Construction/Roadway Projects

The Town maintains 217 miles of roadways and averages 8.5 miles of paving each year including reconstruction and repaving projects.  In 2022, we paved 7.9 miles.

The Engineering Division annually performs visual pavement condition assessments at the end of each year. The following link shows the 2022 Pavement Condition Map. This map displays the pavement conditions by colors for either Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, or Extremely Poor. In 2022, 20 miles of roadways were rated in Extremely Poor condition, while 32 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 were reconstructed in 2022:

• Nesbit Avenue
• Price Boulevard (Park Road to Seymour Avenue)
• Cadwell Street
• Loomis Drive
• Avalon Road - Deferred to 2023 due to material and schedule delays.
• Vincent Street - Deferred to 2023 due to material and schedule delays.

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 the federal Recreational Trails Program.  Construction was completed in 2022. 

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 complete. The project has been bid and awarded to a contractor, Nunes Connecticut of Bloomfield, Connecticut. Construction will being early spring 2023.   

Phase 7  -  Asylum Avenue to Duffield Drive
The Town plans to construct this phase following the completion of phase 6. 

Please see the Overall Project Plan.

The Fern Street Bridge over Trout Brook is located adjacent to Fernridge Park.  Originally constructed in 1939, the structure is in need of replacement.  A contract has been awarded.  Demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge will start in 2023, with completion expected in Fall of 2024. Traffic will be maintained throughout the project with an alternating one-lane configuration. 

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 resume construction activities in August 2022.

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 2023 and is expected to be completed by Fall of 2023.

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-2024. 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

• Newington Road (New Britain Avenue to Sampson Street) – Water Main Improvement Project - The project installed new water main to replace old, existing, infrastructure and services have been renewed/installed to the property line. This project was awarded to Paramount Construction and substantially completed in the fall of 2022.  Final restoration of the payment surface will be completed in the spring of 2023.  Click here for MDC Construction Notice. 
   
• 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/. 

• Boulevard & Garfield Road Water Main Replacement - The project will replace 5,800 feet of 8" water mains along Boulevard (between Ridgewood Road and Riggs Avenue) and Garfield Road (between Farmington Avenue to Sedgwick Road). Additionally, new hydrants and water services will be installed. The project is expected to begin the week of August 15, 2022 and expected to be complete by May 26, 2023. Boulevard will be closed to traffic on a block-by-block basis, requiring motorists to detour around the work area.  Side streets may be closed to thru traffic intermittently. Work hours will generally be Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Click here for the MDC Construction Notice. 

CTDOT 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 by May 23, 2023.

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