CT Construction Digest Friday July 31, 2026

Long-vacant Naugatuck Event Center to become apartments and brownfield next to it, a parking lot

Sloan Brewster

NAUGATUCK — Old trucks and junk litter the ground around the former Naugatuck Event Center. 

But maybe not for much longer. 

A $950,000 grant from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments will help the borough remediate the lot. The plan, Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess III said, is to clean up the parcel, grade it and turn it into a downtown parking lot for the 380,000-square-foot building, which the town acquired from the state in 2013.

The town is under contract to sell the building to Corvus Capital Partners, Hess said. Corvus is planning to convert it into market-rate apartments.

Formerly a warehouse for sneakers for Uniroyal Chemical, the building later housed General Datacomm. More recently, the town used it as an event center.

“We’ve been hosting all kinds of really cool events over the years,” the mayor said.

Corvus is working on financing the project that will have, at minimum, 164 one- and two-bedroom market-rate units, Hess said. The town gave the go-ahead for 270 residential units, but the number may be fewer depending on how much of the building ends up commercial. The soonest construction would begin is 2027.

The project is a win for the town as it will bring residents to the downtown area, who will be able to take advantage of public transportation at the new train station being built by the state, Hess said.

“The whole point of our transit-oriented development project is to have people living downtown adjacent to our train station,” he said. “The idea is to have people on the commercial line living downtown, walking to stores.”

Last July, the state Department of Transportation began construction on the new train station, according to a press release from Gov. Ned Lamont’s office. The new station is approximately 0.3 miles south of the existing station, bringing it it closer to downtown. The project is one of several parts of a larger CT DOT initiative to upgrade all six stations on Metro-North Railroad’s Waterbury Branch line.

“We’re not just building a train station, we’re building more momentum for Naugatuck’s future,” Lamont said at last year’s groundbreaking. “This new station brings public transportation closer to the heart of downtown, creating new opportunities for economic development, housing, and walkable neighborhoods. It’s an investment in infrastructure that connects people to jobs and strengthens communities.”

The station is scheduled to open next summer and will feature a 350-foot-long high-level platform with a snow melt system, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access via an elevator and stair tower, real-time arrival and departure displays, and a passenger waiting area equipped with a ticket vending machine. It will also offer 72 on-street parking spaces, including electric vehicle charging stations, energy-efficient LED lighting, and upgraded safety features. The two-story station building will be approximately 2,300 square feet, with a platform area of about 4,400 square feet.

While the bulk of the $950,000 grant is for the parking lot cleanup, the funds will also help the town complete asbestos cleanup in the former event center and finish remediation of the former recycling facility on Rubber Avenue, Hess said. The recycle center has been relocated and the property is being remediated to allow a commercial building to be put there.

Montville residents defeat road transfer needed for major retail development

Jack Lakowsky

Montville — Residents on Wednesday defeated a proposal to give Rhode Island developer Dominic Carpionato control of PTA Lane, an important early step in his plan to develop a large retail development.

The vote was 375-452.

Mayor Lenny Bunnell on Thursday said he was “very disappointed” in the result.

“We missed a tremendous opportunity to attract some solid tax revenue, which we are in dire need of,” he said.

PTA Lane forms a loop with Golden Road, and Mohegan Elementary School stands where the two roads meet.

Carpionato had pledged to make improvements to the school, including a new ADA-compliant playground, a security fence and a screen of new hedges. He also said he would redo Golden Road to ease traffic, especially when students arrive and leave.

Bunnell said the town also missed out on the $1 million in improvements Carpionato would’ve made, and said the town now has to take on that work.

The mayor, a Democrat, said the “reckless spread of information and intentional lies” by a few local Republicans swayed the vote.

Before the project could’ve moved ahead, a Golden Road mobile home park would’ve been leveled and its residents relocated to new homes.

Last week, tenants and owners of homes in the park almost universally said they don’t want to move. Some have lived there for decades, raising children and investing equity, building sheds and planting gardens.

Carpionato does not own the mobile home property, according to town records. He owns about 10 acres on 87 PTA Lane, across the street from the park. He wants to develop about 24 acres total.

“(While) there is no imminent impact to the residents of the mobile home park, we plan to honor their leases and rights, and will work with them respectfully and positively to achieve a positive outcome for all,” Carpionato said last week.

Officials previously compared the proposal from Carpionato, who along with his wife donated a total of about $4,000 to Montville Democrats in 2023, to the Stop & Shop/Home Depot plaza on the opposite side of Route 32, and said it would reduce the property tax burden on homeowners.

The project, details of which have not been shared publicly, could net the town up to $700,000 a year in tax revenue, potentially making it the town’s second-highest taxpayer.

But residents weren’t sold. Many pointed to other underdeveloped and vacant spaces up and down Route 32, and said the need for housing is more pressing than retail.

Bunnell on Thursday would not disclose who Carpionato’s client was, citing “confidentiality issues.”

The Carpionato group’s website says the firm works with major retailers like Lowe’s, BJ’s Wholesale, Whole Food, Staples, CVS, Stop & Shop and “many national and regional banks.” The group owns the Shops on Main plaza in Glastonbury, which has restaurants and a few services.

Massive new contract and hiring mean 'exciting times for Electric Boat'

Alison Cross

Groton — As Electric Boat’s record job growth meets the region’s housing crunch, lawmakers and industry leaders are hopeful that the U.S. Navy’s historic $76.6 billion submarine contract will trigger a wave of new development.

State and local officials, EB executives and union representatives met at the City of Groton Municipal Building on Thursday to celebrate the newly awarded contract, which calls for the completion of nine Block VI Virginia-class fast-attack submarines and five Columbia-class Build II ballistic-missile submarines by 2038.

While the deal was formally announced Wednesday, EB President Mark Rayha said company leaders knew the contract was coming when EB committed early this year to hiring 8,000 new workers in 2026 and 8,000 more in 2027.

“We raised some eyebrows when we said 8,000 back in February,” Rayha said. “All of our growth and all of our employment projections contemplated these contracts.”

