Kenneth R. Gosselin
HARTFORD — A notorious bottleneck on I-91 north in Hartford
that has infuriated motorists for decades will get some long-sought relief
Wednesday as a new exit to the Charter Oak Bridge and I-84 east is opened to
its first travelers.
The first of two lanes will open shortly after midnight to
commuters, leisure travelers and operators of 18-wheelers. The ramp, including
a 900-foot section of bridge, is the centerpiece of a $240 million state
transportation highway project, the largest in three decades in the Hartford
area.
The new exit 29 will replace an ill-conceived, right-hand
exit nearby with the same name where traffic routinely backs up for a mile or
more. The DOT estimates that 67,000 vehicles pass through the area each day.
“There’s been a longstanding problem with traffic on I-91
northbound, mostly driven by that ramp,” Mark Rolfe, deputy DOT commissioner,
said. “You have a single-lane ramp, very steep and all it takes is one truck
going a little slowly, and it’s causing congestion and backups.”
The new exit won’t be nearly as steep. Drivers will be
allowed to queue up for the exit for two miles rather than the few hundred
yards for the existing ramp.
“The biggest thing is that it will keep the traffic flowing,
that back up here is awful,” Juan Ruiz, a DOT project engineer, said this week
during a tour of the new ramp. “People don’t want to stay in line. They want to
cut in front of everybody, and they slam on their brakes. I’ve seen it too many
times from the bridge and guess what happens? Bam!”
Between Jan. 1, 2018 and April 30 — the latest statistics
available — there were 372 crashes with 85 injuries, according to the DOT.
The new exit also will place travelers in the lanes to
connect with I-84 east. The old ramp forced drivers to weave across lanes on
the Charter Oak Bridge to make that connection.
The DOT already has started to prepare drivers for the
opening of the new ramp with electronic messages on I-91 in Wethersfield.
Ceremonies marking the opening are planned for Tuesday morning.
The bottleneck around the Charter Oak Bridge is not only
infamous locally, but has drawn national attention. More than once, the area
landed on an annual list of the 100 worst bottlenecks in the country for truck
freight and seen as an impediment to economic growth in the state.
“The other benefits go to quality of life,” Rolfe said.
“When people are sitting in traffic, they are not home with their families,
they are not watching their kids’ soccer games.”
The new exit is part of a $240 million project that stretches
3.5-miles from Wethersfield north to East Hartford that is scheduled for
completion in the fall of 2022. The project went into design in 2015 under
former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and began construction in 2019.
A second lane on the new exit ramp is expected to open next
year when widening projects in East Hartford are completed, including two
bridges. The widening is needed to accommodate the traffic from the new exit
that merges with motorists on Routes 5 and 15.
The price tag rose from an initial estimate of $213 million
after additional improvements were needed, including structural steel
strengthening on the Charter Oak Bridge. The financing includes $195 million in
state funding and another $45 million in federal dollars.
Rolfe said the DOT sees the traffic problems at the Charter
Oak Bridge as among the top five or six worst ones in the state. Some
congestion “choke points” around the state — the 1-91/I-95 interchange and Q
Bridge in New Haven and I-84 in Waterbury — have already been tackled, and more
are on the way, Rolfe said.
“Our budget simply doesn’t allow us to add, say, a lane
through an entire corridor -- 95 between New York and New Haven — it’s simply
not in the cards,” Rolfe said. “We’re looking at more of these targeted,
strategic investments where we can open up some of these choke points.”
The state has studies underway in Danbury, and at the
“mixmaster” in Waterbury. The DOT also is conducting the Greater Hartford
Mobility Study to address the congested I-84/1-91 interchange in Hartford and
how to lessen the geographic divisions, including how I-91 cuts the city off
from its riverfront, that resulted from highway construction in the 1960s and
1970s.
In Meriden, Rolfe said he expects the first in a series of
improvements to begin next year to address backups at the I-91/691 interchange.
The state also is watching closely how the debate over
President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal is unfolding and is working with
the state’s Congressional delegation.
“At this point, there’s a great deal of unknown about it,”
Rolfe said. “But yeah, if there is significantly more federal dollars coming
our way then we can start to look at developing more of these larger projects,
accelerating ones that are already in the pipeline and moving things along more
quickly.”
