CT Construction Digest Monday August 12, 2024
I-95 construction work continues on stretch between Westport & Norwalk, including new sidewalks
Katherine Lutge
NORWALK — Construction work continues on the stretch of Interstate 95 between Westport and Norwalk, including the addition of a new sidewalk off Exit 16.
In August, crews from the state Department of Transportation will be conducting a few projects during the day and more highway projects at night.
In Norwalk, East Avenue's sidewalks will be reconstructed from Aug. 5 to Aug. 23. So far, some new sidewalks have been installed off Exit 16.
“The community can expect the installation of new pedestrian signals as well as new pavement markings throughout the city within the coming weeks,” Norwalk said on Facebook. “We appreciate CTDOT’s partnership in helping make Norwalk a more accessible and walkable community for everyone.”
A permanent concrete median barrier will be installed on I-95 over the Yankee Doodle Bridge from Aug. 12 to Aug. 23.
During the day in Westport, crews will be conducting deck repairs and lead removal on the bridge over the Saugatuck River.
At night, temporary lane closures are expected while crews work on paving, mainline milling operations, roadway repairs and median barrier installations projects.
The I-95 Norwalk/Westport project spans the area between about Exit 16 in Norwalk and Exit 17 in Westport. As a part of the project the DOT replaced a bridge in Westport last fall. Overall, the project has improved drainage, road conditions, enhanced safety and repaired bridges in that section of I-95, according to DOT.
Eversource to upgrade region's decades-old transmission structures
BERLIN — Work has begun on a series of upgrades that will make the region's electric grid more resilient to extreme weather caused by climate change and improve reliability for customers, Eversource has announced.
The work to replace aging transmission infrastructure within the utility right of way with stronger steel structures began Monday, Aug. 5. The Southington to Black Pond Junction Structure Replacement Project includes upgrades to nearly 30 transmission structures in Berlin, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, and Southington.
Many of the wooden structures being replaced are decades old, with some dating back to 1969, according to Eversource. While the company says no problems, such as power failures, have arisen due to the aging infrastructure, it is proactively upgrading the system to improve the grid's resiliency and support the interconnection of new clean energy resources and increased electrification.
“The electric transmission system is the superhighway of the electric grid, and thoughtful, strategic upgrades like these are essential to continuing to deliver safe, reliable service to our customers,” said Bill Quinlan, Eversource president of transmission and offshore wind projects.
“These structures support high-voltage lines that deliver power to millions of customers throughout the region, and by replacing these structures with ones made of more durable material, we’re able to modernize and strengthen the electric grid to ensure that customers have the power they need as electric demand increases in the coming years and as climate change continues to pose a threat to reliability.”
While prep work has begun, construction won’t begin for several weeks, Eversource said. Once construction starts, crews will work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday on Eversource-owned property or within the existing utility right of way, weather permitting.
The company says it plans to continue working closely with state agencies, community leaders, and property owners where construction occurs and ensure the work will not interrupt electric service. The project is scheduled to be completed by early 2025.
$389 million in federal funding will help improve New England’s electrical grid, CT officials say
Connecticut officials gathered Wednesday in New London to highlight funding for New England designed to help expand offshore wind energy generation.
The federal government is giving the region $389 million to improve the electrical grid. Part of that money will go towards erecting massive wind turbines off the coast of New London.
Interim Executive Director of the Connecticut Port Authority, Ulysses Hammond, pointed to one of the wind blades that will eventually be connected to a turbine.
“The blades alone, one blade weighs 40 metric tons,” Hammond said.
Connecticut officials say that will mean cheaper, cleaner electricity in the long run.
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes highlighted an offshore wind farm project. Dykes said once it’s completed, it will be a significant source of clean energy.
“These projects will support the integration of 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind in each location and enhance the reliability of the grid,” Dykes said.
State officials say the project should be in service within eight years after contracts are finalized. Contracts were expected to be awarded to electric companies this month, but as WCAI previously reported, the recent federal grant may impact contract awards.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who attended the New London event, says that’s going to take too long.
“The people of Connecticut are really concerned about skyrocketing electricity bills,” Blumenthal said.
In the meantime, Blumenthal is going to Washington to see if there are any alternatives to lower electric costs. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, he said, can review delivery rates from electric providers.
