Alert “06880” reader Susan Iseman snapped this photo moments ago, on the first day of the North Compo Road closure, from Cross Highway to Main Street:
(Photo/Susan Iseman)
The road will be shut for 30 days, due to culvert work.
Meanwhile, not far away, Jeff Gray reports that — contrary to previous indications — North Avenue is still closed, at the Merritt Parkway bridge.
Safe travels!
After living in Westport for over 40 years, I can hardly recall when there has not been an extended period of road work and traffic disruptions ongoing in some parts of this town. It seems the Town and State have an obligation to continue to spend money and line the pockets of certain contractors whether needed or not!
Many thanks for this heads up!
Not the end of the world. Just go down Compo (toward Post Road) and make a right on Gorham Ave. That will put you back on Main Street away from the mess. Works in reverse also! (Sorry Gorham neighbors).
I’m on a Transportation tear this morning. What the heck is going on with CDOT? This project could have been done during the summer and not the week before school starts. We have bridges which haven’t been inspected since 1992, deferred maintenance, and wrong projects being identified…ie Cribari Bridge. Did you know that, CDOT studied and identified the intersection of Saugatuck Ave and Cribari Bridge as being the source of the traffic problem? They chose to recommend a complete new bridge be constructed at a cost of $40M and completely dismissed the simple solution of repair the deficient Pier 2, sand and paint the damaged decorative trusses. (I testified and recommended as P&Z chair during the public hearing)
They focused on an unnecessary $40M project , rather than address the immediate issue of deferred maintenance. Being simplistic… Morter, sand paper and paint.
We have commuter fare hikes, and now milage taxes being discussed.
The state recently completed a hi speed bus line between New Britain and Hartford which cost over $550 M, and is now running at a projected annual deficit of $17M. What about us in Fairfield county?
Like I said, I’m a little riled up today. There is such a lack of leadership in Hartford at so many levels.
Hold Rep Steinberg responsible for all this-he sits on the transportation committee and we get Shafted. And he voted for 2 tax increases that adds insult to injury.
Westport–VOTE!! Vote him out!!
We lose millions from the state for our schools
And over $1.6 million in state payments for facilities that use Westport land-called PILOT PAYMENTS.
This is no joke anymore. Vote him out!!!
To round out Cathy’s list, the bridge over Willow Brook (between Kings Highway North and Main Street) has a new, lower vehicle weight limit pending further structural investigation.
You are absolutely correct. ConnDOT fails to perform basic maintenance, blames our Cribari’s intersection for traffic overflow that only occurs when there’s an accident or traffic congestion on the under-maintained I-95, and threatens eminent domain to turn residential Westport into a “transportation hub.”
BTW…that bus line covers 9.4 miles.
Ever wonder why Steinberg never responds!! He hides!!
Dan – I lived on the section of N. Compo between Main St. and Cross Highway for years and if I remember correctly there are 8 driveways that exit to N. Compo. What do these people do – stay home or stay away?
They exit and enter at Cross Highway; the culvert down by Main Street is the reason for the closure.
Jack – have you checked the photo – there are traffic barrels, signs and a car blocking N. Compo from Cross Highway – a mess.
What a treat for people who need to negotiate the massive traffic jams every morning due to the North Avenue Bridge closing. When you combine that disruption with this project it will be a nightmare. Maybe the town can spare some resources to direct traffic to improve the flow of traffic.
Thomas. The state should send people to Westport to get thru the traffic issues-but then again-the state is broke. After Steinberg voted for 2 tax increases, CT has entered a death spiral—a financial crisis.
So now us local taxpayers might have to pay the bill. Thanks CT.
Whine, whine, whine. Whattya want a fallen bridge with closures for a longer period of time. Get over it…inconvenience is part of our lives. The Hillspoint road bridge over the turnpike was closed for over a year as I recall and yes I had to revert to the detour which added maybe 5 minutes to my travels. And leave it to Mr. Schuldman to use this as another polarizing ploy to get at Steinberg. Stop it I find it annoying. I am a staunch Republican but might vote for Steinberg to vote against the incessant vitriol which permeates our society.
Sorry didn’t properly identify myself
Tom. Good luck voting for Steinberg. You can’t blame anyone else but yourself. :):)
From My Phone, Bart C Shuldman
>
You sir are a mean spirited partisan. Attack attack attack.
Tom. If you meant this for me-I am can tell you I am not mean spirited–I AM JUST MAD.
you might not know but I sit on a state commission looking at the spending cap issue back when they instituted for the income tax. From all the documents we have and all the details and work I have done–I can tell you the state is in a death spiral. Things, financially, are horrible.
And yea-I am mad at John Steinberg for voting for 2 tax increases and raising the death tax that helped to drive our state into this death spiral. While approving these massive tax increase nothing was done to fix the state employee pensions plans, and OPEB AND THE increasing debt that is driving the State of CT into this death spiral.
So yes-I am mad. And I hope others who want to learn about how bad things are get mad too.
I have over here for over 22 years and build
A business in CT. I am mad at what has happened and what is happening. I ammd home prices are going down. I am mad friends are moving out to get away from the taxes and financial mess. I am mad Westport lost millions in state payments that happened. And I get mad when Steimberg misleads
People about his voted.
So-I am not silent. Sorry-but I will be hopeful that Westport votes for change. I will be hopeful you get mad too.
Peace my friend.
Bart
I find it interesting that the Republican party in town is quite silent in opposition to Steinberg. I for one have no idea who is running against him and what credentials he/she has. Being mad gets nothing done and being noisy in madness without a known, clear, better alternative sounds to this senior citizen as a child’s tantrum. But so it goes in this modern society of incivility.
Tom. Thank you for your response.
First let me tell you the situation in CT just got much worse. During the 2011 and 2015 tax increases approved by Steinberg, the leadership had an opportunity to change the devastating impact of the state employee pensions. Unfortunately nothing was done.
Today-I just learned the return on the pension assets the last 12 months was .35%!! The state predicts 8%. We now fell almost $2 BILLION more behind. Tom-it’s horrible.
To answer your question-Cathy Walsh is running against Steinberg. She is a good person with good intentions. But most important, if she gets elected we help break the one party rule in CT. Tom-there is no deliberations in Hartford-the democrats control everything and all they want to do is raise our taxes. They think we have endless amount of money in Fairfield County.
Tom-the state of CT is in serious trouble. Either people wait to find out the bottom and the effect on their taxes and home values , or they start taking control now. This is simple.
One day I hope we meet.