Shelton’s Constitution Blvd. extension work to begin again next week
SHELTON — After three years, state permits have been granted
and work will begin
once again on the Constitution Boulevard extension, according to Mayor
Mark Lauretti.
The Constitution Boulevard West extension — long just a
concept on paper — will allow development of the nearly 76 acres known as the
Mas property, which is landlocked. The city has already agreed to sell portions
to various companies, including Bigelow Tea. With the permits now in place, the
city has already placed barriers up along Bridgeport Avenue in preparation for
the work expected to begin next week.
The city
initially received $5 million from the state to complete Phase One of
the project, which is already underway. That calls for the connection from
Bridgeport Avenue, including the lowering of Cots Street by 8 to 10 feet to
meet this roadway, to the Mas property.
Work began in 2023, and the roadway was largely roughed out
when work came to a halt that same year as the city waited for the state to
sign off on necessary permits.
“It has been a nightmare,” Lauretti said about the entire
situation.
Necessary state permits entered an administrative logjam, he
said. It was during this forced hiatus the city learned it had to purchase the
state right of way along Bridgeport Avenue — where the city was to break
through to connect the road.
The city purchased
the strip of land for $876,000 from the state, land which will soon be
leveled.
During the hiatus, the city
received a $1.6 million state grant, money which will be used to
complete Phase Two — the road work inside the Mas property.
Lauretti said the $6.6 million in total state grants should
cover the majority, if not all, of the road construction. He says he plans to
seek more state funding for this major development project as well.
“We have contracts in place for the Mas property ... and I
still get calls every day,” Lauretti said. “There is a lot of interest.”
Lauretti also confirmed that Brennan Construction is still
charged with completing the work, which he hopes will begin in earnest after
the July 4 holiday.
Phase Two is the roadway work through the Mas property.
In early 2024, city officials said the goal is to have Phase
One done by last fall but added that some Phase Two work would have likely been
done during this time, too. The goal at that time was to have the entire
project completed by this past spring.
Lauretti began the push to develop the property about four
years ago and he expects it to bring long-term financial benefits to the city.
“The initial benefit is the sale of the land,” Lauretti has
said. “We paid $600,000 (in 1996) for the land, and it is probably going to
bring in $6 million."
But the land's price is a minor part of the picture,
Lauretti said, adding that the more important thing is the tax revenue
development will bring in for the next 40 years.
While the city purchased the Mas property from the FDIC in
1996, it was not until about three years ago that Lauretti presented a vision
to the Planning and Zoning Commission for developing the site into a
manufacturing hub for the region.
Lauretti has stated the city was able to reach deals to sell
off all the property. The buyer list is headed by Bigelow Tea, which agreed to
purchase 25 acres of the property for an estimated $2.1 million for its future
expansion.
The price for the land ranges from $85,000 to $125,000 per
acre to various groups for use in industrial and retail capacities.
The initial two phases of road development are also a step
toward connecting Shelton Avenue to Route 8, which is expected to relieve
traffic downtown and in Huntington Center.
Middletown shares price estimate, new designs for Russell Library project
MIDDLETOWN — The latest proposed version of the renovated
and expanded library will likely now have a $60 million pricetag and a partial
third floor.
City leaders are expected to decide later this month whether
to place a referendum question on the November ballot for voters to decide
whether to fund an estimated $60
million construction of a new Russell Library, still in the conceptual
phase, on its existing footprint.
The 45,000-square-foot facility at 123 Broad St., long past
its useful life, consists of several cobbled-together, aging buildings. They
include an 1834 church, 1930 addition, and a 1964 bank.
The library originally opened in April 1876.
A new, 63,000-square-foot,
mainly two-floor library with a modern aesthetic, “clean lines” and
full of natural light, would incorporate the 191-year-old former Christ
Episcopal Church.
Chosen from five preliminary concepts, the current
conceptual iteration has been slightly modified, said Director
Ramona Burkey.
Last fall, the committee was looking for “something that
complements and highlights the historic structures more than the original round
of concept plans,” she said.
