A shortage of engineers is complicating the state Department of Transportation’s efforts to upgrade and repair Connecticut’s roads and bridges, officials told the CT Mirror. Although officials gave varying estimates as to how many jobs need to be filled in the department in coming years — from 10% to more than 40% of the ideal workforce — they agreed that hiring is a top priority. “We did lose a large number of senior engineers, senior maintainers,” DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said at a press conference last month. “The reduction in staffing has caused some projects to slow down, so it caused us to prioritize projects. What hasn’t happened is it hasn’t led to any reduction in inspection and repairs.” Repairing and upgrading the nation’s infrastructure has been a top priority of the Biden administration, but according to a 2022 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Connecticut’s infrastructure has been given an overall grade of C; with bridges graded at a C, and roads graded at a D-.
https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230730/a-shortage-of-engineers-is-slowing-down-work-at-dot-officials-say/