Rayha said that over the last seven months, EB has hired more than 4,000 people and that the company is on track to meet its hiring goals.

The growth is unprecedented for the company. In comparison, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said that EB added 10,000 jobs in the seven years between 2019 and 2026, growing from 17,000 to more than 27,000 today.

“We can’t stop there,” Courtney said. “This is a contract that we’re all going to work together — as a state, as a region, as a country — to execute successfully.”

Peter Baker, the president of the Metal Trades Council of New London County, said the $76.6 billion contract has opened a new chapter of “exciting times at Electric Boat.”

“Not only is there record growth in ship construction, hiring and training. There are jobs for the building and construction trades (and) upgrades to shipyard infrastructure,” Baker said. “Millions of dollars will be pumped into the local economy, but this does not negate the need for affordable housing, daycare, elder care and public transportation.”

In response to housing concerns, Rayha said he is confident that the multi-year contract will send “a clear signal” to developers that there will be a large market for buyers and renters.

“We’ll support where we can, but … our job is to build submarines,” Rayha said. “We certainly will give advice where needed, but we think our biggest role we can play is to continue to provide high-paying jobs and let the chips fall where they may in terms of who’s building where.”

Between 2020 and 2025, New London and Groton added a combined 900 units to their housing stock, according to census data compiled by the research group DataHaven.

A 2024 report by the Center for Housing Equity and Opportunity Eastern Connecticut found that housing in New London County has failed to keep pace with the growing number of households in the region. While 60% of households are made up of one or two people, only 40% of the region’s housing units have two bedrooms or fewer.

The same study also found that nearly 30% of households are considered “cost burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

“There’s no question that the capacity right now is not enough to absorb this increase in population,” Courtney said.

Courtney agreed with Rayha’s position that the new contract and the growing workforce would attract developers.

“Having this projection of growth that’s going to happen here, I think it’s going to create its own ripple effect in terms of getting more housing into the area,” Courtney said. “But we do need to do more in terms of ensuring that residents — and in particular tenants — are protected through the change that’s happening right now.”

Courtney said he strongly supports efforts within the state legislature to expand “just cause” eviction protections to all renters. The controversial policy, which Gov. Ned Lamont vowed to push across the finish line at an event in Hartford last week, would bar landlords from evicting tenants at the end of their lease if they did not have a valid reason to do so.

Courtney also pointed to provisions in the federal 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act that promote “more efficient and low-cost ways to build workforce housing.”

Courtney said he is particularly excited about opportunities for prefabricated developments, which can expedite construction and drive down housing costs. Courtney said a 58-unit prefabricated apartment building under construction in Willimantic will be completed in 10 months after putting shovels in the ground.

“That’s the kind of innovation that we need. … Those are the kinds of changes that can help speed up capacity in the region,” Courtney said.

State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, D-41st District, underscored the importance of protecting the region’s single-family housing stock while growing the number of rental and accessory dwelling units so that families can buy homes and “young people can actually find apartments here.”

“Just looking at the diversity of hires, there’s so many different jobs. And as a result of that, there are so many different age groups and people that are coming into our area, and it’s bringing a lot of vibrancy to the region as well,” Bumgardner said.

“We’ve heard EB say ad nauseam, ‘We’re in the business of submarines.’ And that’s where it is so important for the state of Connecticut in particular, to step up with respect to childcare, housing (and) many of the layers of infrastructure … that are very important to support the underlying work being done at Electric Boat,” Bumgardner added.

Sen. Heather Somers, R-18th District, said the contract will bring “long-term stability to the region.”

“As a former employee of Electric Boat, it is just an amazing testament to the greatest shipbuilder not only in our country, but across the world,” Somers said.

“These are high-paying jobs with benefits and long-term stability, and that should give those who are interested in creating housing the confidence that they need to be able to take the step forward in providing housing opportunities for all of us here in Southeastern Connecticut,” Somers said.

CT Construction Digest Tuesday July 28, 2026

Yes, ConnDOT says, work on that faster train really is under way

Mark Pazniokas

This might sound familiar: At a press conference outside the Stratford rail station, Gov. Ned Lamont, members of Congress and transportation officials outlined plans to provide faster service by 2035 on the New Haven line, one of the oldest, busiest and pokiest stretches of commuter rail in the U.S.

They did that Monday morning, just as they did on a Monday morning in June 2021. This time, Lamont and ConnDOT could point to concrete developments — most notably the long-awaited start on the first piece of a three-phase, $1.6 billion project to upgrade 3.1 miles of track between Stratford and Bridgeport.

And yes, that’s $1.6 billion for improvements to a relatively small stretch of the 45 miles of New Haven Line in Connecticut. Outside the project highlighted Monday are far bigger ticket items: Replacement of four major bridges that are more than a century old and come with price tags ranging from $1 billion to $3.6 billion.

Only one, the Walk Bridge in Norwalk, is under construction. Design work has begun on a second, the Devon Bridge that crosses the Housatonic River and is expected to be the most expensive of the four.

The Stratford project is a case study of how slowly major infrastructure projects move in the U.S., especially in a curvy and crowded rail corridor completed in 1849 to connect New Haven and Manhattan. Financing challenges, shifting political winds and requisite environmental and historical impact studies all are factors.

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Phase one will be completed under a $340 million contract with the Yonkers Contracting Company, with $184 million from the Federal Rail Administration, $145.5 million from Connecticut and $11.2 million from Amtrak. Completion of the other two will require finding about another $1.3 billion.

“We need predictable, reliable funding,” said Garrett Eucalitto, the commissioner of ConnDOT.

Infrastructure builders struck a $1.2 trillion gusher five years with the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act negotiated by the Biden administration. But the gusher has slowed to a trickle and will go dry on Sept. 30 unless Congress and the Trump administration act.

While the federal government has regularly authorized highway funding that provides a steady stream of money in five-year increments under formulas and competitive grants, there was no similar funding for rail until 2021, Eucalitto said.