Blumenthal’s remarks in New London come on the heels of energy customers all over Connecticut expressing anger about high electric bills from Eversource and United Illuminating.
“The federal government is putting a lot of taxpayer money into these projects with the understanding, the clear understanding, that the benefits are going to go to consumers, and that ultimately, energy will be not only more available, but more affordable,” Blumenthal said.
See what Stamford's new Westhill High School could look like after multi-million dollar cut
STAMFORD — In the span of three months, the new Westhill High School has undergone drastic changes, as is evident in a new rendering presented in late July.
The illustration shows what the future school could look like from an aerial perspective and it's a far cry from the image school officials presented in April from the same angle that showed a seemingly much larger structure and more accompanying parking spaces.
After the budget for the project ballooned by 71 percent in recent months due to booming escalation costs, officials worked to find roughly $55 million in savings to bring the total budget down to $461 million. That's still a 53 percent increase over the original budget set in 2022 of $301 million.
When looking at the two images together, the differences are immediately apparent. The most recent drawing shows how one part of the L-shaped structure has been dramatically reduced.
Overall, the structure was trimmed by 35,000 gross square feet.
Additionally, the look of the building has changed.
Back in April, officials with SLAM Architects, the lead architects of the project, showed how the facade of the building would be made of formed metal, ribbed block and precast concrete. It's unclear how much of that will be preserved, but the latest rendering shows a different facade design, as well as the loss of covered walkways and the elimination of large clusters of windows to allow natural light to enter the building.
Kemp Morhardt, a principal at SLAM Architects, said the new design allows for the classroom floors to be L-shaped, unlike the previous plan which was essentially two separate buildings linked together by an interior passageway. He said all of the classrooms are on the perimeter of the building, allowing for light to come in.
Speaking at a meeting of the Board of Finance in late July, Morhardt also said the basic organization of the building hasn’t changed even with the major modifications, though the orientation of the auditorium has shifted. He said three science classes have been scrapped to reduce the overall size of the building.
Officials have not presented a detailed list but did provide broad descriptions of some of the changes being proposed for the site after millions had to be cut from the scope. Circulation space in the building is being reduced, for example, as are the mechanical rooms, loading docks and retaining walls planned around the campus.
However, the squeezing of space has not reduced the enrollment for the school, nor the programming and educational specifications planned.
A big driver of the increased cost is escalation, which has "continued to increase in an unprecedented fashion since the pandemic," read an update posted to a website created by the city and dedicated to Stamford Public Schools construction projects.
New construction costs have rapidly increased in recent years. According to that same update, the cost per square foot of new construction ranged between $350 and $750 in 2021. The projection for 2026, when construction of the new school is expected to begin, is between $700 and $950 per square foot. The project is expected to be completed by 2029.
Whereas the original estimate predicted a cost of $560 per square foot of construction, the new model expects a cost of $901 per square feet.
A pool, noted as a "natatorium" in the design documents, is still included in the design for the new Westhill at a cost of roughly $19 million. At the moment, it is a six-lane pool, as opposed to the eight-lane version currently inside the school. But the pool could ultimately be shelved later in the process to cut costs even more, SLAM's consultant wrote in March.
The planned parking lot was also reduced, from 625 spaces to 566, which is still an increase over the 539 spots currently on the site.
Construction starts in New Milford on new sidewalks, crosswalks along busy Route 7 to improve safety
NEW MILFORD – Construction is underway on a $2.5 million project to install hundreds of feet of new sidewalks, three new bus shelters and other safety improvements in New Milford along Route 7 to keep pedestrians off the road.
On the roadway also known as Danbury Road, the Hartford-based contractor BETA Group Inc. is installing 2,300 feet of new sidewalks from Candlewood Lake Road South to Larson Road, between New Milford High School and the Elephants Trunk Flea Market, according to Joe Cooper, communications manager for the state Department of Transportation. The new sidewalk will connect to the existing one at Larson Road and Danbury Road, near Cumberland Farms and the high school, Cooper said.
Also, a total of 1,500 feet of sidewalk will be built from the existing Cumberland Farms sidewalk at Larson Road north to Sullivan Road, near some small shops, with a pedestrian bridge built over the stream.
