The state Department of Transportation has goals over the next few decades to make the state’s roads safer, travel more efficient, and more resilient to severe weather, according to a newly released 30-year transportation plan. Connecticut 2055, the state’s long-term transportation plan, outlines several distinct goals, including road safety, reducing congestion, and eliminating serious injuries or fatalities, creating more connected communities through a multimodal transportation network, implementing emerging technology into road design, and creating resilient and sustainable infrastructure, according to the DOT report. “Connecticut 2055 is a forward-thinking plan that will drive economic growth, connect our communities, and improve lives through an integrated multimodal transportation system,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said, in a statement. “The final plan reflects years of collaboration with residents, stakeholders, and partners across the state, and positions Connecticut to meet the transportation needs of today and opportunities of the future.” While the report does not outline costs for specific projects, it does offer “baseline scenario forecast findings” projected through 2055, and notes, the “anticipated level of state and federal funding would only meet the state’s transportation needs” through 2029. “By 2030, a funding gap would emerge and continue to grow over time, reaching $1.7 billion annually in 2040 and $5.6 billion annually in 2055,” it says.

https://www.courant.com/2026/08/26/ct-agency-develops-30-year-transportation-plan-for-state-it-notes-major-funding-gap-could-emerge/

With Colorado-based Flatiron Energy withdrawing its widely unpopular proposal for an enormous battery energy storage facility in New Milford, town officials and environmentalists are relieved — for now. Flatiron late last week told attorneys for the town that it was no longer pursuing its plan for Treebeard, its name for a 140-megawatt lithium-ion battery storage facility to be built on 10 acres near the West Aspetuck River. But the company still has an option on the land, and last winter said it was also exploring other potential sites in New Milford. So far, it has not advised the town on whether it’s leaving the area altogether, seeking a nearby location instead, or simply postponing its campaign for the original proposal. “Since January the only communication they gave the town is through their legal representation — their attorneys talking with the town attorney,” Mayor Pete Bass said Tuesday. “They told us they’re not moving forward on that property. We know that property is still under option, but we haven’t heard more than that.”

https://www.courant.com/2026/08/26/litchfield-county-town-appears-to-have-dodged-unwanted-battery-farm-at-least-temporarily/

MIDDLETOWN—The common council’s rejection of a proposal to bond $38 million to build a two-level parking structure behind the police station on Main Street has left some officials surprised or disappointed. The garage would have created up to 320 new parking spaces in a city where the lots are full, even as redevelopment surges. “We are at capacity,” Middletown Economic Development Director Christine Marques told the council at a special meeting Thursday. “We have nowhere to park cars.” Marques was before the council to explain the outline of the proposal known as “Option C,” which included setting space aside for a future multi-story apartment complex with it’s own underground parking abutting deKoven Drive. The development would be similar to the now-stalled Village at Riverside project. The initial, mixed-use project proposed by Spectra Construction & Development Corp. in 2022 called for a block-sized, multilevel housing and retail complex that would include a public square and pedestrian walkways in full view of the Connecticut River.

https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/middletown-parking-ct-downtown-development-22398270.php

A public notice by the Connecticut Department of Transportation about a bridge in Old Saybrook may be causing residents to do a double take. The state agency plans to hold a public meeting Thursday night about a project involving the bridge that carries Route 154 over Plum Bank Creek — a structure that was entirely replaced five years ago at a cost of about $2.5 million. What’s bringing DOT back to the span?
The replacement bridge’s superstructure, which includes the deck, is not as high above the water as the old bridge, according to the agency. After the replacement bridge was constructed, “a community member informed CTDOT that access to Plum Bank Creek was limited,” agency spokesperson Eva Zymaris said. “To meet regulatory requirements and accommodate recreational access and use of Plum Bank Creek, CTDOT is proposing to raise the superstructure of the bridge.” Construction is expected to start in 2028 and cost the state about $3.4 million.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/connecticut/article/ct-dot-bridge-old-saybrook-construction-low-raise-22385187.php

Crews will soon be gearing up for the next stage of the $900 million construction project to rehabilitate the northern span of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge between New London and Groton. In late May, a traffic crossover went into effect that shifted two northbound lanes onto part of the southbound span, separated by a barrier from the southbound lanes. Two northbound lanes are continuing on the northbound span. The next stage will shift the two northbound lanes from the right side of the northbound span to the middle, while not making any changes to the crossover on the southbound span. On the northbound span, a work zone on either side of the lanes will allow crews to strengthen steel and replace the deck, project officials said. The contractor plans to work from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday to complete the work needed to prepare for the next stage, DOT spokesperson Eva Zymaris said last week. After traffic is shifted to the center lanes, the contractor will begin installing concrete barriers on the right side to complete the Stage 1 configuration, she said. The work will occur at night to ensure the safety of workers and will take about a month to complete.

