Local and state government contracts for highway, road and bridge projects dramatically increased between 2021 and 2022, a sign that bipartisan infrastructure funds are starting to have an impact, but contracts for rail and transit projects slowed significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis conducted by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Highway, pavement, bridge and tunnel projects vastly outnumbered rail and transit projects in 2022, both in total value and the number of projects. Many states are looking to ramp up their spending on transportation infrastructure. According to ARTBA’s Transportation Investment Advocacy Center, state legislatures have already introduced more than 150 bills to increase transportation revenue so far in 2023.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/federal-infrastructure-act-law-funds-IIJA-begin-to-flow/644243/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-03-13%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:48723%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will offer $17 million in grants toward the cost of the beach sewer project, according to a meeting on Friday that included state officials, the town and the beach associations. The long-delayed project would install sewers in Sound View Beach, the town’s beach area, as well as three chartered beach communities – Miami Beach Association, Old Colony Beach, and Old Lyme Shores – to satisfy a 2012 state consent order. Costs for the project were originally estimated at about $10 million, but bids came in at $17.5 to 18.5 million – deemed too high by the four entities – and were re-estimated at $14.1 million to $21.1 million. “If everything runs smooth, our goal would be to get the funding in place before June and try and go back out to bid by the summer and award the bids by the fall, which means we could have construction by the end of 2023. So it’s a real big, big positive. Things are moving along at breakneck speed,” said Whalen.

DEEP Offers $17m Grant for Old Lyme Sewer Project, Keeps Consent Order

A redevelopment of an abandoned factory that was once a cornerstone of Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood won a key, state funding approval Friday for a $92 million conversion into apartments and business incubator space — a project that could significantly boost the Parkville Arts & Innovation District. On Friday, a committee of the Capital Region Development Authority, the quasi-public agency that provides state taxpayer-backed loans for housing and other development projects in the city and surrounding suburbs, approved an $8.5 million loan for the factory conversion. Developer Carlos A. Mouta, a major force behind redevelopment in Parkville, including the successful Parkville Market food hall, plans 235 market-rate apartments on the upper floors of the factory, at the corner of Hamilton Street and Bartholomew Avenue, and almost exclusively studios and one-bedroom units. CRDA’s full board must still approve the financing plan backed by its committee, and the State Bond Commission also must sign off. Construction — expected to start this year — is forecast to take about two years.

In Hartford’s Parkville, a $92 million redevelopment wins key state funding approval

With nearly $200,000 in federal funds allocated for its demolition, the former police station building on Plumtrees Road may be on its way to becoming affordable senior housing, if some town officials get their way. The Board of Selectmen voted during its Feb. 27 meeting to use $194,500 in COVID relief money from the American Rescue Plan Act to tear down the old building. “We’re looking at options for affordable senior housing and part of getting (the old police station) out of the way is to that end,” First Selectman Dan Carter said Wednesday. In addition to approving the teardown of the old police station in June 2022, the Board of Selectmen authorized the town finance department to seek bids for remediation and demolition of the vacant facility. No date has been set for the former police station’s demolition, but Carter said he expects it to take place in the next few months.

https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/bethel-old-police-station-senior-housing-17826895.php?src=nthpdesecp

Mayor Caroline Simmons’ proposed $91.4 million total capital budget funding for next fiscal year is more than 60 percent higher than this year’s adopted $55.5 million, and the lion’s share of the new spending would be on school projects. Borrowing would fund $56.2 million of the capital budget for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1. The rest would be funded through other sources, such as state or federal grants. Simmons said the school projects within the fiscal 2023-24 capital budget include a roof replacement at Stamford High School, new flooring at Julia A. Stark Elementary School and improvements at Rippowam Middle School and at Springdale, Davenport Ridge, Northeast and Newfield elementary schools. A state budget bill signed into law last year increased the reimbursement rate for certain school construction projects in Stamford from 20 percent to 60 percent for 25 years.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/stamford-budget-schools-91-4m-17830477.php

