Groton — Construction has begun on a 147-unit apartment complex at Pleasant Valley Road North and Route 12, one of two multi-family building projects in Groton.
“We haven’t seen new apartments in some time,” said Jonathan Reiner, Groton director of planning and development services. “We’re excited about this development. They’re going to be market rate units, and we’ve seen in the market analysis and from developers, the desire to building more multi-family housing in Groton. This is starting to meet that need.”
One finding of the analysis completed last year was the demand for more multi-family housing in town. Residents ages 25 to 34 made up more than one-third of Groton’s population, are beginning to earn significant income but either can’t afford or don’t want single-family homes, according to the report by New-York based consultant Camoin Associates.
Developers may be responding to this need and the growth at Electric Boat, Reiner said. Electric Boat needs to hire 15,000 to 20,000 people by 2030 as it gears up to build two Virginia-class submarines a year and develop and design the first Columbia-class subs.
In addition to the construction on Pleasant Valley Road North, Long Meadow Landings is building 22 apartments at 45 South Road. Gabriele’s Karate also built 15 apartments at 1028 Poquonnock Road, including four completed within the last six months. The planning department anticipates 19 new condominiums will be built on Fort Hill Road this year. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Bridge In Coventry Shows Symptoms Of Failing Concrete
A bridge in Coventry may be showing symptoms of failing concrete, potentially widening the issue from residential properties to infrastructure,Road crews that were replacing the pavement on the Jones Crossing Bridge over the Clark Brook discovered on Oct. 6 that the bridge’s concrete had failed. The town shut the bridge down to one lane while they figured out the next step.
“We have no proof at this point that it has pyrrhotite, but it does have the symptoms of pyrrhotite damage as the concrete has turned to powder and there’s the rust coloration around the area that’s a symptom of that chemical reaction,” Town Manager John Elsesser said Thursday.
Pyrrhotite is the mineral believed to be responsible for the failure of foundations across north central Connecticut. If the damage to the Coventry bridge — which was widened in the 1980s — proves related to the failed foundations, it could be one of the first municipal projects affected. According to a state report, pyrrhotite was present in the concrete aggregate used for building foundations that are now failing. The mineral appears to be present in concrete poured as early as the 1980s and up to recent years within a 30-mile radius of the Joseph J. Mottes Company in Stafford.
Mottes has been named in lawsuits filed by homeowners with failing foundations and has been closed since last year. Company officials said they believed the problem was an installation issue, not an issue with the concrete they supplied.
Since the issue of failing foundations came to light, Gov. Dannel Malloy has said that as many as 34,130 homes in the state are at risk. More than 500 homeowners in 23 towns have filed complaints with the state Department of Consumer Protection, saying their concrete foundations are failing. Few reports have been made about municipal structures, though many town leaders have expressed concerns about the potential impact on school buildings and bridges.
Elsesser said he believes the Jones Crossing Bridge might be a casualty because of the symptoms and the time period in which the bridge was widened. It was probably built in the 1930s, but Elsesser said it was widened in the 1980s to accommodate more traffic.
“We believe the bridge, it was a one-lane bridge originally but in the mid ’80s was widened to be a two-lane bridge because a subdivision was going in in that area,” Elsesser said. “We all did a lot of construction in the ’80s and ’90s. Eastern Connecticut was growing at the time.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hartford's $30M Route 44 Streetscape Improvements Under Way
After a decade of discussions and planning, work is finally under way on the $30 million Route 44 reconstruction project in Hartford, Conn. The project consists of operational, safety, roadway and streetscape improvements along Albany Avenue between Homestead Avenue and Bedford Street. The goal of the project is to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety throughout the corridor, along with streetscape and beautification enhancements.
“As stewards of the public trust, it's our duty to inspect the construction work, approve changes and process payments so that the project is completed as promised and will last a long time,” said Donald Ward, P.E., assistant district engineer, Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT).
The project, which was presented to the public, the city and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during design development, is 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funded. The design was initiated and overseen by the city, while CTDOT will function as construction manager.
Pedestrian safety will be improved by several elements, including more signalized crosswalks and the addition of sidewalk bump-outs which decrease crossing distances. The introduction of new dedicated left-turn lanes at intersections will be one of many features that will increase traffic safety. They will help reduce the high crash rate that currently exists in the corridor.
Approximately 9,000 residents live within a block of Route 44, and 19,000 vehicles travel through per day. It has one of the highest vehicle vs. pedestrian accident rates in the state. This project will slow the speed of cars and trucks, control access points into and out of properties and across Route 44, improve traffic movements to reduce conflicts and improve intersections to accommodate pedestrians.
It's also needed to provide the same improvements other towns in the state have benefited from, to create a community that is pedestrian focused and will have a positive effect on the economy.
CJ Fucci Construction is serving as the prime contractor. The project is a joint venture between CJ Fucci Inc. and NY Conn Corp.
Streetscape improvements include a total of 20 traffic signal improvements, of which five are new; 114,000 sq. ft. of concrete sidewalk; 108,000 sq. ft. of brick pavers; 20,000 linear ft. of granite curbing; 430 trees; 330 decorative street lamps; 38 bike posts; 31 trash cans; 68 benches; and 10 bus shelters. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Last Car Crosses Now-Closed Tappan Zee Bridge North of NYC
With a 1929 Model A Ford Phaeton making the final 3.1-mile journey across the Hudson River, the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York City's northern suburbs has officially closed.
Much of the fanfare that accompanied the opening of an adjacent $3.9 billion twin-span named in honor of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo in August was missing the evening of Oct. 6 when the Tappan Zee saw its final crossing, according to The Journal News.
Seth Kestenbaum was the last driver to cross the 62-year-old bridge around 10 p.m. in the vintage Ford.
"If you're first across the bridge, everyone's going to be repeating that," Kestenbaum said. "I'm the last one to cross the bridge. I've got to tell you, what an honor."
One of the two new spans is now accommodating traffic flowing both ways between Westchester and Rockland counties in New York's northern suburbs on the bridge named for current Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's father, who died in 2015.
That span officially opened in late August for Rockland-bound drivers. Cuomo and other dignitaries were on hand for the ceremonial first ride across the bridge. On Friday night, Westchester-bound traffic was quietly diverted onto the same span.
A temporary concrete divider will be used until the second span opens next year.
The new bridge project was launched by the state Thruway Authority in 2013 after decades of political squabbling. The Tappan Zee opened in 1955.
Eventually, the Thruway Authority will give away parts of the old bridge's deck and its moveable barrier system. Eight counties have requested some of the 150 deck panels to be salvaged for reuse in other bridges.