Bus shelters will be built at the Candlewood Lake Condominium at 20 Candlewood Lake Road South and New Milford High School at 388 Danbury Road, as well as at the Sullivan Road bus stop, Cooper said. Additionally, new crosswalks will be installed across the driveways at the high school, Candlewood Lake Condominium and Industrial Park, he said.
New crosswalks will also be installed at Danbury Road and Sullivan Road, and a new crosswalk and bus shelter will be installed at Pickett District Road and Danbury Road, near the John Pettibone Community Center, Cooper said.
In addition to the new sidewalks along Route 7, BETA Group will also install 1,700 feet of sidewalk on Aspetuck Avenue to connect the Town Green to Canterbury School; 500 feet of sidewalk in front of John Pettibone Community Center at 2 Pickett District Road; 300 feet of sidewalk from Sullivan Road to the existing Sullivan Court sidewalk; and 200 feet of crosswalk to connect the existing sidewalks in front of Taco Bell at 177 Danbury Road, Cooper said.
Construction on the sidewalk project began July 15 and is anticipated to be completed July 31, 2025, according to Cooper. He said the $2.5 million project is 80 percent funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Alternatives Program while the remaining 20 percent is funded by the town of New Milford.
The DOT did not specify when each component of the project will be completed.
Motorists can expect delays and one-lane alternating traffic on Route 7 during construction, Cooper said. Traffic control personnel and signs will be used to guide motorists through the work zone, he said. The project will involve closing the shoulder and right lane on southbound Route 7 between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Milling started this week on Route 7 and paving will start on Route 7 on Aug. 18, Cooper said. All milling and paving are scheduled as nightwork between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., he said.
“We’re pleased with the progress (they’ve made) as they continue to move forward with the project,” Mayor Pete Bass said about BETA Group’s work on the sidewalk project.
New Milford has been looking to install sidewalks along Route 7 as part of its ongoing efforts to make Route 7 safer for drivers and pedestrians, Bass has said.
Route 7 has been the site of eight pedestrian-related accidents between Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2023, according to Eric Jackson, executive director of Connecticut Transportation Institute. Of those accidents, three accidents involved fatalities, four accidents involved injuries and one accident involved property damage only, according to Jackson.
A resident of Queens, N.Y., was hit by a car and killed Jan. 4 while attempting to cross Route 7 at 388 Danbury Road, where the high school is located, during the evening, according to New Milford police.
Owners push more projects into planning
The Dodge Momentum Index, a benchmark that measures nonresidential construction planning, climbed 7.9% in July due to notable increases across several commercial and institutional segments, according to the Dodge Construction Network.
Commercial planning, fueled by data center work, jumped 6.8% in July, while institutional planning, which includes education, life sciences and healthcare builds, surged 11.1% over the month.
“The potential Fed rate cut in September is becoming increasingly more likely, alongside slower inflation and weaker labor market conditions,” said Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network, in the release. “This is likely driving owners and developers to remain optimistic about 2025 market conditions and pushing more projects into the planning queue.”
The continued growth in construction planning — which leads actual construction spending by 12 months — has come as renewed fears sprouted this month that the U.S. economy may be sinking into recession. In contrast to anxiety over last week’s soft jobs report, the planning report provides evidence that owners and developers are simply waiting for lower rates to deploy capital.
Data center projects, for example, continue to have an outsized influence on nonresidential planning activity, but momentum is building across many other major sectors as well, said Martin in the release.
For instance, beyond the data center juggernaut, retail construction planning has been steadily accelerating over the past eight months too, reflecting growing confidence in the sector, said Martin. On the institutional side, healthcare projects led the charge in driving growth in July, according to the report.
From an annual perspective, the DMI increased 17% compared to July 2023, with the commercial segment up 35%. Over the same period, institutional planning fell 14%.
But the news isn’t all rosy. Despite the momentum in planning, business conditions at architecture firms continue to remain soft. The Architectural Billings Index, an indicator of construction work nine to 12 months out, declined for the seventeenth consecutive month, according to the most recent data from the American Institute of Architects.
Nevertheless, architecture firms remain generally optimistic that conditions will start to improve once interest rates begin to decline, most likely in September, according to the ABI report.