Construction/Roadway Projects

The Town maintains 217 miles of roadways and averages 8.5 miles of paving each year including reconstruction and repaving projects.  This year we paved 9.3 miles.

The Engineering Division annually performs visual pavement condition assessments at the end of each year. The following link shows the 2020 Pavement Condition Map. This map displays the pavement conditions by colors for either Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, or Extremely Poor. In 2020, 17 miles of roadways were rated in Extremely Poor condition, while 42 miles of roadways were rated in Poor condition.

Each year, the Town focuses its paving resources toward the Extremely Poor roadways. As part of the repaving effort, the Engineering Division meets with the utility companies to review its tentative list of roadways to be repaved.

The following roadways are tentatively scheduled to be reconstructed this season, and are listed in the anticipated order of construction:

• Fenbrook Road
• Owings Road
• Cornell Road
• Princeton Street
• Ridgewood Road (Tunxis Rd to Sedgwick Rd)
• Arapahoe Road
• Walbridge Road (Farmington Ave to Fern St)

Roadway reconstructions are more complicated than re-paving and therefore take longer to complete, about one to two months. The work generally includes the replacement of existing curb with granite curb, the replacement of existing driveway aprons with concrete aprons, selective sidewalk and drainage structure replacement, re-establishment of the roadway base material, and paving.

North Main Street Road Diet Study

The Town continues its efforts to construct the Trout Brook Multi-Use Trail from Asylum Avenue to New Park Avenue in phases.  The Trout Brook Multi-Use Trail is a predominantly off the road trail.  Some sections are complete while others are nearing construction or design.  Most of the trail will include a 10 foot wide paved surface that is restricted to non-motorized users, such as bicyclists and pedestrians.

Phase 3  -  Park Road to Jackson Avenue
The Town has funding for this project and has started the design.

Phase 5  -  Fern Street to Farmington Avenue
The Town received grant funding for this phase from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection through a recreational trails program. The design is complete and the project is currently being bid. The Town anticipates construction to start in 2021.  

Phase 6  -  Duffield Drive to Fern Street
The Town received grant funding for this phase from the Connecticut Department of Transportation through the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program.  Final design for this phase is underway.  The Town anticipates construction to start in 2022.  

Phase 7  -  Asylum Avenue to Duffield Drive
The Town plans to use its capital improvement program funding to construct this phase in conjunction with phase 6. 

Please see the Overall Concept Plan.

The North Main Street Bridge is located just north of Wyndwood Road and Linbrook Road.  This bridge was originally constructed in 1901 and is in need of a major rehabilitation.  During the bridge work, North Main Street will be reduced from four lanes to two and one sidewalk will remain open at a time.  Significant delays are anticipated so motorists should seek alternate routes.  A temporary traffic signal will be installed at the North Main Street intersection with Wyndwood Road and Linbrook Road to assist motorists and pedestrians.  Construction began in the Spring of 2020 and is expected to be completed by Fall of 2021. Click here for more information. 

Click here to view the updated traffic control plans for the project.

The Engineering Division conducted a public information meeting for this project. Click this link to view the PowerPoint presentation for this meeting.

The Braeburn Road culvert is located on Braeburn Road just east of the Braeburn School driveway. The culvert was installed in 1960 and consists of two corrugated metal pipes (6 feet high by 9.5 feet wide) that convey the West Branch of Trout Brook under the roadway. The corrugated metal has voids under, before and after it, which makes the culverts unstable.

The rehabilitation includes the installation of scour protection on the culvert inlets and outlets. Installation of reinforced concrete along the bottoms of both culvert pipes. Several unanticipated issues were encountered during construction which have led to extended delays. The Town is working with the design consultant and contractor to develop solutions and resume construction activities.

The intersection of Mountain Road and Albany Avenue is heavily congested and experiences excessive vehicular delays. The proposed improvements will reduce the Mountain Road queues and better accommodate motorists and bicyclists. The project will focus on the Mountain Road approaches, where the roadway will be widened to provide a left turn lane, thru lane, and a shared thru/right lane in each direction. The project will also include: traffic signal replacement, sidewalk repairs, bicycle lanes, and an extension of the culvert under Mountain Road serving Mountain Farms Brook. The project is being designed and utility coordination work is ongoing. Construction is expected to begin in the Spring of 2022 and is expected to be completed by Fall of 2022.

