I-84 East Upgrades Done; I-84 West Paving to Start after
Labor Day
Improvements to I-84 eastbound in the Waterbury area
have been completed and paving work on the westbound
section of the highway is scheduled to get underway after
Labor Day, with completion expected by November 1st, state Representative Selim
Noujaim said today.
The announcement came after Representative Noujaim, R-Waterbury, and Mayor
Michael Jarjura met Thursday with Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph
Marie, Deputy DOT Commissioner H. James Boice, and other DOT officials to get
updates on the I-84 improvements and other Waterbury area projects.
Work on the eastbound section was delayed because unanticipated heavy rain this
summer interfered with the installation of new drainage pipes, Representative Noujaim
said.
In addition to widening and repaving sections of I-84 in the Waterbury area, the state
Department of Transportation had to correct major problems with drainage system
improvements that resulted from shoddy work by one of the project’s contractors,
Representative Noujaim said.
“Mayor Jarjura and I, and the rest of the Waterbury delegation, are closely monitoring the
I-84 work,” Representative Noujaim said. “When completed, the project will enhance
traffic flow and safety in the Greater Waterbury area and help stimulate economic growth
and create jobs in the city. Having regular meetings with Commissioner Marie and other
DOT officials directly involved with the I-84 work and other area transportation projects
is important to us. We need to know whether the projects are on track or if unforeseen
problems have arisen that could delay them so we can pass the information on to citizens
and the business community. We want to do whatever we can to help ensure they are
completed on time and that our overburdened taxpayers receive the best possible value
for the dollars they send to Hartford.”
The second phase of the I-84 project, the widening and repaving of the section of the
highway from Austin Road to Hamilton Avenue, is scheduled to get underway in 2010
after final designs are completed and contracts are awarded, Representative Noujaim
said.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is currently investigating the
relocation of the Mad River. When the review is completed, public hearings will be
scheduled to address watercourse issues, Representative Noujaim said.
The Department of Economic and Community Development has completed a feasibility
study on the Waterbury Intermodal Transportation Center. A draft environmental study
for the project is expected in March of 2009. The final environmental study should be
completed by the fall of 2009, Representative Noujaim said.
Funding for the project has been authorized but will not receive final approval by the
State Bond Commission until after the final environmental studies are completed,
Representative Noujaim said.
