Tag Archives: Connecticut Department of Transportation

DOT Has The Answer To Our Transportation Woes!

Posted on October 10, 2015 | 31 comments

Every so often — like cicadas, and Bushes running for president — someone floats this idea: Widen our highways.

This time, the Connecticut Post reports, the plan comes courtesy of the state Department of Transportation. Adding lanes to I-95 — all the way from Greenwich to Stonington — as well as I-84, would “produce economic benefits of nearly $40 billion — more than 3 times the cost of both projects combined.”

According to Governor Malloy, most sectors of the state’s economy — especially manufacturing, retail and tourism — would benefit.

A familiar Connecticut scene.

A familiar Connecticut scene.

 

The story notes:

Adding a lane in each direction on I-95 across southern Connecticut will produce $15.5 billion in new business sales, add $9 billion to Connecticut’s gross state product, and add $6.3 billion in new wage income to workers. The widening itself will cost $10.7 billion and support between 11,000 and 19,000 construction jobs over a 10-year ramp-up construction period….

“These numbers prove widening our interstates is the smart thing to do and demonstrate what we’d be losing if we don’t do it, in terms of our economy, jobs, and productivity,” James P. Redeker, commissioner of the transportation department, said. “We really can’t afford to wait.”

Sounds great!

I just have 2 questions:

  • Given the glacial pace of the Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge construction project, would it really take just 10 years to “ramp-up”?
  • And, um, where exactly would we get this land in Westport to add a lane on each side?

(Hat tip: Billy Nistico)

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Marpe: “Keep An Open Mind” On Bridge Street Bridge

Posted on September 14, 2015 | 14 comments

Yesterday afternoon, First Selectman Jim Marpe issued a statement regarding the 131-year-old Bridge Street (William Cribari) Bridge project.

Describing a July 8 meeting involving his office; the Police, Public Works/Engineering Departments, and the state Department of Transportation, and a follow-up conference call the next month with town officials; the Westport Historic District Commission chairman and staff, the DOT, and the State Historic Preservation Office, Marpe said:

I emphasized the importance of retaining the iconic aspects of the bridge’s clearly defined superstructure along with its role in the history of the Saugatuck community. The superstructure also plays an important role in limiting the type and speed of traffic that can travel through the Saugatuck neighborhood, on Bridge Street and Greens Farms Road, and that it serves as a source of traditional holiday decoration for the entire area thanks to the efforts of Al’s Angels.

I was gratified to know that the state was aware of the bridge’s historic importance to the town and had included this important aspect at the onset of its planning efforts.

Bridge Street Bridge: icon or eyesore? (Photo/Michael Champagne)

Bridge Street Bridge: icon or eyesore? (Photo/Michael Champagne)

Marpe said he was also pleased that the DOT assigned Mark McMillian, an architectural historian and National Register specialist, to its project team.

Marpe said that the state is in preliminary stages of a Rehabilitation Study Report. It will take 6 months, and is being performed by a bridge consultant.  When complete, the report will detail the conditions, problems, issues, severity, costs and potential options for rehabilitation. There will be public hearings and presentations, as well as ample opportunity for public review and comment.

According to Marpe, discussions so far suggest that the bridge has major problems. These may include severe structural deficiencies; functional obsolescence; major traffic safety problems, and issues with abutments, the truss and the underside of the bridge.

An idyllic shot of the Bridge Street bridge. Usually, it's filled with traffic.

An idyllic shot of the Bridge Street bridge. Usually, it’s filled with traffic.

Marpe added:

As I informed a number of the town’s elected officials last week, the safety of the bridge and the people who use it as well as the related impact of bridge traffic on the safety of Westport neighborhoods are my primary concerns.

At the same time, I am very sensitive to the historic aspects of this iconic bridge and its significance to many Westporters. I am satisfied that the state understands and is seriously taking these concerns into consideration. I will continue to encourage the state to develop recommendations that balance long-term safety improvements with the need to preserve an important part of Westport’s history.