In 2017, the Town completed a Complete Streets Study for the New Park Avenue Transit Area and obtained two State of Connecticut grants to fund the recommended improvements. The project will enhance New Park Avenue for all users between New Britain Avenue and Oakwood Avenue. Project elements include: decorative streetlights, buffered bike lanes, pocket parks, landscaped medians, street trees, wayfinding signage, enhanced mid-block crosswalks, and traffic signal improvements. In between major intersections, the roadway will be resurfaced and reduced from four travel lanes to three: one travel lane in each direction and a center two-way left turn lane. Survey and design have begun, with an expected construction start of mid-2022. The approximate construction cost is $3.8 million, grant funding ($3.7 million) and matching Town funds ($100k).

For more information, visit the project facebook page below or e-mail the project team at NewParkAvenue@westhartfordct.gov. 

MDC Projects

•  Farmington Avenue (Trout Brook Drive to Walden Street) - Water Main Installation Project

  The project involves the installation of a new 24-inch water main to replace old existing infrastructure along Farmington Avenue through West Hartford Center. The project was awarded to Ludlow Construction. Work is expected to begin the week of January 3, 2021. The initial work will take place at night from 12AM – 10AM over the winter months between South Main Street and Walden Street. Once this length of water main is installed, (est. April 2021) the next phase of work will begin from South Main Street to Trout Brook Drive. The entire project is anticipated to be completed by the fall of 2021. This project will impact traffic flow. Lane closures or detours should be expected during construction.  The Construction Notice contains additional project information. The MDC’s website has a traffic page which is updated daily to show traffic impacts due to this project. View the Informational Meeting Presentation and the project location maps for Phase 1-2 and Phase 3-4.

• South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel (SHCST) is a four-mile long deep rock tunnel constructed to convey and temporarily store wastewater from portions of Hartford and West Hartford during storm events.  The tunnel will extend from the Hartford Water Pollution Control facility in the South Meadows of Hartford to Talcott Road in West Hartford.  When completed, the tunnel will minimize sewer overflows into the local waterways, the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound during major storm events.  The SHCST project is the largest infrastructure component of the MDC's Clean Water Project and the largest contract ever awarded by the MDC.  For more information visit:  https://www.thecleanwaterproject.com/
• Webster Hill Neighborhood (Crestwood Road to Bentwood Road) - Water and Sewer Main Improvement Project involves the replacement of 11,900 feet of water main on Webster Hill Boulevard, Rumford Street, Rockledge Drive, Greystone Road, Carleton Road and Ledgewood Road. The sanitary sewer main will be replaced on Crestwood Road and Bentwood Road and other areas will be lined. This project was awarded to VMS Construction Company out of Vernon, CT. Work will begin in Summer of 2020 and is expected to continue through the Summer of 2022. This project will impact traffic flow. Lane closures or detours should be expected during construction and motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes. The MDC’s website has a traffic page which is updated each morning and will show traffic impacts due to this project.

DOT Safety and Operational Improvements on I-84

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has contracted with O&G Industries, Inc. to construct a $54 million roadway improvement project. The purpose of this project is to provide safety and operational improvements to address concerns with congestion and traffic operations on I-84. Improvements include adding an additional lane on I-84 WB between Exits 39A and 43, and between Exit 40 and 41 on I-84 EB. Bridges over Berkshire Road and Ridgewood Road Westbound will be widened or replaced. The project began on March 2, 2020 and is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2023.

A closure of the Exit 40 on-ramp to I-84 westbound at Ridgewood Road in West Hartford will begin on April 5, 2021.  The closure is expected to last for approximately six months, reopening on or before October 4, 2021. The closure and detour are necessary to facilitate construction activities and safety improvements to the I-84 westbound bridge over Ridgewood Road. This will be the 2nd and final ramp closure for the new bridge construction.

Detour Information:

• Ridgewood Road south to New Britain Avenue
• Right on New Britain Avenue
• Follow New Britain Avenue to Route 9
• Right on Route 9 north on-ramp
• Merge onto Route 9 north
• Use left lane to I-84 westbound

More information can also be found at www.I84westhartford.com.

Written questions or comments should be directed to: 

Ms. Susan M. Libatique, P.E.
Transportation Principal Engineer
Connecticut Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 317546
Newington, CT 06131-7546
Email Susan.Libatique@ct.gov