Plans are for an open design made of black steel and glass,
so patrons can see what’s going on inside, and vice versa, Burkey said.
The interior will be lit up at night with stacks visible from the street.
The design is meant to contrast with the 1876 brownstone
building.
“It draws your eye to it, rather than mimics it,” she said.
Colors and materials are yet to be determined. Final
specifications will be firmed up following the referendum, during the design
process, and are subject to change.
"The facade was pretty close to the
street," Burkey said of the first design. "They wanted to pull
that back a little bit, but when you do that, you lose some square footage.
It’s a very tight site."
They also put a partial third floor on part of building
to get some of that square footage back, she added.
The renderings include a mural on the front of the building.
It is intended to break up the “gigantic stretch” of the structure, Burkey
said, but may not be part of the final design.
“The way it’s done, looks kind of magical,” she added.
The committee expects to restore the Hubbard Room, and
church building, the latter of which needs a lot of work, Burkey said. It’s
made of brownstone and has decorative wood trim and roof trim boards that need
work.
“They’re integral to the history of the library,” she said.
“They’ll have to be completely replaced — they’re rotting and falling off, and
there’s nails sticking out. It’s a dangerous situation.”
The most recent library renovation and expansion, completed
in 1983, was intended as a stopgap measure until 2000.
“It’s no secret the current facility has some challenges,”
the director said.
Many sections of the library don't meet Americans with
Disabilities Act requirements, Burkey said, making it difficult for those who
use strollers, wheelchairs or other mobility devices to navigate the stacks and
other areas.
Over the years, the library has suffered myriad
infrastructure issues, including in November 2022, when two
floors of the building flooded following heavy rains.
Most recently, the 30-year-old air conditioning system has begun to fail, which
hampers the library's ability to serve as a warming and cooling center for the
community, Burkey said.
The library will temporarily be relocated during
construction, which Burkey hopes will begin in two years, and take another two
to complete.
Where it would be will be part of future discussions, she
said. If City Hall, also past its useful life, were to one day move to a former
bank building on Main Street, that may be an option.
Only the most popular materials, furniture and other
essential items would be moved while work is underway. The rest will be kept in
storage, Burkey said.
Having a new structure purposely built as a library is one
of her favorite aspects.
“I love that it’s not opaque," she said. "I love
that it contrasts with that beautiful, historic brownstone building.”
A colleague described the new portion of the build as “the
bridesmaid, and the former church is the bride,” she said.
There are a number of grant opportunities, including through
the State
Historic Preservation Office and Community
Investment Fund 2030.
Any money awarded could potentially lower the project’s cost, Burkey
said.
Plans, including a history of the library, will be shared
with Common Council members July 24 at City Hall.
If all goes well, Burkey said, the committee hopes the
Finance and Government Operations Commission will recommend funding the project
July 30 in time for the August council meeting.
It’s up to members whether they will bond out for the
project this year or in the near future, she noted.
Bradley and Danbury airports secure $8.7M federal funds for infrastructure enhancements
Two
Connecticut airports were granted a combined $8.7 million in federal
funding from the from the U.S. Department of Transportation for necessary
improvements to infrastructure.
Bradley
International Airport in Windsor Locks was awarded $8.5 million for
its ongoing expansion project of its terminals.
“The construction at Bradley International Airport has been
years in the making. We are pleased to see the first of these key projects
nearly completed,” said Michael W. Shea, Executive Director of the Connecticut
Airport Authority. “These exit corridors, and the other ongoing
construction, are part of our long-term strategy to really optimize the flow
and functionality of the terminal and ensure we are meeting the demands of
current and future air travel growth at Bradley.”
This years-long,
$250-million infrastructure improvement project at the Hartford-area
airport has received over $113 million in federal funding through the years
from the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program, the
Transportation Security Administration, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,
according to the Connecticut
Airport Authority, the quasi-public agency that runs Bradley and other
airports in the state. The rest of the project’s funding will come from
passenger facility charges and the CAA’s airport revenue.
