Norwalk plans to add sidewalks in these neighborhoods in 2023
NORWALK — The city is preparing for its annual spring paving season, with at least eight roads receiving new sidewalks in 2023.
In a bid package released by the city’s Department of Public Works in November, Norwalk solicited the cost for the paving and curbing of various roads.
Annual paving is part of the city’s Road Paving Program, in which the Department of Public Works investigates the condition of roads independently and through contracted paving consultants. Paving consultants conduct a complete inventory of every street in Norwalk every four years.
The streets included in the 2023 project will be Van Tassel Street, Bayne Road, Pine Hill Area, Shorefront Park, Ridge/Buda/Oak/ Lowe area and Richards Avenue, according to the bid documents.
“Potential amendment areas are Fillow Street, West Avenue, Flax Hill
Road, and other areas identified based on sidewalk or pavement condition and city projects as budget permits,” the document stated.
The project calls for paving, sidewalks, curbing and Americans with Disabilities Act compliant sidewalk ramps, according to the documents.
While the 12 streets are the only ones listed in the bid documents, other roads were examined for sidewalk repairs, Norwalk Chief of Operations and Public Works Vanessa Valadares said.
“This is just some of the sidewalks that we want to advertise now, so we are ready for paving those streets late spring 2023,” Valadares said. “DPW restores existing sidewalks on streets that are part of our paving forecast. I prefer not to disclose the list of proposed sidewalks yet, since we haven’t been funded for it yet.”
Some of the paving will be funded through the city’s 2023-24 fiscal year capital budget, Valadares said. Once the funding is approved, 20 roads in Norwalk may receive new sidewalks during the 2023 to early 2024 construction season, Valadares said.
The work is scheduled to occur in late spring through early summer, beginning with Van Tassel Street, according to the documents. Van Tassel Street is due to be completed by May 1.
Bayne Road is projected to be finished by May 15, followed by the Pine Hill area by June 1 and Shorefront Park by June 8, according to the documents. Ridge, Buda and Lowe areas will be done by June 20 while Richards Avenue is to be completed by July 1.
The city spent more than $2.5 million to pave sidewalks and curbing on more than 20 streets this year.
To determine which roads take precedence in the paving plan, DPW conducts a budget analysis utilizing pavement management software provided by VHB, the civil engineering company, according to the city.
“Visual inspections are later conducted of the roadways and the department then directs its consultant to perform projectlevel surveys on select streets. Specific repairs on select streets are recommended, and street conditions are prioritized in the most economically efficient order,” the city’s pavement plan read.
The lists are often influenced by recently completed work or plans for future improvements, municipal, utility or otherwise, according to the city.
In determining which roads
are prioritized for sidewalks, another influence is the frequency with which pedestrians walk along the roads, Transportation, Mobility and Parking Director Jim Travers recently said in discussion of sidewalks near the
city’s schools.
“It’s a priority for the for the administration and we have to start somewhere,” Travers said. “We have to start where the people are, the most amount of kids walking or the most amount of
people walking, where we also have a higher traffic volume that puts them in greater danger.”