STAMFORD - Motorists who find themselves at West Main Street and West Avenue may wonder how an intersection that busy can be that bad.
West Avenue takes your car into a deep dip that can scrape your front bumper as you cross West Main Street.If you’re on West Main and want to turn onto West Avenue, you can spend much longer than you’d like waiting for a break in oncoming traffic. Though the street is U.S. Route 1, at that spot it’s down to one lane in each direction — no turn lanes.
So, even if you want to continue straight on West Main, you may be stuck while a car up ahead waits for an opportunity to turn It’s been that way for decades, but not for much longer.
City officials will announce Thursday that the intersection is about to be reconstructed in a yearlong project that will cost $2.7 million. It will be widened. State-of-the-art traffic and pedestrian signals will be installed. New sidewalks will be built. Then the whole thing will be milled, repaved and re-marked so motorists will know what’s what.
“We have had an intersection that the city has recognized as challenging for a very long time,” Transportation Bureau Chief Jim Travers said Wednesday. “This is the worst intersection on that side of the city. It has the most congestion, and we can vastly improve it.”
The project “will bring normalcy” to the intersection, Travers said. It will create dedicated left-turn lanes on all four approaches. Pavement markings will provide clear direction for drivers.
“That will mean better traffic flow and fewer accidents,” Travers said.
Most of the money comes from a state transportation grant. The rest is from the developer that last year built a Home Depot store on West Main, not far from the intersection. The Zoning Board required that the developer contribute $500,000 toward intersection upgrades.
That money was used to acquire land from three commercial property owners and the owner of an apartment building so the West Main/West Avenue intersection can be made wider, Travers said. Some of the money was used to improve the nearby intersection of West Main Street and Harvard Avenue, he said.
“This was a public-private partnership where we see developers contributing to the improvement of traffic flow,” Travers said.
The project at West Main Street and West Avenue “is significant, and surely one of the most complex ones that we’re planning, because we’re not shutting down the intersection to do it,” Travers said.
The contractor that won the bid, NJR Construction, was given an incentive to work in winter - an attempt to see that the project is finished in a year, Travers said. “We want to do what’s least disruptive,” he said. “This is a rough intersection.”
It’s one of several projects planned or already in the works for the West Side. The densely populated neighborhood — bordered by Interstate 95, downtown, Hubbard Heights, and the Greenwich line — is due for some much-needed road repair, Travers said. Two West Side thoroughfares are set to be milled and repaved, he said. Work on Broad Street will begin in a few weeks, and Stillwater Avenue is on schedule for spring.
Travers said he is searching for funding to carry out traffic recommendations for the West Side that were drawn long before he took his job 18 months ago. “I’m working with city representatives to bring to fruition the plans that were set forth in 2009, 2013, 2015,” he said. “The studies were done with a lot of community involvement, so we would like to execute them.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Route 37 to close in Sherman to stabilize road
Katrina Koerting
SHERMAN — A section of Route 37 has closed for several weeks as emergency repairs are made to reinforce the roadside near Quaker Brook.
The closure — just north of Big Trail, near the town line with New Fairfield — began late last week.
“These road repairs are the result of washout conditions threatening the road’s structure and strength,” said Sherman First Selectman Don Lowe. “They are critical for drivers’ safety.”
The project will build a new stone slope along Route 37 to stabilize the road after the slope eroded from all of the rain this summer Motorists are encouraged to use Route 39 between Sherman and New Fairfield. Local traffic is available north of Durgy Lane and south of Big Trail. Signs will be posted to show detours
This work is being completed through an “emergency declaration,” which lets the state Department of Transportation immediately bring in the necessary assets to protect motorists and the road itself, said Kevin Nursick, a DOT spokesman “Typically we go through a design and contractor procurement process that involves some amount of time as part of our overall, routine construction program,” Nursick said. “But rarely, something unexpected like this can pop up, and we need to act fast to protect the infrastructure and the public.”
It is expected to cost $245,000, which was awarded to Waters Construction Company on Aug. 17, Nursick said. The work will most likely affect 15 to 20 families who live in the area and have children who attend Sherman School or are bused to a nearby high school.“When closing a state road, there’s no easy way around it,” said Andy Schoefer, assistant principal at Sherman School He said parents have two options for alternate bus stops. If they live close enough, they may be able to use a walking path that connects to Durgy Lane where a stop is located.
The other way is to take Hardscrabble Road into New York where the road becomes Tower Hill Road. Parents should then turn right at the end of the road onto South Quaker Hill Road, which goes back into Sherman and becomes Chapel Hill Road. The stop is located on Orange Pepper Road just past that.“That’s where the closest bus stop will be," Schoefer said.
He drove the route and said it takes about 8 minutes by car. He added that buses can’t do this run themselves though because they aren’t allowed to drive on dirt roads and some of these roads are narrow.Schoefer warned parents that the closure could be two to four weeks long, based on what the DOT crews encounter.”It’s not ideal but it had to be done,” he said.Lowe said the mail carriers are aware and will use alternative routes for Big Trail and Hardscrabble Road. The volunteer fire department also has a plan for service emergencies there.