Eucalitto and Lamont said they are optimistic that rail funding will be reauthorized, saying the Northeast Corridor employed by Amtrak, Metro North and other passenger rail systems between Boston and Washington is having a moment with federal appropriators.

“They’re investing heavily in Amtrak, new fleets,” Eucalitto said. “They’re investing in Penn Station. Well, they don’t want to invest and then have the system failing further up the tracks because, you know, it is one entire system from Boston to D.C., and I think that’s why we’ve been successful sharing that message with Amtrak, with the Federal Railroad Administration.”

Officials from Amtrak, the Federal Rail Administration and Metro North were in attendance Monday, as were U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, who is expected to regain her Appropriations chair if Democrats regain the House majority.

Connecticut has a prominent place on the rail administration’s project list for the Northeast Corridor. It’s just a question of funding it.

Lamont also was upbeat about the prospects, even though his relationship with the Trump administration has been strained over immigration enforcement and Connecticut’s passage of revisions to the Trust Act that the administration views as hostile to its goals of ramping up deportations of migrants without legal status.

“Garrett and I met with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who’s a big believer in transportation, says the president is a builder,” Lamont said. “The president likes big projects, big projects that he can take credit for that make a difference. This is obviously a big project that will make a real difference in people’s lives. I think we’ll get it done.”

The work that began Monday with a ceremonial groundbreaking — the tossing of sand that had been deposited on the edge of a parking lot — is the smallest of three phases of a project to replace the catenary lines that power the electric trains of Metro North and Amtrak, construct a new station, replace several small bridges and upgrade road beds to allow faster speeds.

Connecticut sped up service from New Haven to Grand Central in 2022 by offering “super express trains” with fewer stops, cutting about 10 minutes off the trip.

“Our Super Express trains between New Haven and Grand Central have reduced trip times to as little as 88 minutes,” said Joe Lagana, the vice president for operations at Metro North. 

“Since then, we shaved another 11 minutes off of that timetable due to infrastructure improvements,” Eucalitto said. Those improvements included addressing signal problems and bad drainage that forced slower speeds.

The goal of the current project is to raise the current Federal Rail Administration standards from class 4 to class 6, increasing the maximum authorized speed limit in some places from 70 mph to 90 mph — a speed the current equipment can reach.

“Trains have the higher operating speeds, but the tracks have always been the limitation for us in Connecticut, and so that’s where we’re doing our part to upgrade the infrastructure,” Eucalitto said.

The third phase would create more space between sets of tracks, allowing trains to use a function that tilts the trains on curves at higher speeds. Currently, the tracks are set too close for the trains to tilt safely.

But none of the planned improvements would allow true high-speed rail. Amtrak’s existing Acela trains can go 150 mph, and the next generation cars go even faster. Such speeds would require a new route that does not follow the curves of the coast line, as do the rails from Boston to New Haven and New Haven to New York.

“The only way to get to what a lot of people would say is true high-speed rail, you would have to build a completely new alignment,” Eucalitto said. “That’s not feasible. So we’re going to live within the geographic constraints we have and do the best possible infrastructure we can within that alignment.”

Connecticut begins $1.6 billion rail project to speed up train trips on the New Haven Line

Brianna Gurciullo

Imagine a train picking up riders in New Haven and arriving in New York City about 25 minutes faster than it does today.

A $1.6 billion project that broke ground in Stratford on Monday will help the state eventually achieve a goal of shaving that much time off the train trip between the two cities, Connecticut officials said. 

But it will take about nine years to complete the three-phase project, which includes upgrades to the tracks and overhead wiring on a 3-mile stretch between Stratford and Bridgeport.

“Infrastructure takes a long time,” state Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto during a press conference at Stratford’s train station. “Especially on the railroad, because unlike the highway, where you can have detours, the railroad, there is no detour. There's no other way to get around the Northeast Corridor, so we have to do the work while the trains are moving.”

Come 2035, Amtrak and Metro-North trains will be able to travel as fast as 90 mph in some spots, officials said. Currently, the maximum speed in the area is 70 mph.  

To get those “long-term improvements in speeds,” Eucalitto said riders will have to endure the “short-term pain” of trains slowing down in certain areas while work is underway on that section of the New Haven Line.

Phase 1, which is expected to cost more than $340 million, includes installing new overhead wiring, replacing a bridge over the tracks in Stratford and upgrading the signals and tracks.

The Federal Railroad Administration is providing $184 million in funding for the first phase, while the state and Amtrak are supplying $145.5 million and $11.2 million, respectively.

Phase 2 is scheduled to start in 2030 and will include improvements at the Stratford train station as well as track widening, wiring upgrades and four bridge replacements. The final phase will follow in 2031 with more bridge, wiring and track work.

How much federal funding will go toward the later phases, and to rail infrastructure projects in the state in general in the coming years, is an open question.

“The key is going to be in the next surface transportation bill,” Eucalitto said, referring to federal legislation that will authorize funding for highway, transit and rail programs for the next several years. The current law, which passed when Joe Biden was president, is set to expire Sept. 30.

“We need to make sure the next bill has dedicated funding for passenger rail in it. That's going to be the big push,” Eucalitto said.

Asked whether he expected the federal government to continue to invest in long-term infrastructure projects under President Donald Trump, Gov. Ned Lamont voiced confidence.

“Well, Garrett and I met with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who's a big believer in transportation, says the president is a builder. The president likes big projects, big projects that he can take credit for that make a difference,” Lamont said. “This is obviously a big project that will make a real difference in people's lives. I think we'll get it done.”

The nine-year project is part of the Track Improvement Mobility Enhancement, or TIME, program, which the state launched in 2021 to speed up trains across Connecticut.

Since then, Eucalitto said a “super express” service between New Haven and New York City combined with drainage and signal improvements has saved riders up to 20 minutes of travel time.

Also tied to the effort to speed up train service are several projects to replace aging rail bridges along the state’s shoreline, including the Walk Bridge in Norwalk and the Connecticut River Bridge between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme. Each project is expected to cost more than $1 billion and wrap up in 2030 or 2031.