I urge all Westporters to keep an open mind on the future of the bridge and to wait until we receive the completed engineering findings and facts of the state’s report before reaching conclusions devoid of information.

At this time, no plans of any kind have been suggested by the DOT with regard to what the rehabilitation/replacement options might be. We have been assured by the DOT that a variety of rehabilitation options will be studied. Finally, it is important to note that in current discussions there have been no proposals for construction of a 4-lane bridge as some have mentioned.

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Posted in Local politics, People, Saugatuck, Transportation

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Surprise! Merritt Parkway North Avenue Bridge Repairs Taking Longer Than Expected

Posted on August 7, 2015 | 2 comments

In what is definitely not stop-the-presses news, “06880” has learned that when school opens August 27, all of North Avenue will not — as had been promised — be open to all traffic. It’s been closed since June near the Merritt Parkway, where bridge reconstruction is taking place. Detours — to Weston Road or Bayberry Lane — are required.

The major thoroughfare — home to 4 of Westport’s 8 schools — will have a stopgap measure. One lane will be open, with traffic flowing in alternate directions.

The Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge, before reconstruction.

The Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge, before reconstruction.

In response to a query by “06880,” town operations director Dewey Loselle says:

The state Department of Transportation has run into unexpected issues with the extent of bridge deterioration discovered, which is making their repairs more extensive and taking more time than had been anticipated. The original timetable had them being able to finish the project by September based on the conditions known at the time.

With the opening of school approaching we have been working closely with DOT on the issue. We have told them that the current  detour routes are not viable alternatives for our buses, and not having access to the bridge would cause serious and unacceptable disruption to our school bus schedules, likely causing severe delays of students arriving at schools.

Another view of the Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge.

Another view of the Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge.

DOT has listened to our concerns and has repair crews working around the clock on the bridge work.  The current plan is for enough of the repairs to have been made so that we can safely have 1 lane open on the start of school on August 27th. We would also have police officers at each end of the bridge, facilitating traffic during the morning and evening rush hours by alternating the traffic flows. This way school buses, parents transporting children to school and commuters will all be able to cross the bridge, hopefully with minimal delay.

The bridge will still be closed at night so they can work on the final repairs more expeditiously. DOT is still working out the final details, but this is the plan. Yes, the bridge will not be totally finished, but having 1 lane access with police traffic direction will be a big improvement over the current situation, and much better than the alternative of having to rely on the detours. We are hoping that this will keep school bus delays to a minimum.

“06880” has learned that the police will be paid by the contractor — who will then apparently be reimbursed by the state. It also seems that the one-lane situation will last through mid-October.

The contractor — of course, the low bidder — has a disincentive clause in the contract for not having the bridge open by mid-August. Is half-open actually “open”?

Let the negotiations begin.

DOT logo

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Posted in Local politics, Organizations, Transportation

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Bridge Work Alert!

Posted on May 15, 2015 | 2 comments

No one likes having dental bridge work done.

But what’s ahead for Westport might make us wish we were having root canal — without Novocain — instead.

You may have noticed those “Construction Ahead” signs near North Avenue’s Cross Highway and Easton Road intersections. They refer to an upcoming project: repairs to the Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge.

Construction ahead sign - North Avenue

As reported nearly 3 years ago, the state Department of Transportation needs to patch, waterproof and do other work on the 75-year-old Art Deco span.

That work begins soon.

The contract calls for a 210-day window. The anticipated completion date is October 30. There will be day and night work — and at some point, closure of North Avenue.

That’s a major thoroughfare in Westport. It carries 2300 vehicles a day — and is home to 4 schools (Staples High, Bedford and Coleytown Middle, and Coleytown Elementary).

The good news: Removal of mature trees will be kept to a minimum.

The Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge -- before renovation begins.

The Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge — before renovation begins.

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Big Toot

Posted on April 24, 2015 | 7 comments

The other day, an alert (and noise-sensitive) “06880” reader asked:

Do you have any idea how long the trains are going to blasting their horns through Westport? It started before we went away March 1st. I’m sure they must be getting a lot of complaints.