Ground first broke on the terminal expansion in April 2023,
and this June, the project hit the milestone of opening the corridor in
Bradley’s east concourse. When complete, there will be two exits providing
faster and more direct access to airline baggage claims, car rentals, ground
transportation, and shuttles on the airport's arrivals level.
Danbury
Municipal Airport is also receiving a $225,378
grant to replace the existing airport lighting vault equipment.
“More than $8.7 million of federal investment for
Connecticut’s airports will deliver important infrastructure upgrades at
Bradley International Airport and Danbury Municipal Airport. Bradley is
receiving additional federal funds for a much-needed terminal expansion —
greatly improving the passenger experience and satisfying safety standards,”
the Connecticut Congressional delegation said in
a statement. “We’re proud to have secured this funding for our state
and will continue to fight for the federal resources needed to upgrade and
elevate Connecticut’s infrastructure.”
The $8.5 million Bradley International Airport received is
in addition to $30 million in FAA federal funding already allocated to terminal
expansion and renovations.
Lamont doubles down on natural gas after signing two climate-related bills
John Moritz
Within minutes of signing legislation on Tuesday that
pledged to put Connecticut on a path toward reaching net-zero carbon emissions
by 2050, Gov. Ned Lamont flipped the script by reiterating his support for one
of climate advocates’ chief causes of concern: an expansion of pipelines
carrying fracked natural gas.
Specifically, the Democratic governor hinted that he’d been
engaged in talks with the Trump administration and state leaders in New York
about building or expanding pipelines that could deliver more gas to
Connecticut and the rest of New England.
“We’ll see, but it’s back on the table,” Lamont told
reporters, without offering further details.
Lamont’s comments were delivered immediately after he signed
two of Democrats’ priority climate bills passed during this year’s legislative
session. The first, House Bill 5004, set the state’s net-zero emissions target
and added incentives for solar canopies, energy-efficient heating and cooling
systems, green jobs and sustainability-focused businesses.
The term “net-zero” refers to a point where any greenhouse
gases produced by humans are offset with carbon-capture technologies or natural
means such as reforestation. There are no penalties under the bill if the state
fails to reach that target.
The other legislation, Senate Bill 9, included several
climate-resiliency measures along with tougher restrictions on the use of rat
poisons and class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids.
The juxtaposition between the governor’s praise of the
climate legislation and his embrace of natural gas was jarring for several of
the advocates who have fought for years against the expansion of gas pipelines.
They argue pipelines can leak potent methane gases, and increase dependency on
fossil fuel power plants, making it harder for the state to fulfill its promise
to slash emissions.
“It was horrific to hear,” said Sam Dynowski, director of
the Sierra Club’s Connecticut chapter, who had posed for photos behind the
governor as he signed both bills into law Tuesday.
“It’s as dirty as coal when you add up the combustion
emissions and the leaks,” Dynowski said. “So we cannot bring more gas into
Connecticut if we really want to solve the climate crisis.”
It was not the first time that Lamont has angered advocates
with his pitch for natural gas. As if sensing that pushback again on Tuesday,
Lamont said that a larger gas supply is necessary to wean the region off its
reliance on aging, oil-fired plants that are needed to meet demand in winter
months.
“We’re taking out some things that are even more polluting,”
Lamont said.
“Long term, what it means if we got more gas up from, say,
the Pennsylvania area, you know, we’re working on that,” the governor added.
“We’re working with all the different players. That doesn’t take our eye off
the ball, what we’ve got to do as a state to make sure we stay green and
clean.”
On Tuesday, Lamont was asked about a reported deal between Donald J. Trump’s
Interior Department and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to allow work to resume on a
offshore wind farm, Empire Wind 1. As part of that deal, Trump administration
officials said Hochul had signaled her willingness to move forward on pipeline
projects that could deliver gas to New England.
Hochul’s office denied that any explicit agreement had been
made to approve a pipeline, according to Politico.