Meanwhile, DOT is designing the replacement for the Devon Rail Bridge between Stratford and Milford, with construction expected to begin in 2030. That project is expected to cost about $3 billion. In the future, DOT plans to replace bridges in Westport and Greenwich as well.

DOT also noted that the state has procured new rail cars for the Hartford Line, New Haven branch lines and Shore Line East. Amtrak’s executive vice president for strategy and planning, Jennifer Mitchell, touted the rollout of Amtrak's NextGen Acela trains in 2025 and plans to run its Airo trains in Connecticut next year.

Despite investments in infrastructure and rolling stock, officials said trains still can only go up to certain speeds in Connecticut.

“We have a lot of curves,” Eucalitto said. “This railroad was built in the 1850s, '60s, '70s, throughout the 1890s and 1900s, and it follows the curve of the coast. And so the only way to get to what a lot of people would say is like true high-speed rail, you would have to build a completely new alignment. … That's not feasible.”

Connecticut, New York lawmakers push to speed up Greenwich flood-control bridge project

Eric Bedner

GREENWICH — A group of congressmen from Connecticut and New York are calling for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize bridge replacements over the Byram River in Greenwich due to flooding.

Connecticut's Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, along with New York's Rep. George Latimer, D-6th District, sent a letter to the commander of the New York district of the Army Corps of Engineers, Col. Eric Swenson, last week to urge the replacement of two bridges they say are long overdue.

The group is calling for improvements to the West Putnam Avenue and Hillside Avenue bridges, which span the Byram River and contribute to flooding in the Pemberwick neighborhood of Greenwich.

Improvements were authorized years ago, yet the projects remain unfinished, according to the federal officials. 

“As members of Congress representing communities in Connecticut and New York that are directly impacted by the hydrodynamics of Byram River and its bridges, we write to express our serious concern regarding the continued delays to the years-long plan to replace the U.S. Route 1 bridges,” they wrote.

The group noted Hurricane Ida in 2021 brought eight inches of rain that resulted in flash floods in the area and flooded basements of Pemberwick residents.

Fortunately, no lives were lost, the legislators said, but “replacing these bridges is an important component of improving the region’s long-term flood resilience and protecting the public as we enter another hurricane season.”

Blumenthal, Murphy, Himes and Latimer urged the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the Byram River bridges, expedite all remaining reviews and approvals, coordinate closely with Connecticut and New York state and local officials, and provide regular updates to Congress.

“The residents of our region have waited long enough for these critical improvements, and we look forward to working with you to ensure this project advances as expeditiously as possible,” the officials wrote.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said he’s been working with various entities involved with the bridge replacements for years.

“I share the frustration because we worked really hard to get this project moving and done as quickly as possible, without any shortcuts being taken, and then to hear that there’s been another delay is extremely frustrating,” he said. “I support the effort by the federal officials to advocate to the federal government to get this project started and completed.”

In 2020, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a Byram River Basin Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study, which recommended removing and replacing both the West Putnam Avenue and Hillside Avenue bridges because they were major contributors to flooding the area.

The federal officials said they are “extremely disappointed to learn that the project schedule has slipped once again.”

The current projection has the design not being completed until 2027 and more funding may be necessary to complete the design phase, which the group called “deeply concerning,” particularly considering Congress approved the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act specifically to move authorized projects from planning to construction.

“The consequences of these delays extend well beyond the project schedule,” the federal legislators wrote. “They represent a massive risk to life and property. Continued delays in replacing these bridges leave surrounding neighborhoods vulnerable to potentially lethal flooding.”

“We have a nearly 100-year-old problem of flooding on the Byram River and it has gotten very dangerous in several of these recent storms,” Camillo said. “Before there’s a loss of life, in addition to destruction of personal property, they really need to focus on getting this started and completed.”

Blumenthal, Murphy, Himes and Latimer said they are requesting a meeting with Swenson and his staff to discuss the status of the projects, the remaining obstacles to completing designs and beginning construction, the anticipated construction schedule, and how the Army Corps of Engineers is utilizing federal funding to move the projects forward.

Amazon warehouse developer appeals Killingly denial

Sara Bedigian

Killingly — The developer of the proposed 1.3 million-square-foot Amazon distribution center on Westcott Road has appeal the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission's denial of a permit for the project earlier this month.

In the July 22 appeal filed in Putnam Superior Court, attorneys representing developer Ryan Companies, contract purchaser WE Acquisitions LLC, and the owners of the more than 25 properties that make up the site, alleged the commission was "biased and illegally predetermined an intent to deny the application” at its July 6 meeting.

Commission member Corina Torrey made the motion to reject the project application, also known as “Project Husky,” because it would cause "irreversible and irretrievable loss of wetlands or watercourse recourses," by impacting more than a half-acre of wetlands.

The commission voted 3-2 to deny the permit without prejudice, meaning Ryan could change and resubmit the plan, which it did on July 15 before the town approved a moratorium on new warehouse applications beginning July 20.

The 1.3 million-square-foot project would be built on 324 of the 558 acres on the site. The remaining 216 acres would be reserved for open space and conservation, according to the developer’s application.

Torrey also said at the July 6 meeting that Ryan Companies failed to “exhaust feasible and prudent alternatives.” These alternatives, reducing the building footprint and creating a tiered parking structure, were not mentioned during the meeting.

Ryan's lawyers said in the appeal that the allegation the company ignored feasible and prudent alternatives is improper because the commission chose not to raise the issue during the hearing.

They also said the developer reduced the building’s size by 87,000 square feet.

They added that Torrey was “not qualified to opine on technical issues such as the success of wetlands mitigation strategies.”

Ryan Companies submitted its application to the commission on Jan. 26 and the commission then held five nights of public hearings due to public interest.

During that time, residents spoke against the project, stating the warehouse would create traffic, road safety, pollution and environment problems.

Michelle Murphy of the Keep Killingly Rural coalition said Monday she and the coalition will continue to fight the project.

“The Town of Killingly will be changed forever with a project so gigantic,” Murphy said. “This is an industrial project and it belongs in an industrial zone, not in the middle of the woods filling in all of the wetlands.”

