New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Town could see new bridges, sidewalks thanks to $5.3M in state aid
The Legislative Council’s public works committee green-lighted the project, but it still requires approval from the full council.
HAMDEN — Sometime in the not-too-distant future, joggers may be able to breathe a sigh of relief when they run the beautiful but harrowing stretch of road on Mather Street over Whitney Lake.
The town is slated to receive more than $5.3 million in state aid to replace two deteriorating bridges, realign the intersection of Mather and Waite streets and install a continuous sidewalk along those streets to connect Whitney and Dixwell avenues, according to officials.
The Legislative Council’s public works committee green-lighted the project, but it still requires approval from the full council. The town would be required to contribute about $500,000 toward design costs, according to a memo from Mayor Lauren Garrett.
Approximately $5.38 million was awarded to Hamden through the state Department of Transportation’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program, the memo says.
Officials say the bridges on Mather and Waite streets have structural ratings of 4 and 3, respectively.
A bridge with a rating of 4 is considered to be in “poor” condition, while a bridge with a rating of 3 is considered to be in “serious” condition, said Town Engineer Stephen White.
The Mather Street bridge last was rated in 2018 and it was unclear
whether its rating has changed, according to Garrett, who said the town is getting it reinspected.
The new inspection comes after a car recently crashed into the bridge and knocked some concrete off a parapet, according to White.
“To my own knowledge, it’s still safe (to travel on) but we are getting it inspected to make sure,” White said.
Once officials learned of the crash, “we went out to
go look at (the bridge) ourselves,” he said. “It looks safe, but we really want to have a structural engineer look at it to make sure.”
White said the town is working with a consultant. He hopes to have the bridge inspected within the next few weeks.
Car crash aside, both bridges have deficiencies that justify replacement, according to officials. The deficiencies mostly stem from concrete degradation,
White said.
When a bridge has a structural rating of three, he said, “you really need to have a plan in place to replace it.”
“Connecticut Department of Transportation has warned the town that the bridge may need to be closed to traffic if its condition deteriorates further,” White told the Legislative Council in a memo.
While the bridges’ structural raings make the improvements a priority
for the town, Garrett said, it will bring additional benefits, such as realigning the intersection of Mather and Waite streets, which Garrett said can be confusing to those unfamiliar with the area.
Currently, cars approaching the intersection circumvent a small traffic island.
“We’re turning it into a T intersection,” said White. “I think it simplifies the intersection. The traffic islands adds unnecessary complexity.”
Having a sharper turn radius also should prevent cars from speeding through the intersection, he said.
“Changing the intersection should make it a little safer for pedestrians and cyclists that are moving through that area,” said White.
The project also would connect the town’s two major corridors — Dixwell and Whitney avenues — via a continuous sidewalk.
Part of that sidewalk would be installed along the west side of Mather Street, White said, a stretch of road that happens to be part of his own jogging route.
“It’s a beautiful area to jog, but I think it will be much safer with some sidewalks,” said Garrett. “I’m just happy that we’re investing in our infrastructure and making our roadways more pedestrianfriendly.”
It may be some time before residents see changes to the infrastructure in question.
The town needs to go out to bid for the design plans and then get feedback from the state, which could require adjustments, according to Garrett, who said the process takes between six and 12 months.