Lamont, who met with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in
Washington earlier this year, said Tuesday that he had been “clued in” to those
discussions around wind and natural gas.
“We were really cheering on Kathy Hochul to make sure that
that Empire Wind kept going,” Lamont said. “Trump pulled it back, then he
allowed it to go back again, maybe with some relief on what they want to do on
natural gas.”
The Department of the Interior did not immediately respond
to a request for comment on Tuesday.
One project mentioned by several outlets as a potential chip
in negotiations between the states and the federal government is the so-called
Constitution Pipeline, which would carry fracked gas from Pennsylvania to
upstate New York, where it would connect with existing pipelines serving
Connecticut and New England.
The developer behind that proposed pipeline, The Williams
Companies, submitted applications with state and federal regulators earlier
this year to approve the pipeline, with an estimated completion date in 2027.
DOT unveils preliminary design for replacing borough viaduct
Gianni Salisbury
Stonington — The state Department of Transportation will
hold a public informational meeting on July 31 to discuss its $48 million plan
to replace the viaduct into the borough.
The meeting will be held at Stonington High School at 6:30
p.m. and will include a DOT presentation of the plan and residents will have a
chance to ask questions.
The design of the project is currently 15% complete and
features a new bridge that will be higher than the current bridge over the
Amtrak rail line. The changes will help bring the bridge up to state standards,
according to a presentation on the town
website. The clearances under the bridge at Mathews and Main streets and
Cutler Street are also currently below the minimum standard of 14 feet, 6
inches.
A higher bridge will require steeper approaches to be built,
according to DOT spokesperson Eva Zymaris. This will not make the bridge
longer, as the DOT plans on keeping the bridge at its current length, around
625 feet.
The project will also adjust the two intersections at each
end of the bridge and upgrade the guiderail system to address flooding, safety
and functionality. The intersection at Alpha Avenue and Trumbull Avenue will be
raised and the intersection at Alpha Ave. and Water Street will be
reconfigured, according to Zymaris.
The bridge is necessary as it is the only access for cars to
reach the borough and according to the DOT it serves around 6,000 cars per day.
Michael Schefers, the borough warden, said he anticipates the new design will
have no major impacts on the surrounding areas, but nothing is a definite as it
is still very early in the design process. The span is shifted slightly to the
north at its eastern end. Retaining walls are also planned along the span.
The design also calls for a 12-foot wide road, 5-foot-wide
shoulder and 6-foot wide sidewalk in both directions along the 626-foot-long
span.
"Nothing is anticipated to change to the current
footprint of the bridge. The town is trying to make as little of an impact as
possible to the area surrounding the bridge," Schefers said.
Zymaris stated that although the physical bridge will not
impose upon any of the surrounding area, construction will make the project
site tight.
"We're speaking with a few property owners, who are
under or close to the bridge, about potential impacts. We plan to discuss this
at the upcoming Public Informational Meeting," Zymaris said.
During construction, one lane of traffic will be open in
each direction over the bridge and pedestrian use will still be available
either on the bridge or on the Elm Street pedestrian bridge crossing.
The bridge on Alpha Avenue was built in 1940 and received a
major update between 1991 and 1993. The DOT says the bridge is currently in
poor condition due to corroding and deterioration of its steel piers. The
bridge also does not meet the 22 foot, 6-inch minimum height clearance over the
rail line. It is currently 4 feet lower.
A DOT study found that replacing the bridge is the best
option to address the problems rather than just making repairs, as a new bridge
would be the "most economical option over the life of the bridge."
As for cost, the new bridge will be 80% federally funded,
with $1.2 million covered by the town and the remaining balance covered by the
state. For the project to go forward, the town will need to get a coastal area
management permit, a inland wetlands permit and a stormwater permit.
A timeline for the project calls for the design to be
completed by December with construction beginning in November of 2027. The DOT
said it anticipates construction to take two years. Along with the town, the
State Department of Transportation, CHA Consulting, and Hardesty and Hanover
are also working on the project. Their information can be found on the
presentation linked on the town
website.
