The DOT has agreed to settle a case challenging the constitutionality of its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, effectively barring women- and minority-owned companies from automatic inclusion in the initiative. In a joint motion filed May 28 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky that still needs a judge’s approval, DOT agreed to no longer defend gender and race as presupposed qualifications for inclusion in the program. “USDOT has determined that the race- and sex-based presumptions in its DBE program can no longer pass constitutional scrutiny,” the agency wrote in court documents. The settlement also still needs to be granted by the judge in the case. Beyond that, Democracy Forward, a liberal advocacy group that has been a vocal legal challenger to President Donald Trump’s policies during both of his terms, recently won a minor victory in gaining approval to intervene in the case, which is still ongoing. “The participation in this case is essential to allowing minority- and women-owned businesses to fight for themselves and their communities, and we are pleased that the court will allow their voices to be heard, said Sarah von der Lippe, counsel for the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund in a May 21 Democracy Forward news release praising that decision. Whatever the ultimate outcome of the case, the DBE’s future administration will likely be dramatically curtailed and increasingly complex, according to Slottee.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/dot-race-gender-dbe-settlement/749536/

The Norwich Public Utilities Board of Commissioners has appointed Ashon Avent as its chairman for the coming year, according to a community announcement. Avent, who has been an NPU commissioner since 2021, is the owner of T-Shirt World and a resident of Norwich for over a decade. He holds a degree from Eastern Connecticut State University, an MBA from Albertus Magnus College and is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration from Southern Connecticut State University. The board also appointed Commissioner Bill Warzecha as vice chairman and Commissioner Stewart Peil as secretary. Peil served as chairman for the past three years. NPU is currently undergoing extensive upgrades and construction throughout Norwich. This includes a $200 million upgrade of its wastewater treatment plant, over $20 million in modernization work across its natural gas service territory, several projects to upgrade and improve its water system and extensive planning to upgrade its electrical system in the coming years.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2025/05/30/ashon-avent-appointed-norwich-public-utilities-chairman-amid-upgrades-wastewater-plant-gas-lines/83918377007/?tbref=hp

Two old stone bridges are proposed to be upgraded by the state Department of Transportation, despite being previously reinforced with modern technology. The projects call for adding new roads over the bridges, which officials said will address deficiencies, ensure the spans meet required load standards and retain the bridges’ historic significance. The work will cost an estimated $5.4 million. Project Engineer Jonathan Carelli explained the first bridge, located on Parks Road and spanning Broad Brook, consists of a stone bridge built in 1900 which was reinforced in 1960 with concrete slabs. The two-lane roadway has a width of 21 feet. The proposed work calls for adding a new concrete layer on top of the bridge and re-constructing the roadway to be longer and wider. The updated span would include two 10-foot travel lanes and reinforced concrete abutments. The $2.8 million in upgrades would not disturb the original, underlying structure, officials said. Designs for the bridges are expected to be complete in August. Construction would begin in April 2027 and finish in November of that year. During construction, detours would go into effect.

https://theday.com/news/749924/dot-to-upgrade-two-historic-stone-bridges-in-preston/

The Commodore Hull Bridge, which carries Route 8 over the Housatonic River between Shelton and Derby, will now have a posted load restriction of a 32 tons load for all vehicles using the span, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The bridge remains safe to use, according to DOT. The DOT said an emergency declaration has been signed for the bridge. Construction will begin on Monday in the area. On Route 8 northbound, Howe Avenue and Kneen Street on-ramps may be closed to traffic and mainline traffic will be maintained for two lanes across the bridge in a lane shift configuration, according to DOT. Delays and one-lane traffic alternating traffic are said to be expected. The project will have the time frame of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weather or unforeseen conditions may modify the schedule. The CTDOT asks that motorist maintain a safe speed in the area.

Load limit put in place for bridge on busy CT highway. Here is why and where.