Though I live a couple of miles from the tracks, I’ve actually heard the horns myself. Well, maybe they’re car horns from drivers trying to navigate the increasingly chaotic Playhouse Square parking lot. Whatever.

I sounded out (ho ho) Aaron Donovan. He’s an MTA spokesman, and — because “06880” is “where Westport meets the world” — a 1994 Staples graduate.

He reported back:

This is a result of the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s long-term project to replace all the New Haven Line overhead wires, which were first installed in 1907. These original wires use antiquated “fixed termination” technology, which unfortunately allows the wires to sag ever so slightly during periods of high heat (it isn’t visible to the naked eye) or contract during periods of extreme cold, causing operations problems for trains. The DOT is updating the wires, more formally known as catenary, with a state-of-the-art “constant tension” system that will better accommodate the extreme temperature that can impact our region.

catenary lines

The good news is that this is the very last leg of the project. The DOT recently completed the section between Southport and Bridgeport, and are now turning attention to the section between Norwalk and Southport. In the current phase of the project, DOT’s contractors are out on the tracks digging holes to sink foundations for the gantries from which the new wire system will be suspended. For the safety of all personnel who are on or near the tracks, trains are required to sound their horns when approaching work zones.

The project is scheduled to be completed in September 2017.

Thanks, Aaron! That’s a lot more information than those signs that say “Good Service”!

(To learn even more about the DOT project, click here and here.) 

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Posted in Organizations, People, Staples HS, Transportation

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Hey, DOT: Move Your Asphalt!

Posted on April 18, 2015 | 14 comments

It’s been there so long — and we’re so intent on finding an illegal parking spot at Starbucks — that most Westporters seldom notice the asphalt mountain at the state Department of Transportation maintenance facility just behind Walgreen’s and the bank, across from the diner.

But alert “06880” reader Scott Smith spotted it 2 years ago. Yesterday morning, he looked again. The only thing that’s changed: It’s 2 years older. 

Scott writes:

I know that much of the old asphalt scraped off our roadways is recycled into new material to resurface roads. In fact, old asphalt is the most recycled material in the US. Maybe that’s the state’s plan for all this stuff – surely thousands of cubic yards of ground-up asphalt. If so, they’re taking their sweet time to use it.

One view of the asphalt, from Hillandale Road...

One view of the asphalt, from Hillandale Road…

So here’s my question for CT DOT, as well as our local and state elected officials: Is this the best use of such prime Westport real estate?

Seems to me this area could be better utilized for, say, parking school buses and getting them out of their current cramped lot downtown. Or maybe we could work out a deal to move our Parks & Rec maintenance facility from the center of Longshore to this area. (The vehicles and equipment at that rundown facility are used not at Longshore but other Parks & Rec properties around town.) With some screening, perhaps there’s enough room here for affordable housing, which is as much a state issue as a local one.

Our local tax dollars sent to Hartford far out-measure what Westporters get back in terms of state services. You’d think we would have a good case to make for a land swap or lease that would allow Westport to make better use of this property. And there doesn’t seem to be much of a NIMBY issue involved, as most any re-development of the site would be preferable to a mountain of asphalt sitting almost in the middle of town.

...and another. (Photos/Scott Smith)

…and another. (Photos/Scott Smith)

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Posted in Environment, Local business, Places, Transportation

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New Sign Gets In The Spirit Of Things

Posted on November 23, 2014 | 10 comments

On Friday, driving from the Y on the sparkling new Merritt Parkway Exit 41 ramp, I saw a guy with a truck putting up a sign.

Check it out — it’s the sparkling new white one, at the bottom of all the others.

Merritt Parkway sign

Call me crazy, but I’m guessing this is not an official — or legal — Department of Transportation project.

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Stupid Party Tricks From DOT

Posted on July 29, 2014 | 1 comment

Last month, “06880” reported on a traffic light at the foot of Kings Highway North. The green arrow suddenly — and erroneously — pointed left instead of right, leading drivers directly into ongoing Post Road West traffic.

