Mayor Updates City Road Projects and More
By Robin Vinci | EDITOR at September 29, 2023 | 6:00 pm | Print
Road and bridge projects are underway across the City. Mayor Erin Stewart updated the City Journal on all the projects taking place giving approximate dates for the completion.
The first is a state road project that is taking place between West Main St. and Corbin Ave. It started Sept. 25 and will continue through the second week of October. Work is being done at night to keep traffic light.
The West Main Street Bridge project is moving on with Phase II around Burritt St. The bridge will be closed for 3 1/2 month and will continue until June of 2017.
The Curtiss Street Bridge Project will be done by September.
The railroads are finally being completed. Chestnut St. and Main St. are done and presently the City is working on Washington St. and High St.
“It took three years to get the rail company to fix that,” said Mayor Stewart. “High St. will be the last piece to be completed.”
The intersection around Eddy Glover Boulevard will finally get a makeover to make it less confusing.
“When you drive on it now there are cars flying all over the place. They cut across. Nobody stops at stop signs,” she said. “We want to fix that and hopefully start on it next year.”
Streetscape around West Main St. will be finished before winter. The next phase of the project - Walnut Hill to Corbin Ave. - will not begin until the Spring. The Beehive Bridge Project will go out to bid in January.
The last road project is on Hart St. It started a while ago and has been done in phases. It has been funding and the area from Walnut Hill to Corbin Ave will be done by the Spring of 2017.
Broad Street is ongoing and Stewart said a lot of residents have had questions.
“It is an obvious project. There were a lot of sewer problems. Underground projects have been causing delays,” said Stewart “We are working on a realistic timeline. We’ve had setbacks, but it will get back on track. Businesses have complained that it is taking too long and we are addressing it.”
Pulaski Park is also a big part of the project as well. The Mayor hopes the project will be completed next Spring.
City paving projects will begin any day.
“It will be a great thing to finally get these projects done,” added Mayor Stewart.
The following are a list of other projects the City is working on.
Arts Commission
- 4 additional High Voltage Art boxes will debut in the downtown area ahead of the car show this weekend
- We have three rotating art galleries in City Hall: third floor skywalk featuring a different school each month
- Veteran’s Art Exhibit will have a new exhibition and opening on September 28th before the start of the Council meeting
- New Britain Art teacher exhibition on the second floor; reception in early October
Building and Health
- With the start of the fall semester, inspectors are out in full force to make sure off campus student housing is in compliance
Economic Development
- St. Thomas Aquinas/Chrysalis: will start negotiating on a sale price soon. Anticipated to be 36 apartments and community component: such as a community center and memorial pavers for St. Thomas Alumni
Parks and Recreation
- We just wrapped up a successful Main Street USA; estimated 12,000 attendees
- East Side Restaurant has partnered with the Connecticut United FC to hold a German-themed night inside Veteran’s stadium before the start of the soccer game on Oct. 2nd from 1 to 5 p.m.
Public Works
- Milone & MacBroom has partnered with the City to research TOD’s around the 3 New Britain CTfastrak stations; master plan to be released towards the end of October
- Street paving on city streets to finish end of next week
- Leaf vacuum program is ending
- Downtown parking meters now accept debit/credit cards
