The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has a plan to replace the State Highway 16 bridge over the Salmon River in East Hampton.
It will be unveiled to the public in an upcoming virtual meeting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 5, according to the transportation agency. It is listed as Project 0041-0121.
CTDOT noted that the purpose of the project is to address the structural deficiencies of the bridge along Conn. 16 and “to provide a structure that accommodates safe travel for all facility users,” the agency said in a statement.
“[The bridge], originally constructed in 1932, has exceeded its design life,” added Francisco Fadul, the project manager. “This project will replace the bridge with a new structure in accordance with CTDOT and [Federal Highway Administration] design standards. We encourage the community to attend this meeting to share their feedback with the CTDOT project team. Public input is essential during our design process.”
The following are other project details shared by the department:
- The replacement bridge will be a steel plate girder structure with integral abutments.
- It will be designed as a single span structure with a span length of approximately 150 ft., eliminating the need for a center pier.
- The Conn. 16 roadway will be expanded to provide a 32-ft. curb-to-curb width.
- Right-of-way impacts are anticipated with the proposed improvements.
- These impacts will include temporary construction easements on each side of the bridge.
- The bridge’s construction is anticipated to begin in April 2026 based on the availability of funding, acquisition of rights of way, and approval of permits.
- The estimated construction cost for the project is approximately $10 million.
- It is anticipated to be undertaken with 100 percent state funds during the building phase.
The Oct. 5 meeting is intended to “provide the community an opportunity to learn about the proposed project and allow an open discussion of any views and comments concerning the proposed improvements,” according to CTDOT, which added that a question-and-answer session will immediately follow the presentation.
If interested in participating in the meeting, CTDOT said that that can be done via a Zoom link, but it requires pre-registration. Once that is done, participants will receive a confirmation email with a link to access the session. The meeting also will be livestreamed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@ctdotofficial. To learn more, visit https://portal.ct.gov/DOTEastHampton41-121.
New Canaan Preparing to Build New, $29M Police Station
After years of work and getting its necessary approvals in place over the summer, the New Canaan Police Department Building Committee in the southeast Connecticut town is close to announcing a construction date for the project.
The New Canaan Board of Selectmen recently approved nearly $360,000 to start construction of the project, which is expected to total about $29 million, the Greenwich Time reported Sept. 25.
Selectman Nick Williams said the town has talked about a new police station since he was first elected to the board.
“Hallelujah, it’s about time,” he said. “We were talking about a new police station when I took office in 2011. It’s great we’re finally moving forward now.”
The town has a contract with SLAM Collaborative, an architecture group with an office in Glastonbury, Conn., to design the renovation of the police station. The firm also was involved in the Saxe Middle School renovation.
The lead contractor for the effort is Turner Construction Co., the noted New York-based builder. It earlier rebuilt the New Canaan Library.
The city’s police department building was first constructed in 1926 and saw its last renovation 42 years ago, the Greenwich news source said.
On Aug. 29, the town’s Police Department Building Committee approved a guaranteed maximum price of $20.2 million for the project as well as $1.9 million for contingency costs, $2 million for the temporary relocation of the department during construction, and another $4.8 million for costs not specifically related to its construction.
Joe Zagarenski, New Canaan’s senior engineer, said the entire effort should cost about $29 million, a budget total approved by the Board of Selectmen on Sept. 5.
“The last time we presented to the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Finance and the Town Council, the budgets were $20 million for construction, $5 million for soft costs and $2.2 million for the temporary [police station], so we’re right at where we [said],” he explained. “It’s the same project, it’s just further developed and competitively bid now.”
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