Michael Puffer
Nearly two decades after the Great Recession devastated Connecticut’s construction industry, employment in the sector has climbed to its highest level since before the housing market collapse.
Connecticut’s construction workforce reached 65,200 workers in April, its highest level since 2008, according to seasonally adjusted state labor data.
Industry leaders credit the milestone to years of workforce development efforts, infrastructure investment and a growing pipeline of public- and private-sector projects.
“The volume of really nice projects — large, complex healthcare, higher ed, K-12, housing and whatnot — is far beyond what I’ve seen in my 20 years in this market,” said Eric Cushman, a vice president leading Gilbane Building Co.’s Connecticut operations. “The demand is coming across all market sectors at a collectively impressive scale.”
The national construction and real estate development firm’s Connecticut revenue has grown by nearly 70% since 2021, Cushman said. As a result, Gilbane has expanded its Connecticut workforce by about 10% over the past year, to 130 employees, and continues to hire project managers, engineers and superintendents.
Much of the hiring is aimed at meeting future demand. While Gilbane’s workload in Connecticut has remained consistently strong in 2025 and 2026, Cushman said the company expects even more activity over the next three years based on current inquiries and requests.
He said the growing pipeline includes projects across a range of sectors, from publicly funded infrastructure and institutional work to private development, reflecting what he sees as continued economic growth in Connecticut.
This April’s construction employment number was the highest since April 2008, when the industry employed 67,600 people, according to the Connecticut Department of Labor.
Employment plunged during the Great Recession, falling to 50,500 in April 2010 as the collapse of housing and mortgage markets rippled through the economy.
Construction employment gradually recovered over the following decade, climbing back above 60,000 by 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic briefly reversed that progress, pushing employment down to 49,400 in April 2020, before the industry resumed a steady recovery.
Infrastructure spending bears fruit
State Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said employment in highway, street and bridge construction is at its highest level in more than a decade. In July 2025, there were 7,700 people employed in highway construction, a 15-year high, Eucalitto said.
Federal and state transportation spending in Connecticut has trended upward over the past dozen years, doubling from $1.3 billion in fiscal 2014 to a planned $2.69 billion in the current fiscal year.
Transportation projects take many years to design, permit and fund, Eucalitto said. As a result, many of today’s projects can be traced back to investments made a decade ago.
In 2015, state lawmakers and Gov. Dannel Malloy approved the $2.8 billion “Let’s Go CT” transportation bonding package, a long-term initiative aimed at modernizing the state’s infrastructure.
The funding supported planning and design work for projects that later became eligible for federal dollars under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. State lawmakers also increased Connecticut’s transportation borrowing cap, allowing the state to secure matching funds needed to maximize federal aid, Eucalitto said.
Those investments helped advance major transportation projects, including the seven-year, $712 million reconstruction of the interchange connecting interstates 91 and 691 with Route 15 in Meriden.
Donald Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, credited the sector’s growth to a combination of federal infrastructure spending, increased state transportation investment and rising private-sector development.
“You take all these things together, you’ve got a tremendous amount of momentum going in Connecticut right now,” Shubert said.
He also credited a culture change at the state Department of Transportation with accelerating project delivery after years of sluggish activity.
“The department has changed its focus,” Shubert said. “They’re finding the balance where you can get all your compliance done and still get projects on the street.”
Despite the employment milestone, Shubert said he does not believe the industry has reached its ceiling. Connecticut contractors, material suppliers and construction firms still have capacity to take on additional work, he said.
Marc Okun, Connecticut regional manager for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, said interest in the trades has risen along with construction activity.
Attendance at the union’s monthly information sessions at its Wallingford training center has nearly doubled over the past year, regularly drawing between 80 and 100 people, compared with roughly 40 to 50 previously.
Concerns about automation and artificial intelligence, combined with student debt and uncertainty about traditional career paths, are helping drive interest, Okun said.
The carpenters’ union’s membership has increased by roughly 2.5% over the past year, to about 3,000 members, he added.
Economic momentum
Daniel O’Keefe, commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, said the state’s economy hit a turning point in 2018 and has since grown by nearly $100 billion.
