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How do you move a river? Waterbury Mixmaster overhaul could do just that
After a years-long study, the state Department of Transportation has narrowed down the possible design options for a long-term overhaul of the congested, crash-prone interchange of Interstate 84 and Route 8 in Waterbury known as the Mixmaster. A key difference between the two options, which will now go through the environmental review process, is that one calls for the Naugatuck River to be moved eastward to create space for Route 8 to be unstacked and reconstructed on the river’s west bank. How do you move a river, brook or stream? It involves building a new channel and redirecting the existing watercourse to the new one, officials said. Kevin Carifa, the director of DOT’s Office of Environmental Planning, said it is more common than some may think. Either the Naugatuck River Shift or Modern Crossover Interchange would cost an estimated $3 billion to $5 billion, in 2022 dollars. Dean said the river shift would be the “slightly more expensive” option. Actual construction work to rebuild the interchange’s core isn’t expected to begin for at least a decade.
Here’s how Hartford is planning to redesign several of its major roadways, including Main Street
Several projects are underway, or in the planning stages, to modernize and improve the safety of major roadways in Hartford. Among them is the continued effort to overhaul Farmington Avenue, building on work that started last year near the border of West Hartford and Prospect Avenue. Right now, the city is working on improving the stretch of the roadway from Whitney Street to Dennis Street. Deutsch said the city is also implementing quick-build projects — which are cheaper and sometimes installed on a trial basis — to make the roadway safer. The city is also eyeing installing roundabouts on New Britain Avenue, which would accompany a road diet as well — the process of reducing the number of travel lanes. A road diet is also planned on Asylum Avenue in 2026. Most of these projects, Deutsch added, depend on grant funding — which can sometimes delay or change construction schedules. But he says the city likes to always have something ongoing and another project ready to move onto.
Meriden reviews $191M projects for Pulaski and Hooker schools; city share estimated at $23M
City and school officials are reviewing new design studies for a new Casimir Pulaski Elementary School and a renovated Thomas Hooker Elementary School, which would cost the city an estimated $23.27 million after state reimbursements. The district now has three projects under consideration as part of its long-term facilities plan: building a new Pulaski School at 1 King Place, renovating the existing Thomas Hooker building and repurposing the current Pulaski site. If the city and state approve the plans, the district can move forward with detailed design work. If the project remains on schedule, construction is projected to be completed by fall 2031. The total cost for a new Pulaski Elementary School is estimated at $129.27 million, with the state expected to reimburse $116.8 million. The city would fund $16.06 million, which would cover the demolition of the old Meriden-Wallingford Hospital.
State begins construction on $35.2M redevelopment of Waterbury train station
Gov. Ned Lamont and state Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said the long-anticipated project will modernize the historic Union Station building, improve accessibility and enhance the overall rider experience on the Metro-North Waterbury Branch Line. The project is part of the Lamont administration’s broader initiative to upgrade all six stations along the branch line. In Waterbury, the improvements include a new high-level, 350-foot platform compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), real-time arrival displays, security enhancements and a 1,600-square-foot indoor waiting area inside Union Station, which will reopen to the public for the first time in decades. Federal funding will cover $28.1 million of the project’s cost. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called the investment “desperately needed,” noting that the upgrades will improve daily life for thousands of commuters. Construction of the indoor waiting area is scheduled to begin next month, with platform work starting in early 2026. The new station is expected to open in fall 2026. Substitute bus service will be provided during construction to minimize rider disruption.
CT moving ahead with $52.5M expansion of EV charging network after Trump initially blocked funds
Federal highway officials have given the go-ahead to Connecticut’s updated plan to use $52.5 million in federal funding to expand the high-speed charging network for electric vehicles in the state. The Trump administration in February paused the distribution of funds to states through the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, but reopened the funding program in August in the face of legal challenges and political pressure. The decision in August to relaunch the NEVI program caught some observers by surprise. A judge had ordered federal officials to release funds to certain states that had sued but not to others, and the administration could still have appealed that ruling. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was enacted in 2021 allocated $52.5 million in NEVI funds to Connecticut over five years to upgrade existing fast-charging direct current infrastructure and construct new DC charging stations. The state has committed just $1.4 million of that federal funding, according to the state Department of Transportation. For the moment, Gov. Ned Lamont said his administration is proceeding on the assumption that the state will receive all $52.5 million in pledged NEVI funds.