Schefers said that so far all parties involved have been
working together to create a project that will be best for the town.
"It has been a very positive experience so far, as the
designers have listened to the town's concerns on minimizing the impacts
construction will have on the surrounding area," he said.
The DOT could not be reached for comment.
Repairs to CT roads and bridges will restart after the holiday hiatus. Here are some areas to avoid.
A busy summer of repairs took a brief hiatus for the 4th of
July weekend, but multiple road and bridge projects in Connecticut will pick
back up after the holiday weekend.
There were no maintenance or construction activities on
limited-access highways from 6 a.m. on Thursday to Monday at 6 a.m., according
to the Connecticut
Department of Transportation. Only emergency roadwork was performed.
In Ellington, there will be roadwork starting
on July 14 at Pinnacle Road, the CT DOT said. The project will improve
the horizontal curve west of the Pinnacle Road intersection and three
horizontal curves east of Hopkins Road. The work will also realign the
intersections of Pinnacle Road and Hopkins Road.
According to CT DOT, the section of Pinnacle Road between
Route 140 (Crystal Lake Road) and East Cider Mill Road will be closed until
Sept. 1.
CT DOT officials said northbound traffic will be detoured
onto Cider Mill Road west, then right onto Laurel Road north. Southbound
traffic will be detoured onto Route 140 west, then left onto Laurel Road south,
then left onto Cider Mill Road east.
Work will be done “to reconstruct the deteriorated headwall
and end wall of a 48-inch RCP culvert conveying Kimball’s Brook under Route 140
and replacement of an existing 24-inch RCP carrying an unnamed watercourse
below Route 140 with a 36-inch RCP and installation of outlet protection,”
according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
The project was awarded to awarded to Baltazar Contractors,
Inc. in February for $8,295,210.25 and the projected completion date is Nov.
30, 2027.
There will be milling
and resurfacing work on Route 146 in Branford and Guilford from July 7
to July 18. The work will be done on a 1.61-mile segment of Route 146 in
Branford and Guilford from Leetes Island Road to 0.03 miles east of the
Branford/Guilford town line, according to the CT DOT.
The resurfacing is projected to be done from July 13-18.
Work will be done 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday night through Friday morning.
Motorists should expect lane closures, said CT DOT.
There is also milling
and resurfacing on Route 113 in Stratford from July 7 to July 22. The
work will be done on a 1.64-mile segment of Route 113 in Stratford from Route 1
(Barnum Avenue) to Route 110 (Main Street). The milling will be done July 7-12
and the resurfacing will take place July 13-22. There will be lane closures on
Route 113 from Route 1 to Route 110. The work will take place from 7 p.m. to 5
a.m. from Sunday night to Saturday morning.
In Suffield, there will be milling and resurfacing
work on
Route 168 starting on July 7 and that should be completed on Aug. 1.
The regular work schedule will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. from South Stone Street
to Route 75 (North Main Street).
The CT DOT said motorists can expect delays and alternating
one-lane traffic that will be overseen by traffic control personnel.
In Danbury, there will be metal chain link fence upgrades
on Route 6 starting next month. The work will be done from Aug. 11 to
Sept. 15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there will be lane closures from Saw Mill
Road to Milestone Road. The timeframe excludes Labor Day holiday traffic. The
CT DOT is upgrading the existing chain link fence that consists of upgrading
existing chain link fence systems to current standard systems. The work will be
done by Atlas Fence Company.
Aerial cable maintenance on Route 15 will
be performed on July 9 and will affect four communities in Fairfield
County including Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield and Trumbull. The work, being
performed by Comcast Cable, is scheduled for the night of July 9 and will be
completed on the morning of July 11. According to the CT DOT, there will be a
rolling roadblock on Route 15 between Exits 40A-B and 44, 46 and 48 in Norwalk,
Westport, Fairfield and Trumbull starting on Wednesday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
CT DOT said state troopers and traffic control signing patters will guide
motorists driving through the work zone.