Date: Fri 05-Apr-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

DOT-bypass-FHH

Full Text:

DOT Hopes To Expedite Bypass Road

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) has scheduled the start of

construction on the oft-delayed Fairfield Hills bypass road for the spring of

1997. But that goal will only be met if all the pieces of the road planning

process fall properly into place, according to DOT road engineers.

The DOT engineers met March 29 with First Selectman Robert Cascella and Acting

Police Chief Michael Fekete to update them on the status of the 1.3-mile road

building project, a connector road that is viewed as an integral link in the

town's east-west road network. The planned road is seen as a way to improve

traffic flow between Route 25, Interstate-84 and Route 34, thus relieving

heavy truck traffic through the town center.

The DOT is melding the three components of the road construction project into

one project which can be bid upon by contractors. Cost estimates on the

project range upward from $3.5 million.

Neal Cianciolo, the DOT's project engineer for the job, said the DOT must

obtain required wetlands construction permits from the state Department of

Environmental Protection (DOT) to build a road and bridge above the

environmentally-sensitive Pootatuck aquifer.

If a public hearing on the wetlands permit is requested, it could add six to

12 months to the permitting process, pushing the start of construction that

much farther into the future, he said.

Tim Gaffey, DOT's project manager for the job, said he expects that someone

will seek a public hearing on the wetlands permit. Twenty-five valid petition

signatures must be submitted to the DEP to have a public hearing.

Mr Gaffey noted that the members Pootatuck Fish and Game Club will have much

say over whether a DEP public hearing is held on DOT's wetlands construction

application.

Michael Osborne, head of the Pootatuck Land Company, which owns the fish and

game club, attended the meeting with the engineers to learn of the state's

construction plans. The club's holdings are located on the south side of Mile

Hill Road, across that road from the bridge that crosses the Pootatuck River.

Mr Gaffey said the DOT engineers are willing to talk directly to fish and game

club members about the road construction process. Mr Osborne said the club's

executive board will meet with the DOT engineers.

A large elevated bridge is planned to replace the antiquated bridge on which

Mile Hill Road crosses the Pootatuck River.

Fairfield Hills Campus

Richard Nuclo, head of assets management for the state Office of Policy and

Management (OPM), said that when the state Department of Public Works (DPW)

was involved in earlier stages of bypass road planning, it wanted to close the

main entrance road to the campus which leads to the green, Shelton House,

Newtown Hall and Woodbury Hall.

Mr Nuclo said that section of roadway is one of the most attractive lengths of

roadway on the grounds and should be preserved. Mr Nuclo recommended that

eastbound traffic headed toward the campus green be allowed to use that road

section for one-way traffic, but that other traffic patterns on it be

prohibited.

Mr Osborne suggested that motorists' sightlines at the intersection of Mile

Hill Road and Nunnawauk Road be improved.

Acting Chief Fekete said some form of traffic signal should be considered for

that intersection, noting that visitors to Garner Correctional Institution use

that intersection seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

Mr Cianciolo said DOT traffic engineers will review safety measures for the

intersection.

Mr Cianciolo said traffic flow will be maintained across the Fairfield Hills

grounds while the bypass road is under construction. That flow, however, will

be one-way traffic at times to allow construction to proceed.

Protecting The Aquifer

The DOT engineers explained aspects of novel contamination filters they plan

to install above the aquifer to protect the environmentally-sensitive area.

The filtration system is designed to contain the "first flush" of runoff which

contains the greatest amount of contaminants during storms. The four filters

will be cleaned out once or twice yearly.

Mr Cianciolo said it's unusual to build a connector road in a place which

contains an area's designated sole source drinking water aquifer.

Carl Bard, DOT's principal engineer on the bypass project, said the DOT will

work to expedite the road building project.

DOT engineers plan to hold a public information meeting on the bypass road

project by the middle of May at Newtown High School auditorium. The date and

time of the meeting will be announced.

A 1991 agreement, which resolved a lawsuit filed by the town against the state

over the state's construction of Garner Correctional Institution, provided, in

part, that the state build a bypass road across the Fairfield Hills grounds to

alleviate traffic congestion in the town center.

But time and again, the construction schedule for the bypass road has been

revised, pushing the beginning of construction farther into the future.

As of last November, the tentative start of construction on the bypass road

was slated for the late summer or early fall of 1996.

It's expected that building the bypass road will take approximately 400

calendar days, meaning that it could take about one and one-half construction

seasons to complete the project. If the bypass road project were to start

construction at the beginning of April 1997, it might then be completed by

mid-September 1998. Construction seasons run from April 1 to December 1.

The DPW recently assumed control of the Fairfield Hills core campus from the

state Department of Mental Health (DMH). DMH operated a state psychiatric

institution there until last December. The state Department of Agriculture

(DOA) is seeking control of open space acreage at Fairfield Hills.

Through-truck traffic currently isn't allowed at Fairfield Hills. The bypass

road will include wide travel lanes and hill-climbing lanes to facilitate

through-truck travel across Fairfield Hills.

DOT Hopes

To Expedite

Bypass Road