The proposed Amazon fulfillment center would operate around the clock, employ 500 workers, bring in more than 400 trucks a day, and serve as the company’s “most advanced robotics facility” in the state, according to Amazon Economic Development Director Brad Griggs.

Ryan Companies has asked a judge to sustain its appeal, reverse the commission's denial, and direct the commission to approve its amended application. The town has until Aug. 25 to respond to the complaint.

CT Construction Digest Monday July 27, 2026

Untangling the massive I-91, I-691, Route 15 interchange construction project in Meriden

Brianna Gurciullo

State Department of Transportation officials have described the Interstate 91, Interstate 691 and Route 15 project in Meriden as a more than $712 million effort to untangle an outdated and congested interchange.

But for drivers who make their way through the construction area now, it may be difficult to untangle the project itself in their minds.

“It could definitely be confusing for the public,” Connecticut DOT construction project manager Dave Ferraro said. “There’s a lot going on out here.”

The project consists of three overlapping phases — one of which is complete — and has required drivers to navigate lane and ramp closures, detours and traffic shifts for about three years. Construction is expected to continue until 2030.

DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto has said the intersecting highways weren’t designed to handle the amount of traffic they carry today, and the project takes aim at one-lane ramps, short merge distances and “constant weaving” that contribute to traffic jams and make crashes more likely to occur.

In an interview with CT Insider, two of the project’s managers said the work that is underway will ultimately provide drivers with wider ramps and shoulders, give them more time to merge and reduce how much they weave across lanes to take exits.

“We’re working at it, but it’s going to be four years before everything is realized,” said Ferraro, the project manager for Phase 3. “But there'll be improvements as we go. And then the final configuration is just to provide the traveling public with a new, safe interchange that flows much better and will get them to their destination much quicker.”

Mohamad Alramahi, the project manager for Phase 2, said, “There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and we are trying to get to that light.” 

The first phase, which started in 2023 and wrapped up in 2025, included widening the ramp from I-691 eastbound to I-91 northbound to two lanes and adding a lane to I-91 northbound.

The second and third phases are more extensive.

Phase 2 has focused on widening Route 15 and I-91 northbound. The phase began in 2024 and is scheduled to be done by 2028.

It includes the construction of a new two-lane ramp from Route 15 northbound to I-91 northbound and widening the ramp from Route 15 northbound to I-691 westbound to two lanes.

Another major change that is part of Phase 2 is the removal of Exit 17 from I-91 northbound to Route 15 northbound. The exit permanently closed earlier this month.

Now, drivers take Exit 16 and travel under a new bridge to get onto Route 15 northbound, which allows them to merge from the right instead of the left.

“This will hopefully eliminate the weaving from I-91,” Alramahi said.

The third and final phase, which kicked off this spring, is focused on the southbound side of I-91 and Route 15. New two-lane ramps between Route 15 southbound and I-91 southbound will be built and ramps to and from I-691 will be widened as part of the phase.

“Once we’re done … you'll have wider lanes, wider shoulders, more ability for drivers to exit and enter the highway in two-lane configurations with new ramps and with two-lane ramps instead of one, which will reduce congestion,” Ferraro said. “That congestion leads to accidents, and that's the bottom line.”

All of the ongoing work at the interchange makes it even more important for drivers to “ditch the distractions in their car,” slow down, follow signs and be courteous to others on the road, Ferraro said.

“We have to reduce the lane widths and make things a little narrower as we're trying to do this construction,” he said. “Give your fellow motorists the ability to merge in and merge in safely versus cutting them off.”

Night road work to close lanes on I-95 and I-84 for different projects. What to know.

Sean Krofssik 

Motorists can expect lane closures due to nighttime milling and resurfacing on Interstate 95 from the Interstate 395 interchange to Exit 82 in Waterford that will begin on Aug. 9, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

The project includes milling and resurfacing the 3.79-mile segment of I-95 in Waterford from I-395 to 0.06 miles south of Exit 82 including ramps, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

The work is scheduled to be performed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Aug. 9 to Sept. 11, from Sunday evenings through Monday morning. The agency noted that traffic control personnel, “crash attenuator vehicles” and sign patterns will guide motorists through the work zone.

Work will end at 6 a.m. on Friday morning, Sept. 4, and will resume at 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening, Sept. 8, 2026, due to Labor Day holiday. Weather or unforeseen conditions may modify or extend the schedule.

The CTDOT said it also plans replacement of road lighting on the Interstate 84 and Interstate 384 interchange in East Hartford and Manchester, starting on Monday, July 27 and that will cause detours.

 drivers should expect lane closures on I-84 and I-384 in East Hartford and Manchester Monday through Friday between the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., as well as Saturday and Sundays.

Motorists should be aware that modifications or extensions to this schedule also may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions.

Interstate 91 work zone speed cameras go live in Meriden

Jenn Brink

MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Speed cameras are now active in the construction zone along Interstate 91 in Meriden as part of Connecticut’s effort to slow drivers and improve work zone safety.

The cameras, which went live Sunday, are part of the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s “Know the Zone” program. They capture images of vehicles entering and leaving the construction area and are designed to identify drivers who exceed the posted speed limit.

According to the program, images collected by the cameras are reviewed by personnel with the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection before a citation is issued.

The speed limit through the work zone is 45 mph. Drivers traveling 10 mph or more over the limit will initially receive a warning in the mail. After that, violators face a $75 fine.

Some drivers support the cameras, saying they could help curb speeding and racing in the area. Others have expressed concerns about privacy and the use of license plate images.

Groundbreaking begins on $1.6B project to speed up Metro-North service

Jenn Brink

STRATFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — State officials are set to break ground Monday on a major rail infrastructure project aimed at reducing travel times on Metro-North’s New Haven Line.

Gov. Ned Lamont will join transportation leaders at the Stratford train station to launch the TIME-1 project, the largest phase yet of the state’s Track Improvement Mobility Enhancement for Connecticut, known as TIME for Connecticut.

