CT DOT plans new $35 million transportation project. It will be paid for by the state.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation has a $35
million plan for a shoreline train station improvements project.
The plan calls for improvements to the Madison Shore Line
East Railroad Station that will require acquisition of rights of way
and impact local wetlands, records show.
The work would include construction that is anticipated to
begin in fall 2027, according to the Department
of Transportation. The project also is anticipated to be undertaken with
100% state funds, according to the DOT.
Connecticut Department of Transportation Project Manager
Scott Anderson said, “This project relates directly to CTDOT’s ongoing
commitment to improve commuter rail services.”
For example, the project would include a new pedestrian
bridge over the active rail line that would connect to the north and south side
platforms, according to the DOT.
“The proposed work at the town’s Shore Line East Station
will make commuter rail services modern, reliable and convenient so that the
future transportation needs of Connecticut’s residents are met,” Anderson said,
in a statement.
“We encourage the public to attend this meeting to share
their feedback with the CTDOT project team to incorporate into the design,” he
said.
The in-person public information meeting on the Madison
Railroad Station Improvements Project will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at
the Madison Town Campus,
Conference Room A, at 8 Campus Drive in Madison at 5:30 p.m., according to the
agency. The meeting location is ADA accessible.
The DOT noted that the public information meeting is being
held to “provide the public and local community the opportunity to offer
comments or ask questions regarding the proposed project.”
See a map of the site here.
According to the DOT, the right-of-way impacts associated
with the proposed improvements include “partial takes from the town, and an
access easement and permanent easement for a wetland mitigation site on Copse
Road.”
State records
show the project involves:
Improvements to the Madison Shore Line East (SLE) Railroad
Station by including a new north side high-level rail platform to be in the
vicinity of the existing south side high-level rail platform that was
constructed in July 2008.
A new pedestrian bridge over the active rail line that will
connect to the north and south side platforms. The bridge will include dual
elevators on both the north and south side platforms to satisfy requirements of
the Americans with Disabilities act (ADA).
The construction of an access road from Old Route 79 to the
platforms in-order to build the north side high-level rail platform and
elevator shafts, and to allow for emergency and maintenance access to these
north side project elements.
Further, according to the state agency, due to the
construction “of the north side platform, elevator tower and access road,
existing wetlands will be disturbed. The wetland loss will be mitigated with
two mitigation sites within the town.” The agency
map on the project appears to show those mitigation sites would be in
the area of Horse Pond, shown on map as near Old Duck Hole Road.
Right-of-way impacts associated with the proposed
improvements include:
A partial take from the town where the north platform and
tower is being proposed.
A partial take from the town for a mitigation site at Horse
Pond.
An access easement and permanent easement for the second
wetland mitigation site at a Copse Road site.
The DOT noted the public can submit comments and questions
during the two-week public comment period following the meeting, or by
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, to (860) 594-2020 or to Scott Anderson at Scott.T.Anderson@ct.gov or (860)
594-3301. Reference Project No. 310-0058 in the email or voicemail.
Construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2027 based on
the availability of funding, acquisition of rights of way, and approval of
permits, according to DOT.
For the meeting, people with hearing and/or speech
disabilities can dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Services. Individuals
with limited internet access may also request that project information be
mailed to them within one week by contacting Anderson at Scott.T.Anderson@ct.gov or (860)
594-3301.
Wilton Board of Selectmen OKs two bridge replacement projects, each costing more than $5M
WILTON — The Wilton Board
of Selectmen approved two bridge projects, each totaling more than $5 million.
Last week, the board unanimously approved two state-funded
replacement projects for Honey Hill and Cannon Road bridges. The projects are
awaiting final approval by the town's attorneys.
Both projects were discussed on Jan. 20 with Director of
Public Works Frank Smeriglio, who said the town received the grants around
two or three years ago. He said both grants include other incidentals like the
design, construction contingencies and inspection services for both projects.
"The state requires that there is an inspector on the
project eight hours a day, every day," he said.
Smeriglio added that there are also easements and state
permits that still need to be completed for both bridges.
"Work can't start until the easements are in
place," he said. "We don't plan on starting until the beginning of
April."
The board approved the town's $5,292,622 contract with New
York-based McNamee Construction Corp. for the Honey Hill Bridge
replacement project.
According to the state Department of Transportation, the
46-foot-long Honey Hill Bridge was built in 1957 and has a daily traffic
average of 578 vehicles per day.
Smeriglio said McNamee was the "qualified low
bidder" for the project. He said the work includes the contractor
relocating a water main at the bridge for Aquarion Water Company.
Smeriglio said the board needed to also approve an agreement
with Aquarion to pay the town $249,950 for the relocation, which will go
to McNamee, who is responsible for both the reconstruction of the bridge
and the water main relocation.
"It needs to be one vendor," he said.
Smeriglio said the project is completely paid for by a
$6,880,408 state grant. He said an aspect of the project not included in
the grant is the stone masonry, which costs $116,400. He said the town
will pay for that with a bridge account in the capital budget.
