Is The ‘New’ 302 Surfacing Too Noisy
To the Editor:
Connecticut DOT’s decision to repave Route 302 with asphalt-rubber chip seal has essentially turned this very busy state highway into a gravel road.
As a long-time resident of the Dodgingtown Road section of Route 302, I am accustomed to the noise that heavy traffic generates. However, this new rough road surface dramatically amplifies tire noise as vehicles rumble past the many homes that hug Route 302, greatly diminishing residents’ quality of life. Driving on the bumpy surface is an equally noisy and unpleasant experience.
If you live within earshot of Route 302 or travel it frequently and are unhappy with the new road surface, reach out to CT DOT and register your complaint. Let Rep Mitch Bolinksy and Sen Tony Hwang know too. And while our Public Works Department has no control over state roads in Newtown, it is in a position to relay your feedback to the DOT.
The Newtown Bee noted in an August 5 article that CT DOT is testing this new surface on Route 302 and, based on results, plans to apply it more widely in the future. By alerting the agency to the negative impacts to residents, perhaps we can spare other neighborhoods in Connecticut this noisy fate.
Sincerely,
Nancy Dvorin
Newtown
I thought the work done to 302 was perhaps the first phase in a proper repaving. This asphalt rubber chip seal is comically bad. Its noisy in the car and can only imagine with what homeowners bordering 302 deal with. Typical cheap Charlie attempt by the State of Connecticut. Just do it the right way the first time so that we don’t have to go through the aggravation of having the road repaved again next year to cover up this mistake.
Chip seal – in any formulation – is an overlay intended to extend the life of an existing road surface, not replace it. We’re not defending the application or its test formulation, but sources indicated this pilot program has advantages to drivers in that it virtually eliminates the long-curing ‘tar’ from getting onto vehicles because it sets in an hour or two, and virtually eliminates weeks of loose chips also impacting vehicles and the need for repetitive sweeping to clear them. Learn more here if you are inclined: https://www.newtownbee.com/08052022/ct-dot-testing-new-chip-seal-on-stretch-of-sugar-street/