The three-phase project carries a price tag of $1.6 billion and includes upgrades to multiple rail bridges in Stratford and Bridgeport. Those improvements are designed to allow trains to travel at faster speeds along one of the busiest commuter rail corridors in the country.

State leaders say the broader TIME for Connecticut initiative is intended to reduce congestion, improve air quality and create tens of thousands of jobs. The program is funded through a combination of federal transportation dollars and Connecticut’s highway use fee on large commercial trucks.

When completed sometime in the next decade, the project is expected to reduce Metro-North travel times between New Haven and Grand Central Terminal by about 25 minutes each way. Officials say the overall savings could cut round-trip commutes by nearly 50 minutes, giving regular riders more than four additional hours each week.

The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Stratford train station.

CT Construction Digest Friday July 24, 2026

Court Upholds Tweed Expansion Approval

Thomas Breen

A Washington, D.C. federal appeals court has upheld a 2023 environmental approval of Tweed New Haven Airport’s long-planned expansion — providing a key victory for the airport’s efforts to build a new terminal and an extended runway.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit handed down that 18-page decision on Tuesday in the case Save the Sound v. Federal Aviation Administration.

Click here to read the decision in full.

The underlying case stemmed from a 2024 appeal filed by the local environmental nonprofit Save the Sound and the Town of East Haven.

The petitioners had sought to challenge the FAA’s finding in December 2023 that Tweed’s plan to construct a new terminal in East Haven and extend the airport’s main runway by nearly 1,000 feet — which was first announced in 2021 — would have no significant environmental impact on the surrounding area.

The FAA found that the airport’s expansion would actually reduce the number of “enplanements” — and, therefore, air pollution — near the Morris Cove regional airport. That’s because the demand for increased air traffic at Tweed will result in more flights no matter what, the FAA predicted. As Judge Gregory Katsas wrote in Tuesday’s decision, “With the runway extension, the FAA projected that Tweed would see fewer flights with more passengers per flight due to the use of full-capacity 737-800s. … Without the extension, the FAA projected more flights with fewer passengers per flight due to the reduced capacity.”

Save the Sound and East Haven pushed back on how the environmental assessment (EA) was conducted, the data it used, and the conclusions it came to about how a larger airport and a longer runway will have no significant environmental impact. Oral arguments in the case took place in a D.C. courtroom in December 2025.

And in April of this year, East Haven promised not to appeal the appeals court’s decision — after the state pledged to send tens of millions of dollars the town’s way. State lawmakers signed off on those Tweed-deal dollars in May.

Tuesday’s decision, meanwhile, upholds the FAA’s December 2023 environmental approval and rejects Save the Sound’s and East Haven’s bids for a more thorough environmental review.

“In sum, the FAA reasonably defined the project, addressed its possible environmental effects, discussed measures the Airport Authority would take to mitigate such effects, and concluded the project would have no significant environmental effects,” Judge Katsas wrote.

“Under Seven County,” he continued, “we must determine only whether the agency acted within a broad range of reasonableness. Because the FAA did so here, we deny the petitions for review.”

Mayor Justin Elicker, the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, and the private airport management company Avports celebrated the court’s decision in a Tuesday afternoon press release.

“The court has affirmed the FAA’s environmental review process for the East Terminal project was comprehensive and complete,” Elicker is quoted as saying in that press release. “This is a positive sign and important step forward towards providing a modernized, regional airport that better serves our residents and the region. The time has now come for us to move forward with the other necessary approvals for this project in a manner that adheres to the joint memorandum of understanding that was signed by all parties earlier this year.”

“The Court has recognized that the FAA’s process met the standards required under NEPA, and we will continue to work closely with the FAA as our project progresses,” airport authority Chairman Robert Reed is quoted as saying in that same press release. “We will also continue to work closely with our municipal partners, ensuring that local oversight and community input remain central throughout this process. HVN’s overarching goal will remain advancing the project responsibly and in full compliance with all applicable requirements at the local, state, and federal levels.”

“We look forward to earning approval through East Haven’s local process, and we intend to meet its highest standards every step of the way,” Avports CEO Marc Ricks is quoted as saying in Tuesday’s press release. “The Town of East Haven and its Planning and Zoning Commission play an essential role, and we’re committed to a transparent, collaborative review that respects local oversight and community input. Alongside our partners in East Haven and at Connecticut DEEP, we’ll continue to advance this project responsibly, with real environmental stewardship at its core.”

In a separate email press release on Tuesday, East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora acknowledged the court’s decision — and stressed that the decision “does not constitute final approval of the proposed airport expansion, nor does it resolve the numerous state and local reviews and permits that remain necessary before the project may proceed.”

“Today’s decision marks the conclusion of one phase of this process, but it is far from the final chapter,” Carfora is quoted as saying in that press release. “Numerous state and local permits and approvals remain outstanding. Connecticut DEEP, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Office of State Traffic Administration, the East Haven Inland Wetlands Commission, and the East Haven Planning and Zoning Commission each have important and independent responsibilities under their respective statutory and regulatory authorities. Every remaining review must be conducted on its own merits and in accordance with the laws governing that agency’s jurisdiction.”

“Tweed Has No Shortage Of Problems”

Katsas’ decision on Tuesday also details why the airport has for so long tried to expand.

“Tweed is one of the most underserved airports in the country,” the federal judge wrote. “In September 2021, the only airline flying there stopped doing so. As of late 2023, only one airline had stepped in to fill the void—a short-haul carrier called Avelo.

“Tweed has no shortage of problems, but two are relevant here. First, its only active runway is too short. At 5,600 feet, it cannot accommodate the weight of full-capacity flights on one of the most common passenger planes—the Boeing 737-800. To comply with the runway’s current weight limits, Avelo must reduce the capacity on such flights from 189 to 162 seats. Second, Tweed’s passenger terminal is undersized and outdated. The existing terminal was built as a hangar in 1980 and then converted to a passenger terminal. It is cramped, inefficient, and prone to flooding.”

