Trumbull’s Long Hill Green to get new traffic light
TRUMBULL — It’s been nearly six years since the improvement project in Long Hill Green started, but officials said residents could see some major progress by the end of this year.
The installation of a new traffic light at the intersection of Whitney Avenue and Main Street, along with some other changes, are expected to be completed in December, according to the town’s website. But officials said the overall project will continue into 2025.
“The intersection and traffic signal installation are what’s expected to be completed by December 2024, but the remaining sidewalks have to be done after that project is completed. Those will probably be done in the spring,” said Economic and Development Director Rina Bakalar.
Bakalar said the traffic light installation is at the epicenter of the rollout of the rest of the project.
The company that started working on the sidewalks on the east side of Main Street will be able to finish them, but only after the traffic signal is manufactured and delivered.
In the meantime, the Berkshire Hathaway driveway will be realigned to allow drivers to better maneuver in and out without worrying about traffic.
Bridgeport-based construction company G. Pic & Sons Construction Co. started working on the realignment Monday morning.
“The driveways of the Berkshire Hathaway real estate office and the office building behind it will be moved and realigned with the intersection,” Bakalar said. “It will be easier to access after the project is done because both the driveway realignment and the installation of the traffic signal will make it easier for the people to get in and out of the commercial properties on the west side of Main Street.”
Bakalar said the workers will repaint the crosswalk after installing the signal.
She said the project has to be sequential because the State Department of Transportation has specific guidelines to ensure the safety of pedestrians while construction is underway.
“The Department of Transportation has been very careful in saying you cannot finish the sidewalks or install the crosswalk until the signal is operational because they don’t want to encourage any pedestrian traffic until the light is in so people could safely cross,” Bakalar said.
First Selectman Vicki Tesoro said the current phase of the overall project is just a portion of what’s to come and is designed to improve the safety of travel in the area for both drivers and pedestrians.
“It’s just a continuation of the transformation of that area that’s been going on for a number of years,” she said. “It focuses on safety and that’s always been my primary focus in many of these improvements, as both pedestrian and vehicular safety in town and this is another example of that.”
Tesoro cited multiple reasons why the project has been delayed since 2018.
“We’ve been moving along with assembling the funding for all of these projects and working with the state, which creates delays because you have to get all of the state approvals before you can move forward and that takes time,” she said. “Also, a large portion of the improvements are covered by grant funds so we’ve had to undergo that process as well.”
Bakalar said the current phase of the project is split between two bids — one for both the traffic light and crosswalk at the intersection and the other for the completion of the sidewalks on the east side of Main Street.
She said there was a cost increase for the traffic light bid due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the town was able to acquire additional funding from the DOT’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program to fill the hole.
Tesoro said the area improved since the start of the project, but the beautification still has a way to go with redesigning the area’s green space and planting more trees.
“It has certainly been improved from what it was originally for sure,” she said. “And it obviously will be even better when the project is completed from both a safety and beautification standpoint of the area.”