Proponents of mass transit and other forms of getting around
say that for highway improvement projects to succeed long-term, however, there
needs to be fewer cars and other transportation options.
In Hartford, the backups on I-91 northbound have existed
ever since the new, wider Charter Oak Bridge opened in 1991.
The thought behind connecting I-91 North to Routes 5 and 15
and, ultimately, I-84 east via the new Charter Oak Bridge was to ease
congestion closer to downtown Hartford on the Founders and Bulkeley bridges
caused by drivers trying to make the same connection.
But a new bottleneck was created almost from the beginning
with one-lane exit from I-91. Ruiz said the exit close simultaneously with the
opening of the new ramp and it will soon be dismantled.
“That’s 30 years we’ve had to live with this,” said Donald L. Ward, district manager at the DOT, “and now, on May 26, we’ll be done
Winsted's Hinsdale project 'will serve students well into the future'
Emily M. Olson
WINSTED — A row of shiny shovels were lined up in the dirt
on the grounds of the Mary P. Hinsdale School Thursday.
Superintendent of Schools Melony Brady-Shanely was joined by
members of the Hinsdale School Renovation Committee, school administrators,
Board of Education members and a few interested residents at the event, where
the shovels would be used to break ground for the renovation project.
“This building helps us take our next step for the education
of our children in Winsted,” Brady-Shanley said. “It will serve students well
into the future.”
Architectural firm Silver Petrucilli & Associates is
designing the project, while Montagno Construction has been hired to rebuild
the school. Both companies were represented at Thursday’s groundbreaking.
The Hinsdale building, was closed a few years ago at the
behest of a then-state appointed receiver overseeing school operations in
Winsted. The following year, after the receiver left the school district,
school officials decided they wanted to renovate and reopen the school.
Hinsdale is getting a complete renovation to serve students
in first through third grades. Renovated classrooms, a gym and cafeteria, a
media center and refurbished administrative offices are part of the project. A
two-story building attached to the Williams Avenue side of the school will be
torn down and replaced with 7,700 square feet of classroom space.
The total cost of the project is $16.8 million, of which
$6.9 million would be paid for through a state grant. While the reimbursable
part of the project is listed as $9.9 million, the 70 percent reimbursable rate
brings it to $6.9 million. Voters
approved the plan in 2019.
Renovation committee member Tony Sandonato said the project
was a lot of hard work, thanks to the current and past committee members.
“The committee was created with local representation, from
many areas of our community,” Sandonato said. “Melony has been a big part of
this, and we thank the Board of Selectmen and Mayor Candy Perez, who have been
very helpful in making this happen. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t thank our
former town manager, Bob Geiger, for his support.
“We have made a critical investment in our children’s
future, and in our economic development,” he said.
The project received site
plan approval from the Planning and Zoning and Inland Wetlands
commissions in 2020. Work is expected to begin this summer.
Amazon official: Construction site in Windsor shut down temporarily
Leah Brennan
WINDSOR — Amazon has ordered a Windsor construction site
shut down “to make sure that the necessary safety measures can be put in
place,” an Amazon representative said Thursday at an NAACP news conference.
During the news conference, which was streamed
by FOX61, Scot X Esdaile — a Connecticut NAACP official — said multiple
nooses had been found at the site.
“The NAACP has met with many individuals in this community —
individuals in law enforcement, individuals from the town, individuals from the
community, town council, state reps, and we still haven’t felt that the
situation has been dealt with adequately,” said Esdaile, adding the
organization has been disappointed by conversations with Amazon.
Amazon representative Brad Griggs said at the conference
that the company “continue[s] to be deeply distrubed by the incidents at this
construction site” and that it would be shut down while needed safety measures
are instituted.
“Hate, racism and discrmination have no place in our society
and certainly are not tolerated in any Amazon workplace, whether under
construction like the building here behind us or in our fully operational
facilities,” Griggs said.
Griggs said Amazon is working with the town, local and state
police and the FBI to hold those responsible accountable.
An overall $100,000 reward has been offered — from Amazon
and its “development partners” — “to help find the perpetrators” involved,
Griggs said.
Berlin moves closer to building affordable senior housing on Percival Avenue
Erica Drzewiecki
BERLIN – The town is a little bit closer to building the long-awaited affordable senior housing at 143 Percival Ave. following an action taken by elected officials this week.
Berlin Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow the town to apply for a $1 million Connecticut Small Cities Program Community Development Block Grant. If funding is received, it would go toward construction of a 50-unit senior housing complex where the old Knights of Columbus building currently stands.
“It looks like we will finally have the money to get this done,” Mayor Mark Kaczynski said following a public hearing during which several residents expressed their frustration with the project’s slow progress. “It’s been a very long and difficult road.”
The town purchased the former K of C property in the 1990s and designated its future use for affordable senior housing, but was not able to find the funding to move the project forward until recently.
“Right now we have 40 people that want senior housing; that means 40 people have to die between today and tomorrow so they can have a decent place to live,” Sandra Driscoll told the council during the public hearing. “This is a disgrace. All our surrounding towns have beautiful senior housing and we have nothing. Nothing takes seven years to build; that’s unacceptable. I’m 80 years old and I hope to see this before I die.”
Berlin Housing Authority Chairman Joseph Bajorski explained state funding for affordable housing is awarded more often to projects designated for young families rather than those for senior citizens.
“There is not a pot of money readily available for us to use,” Bajorski said.
The 50-unit complex the town has proposed would be similar to Marjorie Moore and Percival Heights, with 37 one-bedroom apartments and 13 two-bedroom units.
“Grant funding will go towards the removal of the existing Knights of Columbus building and running utilities on to the site,” Bajorski said.
Consultant Peter Testa is shepherding the town through the grant process. An application is due by June 18.
State Rep. Donna Veach thanked Berlin Economic Development Coordinator Jim Mahoney for his steadfast commitment to this project.
“This is a big piece to our reaching the finishing line,” she said.
GOP not budging on smaller infrastructure offer in Biden talks
Lisa Mascaro
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have not substantially budged off their initial $568 billion infrastructure proposal despite overtures from the White House to work toward a compromise as President Joe Biden tries to strike a bipartisan agreement on his sweeping $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan.
The lack of any sizable movement beyond the Republicans’ initial proposal or any other notable changes to narrow the gap with Biden is certain to spark fresh worries from Democrats that time is slipping for a deal. There was “not a significantly changed offer” from the Republicans during their meeting with the administration this week, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.
At the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said “productive conversations” are underway on Capitol Hill.
The White House team is expected to resume talks with the senators on Friday. “We’re looking forward to constructive conversations,” Psaki said.
The administration and the GOP senators have been in talks ever since Biden met with a core group of Republican negotiators last week over the possibility of working together on a plan. The White House dispatched the Transportation and Commerce secretaries and top aides to Capitol Hill to meet with the Republicans late Tuesday after the president asked the senators to provide more more details on their initial offer.
The lead Republican negotiator Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia was encouraged by the talks and expected the White House to be back in touch by week's end, her office said.
Securing a vast infrastructure plan is Biden's top priority as he seeks to make good on his campaign pledge to “build back better” in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis and the economic churn from a shifting economy. But with narrow Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, the president is reaching out to Republicans for support on a potentially bipartisan approach rather than relying simply on his own party to muscle the proposal to passage.
Republicans and the White House are tangled over the definitions of infrastructure as Biden seeks new investments in hospitals, child care centers and electric vehicles for this first bill, and Republicans remain more narrowly focused on traditional roads, bridges and other “hard” infrastructure projects.
The Republican offer is a more tailored package, focused on roads, bridges and broadband spending, and without the broader investments the president argues should be part of any modern infrastructure deal.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said they could go as high as $800 billion on a package.
But House and Senate Democrats say much of what Republicans proposed so far is simply existing spending and nowhere near that amount.
Still, some Democrats balk at the size and scope of Biden's proposal, and the party may lack the votes to pass it through Congress on their own. Biden is trying to forge a bipartisan compromise with Republicans.
Meanwhile, the House and Senate transportation committees are plunging ahead on separate surface transportation bills that could become building blocks in a broader package.
The Democratic chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, acknowledged that his Memorial Day target for consideration of the bill will slip, but said Wednesday he intends to bring it forward in June.
The Senate panel is also aiming to have its bill considered by Memorial Day.
At the same time, House Republicans are preparing their own alternative to Biden’s plan.