Thus the airport’s bid to extend its runway by roughly 1,000 feet and construct a new passenger terminal.

All the while, some airport neighbors have continued to speak up about concerns with air pollution, noise, and traffic resulting from a busier Tweed airport, which is currently home to two commercial airlines — Avelo and Breeze — which fly dozens of direct routes out of New Haven.

Groton retirement community secures $304M financing for major expansion project

Greg Bordonaro

A Groton continuing care retirement community has secured $304.2 million in financing to fund a major campus expansion that will add 265 new senior living units, according to an announcement.

Chicago-based investment bank Ziegler said it recently closed the tax-exempt bond financing for Fairview’s Vista Point project, calling it one of the largest senior living tax-exempt bond deals completed in Connecticut.

The expansion will be built on about 20 acres of undeveloped land on Fairview’s 70-acre campus and will include 193 independent living units, 44 assisted living units and 28 memory support units, along with amenities including dining venues, a fitness center, indoor pool, performing arts center, walking trails and underground parking.

According to Ziegler, the financing will pay for construction of the project, refinance Fairview’s existing debt, fund debt service reserves, cover a portion of interest costs during construction and pay financing expenses.

At the time the financing closed, about 70% of the project’s independent living units had been pre-sold, according to Ziegler.

The project previously received approval from the Groton Planning & Zoning Commission. Fairview CEO Billy Nelson said in a statement released by Ziegler that the next step is breaking ground on the project.

A construction timeline was not provided.

CT Construction Digest Wednesday July 22, 2026

Two construction teams vie for Hartford federal courthouse contract, Q&A event set for Wednesday

Andrew Larson

The planned $345 million federal courthouse in downtown Hartford is moving closer to construction, with two teams competing for the design-build contract and an informational event for subcontractors and suppliers set for Wednesday at Dunkin’ Park.

The new courthouse will be constructed on a 2.2-acre surface parking lot at 154 Allyn St., between Union Station and the PeoplesBank Arena. The 281,000-square-foot building will have up to 11 courtrooms, 18 judges’ chambers, offices for court-related agencies and secure parking.

The GSA expects to award the design-build contract in January 2027, with construction starting in summer 2027, according to the agency’s project timeline. The courthouse is expected to be substantially complete in early 2031.

The U.S. General Services Administration on June 3 named the two firms shortlisted for the contract: Turner Construction Co. of New York, and a joint venture between Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. and Massachusetts-based Consigli Construction.

Consigli has a Hartford office on Allyn Street, in the building next to the planned courthouse site.

The new courthouse will replace the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse at 450 Main St., which was built in 1963 and no longer meets the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut’s needs for space, functionality and security. When the project is finished, the district court plans to move its headquarters from New Haven to Hartford.

Congress has authorized $344.97 million for the site acquisition, design and construction. The design will incorporate classical or traditional architecture, in accordance with a presidential executive order on federal buildings.

On Wednesday, the GSA will host an Industry Day to inform businesses about contracting opportunities on the project. It will include a question-and-answer session and panel discussion.

Construction and building services firms, trade subcontractors and material suppliers are encouraged to attend and engage with the design-build teams as they develop their proposals.

“This courthouse project reflects our commitment to effectively managing the judiciary’s real property portfolio,” said Michael Gelber, the GSA’s acting commissioner of the Public Buildings Service. “It’s creating local jobs and investing in infrastructure that will serve Connecticut for decades to come.”

The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon at Dunkin’ Park’s YG Club, 1214 Main St. Registration is available at gsa.gov/hartfordcourthouse.

Why hiking the US gasoline tax is back on the table 

Wallace Tyner,Energy Economist, Purdue University

(THE CONVERSATION) It is well known that the US has a major infrastructure problem with our national highway system. Many of our bridges are in a very poor state of repair and highway maintenance is not keeping up with needs. The American Society of Civil Engineers in 2013 gave the US road system the grade of a D and estimated that US$190 billion would be needed annually to significantly improve conditions.

The main source of funding for highway and bridge investment is the gasoline tax. And with the rapid drop in gasoline prices over the past several months, more commentators and policymakers are saying now is the right time to raise the tax.

Why haven’t gasoline revenues kept pace with highway funding needs? And if taxes should be adjusted, what’s the most effective way to meet highway funding objectives?

Roots of the shortfall

One reason for this highway infrastructure funding issue is that the gasoline and diesel taxes have not been increased since 1993 – 22 years ago. Meanwhile, the costs of building and maintaining our highway system have increased substantially, about 29 % in that time period.

That means that the purchasing power of the fixed gasoline and diesel taxes has fallen to such an extent that the tax revenues cannot meet the growing funding needs of our transportation system. In 2013, the gasoline tax, which is 18.4 cents per gallon, generated nearly $25 billion in revenue while the diesel tax, at 24 cents a gallon, generated $14 billion, according to my calculations using Department of Energy data.

The problem is that fuel tax revenues have not kept up with construction cost inflation. Tax revenues have also fallen because US fuel consumption has been declining since 2007 when gasoline consumption peaked at 142 billion gallons per year.

Gasoline consumption fell because of the recession, but more recently it has been declining because of the increase in average vehicle fuel economy. The US has fuel efficiency standards known as the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, which require that fuel economy increases to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Fuel consumption is projected to continue to decline in the future. So it is the combination of the reduced purchasing power of the fixed gasoline and diesel taxes plus the declining fuel consumption that have brought us to the current situation.

Bridging the gap

There are a number of possible solutions to address the fuel tax shortfall, including the following:

Transfer funds from general revenue to the highway trust fund to make up for the shortfall. In fact, that is being done now, but many people think that the level of the transfers is not adequate for the needed infrastructure maintenance and improvements.

Change from a per-gallon tax to a tax on vehicle miles driven, an approach the State of Oregon is investigating. This option addresses the issue of increasing vehicle fuel efficiency because it’s a per-mile-driven tax regardless of the amount of fuel used to drive that mile. However, it does not address the increasing construction cost problem.