Housing permits, business investment and growth in industries ranging from advanced manufacturing and professional services to healthcare and finance are all up, he said.
“That’s the market betting on the forward Connecticut economy,” O’Keefe said.
In a March blog post, O’Keefe noted that Connecticut’s 18.3% increase in housing permits in 2025 was the fastest percentage growth in the nation.
He expects continued investment as businesses and developers respond to growing economic activity.
“I do fundamentally believe we are in a positive self-amplification cycle right now,” he said.
Bill Jodice, owner of Bloomfield-based PDS Engineering & Construction, said projects delayed by the pandemic, supply chain disruptions and inflation are now moving forward.
“We’re really busy and we may even do much more than $70 million (in revenue) this year, but I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch,” Jodice said.
Moderating inflation has helped restore investor confidence, he said.
“Once it was down around 3% for a while, then people got comfortable. And then I think it opened the floodgates,” Jodice said.
His 45-person firm typically manages about 15 commercial projects at a time, including warehouses, municipal and medical facilities, schools and apartment developments. Projects can range from $2 million jobs lasting several months to $50 million developments spanning multiple years.
He sees work everywhere he turns.
“It’s not just commercial vertical construction,” Jodice noted. “You drive down any highway in the state or roads, and there’s always construction signs everywhere. You’re always going around some kind of road work. That’s employing a lot of people right there.”
Despite the industry’s recent growth, Eucalitto said future construction activity will depend in part on continued federal investment.
The current five-year federal transportation funding bill expires this year. Eucalitto said a version of its replacement being advanced in Congress would not keep pace with inflation, potentially reducing future buying power for transportation projects.
“We’re talking about a 0.5% increase in growth in funding, which ensures that we would go backwards,” Eucalitto said.
$50 billion bridge-and-tunnel plan to connect Connecticut and Long Island gets renewed push
Austin Mirmina
HARTFORD — Supporters of a proposed bridge across Long Island Sound say they plan to renew their push for a feasibility study next legislative session, arguing the $50 billion project deserves a closer look.
State Rep. Joseph Hoxha, R-Bristol, who sponsored a similar measure that failed to advance earlier this year, said Monday he plans to reintroduce the legislation when lawmakers convene in January 2027. He emphasized that “nothing is set in stone” as it relates to the project’s final cost and other details.
The announcement came during an informational session at the Legislative Office Building hosted by Fairfield County developer Stephen Shapiro, who recently unveiled a new bridge-and-tunnel design for the crossing. The proposal would link Bridgeport to Long Island and, advocates say, shorten commutes, reduce traffic congestion and generate billions of dollars in economic activity, among other purported benefits.
The proposal is a long way from becoming reality and has so far struggled to gain traction with key decision-makers. In March, members of the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee shelved legislation calling for a feasibility study. Gov. Ned Lamont, who was invited to Monday’s session but did not attend, has also expressed skepticism.
Shapiro and other supporters said Monday the state should not dismiss the ambitious idea without first studying its merits. They compared the proposal to other massive undertakings that once seemed impossible, such as the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
“This isn’t the first idea that people think is a pipe dream,” Shapiro said. “The moon landing was a lot more crazy back then than the bridge is now.”
The latest design calls for a 12-mile bridge with mile-long underwater tunnels at both ends. Shapiro showcased renderings of his new design that were generated with artificial intelligence.
Many of Shapiro’s images have been made with AI. He noted Monday that detailed engineering plans would come later.
“We’re at the point now where the studies need to get going, and once the studies get going, you hire the professionals to do the engineering,” he said.
A Sound crossing would cut commutes from more than two hours to about 15 minutes, Shapiro said. By easing congestion on existing highways, he said, it would also reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality.
He also contends the bridge, once paid off, would generate $3 billion to $5 billion in annual revenue for Connecticut and New York, while creating tens of thousands of jobs in construction, tourism and freight.
Shapiro, a Bridgeport native who now lives in Easton, said the crossing would provide a major economic boost to the Park City by leveraging its location in the tri-state region.