https://theday.com/news/917423/gold-star-bridge-project-to-move-to-next-phase/#

A Utah developer is seeking approval to bring 420,000 cubic yards of fill to a long-abandoned Berlin brickyard as part of a plan to redevelop the 57-acre property. The project, slated for 303 New Britain Road, would create a pad site for two commercial buildings totaling 44,000 square feet on about 16.7 acres, along with 90 parking spaces, stormwater basins and a new permanent railroad crossing. Berlin Industrial Redevelopment LLC, an affiliate of Farr West, Utah-based Industrial Development Advantage LLC, is seeking site plan approval for the project, which would be located on a 56.9-acre property owned by Connecticut Sand & Stone Corp. Braxton Buckway, the company’s chief financial officer, is listed as the applicant. The property has been vacant since the early 1980s. From about 1900 into the 1960s, it operated as the Donnelly Brick Co., which mined clay to depths exceeding 30 feet. The resulting pits were filled during the 1970s, including with material generated during construction of Route 9, but the fill was never engineered or compacted. That uncontrolled fill left the site geotechnically unstable and environmentally contaminated. The developer says the site cannot be redeveloped without massive amounts of fill to stabilize the ground and raise the grade. Berlin Industrial Redevelopment, or BIR, proposes using up to 420,000 cubic yards of fill to do that.

https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/developer-seeks-approval-for-420000-cubic-yards-of-fill-to-redevelop-former-berlin-brickyard/

Killingly — The traffic engineer for a proposed development at 90 Putnam Pike told the Planning and Zoning Commission Monday night that the project is not a mega warehouse that would generate large amounts of truck traffic. The comments by Kevin Solli came as the commission continued its public hearing Monday night on a proposal By Killingly 1 LLC for warehouses of 178,750 square feet and 297,500 square feet, respectively. He said a traffic study calculated the warehouses will generate 87 trips — 14 of those being trucks, during the peak hour in the morning, and 91 trips — 14 of those being trucks, during the peak hour in the evening. “That is one vehicle a minute, this is not a mega warehouse as people have been alluding to, this does not represent a large trip generation, and our analysis is that, as we have indicated, will not have adverse impacts on the traffic operating conditions of the area,” Solli said. It is still unknown what businesses would occupy the warehouses. Because of this, residents have expressed concern the traffic numbers could increase from the numbers cited by Solli.

https://theday.com/news/916494/proposed-killingly-warehouses-continue-to-roll-through-review/

NEW HAVEN — Of the estimated 140,000 vehicles that whizzed by the giant horses and jockeys painted on the former Sports Haven video off-track-betting facility in the city’s Long Wharf section Tuesday, few if any stopped to witness the start of its demolition. But Tony Falcone was there, joined by Robert Greenberg. They didn’t come to mourn the demise of Sports Haven (originally called Teletrack) and its 100-foot-tall very public art mural installation, but to celebrate the fact that it was there as long as it was, as well as to document it and hopefully preserve some small part of it for posterity. But you can understand if they might get a little misty-eyed. Falcone is the guy that painted those giant horses on the building at 600 Long Wharf Drive beginning in 1995 and finishing in 1996. Since then, they’ve been seen by millions and millions of people passing by on one of Connecticut’s busiest stretches of highway. Greenberg is the guy who a few years ago founded the Lost in New Haven Museum at 80 Hamilton St., which works to preserve classic, lost icons of New Haven just like this. They came out of their visit with a promise from Johnny Carabetta, a member of the family that owns demolition contractor J & J Demolition — and the one operating the excavator that was working around the edges of the building Tuesday before things ratchet up further on Wednesday — to try to keep some good-sized chunks intact to go in the museum.

https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/demolition-new-haven-sports-haven-mural-ct-22391944.php

Norwich — Members of the City Council on Monday night voted to add a question to the Nov. 3 ballot asking residents to approve $55 million to renovate the former Chelsea Groton Bank building at 300 Main St. into a new police station. Last year, the police department offered public tours of the current 47-year-old police station at 70 Thames St. The tours showcased the building’s insufficient storage and interview space, lack of changing rooms for female officers and numerous other problems, including mold and water from a leaky roof that threatens computer equipment.
Police officials have repeatedly boasted how the former bank building at 300 Main St. would provide much more space, including more interview rooms, and locker rooms for the department’s female officers. The department currently has 73 officers — while the current station was built to accommodate only 51. Over the years, the city has made several attempts to build a new police station, but those proposals were rejected at referendum or earlier. The only council member to speak prior to the vote Monday was Mayor Swarnjit Singh. “This need is not new. It existed for decades. And prices keep going up. From $33 million to $44 million to $55 million. And they’re not coming down. I do construction for a living so I do know,” Singh said. “And I feel like it fits the overall vision of creating better public safety for our people. And as we are growing downtown, this has become a need as well.”

https://theday.com/news/916369/norwich-to-put-55m-police-station-to-nov-3-vote/

NEW HAVEN — Sports Haven, the vacant landmark former video off-track-betting parlor in the Long Wharf section known for its highly visible giant murals of racing horses, is expected to come down this week and demolition could begin as soon as Tuesday morning, officials said Monday. The property owner and its demolition contractor, J & J Demolition, could have a demolition permit in hand as soon as Tuesday, city Building Official Robert Dillon said Monday. It will be up to them when they begin taking the building down, Dillon said. Demolition of the building at 600 Long Wharf Drive — which is seen by about 140,000 vehicles per day passing by on Interstate 95 — is coming about a month later than the previous estimate by city officials. Several employees of a hazardous materials abatement company were still on the property Monday morning, working to get the property ready for demolition. A supervisor and an employee of the demolition company both said demolition could begin sometime this week. Earlier this summer, the building underwent an environmental assessment, Dillon has said. Part of that assessment was to determine whether the building had any asbestos-laden tiles, he said.

https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/new-haven-long-wharf-sports-haven-i-95-i-91-22388950.php