Index the fuel taxes to the rate of increase in highway construction costs, an approach proposed by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. In this case, Congress would not need to adjust the tax since it would be done automatically on an annual basis, similar to the way Social Security benefits are adjusted annually to account for inflation.

Vary the fuel tax inversely with the wholesale price of gasoline. The advantage of this system is that it would impose higher fuel taxes when fuel prices are low and cut taxes when fuel prices are high. Thus, the higher taxes would come at a time when consumers could most afford them.

Hitching gas tax to wholesale prices

There are many ways a variable tax could be linked to the wholesale price of gasoline; one way is illustrated in the table below. In this system, gasoline and diesel prices are adjusted every quarter based on the previous quarters NYMEX wholesale gasoline price. It is anchored at a NYMEX wholesale gasoline price of $3 per gallon. Normally the retail price is about 75 cents higher than NYMEX, so there would be no incremental tax if retail gasoline price was above about $3.75.

The addition to the current tax would be 10% of the difference between $3 and the NYMEX price the previous quarter. The NYMEX gasoline price on January 7, 2015, was $1.35, so the tax increment would be 16.5 cents, and the total gasoline tax would be 34.9 cents, and the diesel tax 40.5 cents.

In this scenario, the impact on revenue added to the highway trust fund is significant: for gasoline alone, it would be $32 billion per year.

If crude oil and gasoline price remain low for a while as expected, this kind of tax system would provide enough revenue to help replenish the highway trust fund when consumers could best afford to pay.

Essentially, this system would change the tax from a constant per-gallon tax to one that varies inversely with gasoline prices, so that consumers pay more when they can most afford it and pay less when they can least afford it.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/why-hiking-the-us-gasoline-tax-is-back-on-the-table-36191.

Warehouse moratorium begins in Killingly, another proposed in neighboring Plainfield

Sara Bedigian

As a 12-month moratorium to pause new zoning applications for large warehouse and distribution centers began in Killingly on Monday, Plainfield is looking to do the same.

At its meeting Monday, the Plainfield Conservation Commission discussed proposing a moratorium on new warehouse development at the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Aug. 11.

This proposal comes after several warehouses have been built in Plainfield including Amazon, Uline and Lowes, and most recently, a proposed 1.1 million square-foot Costco depot center was approved. The Planning and Zoning Commission passed the Costco development after months of court negotiations in June.

Stephen Randall, member of the Conservation Commission, said members are trying to stop warehouses from coming in and preserve “The Last Green Valley,” as the area is known for, but there is only so much they can do.

“What part of it is green if you look at Google Earth?” Randall said. We have been strip mining the earth with our gravel bags and we have these major industries coming in. ... It’s overwhelming,” he said.

Killingly’s moratorium, which began Monday and is in effect until June 30, 2027, will prohibit developers from filing new applications for “distribution centers, fulfillment centers, e-commerce centers, truck and freight terminals” in the town’s general commercial, mixed-use interchange, business park or mill mixed-use development districts.”

However, Killingly residents are still opposing two warehouse developers that filed before the moratorium began.

Developers of a 1.3 million-square-foot Amazon distribution center, also known as “Project Husky” on Westcott Road withdrew their application after the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission rejected their proposal on July 7. Since the commission denied the application without prejudice, the developer could make changes and resubmit, which it did on July 15 before the moratorium went into effect July 20.

The new application will be reviewed at Killingly’s next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Aug. 17.

Another pair of 178,750-square-foot and 297,500-square-foot warehouses at 90 Putnam Pike has been in discussion for months. It is not known what companies would fill the buildings.

John Knuff, attorney representing the applicant Killingly 1 LLC for the Putnam Pike project, said at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Monday night it has received design comments from engineering firm Tighe and Bond on the plan and will be responding promptly.

However, the Putnam Pike developments still need Planning and Zoning Commission approval.

Residents came out Monday to urge the commission to reject the proposal, saying that the warehouses do not fit their community needs and listed repeated concerns from traffic and road safety to pollution and the environment.

“Please don’t destroy this quiet area with noise, please don’t ruin the aesthetics of our beautiful rural area, ...” Killingly resident Russ Goulet told commission members Monday. night. “Please don’t destroy our quality of life.”

“We don’t need them in our town,” added resident Rebecca Rainville said. “We are supposed to be the Quiet Corner.”

Siting Council to weigh draft findings on controversial Simsbury solar project

Andrew Larson

A proposed solar array on the site of a former Simsbury golf course will come before the Connecticut Siting Council on Thursday, as the panel takes up draft findings of fact in its review of the controversial project.

The council will consider the draft document during its regular meeting, which begins at 1 p.m. via Zoom. Draft findings of fact typically precede a formal opinion and decision, making Thursday’s meeting a key step toward a final ruling on the petition.

Lodestar Energy, based in West Hartford, is seeking a declaratory ruling to build a 4.65-megawatt solar installation on 18.2 acres at 140 Nod Road, the 118-acre former Tower Ridge Golf Club property. The site currently hosts a disc golf facility and the Talcott Mountain Collective event venue.

Because the project exceeds 1MW, it bypasses local zoning review and falls under the Siting Council’s jurisdiction. The council held a public hearing April 23 at the town’s request, though one was not legally required.

The proposal has drawn objections from Simsbury officials. First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis told the council the panels would be visible from the historic Heublein Tower on the Talcott Mountain ridgeline and from the surrounding state park — which she called one of the most treasured assets in the Farmington Valley.

The town has also raised concerns that a large portion of the array appears to fall within a Special Flood Hazard Area, with wetland pockets nearby, and that the proposed landscaping plan would not adequately screen the project from the Nod Road corridor.

Town officials have additionally asked the council to require that roughly $316,930 in delinquent property taxes owed by the site’s owner, Simsbury Real Estate Holdings, be paid before any approval, or that payment be made a condition of the decision.

Attorneys for Lodestar have told the council the facility would generate about $45,000 annually in real estate and personal property taxes. Power from the project would be sold to Eversource. The estimated project cost is $10.9 million, with construction expected to take six to nine months.