Today, the light exiting from Playhouse Square shows red and green simultaneously, instead of green only.

Traffic light

The result, of course, is an even longer backup of traffic in Playhouse Square, as drivers try to figure out what the hell is going on.

We’re on Candid Camera, right?

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Working On The Highway

Posted on January 13, 2014 | 17 comments

It’s not the biggest bridge traffic story of the month.

But it’s ours.

In the spring of 2015, the Connecticut Department of Transportation will begin a $2.6 million project to rehabilitate the Merritt Parkway’s North Avenue bridge.

It’s a big project. The bridge is 75 years old, and as with human beings, things happen at that age.

Notice is given: North Avenue will be closed 18 months from now, to repair this bridge.

The Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge.

But the state DOT understands the importance of North Avenue. It’s a major artery in town — and 4 schools (Coleytown Middle and El; Bedford Middle; Staples High) are strung along it.

So, while rehabilitation work will take several months, the plan is to close the road entirely only from mid-June to mid-August, when school is not in session.

A public information meeting is set for this Wednesday (January 15, 7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) to explain the work, and answer questions. Plans will be available for review.

So let’s see. In Connecticut, officials send out notices about a bridge closing 18 months in advance, and hold a public meeting.

In New Jersey, the governor — sorry, random top-ranking people in his administration he barely knows — close most lanes of the busiest motor vehicle bridge in the world, yet the only communication is gleeful texts and emails among themselves.

Kind of drives home the difference between the 2 states, right?

A different bridge, an hour away.

A different bridge, an hour away.

 

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Posted in Organizations, Places, Staples HS

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Little Leaguers Win; Politicians Strike Out

Posted on August 5, 2013 | 14 comments

As Westport’s Little League all-star team roars toward the World Series in Williamsport — they’re 2-0 in the New England regionals, the most recent win a perfect game yesterday over the Maine state champs — some adult fans are having a tougher time.

They want to honor Westport’s 1st-ever Connecticut championship with a highway sign.

So far, they’ve struck out.

On Sunday, July 28, Avi Kaner — whose son Jonathan is friends with several of the all-stars — emailed the 3 Westport selectmen and 4 state legislators from this area. He asked how a sign could be placed at I-95 Exit 17. “I have seen similar signs elsewhere,” he noted.

Eight days later, State Senator Toni Boucher responded. She relayed information from the state Department of Transportation’s Traffic Engineering Division. It said that the division

receives many requests for recognition signing and, as a result, has established a practice of limiting the conditions under which they will be installed. Generally, recognition signing is currently limited to college level athletic teams that win a national or conference tournament championship or win their conference. Little League level athletic accomplishments are not recognized on the State highway system by the Department.

The Department shares your enthusiasm for honoring the Westport Little League team. However, if all such recognition requests were accommodated, there would be so many signs that motorists would have difficulty responding to the various regulatory, warning and guide signing essential to the driving task.

In view of the above, the Department does not provide or allow Little League Championship signing in the State highway right-of-way.

Boucher hit “reply all,” and added her own thoughts:

It might be a good idea to put in a bill as a delegation to change this policy in the future. In the meantime, if anyone wants to try to contact the Governor’s office on this it may be worth it.

UConn got a huge sign on I-84, just for winning the women's NCAA basketball title.

UConn got a huge sign on I-84, just for winning the women’s NCAA basketball title.

Kaner — the Republican candidate for 2nd selectman this fall — took less than 20 minutes to send his next email. He thanked Boucher for her suggestion of a bill, asked whether the legislature could “overturn this DOT decision on a one-off basis” — and added this personal plea to State Representative Jonathan Steinberg:

“As a leading Democrat, the Governor’s office will be most likely to listen to you. Can you please try?”

This is bipartisanship at its finest. Senators Reid and McConnell, Congressmen Boehner and Pelosi: take note.

Although, if I was a betting man, I’d lay odds that the Westport Little League all-stars’ season will end a lot more successfully than this bureaucratic mission.

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Posted in Children, Politics, Sports

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