All four of North Haven’s elementary schools could be rebuilt, board chair says
All four of North Haven’s current elementary school buildings may not be around much longer. Board of Education Chair Ronald Bathrick announced at Thursday’s school board meeting that they could soon be rebuilt. Following an audit team’s assessment into what work needs to be done to get the district’s six school facilities “up to par,” Bathrick said it became evident that financially, the best course of action is to replace the four elementary school buildings. Bathrick added that it is likely Ridge Road Elementary and Montowese Elementary would be built first as those students can stay in the old building while the new one is under construction. When the new Ridge Road and Montowese buildings are done, the students will move into the schools so Green Acres and Clintonville students could move into the old Ridge Road and Montowese schools while their new buildings are being built. “The entire process should take approximately four years from start to finish,” Bathrick said. It is too early to say when construction could take place as it will take Bathrick and district officials another four to six months to prepare a formal rebuild plan. But Bathrick said the plan, once it’s ready and approved, is to get everything done “as soon as we can.”
CT won’t fund Long Island Sound bridge or tunnel, Lamont says, citing high cost: ‘Keep talking’
In a recent interview, Lamont made clear he won’t be chipping in a dime for the pie-in-the-sky project that never seems to die. “I can tell you that they’ve been talking about that ever since I was a kid in Long Island,” said Lamont, 71, who grew up in Laurel Hollow on the island’s North Shore. “So keep talking.” The latest push comes from Stephen Shapiro, a Connecticut housing developer who said he dreams of building a bridge from Bridgeport to the Sunken Meadow State Parkway in Suffolk County, N.Y. Lamont was noncommittal on the idea of a Sound crossing. He called it an “incredibly complicated and supremely expensive” and quickly answered ‘no’ when asked if the state would help finance it. The state Department of Transportation said in a statement that neither it nor any of the state’s regional planning agencies have included the project in their long-range plans. The statements reflect the prevailing view of the project: while it’s fun to imagine and could offer some benefits, it remains farfetched and unlikely to become a reality anytime soon.
East Haven prepares for speed humps, Main Street paving with capital and state funds
Towns officials are preparing to implement a number of traffic and pedestrian safety upgrades, with the first expected to begin next week. East Haven announced Monday it received $4.8 million in competitive Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program funds from the state Department of Transportation, which will be applied to paving Main Street from Town Hall to the New Haven line and paving Messina Drive from Hemingway Avenue to Main Street, plus the addition of a new traffic signal light on Messina Drive, new sidewalks and improved street lighting. The town is currently completing an environmental review and traffic study for the LOTCIP project, which will lead to the final design phase before construction. In a Monday statement, Carfora said the Main Street and Messina Drive project “represents a major investment in our community’s infrastructure and safety.”
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/east-haven-prepares-start-multiple-paving-21090460.php
Stamford OKs King School’s plan for new campus center, additional classroom and lab space
King School was granted approvals to construct a 24,514-square-foot addition to its existing upper school building by the Stamford Zoning Board of Appeals this week. The school administration is also planning to renovate 2,156 square feet of the existing upper-school building and add new landscaping. A Zoning Board of Appeals member, Ernest Matarasso, said he liked the efforts the school had made in reaching out to the neighborhood, calling it “conscientious.” ZBA chair Lauren Jacobson said the application was “well done.” The vote was unanimous. The school operates under a special permit in a residential zone, and new additions require approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/king-school-stamford-expansion-21091246.php
Bullard-Havens alumni bid farewell to old school as new $199M home nears completion in Bridgeport
By 2027, the current school will be demolished and in its place, there will be new athletic fields, said Leigh Appleby, director of communications for the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. The new Bullard-Havens building will be large enough to serve about 900 ninth through 12th graders and will offer the school’s 13 trades, including culinary arts, health technology, carpentry, electrical, graphic design and more. The over 200,000-square-foot facility will include traditional classrooms, a gymnasium that can seat the entire student population, a field house, a fitness center and more, according to a 2023 announcement. The $199 million project is completely state funded, Appleby said. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility is scheduled for November.
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