Town Hall staff members, as well as the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and his building committee for holding several special meetings to move the process along.
Colliers International, the pre-referendum project manager, guided the building committee through the entire process, according to Slie.
The project was reduced from the 91,896-square-feet the education specifications called for, down to 81,984, which is the maximum square footage for state reimbursement based on 488 students. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE