New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
State, feds planning roadwork along Route 8 in Valley
SHELTON — A $77 million project to upgrade areas of Route 8 through the Naugatuck Valley is nearing its start.
The Route 8 Design Build project — funded by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration — would, once completed, include a series of improvements along the Route 8 corridor from Exit 23 to Exit 13 covering Shelton, Seymour, Ansonia, and Derby.
Improvements will include roadway paving, improved access ramps, new lighting and guide rails, bridge deck and joint repairs and other minor bridge rehabilitation.
The state DOT and the highway administration will be holding a virtual information meeting on Zoom Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. Project updates and links to register for the meeting are available at route8designbuild.com.
“The purpose of this meeting is to provide the community with an opportunity to learn about the proposed project and allow an open discussion of any views and comments concerning the proposed improvements,” according to the website.
A Q&A session will immediately follow the presentation.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring, based on the availability of funding, acquisition of rights of way and approval of permits.
Of the anticipated cost, 80 percent will be covered by the federal government, with the state funding the remainder.
One section of the project focuses on Exit 13 (Platt Road) to Exit 17 (Hawkins Street). It will include upgraded LED light fixtures and new light standards and foundations along a 3.3-mile stretch of highway.
For Exit 15 (Route 34) to north of Exit 22 (North Main Street), the project calls for pavement rehabilitation along 6.5 miles northbound and southbound. This will include repairs to concrete pavement, roadway resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, deck patching, waterproofing and overlay, and drainage improvements.