"I think right now there's like $2 million, so that's
where the funds coming for this," he said.
Smeriglio said the state grant the town received for the
Cannon Road Bridge project totaled $7,122,418. He said the cost of the contract
with Dayton Construction Company, based in Watertown, for the project is
$5,478,070, and the rest of the grant will be used for other incidentals.
FEMA reimburses CT DOT $4.4M for repair of massive 2021 sinkhole by PGA Tour golf course in Cromwell
CROMWELL — The Federal Emergency Management
Administration has reimbursed the state $4.4 million for repairs it
made to the Wethersfield Secondary Freight Line after a 2021 hurricane
opened a
massive sinkhole next to the golf course that annually hosts the
PGA Tour Travelers Championship tournament.
“It covers emergency restoration following the remnants of
Hurricane Ida in September 2021,” said David Bednarz, a spokesman for Gov. Ned
Lamont. “Extreme rainfall overwhelmed drainage systems, causing a massive
washout ... that left the tracks suspended over a collapsed embankment
between the TPC River Highlands golf course and the Connecticut River.”
Bednarz said the massive sinkhole was 120 feet long, 60 feet
wide and 80 feet deep, located near the 13th hole at the golf course.
This funding, he said, ensures the structural integrity of
this vital freight corridor.
The Cromwell site was part of $105 million in FEMA funds to
support recovery for past disasters in five New England states, according to a
press statement announcing the grants. The projects included debris removal,
emergency protective measures and the repair or replacement of public
infrastructure damaged by recent disasters. This regional funding is part of a
broader effort announced by the Department of Homeland Security. In this past
week alone, DHS and FEMA approved more than $2.2 billion in public assistance
projects to communities across the U.S.
The Cromwell rail line project was the only grant in the
state of Connecticut.
Railroad operations on the Wethersfield Secondary Branch
resumed in 2019 after a decade-long break. The line, which runs from Middletown
to Hartford, is operated by the Providence and Worcester Railroad Co., a
subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming.
The railroad runs parallel to the Silas Deane Highway and
has 22 crossings in Wethersfield, according to the DOT.
A spokesman from the Providence and Worchester Railroad Co.,
Tom Ciuba, on Friday emphasized that the line was repaired years ago and
the FEMA funds are a reimbursement.
Neighbors told CT Insider in 2021, they had concerns about
the spot after heavy rains in June 2021 washed away some of the rocks and
gravel used to support the railroad, adding that one side of the tracks was
left suspended. They said railroad crews were dispatched at the time to fill
the gaps.
According to prior reporting, the rainfall left a Buckeye
refined products pipeline out in the open. Part of a golf cart path also
tumbled down the hill as a result of the washout.
“Buckeye crews immediately responded, and, although the
pipeline was already shut down, the affected segment was shut in and isolated,”
the company said at the time. “While the company is continuing to assess the
pipeline washout, Buckeye has confirmed that there has been no product
released.”
Repairs
and cleanup were complete in 2022, state Department of Transportation
officials told CT Insider.
The cost to repair the sinkhole was $5 million, but the DOT
received notice it was eligible for upwards of 90 percent reimbursement through
FEMA, because the governor declared a state of emergency in the days after Ida,
a representative said.
Greenwich train station reopens following $30M plaza renovation
GREENWICH — The Greenwich train station reopens to
commuters Friday morning, following a major renovation project that is expanding
and modernizing the station plaza.
Visitors to the station will find a new wood-slatted
ceiling, high-end lighting, upgraded restrooms, new flooring, railings and an
elevator. The exterior of the station has a new clock, similar to ones at
train stations
in Europe.
"We’re incredibly grateful to the residents, commuters,
and local businesses for their patience and support throughout
construction," said Ryan Harvey, CEO and president of The Ashforth
Co., the development firm behind the construction.
The modernization of the railroad plaza, called
Greenwich Crossing, required the closing of the passenger terminal in
May. Commuters had to take stairs to reach the train platform.
Harvey said the completion of the new station was part of a
larger project that will have a lasting impact on the community.
"Opening the station is an important milestone, but
what’s most exciting is what comes next, the continued transformation of
Greenwich Crossing into a vibrant, connected destination that will serve the
town and region for generations,” he said.
The completion date for all the construction work, estimated
to cost $30 million, is expected in several months.
Gov. Ned Lamont has called the new station "a big front
door to our state and the entire region."
The new station plaza will have a 5,000-square-foot
restaurant with a large outdoor patio. New retail space is also part of the
project.
The station was originally built in the early 1970s and was
widely seen as outmoded.
"The project is expected to be completed in March,
barring any unforeseen construction or weather delays," according to
Ashforth spokeswocman Kim DePra. "Renovations of the remaining
storefronts are nearing completion, while construction of the restaurant
structure and new landscaping will continue through early spring 2026."
The design work was carried out by the Beyer Blinder Belle
architectural firm.
The station will open its doors at 4:45 a.m. The hours of
operation will be 4:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 5
a.m. 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.