The project will cost about $50 billion, Shapiro estimates. Most of that would be covered through private and federal funding, with Connecticut and New York each chipping in 2.5%, according to the project’s website.
It would take about five years to secure the necessary approvals and another five to 10 years to build, he said, acknowledging there “could be some litigation” from environmental groups that causes delays.
The idea of a Long Island Sound crossing dates at least to 1938, when U.S. Sen. Royal Copeland, a New York Democrat, proposed an 18-mile bridge linking Long Island to either Connecticut or Rhode Island. The concept has resurfaced repeatedly since then, including in 2021, when North Atlantic Rail proposed a tunnel between Port Jefferson, N.Y., and Milford, Conn., as part of a high-speed rail line connecting New York City and Boston.
None advanced beyond the planning and feasibility stages, derailed by concerns over cost, environmental impacts and political opposition.
In 2017, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a Long Island Sound crossing. A similar study in Connecticut “should be significantly less” because much of the groundwork has already been done, Shapiro said.
“We can take that data and just prorate it out,” he said.
Supporters argued Monday that worsening traffic makes the project more urgent than ever.
Stamford ranked as the 17th-most traffic-congested city in the United States and the 63rd most congested in the world, according to a December 2025 study by transportation analytics firm Inrix. Another Inrix study identified the southbound stretch of I-95 from Westport through Greenwich as the busiest interstate corridor in the country in 2024.
“Our traffic is a huge problem,” Shapiro said. “People are not home for dinner with their families because of our traffic. It’s the worst in the country."
Anthony Afriyie, president of the Stratford Town Council, said the state should be willing to consider any proposal that could help ease the strain that heavy traffic places on households, employers, roadways and ports, rather than dismissing it outright.
“A feasibility study is not a ribbon-cutting. It’s not a blank check. It’s not a commitment to build regardless of the consequences,” said Afriyie, a Democrat. “It’s a disciplined first step that responsible government takes before making major decisions.”
State Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich, the Republican-endorsed candidate for governor, said he attended Monday’s meeting because he was “genuinely here to learn.” While he stopped short of endorsing the proposal, he said a project of that magnitude should at least get a feasibility study.
“They’re advocating for a study, not to do the job tomorrow,” Fazio said. “But a study is what you need on something like this.”
Tweed New Haven Airport to outline expansion plans at annual community meeting Tuesday
Mark Zaretsky
NEW HAVEN — Neighbors of Tweed New Haven Airport will have an opportunity to learn more about the airport's expansion plans and ask questions about operations, ongoing projects and long-term planning efforts during Tweed's annual Ward 18 Community Meeting Tuesday night.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and runs to 8 p.m. at Nathan Hale School, 80 Townsend Ave.
“Public assets like HVN belong to the communities they serve — and the residents who show up to these meetings are exercising a civic responsibility that makes this airport better.” said Robert Reed, chairman of the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority.
“We are grateful for that engagement, and for the residents and stakeholders who make the time to be part of this meeting every year,” Reed said.
“Maintaining an open dialogue with our surrounding neighborhoods has been a priority at every stage of the airport’s growth,” said Michael Jones, CEO of The New HVN, a subsidiary of airport operator Avports LLC which runs Tweeds.
“This annual meeting is an opportunity to share additional updates, provide clarity, hear directly from residents, and continue building the strong community relationships that make responsible growth possible,” Jones said.
Among the topics that will be covered in the meeting are a review of 2025-2026 that will cover concerns raised by residents and stakeholders over the past year, including a summary of the improvements, investments and operational changes implemented to address key issues, including traffic and parking management, noise mitigation, air quality initiatives and community engagement.
Airport and Avports officials also will give a presentation on the Memorandum of Understanding between Tweed, East Haven and New Haven and the collaborative framework guiding future airport planning and community investments.
That will be followed by a community question-and-answer session, with an open discussion focused on current airport operations, future planning efforts and topics related to the MOU and community questions and feedback.
The latest deal to expand Tweed New Haven Airport, announced in early April — and then unanimously approved by the airport authority — infuriated some longtime opponents.
For more information about the airport and future community events, visit: https://flytweed.com/community/.