Swanston should soon have more certainty about if and when his vision for the lower East Side in Bridgeport, which includes the soccer venue, a hotel, 1,100 housing units and public recreational space, will become a reality. The state House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would, should Bridgeport officials so choose, allow the city to use tax incremental financing (TIF) to help pay for up to $190 million of the stadium and infrastructure construction. A portion of any new real estate taxes generated by the project would pay off the debt rather than going directly into Bridgeport’s municipal coffers. There has been a simultaneous push for state lawmakers to also commit about $100 million to Swanston’s project as part of any borrowing or bonding package included in a new two-year Connecticut budget negotiated with Gov. Ned Lamont. Felipe and Bridgeport state Reps. Christopher Rosario and Steve Stafstrom in separate interviews emphasized the importance of getting Lamont to back the stadium spending. Lamont has previously expressed support for Swanston’s effort but not about providing significant state funds, preferring the private sector to take on that responsibility.

https://www-ctpost-com.translate.goog/news/article/bridgeport-soccer-stadium-legislators-aid-funding-20353015.php?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true

The construction work to fully replace the “structurally deficient” Van Car Road bridge is underway, while the work to replace the Sand Road bridge is expected to start in mid-June, according to officials from New Milford’s Public Works Department. “Both of these replacement projects will make the roadways safer for commuters as well as provide resilience for the future to prevent flooding,” said Chuck Ballard, the roads design engineer for New Milford’s Public Works Department. The Sand Road bridge sees average daily traffic of 477 vehicles. It was deemed “structurally deficient” at its last inspection on Oct. 23, according to data from the Public Works Department. The town is coordinating with the state Department of Transportation on both projects, Ballard said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/newmilford/article/new-milford-van-car-road-sand-bridge-replacement-20351212.php

The grant from the state’s Small Town Economic Assistance Program, which was announced Wednesday, will go toward a multi-million dollar project to add lighting and install artificial turf on both the baseball and softball fields, said Greg Dembowski, Brookfield’s economic development manager. The project, called “Brookfield High School Athletic Fields Renovations, Phase 1,” will add “an estimated 380 hours of field usage each year by adding fifty-six precision engineered light fixtures on 10, seventy-foot high steel poles around the softball and baseball fields,” he said. The total cost of the project is expected to be between $4.2 million to $4.5 million, officials say. The town applied for the grant in February through the state’s STEAP program for $775,00, which will pay for the first phase. The town will fund 30 percent of that amount, or $230,000. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in the fall, with construction most likely beginning in August, Dembowski said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/brookfield-state-grant-field-lighting-athletic-ct-20349741.php

The bridge on Cedar Heights Road in Stamford is open to two-way traffic after numerous delays. The bridge was rated to be in “serious” condition before it was closed, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. A “serious” grade is defined as a bridge with “major defects; strength and/or performance of the component is seriously affected.” A bridge with this grade also calls for “more frequent monitoring, load restrictions and/or corrective actions.” The project to replace the bridge on Cedar Heights Road cost $2,773,082, according to the city’s website. Eighty-percent of that money came from the federal government, officials said, while the remainder came from the city. Also, the bridge on Wire Mill Road was closed May 19 for construction to begin work on its replacement, according to the city’s website.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/stamford-ct-bridge-cedar-heights-wire-mill-20353371.php

Rehabilitation work on the 112-year-old East Haddam Swing Bridge on Route 82 is finally complete. The $88.8 million project was funded through $70 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law money, and 20% in state funds, according to the governor’s office. Gov. Ned Lamont, DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto and U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney were on hand Tuesday morning at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam to herald the project’s end. Construction began in September 2022. The bridge was upgraded with new mechanical and electrical systems, substructure repairs, and a new sidewalk connecting the communities, it continued. Work on the structure, which connects the towns of Haddam and East Haddam over the Connecticut River, involved a major rehabilitation of the structural, mechanical, and electrical components of the bridge, the state Department of Transportation said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/east-haddam-swing-bridge-open-construction-ct-20346861.php

In a recent 6-2 vote, the council voted to proceed with drafting a bond proposal to Banton Construction. The New Haven-based firm originally bid to take on the renovation of the pool in 2020. It bid again and made the lowest offer of $9.3 million. This was lower than the town’s expected estimate for the project, which was $12 million. The new pool would be much smaller at 13,000 square feet than the existing structure at 43,000 square feet. The renovated plan will also include a new bathhouse and picnic pavilion, a splash pad, playground, an expanded parking lot and new landscaping, along with expanded green space and a potential performance stage for events and activities. Much like the existing pool, the new design will also be zero depth entry, with four lap lanes, slide, and water sports areas in the deeper sections. Banton Construction was the lowest of the other companies to bid on the project, which included Orlando Annulli & Sons, Montagno Construction, and J.A Rosa Construction. All bid over $10-11 million, closer to the estimated project pricing.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/recordjournal/article/wallingford-community-pool-approval-renovation-ct-20348923.php