State DOT costs well within normal range
The Hartford I-84 Viaduct is not simply a project to build a trench and put a road in it. Part of this project’s purpose is to undo the vast damage the viaduct caused to the city of Hartford when it cut through the city some 50 years ago.
The Op-Ed by Connor Harris published on June 10 leaves readers with an incorrect impression about Connecticut Department of Transportation project costs. First and foremost, the DOT is mindful of how it spends every taxpayer dollar. In addition to themselves being taxpayers, the employees of the DOT are experienced professionals that work to stretch every dollar as far as possible.
Continuous improvement of project controls, such as budget and schedule, are key goals of this agency. Our planning, engineering and construction processes often include the use of private- sector resources that are competitively procured as required by state and federal laws on the time- tested theory that competition of government services improves quality at a lower cost to taxpayers.
In looking at the project cost estimations included in Mr. Harris’ piece, it is important to remember that the costs were provided in future dollars, to account for inflation, as they were developed four years ago and provided as part of a 30-year transportation vision plan. Given these factors, we believe that the complexity and scope, as well as their importance to the community, are being severely underestimated.
The Hartford I- 84 Viaduct referenced by Mr. Harris is not simply a project to build a trench and put a road in it. Part of this project’s purpose is to undo the vast damage the viaduct caused to the city of Hartford when it cut through the city some 50 years ago. The new viaduct is being designed to be a true urban rejuvenation project with community connectivity as the prime objective.
The project will provide multiple co- benefits like allowing acres of underused and unused land to be developed and contribute to the vitality of the Connecticut’s capital city. Viaduct construction work will be accomplished while accommodating necessary traffic into and through the city of Hartford. This spirit of innovation and costconscious thinking was on display this month when the Route 1 bridges were rolled into place over I- 95 in Stamford. The feared traffic nightmare did not occur and I- 95 was reopened to traffic a full day ahead of schedule.
As previously stated, several of the projects Mr. Harris points to are in the planning and design phase, and have not yet had funding allocated to them. If and when a new station is built in Bridgeport, the project will include a substantial rebuilding of the railroad infrastructure through the area. Tracks and power lines will be relocated to make way for center island platforms that serve both local and express trains. This is key to Governor Lamont’s 30- 3030 vision for faster, more reliable train service.
We appreciate the author’s concern and consistently welcome feedback through a variety of forums. We believe that comparisons of project costs in Connecticut against project costs in other states and Europe with no consideration for project scope, existing conditions, land acquisition and environmental costs, mitigation of impacts during construction and other factors is not an apples- to- apples comparison.
Joseph J. Giulietti is commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation.