March 27, 2009

Route 72 extension delayed another year

When Gov. Jodi Rell cut the ribbon on the $63.5 million Route 72 extension project in 2007, she said Bristol has “been waiting for years” for it.
It turns out they’ll have to wait a little longer.
The massive new roadway that construction crews are cutting through Forestville to create was supposed to open in June.
Instead, the state Department of Transportation now anticipates the long-anticipated roadway won’t be done until the fall of 2010.
That’s an extra 16 months of disruption and delay, if the current timetable holds up.
The department said in a statement this month that “significant progress has been made” on the road construction itself, but work on secondary streets and utilities has lagged behind.
According to the department’s monthly report for March, AT&T’s work on conduits is “lagging significantly” and CL&P hasn’t done what’s required either.
The power company apparently had to send some of its crews to Kentucky and New Hampshire over the winter to deal with emergencies there, reducing its ability to focus on the work connected to Route 72.
The new road will run between the end of the expressway in Plainville to Riverside Avenue just south of the railroad bridge on Middle Street.
The New Britain-based Manafort Brothers got the construction contract in August 2007 to carry out the work for nearly $40 million.
Finishing by the late spring of 2009 would require "a pretty aggressive schedule," the former state transportation commissioner, Ralph Carpenter, said at the groundbreaking in the fall of 2007. But, he promised, it would be done.
The new road will feature a sunken, boulevard-type street slicing through a residential section between Route 372 in Plainville and Yarde's Pond. Parts of it will be as much as 17 feet beneath the surrounding terrain.
After that section, the four-lane road will follow the existing right of way on Pine Street before crossing a new Pequabuck River bridge in order to align directly with Riverside Avenue.
Ten intersections with traffic lights are included along the new road.

Here's the DOT's overview page on the project.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

I deal with government projects the same way I dealt with my ex... if she said 6:30, I planned on 7:30. If government says spring of '09, plan on fall of '10. Now they're saying fall of '10, so bet on late spring of '11. No one ever factors in the inevitable delays and hang-ups that go along with EVERY major public works project. Literally, every last one of them. Let's start getting real about these project schedules.

Concerned Constructive Conservative said...

This project is a terrible waste of tax payer money at a terrible cost to the neighborhoods it effects as well as being plain dumb.

A prime example of the incompetence of government.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if Manafort has any monetary responsibility for the delay or not, but it seems to me that someone must take responsibility along with the consequences. If CL&P is the problem, they should be held accountable with cash backs to the project.

It has been stated that the Route 72 extension is a huge waste of money. I don’t agree with this premise. However, I contend that penalties should be in place for those that cause the delay. The best deterrent is money. If there are no consequences, then nothing ever changes. Taking responsibility means nothing unless there is an actual consequence.

If the state DOT has not written any penalties for a delay, shame on them. In the private sector, if you cannot deliver as promised, you can bet on consequences.

Anonymous said...

Moving Bristol Back - Ward.

Thanks Mayor Ward.

Anonymous said...

An expressway with 10 traffic lights? That's more than if one were to meander through Forestville. Nice job.

Anonymous said...

Great job Art. Nicastro would have gotten this done on time. Nicastro for Mayor in 09!

Anonymous said...

4:41 I agree. To many traffic signals for this to actually help with congestion. Unless maybe they were all timed to be green at once lol.

Anonymous said...

Hey, it's not Ward's fault. I am sure he would be taking credit for it though if it was on schedule though.

Anonymous said...

The statement that the project contains ten traffic signals is somewhat misleading. Along the new Route 72 itself there will be four new signals: one at Lincoln Ave., one at Central St., one where Rte. 72 will meet a realigned Pine St./Todd St. intersection, and one at one end of the Pine St. "flyover" over the Pequabuck River (opposite Mitchell St.). The existing signals at the Emmett St./Pine St. intersection and at the Middle St./Riverside Ave. intersection will remain; however, another signal "head" will be added to the east side of the latter signal to control the traffic flow from the other end of the Pine St. "flyover."

AnonymousWestconnStudent said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

4:04 - Maybe you'd like to blame him for cancer and global warming too? What a twit.

Anonymous said...

If there are no consequences, then nothing ever changes. Taking responsibility means nothing
March 27, 2009 3:35 PM

```````````````````````````

You just gotta love those unions .

stupid is as stupid does said...

4:04 - and mayor ward had "what" to do with the delay? what an as-ho-e.

Embarrased for you said...

"Great job Art. Nicastro would have gotten this done on time. Nicastro for Mayor in 09!"

Frank can also part the sea and walk on water...what a guy!!! Heck with mayor. Frank Nicastro for president. Better yet, king! Yah, Frank would really like that - King Nicastro!
;0)

Concerned Constructive Conservative said...

anonwestconnchick:

You need to grow up.

Anonymous said...

Maybe if the city wasn't giving so much other work to Manafort they would be on schedule. There are plenty of other good contractors out there like Carpenter or Laverio that they could hire for these other jobs.

open eyes to learn said...

12:46 - it is a STATE job, not a City job stupid so the city has nothing to do with awarding the contract - easy to see the reason that your parents had nightmares.

duh? said...

if nicastro was so great, why wasn't 72 completed during his ten years in office - duh?

Anonymous said...

B/c he had guys like Ward and Couture on his council!

Anonymous said...

10:25 - nice try

like a bat said...

10:25 refer to 9:28 - my goodness, how rampant is absudity on this blog - if you were blind, you would be blaming it on your seeing eye dog.

AnonymousWestconnStudent said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Concerned Constructive Conservative said...

Oh well, at least we agree.

And I am proud to have publicly opposed it.

Anonymous said...

How many people recall the many warnings from former Mayor Norton on Route 72?

"Don't do it", then "it is being done wrong", then "address the problems it will cause".

Gues he knew what he was talking about, just as he was ahead of the curve on the LL pool also.

Anonymous said...

Nicastro for Mayor in 09!

Anonymous said...

"Nicastro for Mayor in 09!"

Sorry, but mayor just isn't good enough. I think Frank would rather be King (hopefully of some kingdom far, far away!). King Frank! It's got a nice ring to it, don't ya think?

Anonymous said...

soooooooooooo now we have no
DOWN TOWN TO SPEAK OF
NO HIGHWAY ACCESS

SHOULD LET ELLEN RUN THE CITY
SENT A WOMAN TO DO A MANS JOB!!!

LEAVE MAYOR COUTURE OUT OF THIS EQUATTION. REMEMBER HE WANTED TO EXPAND THE DOWNTOWN AND GOT VOTED OUT OF OFFICE

OK VOTERS ITS TIME TO ATKE YOUR CITY BACK!!!

Anonymous said...

FRANK! FRANK! FRANK! FRANK! FRANK!

I can hear the trumpet blaring!

Nicastro for Mayor in 09!

HUH? said...

12:13,

WHAT PART OF "GOVERNMENT PROJECT" DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? EVEN YOUR MIGHTY SAINT ZIPPO HERSELF COULDN'T MAKE THE STATE MOVE ANY FASTER.

OH, BY THE WAY, THE VOTERS DON'T NEED TO "TAKE OUR CITY BACK"...WE NEVER LOST IT...THAT'S KINDA THE REASON WE VOTE, YA THINK?

Anonymous said...

"FRANK! FRANK! FRANK! FRANK! FRANK!

I can hear the trumpet blaring!"

...signaling the arrival of King Frank. Oh ya, Frank really likes the fanfare! King Frank of Far, Far Away (hopefully)! ;0)

Anonymous said...

Re: 5:23

I fail to comprehend why Ellen Zoppo's name needs to be dragged into this discussion.

She is now a private citizen. I am also appalled that you find it necessary to lower yourself to name calling - "Saint Zippo?"

If you can't blog in a more responsible manner, I suggest you find another outlet for your meanness - punching bag, steam bath, hot tub, cold shower. Pick one.

Anonymous said...

LOL at 4:58....the trumpet is Frank's favorite musical instrument...aside from his mouth of course!! :-)

Anonymous said...

GO NICASTRO! GO NICASTRO! GO NICASTRO! GO!!!!

NICASTRO IN 09!

Please help us take back our city!

Anonymous said...

12:13

We all want to expand downtown: Coutures plan was expensive and unworkable.

Give the people credit for seeing that!

Anonymous said...

Anyone but Zippo '09

Anonymous said...

another wasted project. it should of never been started

Anonymous said...

Re 6:54,

Ewwwwwww....we are "appalled" are we? How dare I take she who will not be named name's in vain! BTW, I wasn't the one who brought up "the name." I was merely responding to a prior post. Oh, and if you really want to talk about mean...er, never mind. Guess I'd better go take a nice hot bubble bath. ;0)

Anonymous said...

"GO NICASTRO! GO NICASTRO! GO NICASTRO! GO!!!! NICASTRO IN 09!

Please help us take back our city!"

________________________________

Uh...who took it?

Anonymous said...

8:06

WARD!

Anonymous said...

5:40, At least he knows what to do with it. He's doing a great job!

Anonymous said...

8:04

If he does know what to do with it, when is he going to start??

He hasn't shown us anything yet!

Anonymous said...

The best thing about Ward is that he forced Zippo out of politics. Perhaps Ward deserves a bi-partisan shout of thanks?

Anonymous said...

6:54, take off those rose-colored glasses. There are many "private citizens" who were once elected officials and continue to take the heat. It's part of it, whether you're Mayor Stortz, Councilperson Zippo, or anyone else. In my own humble opinion, Zippo deserves to get much more heat than she's been getting.

Anonymous said...

9:22

Then he done all he can do and should get out!