MIDDLETOWN — The state will soon begin a three-year project to erect an 8-foot high anti-suicide barrier along the entire length of the Charles J. Arrigoni Bridge as part of an overhaul expected to extend the span’s usability by 40 years.
The state Department of Transportation is incorporating these preventative measures, which will replace the current railings and add 3 feet of height to the current 5-foot high ones, into its upcoming rebuild of the spans’ undergirding.
The walls would consist of thin wire mesh or non-clingable wire fencing, according to the DOTThe $37 million project on the four-lane bridge over the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland is scheduled to start in 2019, with an anticipated completion in fall 2021. That cost does not include the price for fencing, yet to be determined by the DOT.
“A fence that’s specifically anti-suicide of this caliber, I’m not sure we’ve done that before,” he said.
The Arrigoni Bridge, built in 1938, is 3,420 feet long, and consists of two three-hinged arch spans, each 600 feet long, over the river.
Safety measures such as the fence have enjoyed success in other areas, Mayor Dan Drew said in a post Saturday on his Facebook page.
“I was shocked, after my election in 2011, to learn of how many people take their own lives there. You’d be shocked, too, if you knew, as very few are actually reported,” Drew said. “The police and fire departments are often up there multiple times in a week to rescue people threatening to or considering jumping.”
The work will extend the bridge’s service life by about 40 years with routine maintenance. Traffic lanes are expected to be reduced to one lane in each direction during the deck replacement phase for about 18 months, according to the state.
“Every bridge has a life cycle. As the structure ages, the level of work being performed generally increases in intensity,” said Nursick, who likened it to someone who buys a new car. While the vehicle is in its first years, maintenance entails changing the oil, tires, brakes and other routine upkeep. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Questions Raised About Municipal Complex Costs
Denise Coffey
A Special Town Meeting in Putnam drew approximately 25 people, on Sept.5.
The purpose was to consider and discuss the appropriation of nearly $20 million for the construction of a municipal complex, and $756,480 for the installation of new athletic fields.
Putnam Town Administrator Mary Calorio gave a brief presentation on cost estimates for renovation of the town hall, library, and armory - as well as for the new construction of municipal complex that would house the town offices, library, and Aspinock Historical Society combined.
Calorio provided funding options for the new complex, ways the town could pay for the construction through municipal bonds or USDA funding, and mil rate impacts based on how much money the town borrowed and how the debt issuance was spread out.
Professional estimates of renovations for the town hall, library, and armory were made in 2015, 2013, and 2017, respectively. Those estimates were adjusted 5 percent for 2019. Renovation costs are estimated at: $7,477,828 for the town hall; $8,013,575 for the library; $6,425,728 for the armory. The total costs of renovating all three buildings is estimated at $22,262,851, or $536.25 per square foot. Total square footage would be 41,516.
Construction of a municipal complex is estimated to cost $19,940,697, or $507 per square foot. Total square footage would be 39,296.
The proposal to fund the project included using $7 million from the Ash Landfill Fund, $1 million from a library grant (which expires Nov. 2018), and bonding nearly $12 million.
Board of Finance member Conor Duffy questioned the comparisons between the renovations and new construction, as well as the assumptions behind the numbers.
The renovation estimates did not include key pieces, such as roof and window replacements and new fuel tanks at the town hall, or the temporary relocation of the library while renovation was ongoing.
Duffy also questioned whether residents would vote to use $7 million from the Ash Landfill Fund to offset costs of the complex. That would be a separate referendum, however. Voters could approve the appropriation of money for the project and turn down the appropriation of $7 million from the landfill account.
"Yes," Seney said.
BOF Vice Chair Gloria Marion spoke about the need to replace the town hall roof and fix the leaks at the library, even if the voters approve the appropriations for a new complex. She estimated the town would spend an additional $500,000 on those repairs.
"People need to realize that we'll be at a 3 or 3.5 mil increase," she said.
The estimates provided by the Putnam Facilities Study Group included scenarios where the mil rate would rise from between 1.5 to 2.5 mils, based on how the project was financed. Sale and/or lease of the library and town hall would be used for debt reduction, Seney said.
Anticipated revenue from sale of gravel and minerals from Sabin Street and Woodstock Avenue properties would cover the costs of the athletic fields projects. Because of deed restrictions on Owen Tarr field, the town would have to create fields in another location.
No one at the meeting spoke against the need for a new town hall. It was built in 1874 as a high school. It's stairs are narrow, windows and roof need replacing, and has insufficient storage and meeting space.
"I'm not against a new town hall," Duffy said, "but we're killing mosquitoes with a sledge hammer."
Voters will make their decisions in a referendum on Sept. 18, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The state Department of Transportation is incorporating these preventative measures, which will replace the current railings and add 3 feet of height to the current 5-foot high ones, into its upcoming rebuild of the spans’ undergirding.
The walls would consist of thin wire mesh or non-clingable wire fencing, according to the DOTThe $37 million project on the four-lane bridge over the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland is scheduled to start in 2019, with an anticipated completion in fall 2021. That cost does not include the price for fencing, yet to be determined by the DOT.