Nearly four years after plans for a complete redesign of the East Norwalk Interstate 95 exchange, the state continues to study whether the area should be converted into Connecticut’s first “diamond intersection.” “A traffic study is ongoing to determine if a diverging diamond is a feasible alternative in the area, and what other potential alternatives may improve safety and alleviate traffic,” DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said. “A timeline for this potential project is still being developed.” The diverging diamond interchange would involve both directions of traffic briefly crossing over to the opposite side of the road between the on- and off-ramps. The proposed design would eliminate the need for drivers to cross oncoming traffic, theoretically resulting in less bottlenecking at the intersection. “This project is currently in the concept stage and options are being evaluated,” Fesenmeyer said, according to the meeting minutes.

https://www.thehour.com/news/article/east-norwalk-i-95-diverging-diamond-ct-dot-17816633.php?cmpid=fbsocialflow

After launching the project nearly a year ago, city officials say disaster prevention measures along Harbor Brook are nearing completion, with a possible conclusion date as early as this fall. Construction is running ahead of schedule, Ennis said, thanks to this year’s atypically mild winter which gave crews space to operate with greater efficiency and avoid weather-induced roadblocks traditionally seen between December and early March. Ennis said while a conclusion to channel work in northern Meriden could come in the fall of 2023, he conceded an end date in 2024 is also likely given demolition roadblocks engineers faced in the neighborhood. “It’s not that we’re running out of money [for demolition], it’s that we didn’t plan on doing anything about that,” Ennis said. “The original plan was to reuse that building, but when we had a fire last year, it became structurally unsound.”

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Meriden/Meriden-News/Harbor-Brook-channeling-expected-to-conclude-early-next-year.html

East Hartford’s Town Council, meeting Tuesday night, unanimously agreed to sell the 25-acre former Showcase Cinemas site for $1 to developers planning to build at least 300 apartments. The council also unanimously signed off on a series of conditions that in some ways ease the expectations and burden of developers Brian Zelman and Avner Krohn – acting through Jasko Zelman 1 LLC. Jasko Zelman 1 and town officials had previously set terms in agreements last year that, included, among other things, a 27-year tax fixing agreement. In those agreements Jasko Zelman 1 agreed to build a minimum of 360 apartments. Krohn noted it is to the developers’ advantage to build as many units as possible, as there is tremendous pent-up demand in East Hartford alone. The town has not seen new apartments built in five decades, he said.

East Hartford agrees to sell Showcase Cinemas site for $1 in return for 300-apartment development

The Board of Selectmen approved a $10.5 million appropriation for construction and remediation of Penfield Pavilion to meet a federal deadline, but some local officials are calling the decision rushed and drawing comparisons to the former Tetreau administration. In addition to addressing the outstanding notice of violation lodged by FEMA, the town must remove fill containing PCBs and asbestos from under the pavilion. In an effort to avoid a 10 percent flood insurance hike for almost 1,800 Fairfield residents, the Board of Selectmen voted at a Monday meeting to appropriate $3 million to raise the height of Penfield Pavilion. The board also appropriated $4 million to remove the contaminated material and $3.5 million for the associated construction costs. According to Planning Director Jim Wendt, if FEMA were to move forward with the downgrade, they would not reconsider Fairfield’s rating in the National Flood Insurance Program until construction was complete, which would take 12 to 18 months. After that, the town would need to reapply for the program, requiring a review of town building permits by FEMA.

Fairfield Selectmen Approve $10.5 Million for Rebuild and Cleanup

“Yes, the initial bids came in over budget,” confirmed Thomas Gill, Bridgeport’s director of economic development. He declined to say by how much, arguing it would compromise the integrity of the second effort to solicit prices. Specifically the city wants to move forward with masonry, structural steel and extensive heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements at the 10,000-seat arena, which opened in 2001. New bids are due April 4. Five years and $615,328 worth of city legal expenses later, in the summer of 2021 the City Council approved a settlement that would keep the Islanders skating at the arena for at least another 10 years. In exchange, Bridgeport was to invest as much as $28 million to return the venue to like-new condition. The city so far has set aside $15 million toward that goal.

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-rebids-arena-upgrade-prices-run-28m-17826927.php?src=rdctpdensecp