The Torrington native is the newly appointed state Department of Transportation commissioner, getting acclimated to his new role since his appointment in January. He previously served for three years as deputy secretary of the state agency responsible for the state’s roads, bridges and rails. Eucalitto started working as a deputy commissioner a couple of months before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since starting his new job, Eucalitto is making a point to visit each of the 65 DOT garages and 40 DOT offices across the state each week or every other week, depending on his schedule. Last Friday, he stopped by the Thomaston garage to visit with the staff and hear what they have to say. He brought his work with him and sat down at an empty cubicle for part of the day. Eucalitto comes on board at a time when there are hundreds of vacancies within the department. The department, which has about 3,000 employees has 500 job openings. The department is competing for engineers who can make more money in the private sector.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2023/03/26/new-dot-commissioner-road-tested-torrington-native-took-a-scenic-route-to-states-top-job/#login

A massive $385 million project to revamp Norwich’s school buildings moves a step closer. The Norwich City Council approved resolutions giving the Norwich Board of Education permission to apply to the state Department of Administrative Services for funding for three of the four elementary school projects – Greeneville, Stanton and Moriarty elementary schools. School Building Committee Chair Mark Bettencourt said the application for and the work on the Greeneville and Stanton school projects would be done first. Back in November, voters approved the city’s plans to spend a total of $385 million to discontinue use of all the existing elementary schools and build four large new ones, alongside turning the Samuel Huntington Elementary School into the new district office, and a remodel of Teachers Memorial Global Magnet Elementary School. The cost is $385 million, but the cost to the city was said to be only $149 million, after getting state grants.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/2023/03/13/norwich-funding-greeneville-stanton-moriarty-school-building-construction-projects-cathy-osten/69992948007/

A developer’s offer to expand and improve a key intersection helped convince town officials to approve a $100 million project off West Street. Town leaders gave the Texas-based developer approval earlier this week for the plan which includes 255 apartments along with turning lanes and a motion-sensing camera for the West Street and Curtiss Street intersection. Despite reservations among some Planning and Zoning Commission members, they approved the development’s special permit and site plan Tuesday night unanimously. Approval includes stipulations for the right-hand turn lane on Curtiss Street and a requirement that trucks use West Street for highway access during construction. The next steps for the company are getting state Department of Transportation approval for work adding the turning lane to West Street. Curtiss Street work only requires town approval.

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Southington/Southington-News/Southington-planners-approve-$100-million-West-Street-development.html

The town has won $5.4 million in state aid to demolish and abate the abandoned middle school on Newhall Street, a site Mayor Lauren Garrett hopes ultimately will become Hamden’s “community campus.” Garrett has proposed spending $15.4 million, the bulk of the town’s remaining $18 million in ARPA money, on the community campus. The entire project is expected to cost $59 million, according to a town application for state funding. Located in Newhall, one of Hamden’s most underserved neighborhoods, the community campus would house child care and elderly services, social services, a food pantry, an arts and cultural center, a library and a health and wellness center, Garrett wrote.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/state-officials-back-hamden-community-campus-plan-17854059.php

The Federal Aviation Administration has extended the public comment period on the draft Environmental Assessment of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport’s proposed expansion project by 15 days to May 1 after being approached by representatives of both the airport and expansion opponents. The Tweed New Haven Airport Authority will hold a public information workshop and hearing on the draft EA at East Haven High School April 1. It will begin with an “open house” question-and-answer session from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a more formal hearing from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The EA found that the expansion project would not significantly affect traffic at 11 key intersections. A new traffic signal and intersection improvements would be installed at Proto Drive and Coe Ave in East Haven.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/public-comment-extended-tweed-airport-17855849.php

American Bridge Company (AB) is rehabilitating the East Haddam Swing Bridge, which carries Route 82 over the Connecticut River and links the towns of Haddam and East Haddam, for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). The total project cost is $78.4 million, with the AB contract valued at $55.2 million. Planning for the project goes back several years and CTDOT has held several public meetings to discuss the project. State and federal funds are financing the project. The design was completed in 2021. Construction began in fall 2022 and should be completed in spring 2025. The project was designed by CTDOT and Hardesty & Hanover. Crews were working throughout the winter. “Temperatures don’t get too extreme in Connecticut, and our union labor force is used to working in the elements all year round,” said Hazirjian.

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/american-bridge-rehabilitates-east-haddam-swing-bridge/60563

Two historic buildings near downtown Hartford‘s Bushnell Park — occupied for decades by state offices, including the Secretary of the State — could be converted into 108 apartments in a $45 million project that would give a significant boost to the Bushnell South redevelopment unfolding in the area. The state Department of Administrative Services confirmed to The Courant that a partnership of Philadelphia-based Pennrose LLC and The Cloud Co. of Hartford has the properties at 18-20 and 30 Trinity St. under contract for $1.1 million. The purchase of the structures could be completed later this year, with construction starting in 2024. Once started, the conversion would take 18-24 months to complete, Adams said. Financing for the conversion of the two Hartford buildings is still taking shape. But it is likely to include a low-cost loan from CRDA, the quasi-public state agency that has provided loans and equity investment primarily for mixed-use housing projects.

Two historic buildings in Hartford’s Bushnell South could add 100 more apartments

Texas-based developer, Anthony Properties, is proposing 255 apartments, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a clubhouse on 41 acres along West Street. It would be accessed via Curtiss Street. Town leaders estimated the project will cost about $100 million. A traffic study presented by the developers said the project would add about 225 cars to the road during peak hours each day. Area residents questioned those numbers, saying it’d likely be more. Planning commissioners told audience members Tuesday that they were bound to follow Southington’s regulations and can’t take into consideration other projects or town decisions.

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Southington/Southington-News/Southington-developers-residents-planners-continue-debate-over-255-West-Street-apartments

The state Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting tonight regarding the planned removal of the Exit 21 off-ramp on Interstate 84 eastbound. The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at Maloney Magnet School, 233 South Elm St. The project is part of the New Mix program, which will address the long-term needs of the city’s Interstate 84-Route 8 interchange. The project will remove the off-ramp completely, and extend the auxiliary lane to allow additional merge and diverge distance for drivers entering and exiting I-84 eastbound near Exit 22, Burnham said. The Mixmaster will approach the end of its serviceable life in 25 years, according to the DOT. DOT spokesman Josh Morgan has said one of the long-term goals of the New Mix project is to reduce the number of crashes and alleviate some of the traffic congestion that builds up during rush hour.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2023/03/22/fate-of-exit-21-off-i-84-goes-to-debate/

Larry Fox, chair of the contracting standards board, said he doesn’t want to be in the position of reviewing every request for proposals, but wants to be able to look at the procedures the quasi-publics use, and make sure they’re promoting fair competition in their bidding process. The quasi-agencies – which are designed to provide government services with the flexibility of a private business – say they already are already under state oversight, including from state auditors, and that putting them under the purview of the board would slow them down when they need leeway to set up new programs or compete with private businesses. So far, the board has only been given oversight of the Connecticut Port Authority, a move that exposed tension between the board and the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont, whose budget secretary said during its review of the Port Authority in 2021 that it didn’t need to exist. The port authority has been one of the higher profile quasi-publics since it’s been tasked with redeveloping the New London State Pier for offshore wind — a project that’s price tag stands at $255.5 million and counting as construction is set to wrap up this year. And it’s drawn scrutiny for its procurements — especially for paying a legally questionable $523,000 success fee to a contractor in 2018, and for selecting the State Pier project manager Kiewit as a subcontractor for at least $87 million of work on the project.

Quasi-Public Agencies Oppose Bill to Expand State Watchdog’s Oversight