Police have responded to more than 80 reports of possibly suicidal people on the bridge since 2008.
“It will be difficult to defeat: Anyone with any intention of either thrill seeking or harming themself would find it extraordinarily challenging to defeat the fencing. The design makes it very hard to get over, and the height,” said DOT spokesman Kevin J. Nursick.“A fence that’s specifically anti-suicide of this caliber, I’m not sure we’ve done that before,” he said.
The Arrigoni Bridge, built in 1938, is 3,420 feet long, and consists of two three-hinged arch spans, each 600 feet long, over the river.
Safety measures such as the fence have enjoyed success in other areas, Mayor Dan Drew said in a post Saturday on his Facebook page.
The barriers will be very similar to fencing on the new Tappan Zee Bridge, or Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, in New York, which spans the Hudson River, the mayor said.
“Research shows that many suicides are impulsive. When deterred, they’re often avoided altogether,” said Drew, who added officials expect it will significantly reduce suicides from the bridge.“I was shocked, after my election in 2011, to learn of how many people take their own lives there. You’d be shocked, too, if you knew, as very few are actually reported,” Drew said. “The police and fire departments are often up there multiple times in a week to rescue people threatening to or considering jumping.”
The main spans over the river, including the superstructure above and deck below (which has 5-foot fencing) were rehabilitated in a “very encompassing” project completed in November 2012, Nursick said.
“When we’re rehabilitating the approach spans, the newest standards for a structure like this would be the 8-foot fencing,” along the highway lead-ups to the bridge, Nursick said. “It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense to leave the main spans without the 8-foot fencing.”The work will extend the bridge’s service life by about 40 years with routine maintenance. Traffic lanes are expected to be reduced to one lane in each direction during the deck replacement phase for about 18 months, according to the state.
“Every bridge has a life cycle. As the structure ages, the level of work being performed generally increases in intensity,” said Nursick, who likened it to someone who buys a new car. While the vehicle is in its first years, maintenance entails changing the oil, tires, brakes and other routine upkeep. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Questions Raised About Municipal Complex Costs
Denise Coffey
A Special Town Meeting in Putnam drew approximately 25 people, on Sept.5.
The purpose was to consider and discuss the appropriation of nearly $20 million for the construction of a municipal complex, and $756,480 for the installation of new athletic fields.
Putnam Town Administrator Mary Calorio gave a brief presentation on cost estimates for renovation of the town hall, library, and armory - as well as for the new construction of municipal complex that would house the town offices, library, and Aspinock Historical Society combined.
Calorio provided funding options for the new complex, ways the town could pay for the construction through municipal bonds or USDA funding, and mil rate impacts based on how much money the town borrowed and how the debt issuance was spread out.
Professional estimates of renovations for the town hall, library, and armory were made in 2015, 2013, and 2017, respectively. Those estimates were adjusted 5 percent for 2019. Renovation costs are estimated at: $7,477,828 for the town hall; $8,013,575 for the library; $6,425,728 for the armory. The total costs of renovating all three buildings is estimated at $22,262,851, or $536.25 per square foot. Total square footage would be 41,516.
Construction of a municipal complex is estimated to cost $19,940,697, or $507 per square foot. Total square footage would be 39,296.
The proposal to fund the project included using $7 million from the Ash Landfill Fund, $1 million from a library grant (which expires Nov. 2018), and bonding nearly $12 million.
Board of Finance member Conor Duffy questioned the comparisons between the renovations and new construction, as well as the assumptions behind the numbers.
"The cost comparisons are not equitable," he said.
The renovation cost for the library included the addition of 11,000 square feet. That addition would bring total square footage of the old library to 18,000 square feet. The new library would be 12,500 square feet.The renovation estimates did not include key pieces, such as roof and window replacements and new fuel tanks at the town hall, or the temporary relocation of the library while renovation was ongoing.
Duffy also questioned whether residents would vote to use $7 million from the Ash Landfill Fund to offset costs of the complex. That would be a separate referendum, however. Voters could approve the appropriation of money for the project and turn down the appropriation of $7 million from the landfill account.
"Yes," Seney said.
BOF Vice Chair Gloria Marion spoke about the need to replace the town hall roof and fix the leaks at the library, even if the voters approve the appropriations for a new complex. She estimated the town would spend an additional $500,000 on those repairs.
"People need to realize that we'll be at a 3 or 3.5 mil increase," she said.
The estimates provided by the Putnam Facilities Study Group included scenarios where the mil rate would rise from between 1.5 to 2.5 mils, based on how the project was financed. Sale and/or lease of the library and town hall would be used for debt reduction, Seney said.
Anticipated revenue from sale of gravel and minerals from Sabin Street and Woodstock Avenue properties would cover the costs of the athletic fields projects. Because of deed restrictions on Owen Tarr field, the town would have to create fields in another location.
No one at the meeting spoke against the need for a new town hall. It was built in 1874 as a high school. It's stairs are narrow, windows and roof need replacing, and has insufficient storage and meeting space.
"I'm not against a new town hall," Duffy said, "but we're killing mosquitoes with a sledge hammer."
Voters will make their decisions in a referendum on Sept. 18, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.