Replacement of Greenwich bridges over Byram River not expected to start until 2027, officials say

Andy Blye

GREENWICH — The long-awaited replacement of two Route 1 bridges over the Byram River is moving forward, but construction itself is still likely years away.

There are two bridges on the western edge of Greenwich that span the Byram River and carry travellers to and from Port Chester, N.Y., but the structures act as a bottleneck for the river below and officials have decided that removing and replacing the bridges is the best way to address flooding.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is designing the bridge replacements now, and if all goes to the tentative plan, then construction should start in the spring or summer of 2027. 

Each bridge replacement will take a full "construction season," according to Colonel Alexander Young, and they envision doing the replacements in back-to-back years, so construction would happen in 2027 and 2028.

"The team knows, I know, that if we slip a little bit on the schedule, we don't want to lose an entire year, an entire construction season," Young, the District Commander of the USAME New York District said. "That's on us, and I can assure you that we're gonna, and I'm gonna, hold our team accountable for it, but they are more than up to the task."

Young, as well as several other members of the USACE staff, presented an update on the project at Greenwich Town Hall on Tuesday.

"These bridges are low-lying with center piers and this is what constricts the flow of the river," project manager Rifat Salim said. "(The pier design) causes backup and upstream flooding.

The USACE and other government bodies have been talking about replacing these bridges since 2012, when a feasibility study was started. After considering various ideas for how to mitigate flooding, the USACE determined that replacing the bridges is the best option when it finished the study in 2020.

The plan, Salim said, is to finish 30% of the project design by this summer, after which the team could circulate renderings of the bridges.

The design is expected to be finalized by April 2026, reviewed and approved after that. By October 2026 the team will start the "real estate acquisition process" by securing easements from local and state authorities. And if all that goes smoothly, construction on one of the bridges would begin in 2027.

Traffic will flow, in both directions, on one of the bridges while the other is being replaced, officials said.

The USACE has planners, engineers, real estate specialists, a biologist and an archeologist working on the bridge replacements. Young described it as a "very challenging project," in part because of its location.

The placement of the bridges — between two states over a major waterway — means a full array of government agencies is involved.

The USACE, the town of Greenwich, the village of Port Chester, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the New York State Department of Transportation and Westchester County Government are all playing a part in the project.

Historic preservation groups from New York and Connecticut are also involved because these bridges, built in the 1880s and 1920s, are eligible for historical designations both in New York and nationally.

The town of Greenwich is the "non-federal sponsor" for the project and the bridges are owned and operated by the New York State Department of Transportation.

"The people whose property and health and safety is jeopardized are in the state of Connecticut, largely," Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut's 4th District said. "But the actual bridges are in the state of New York. And in New York, that requires that not just the town of Port Chester be involved, but the county. ... There's complexities here because of the nature of project that wouldn't exist if we were just building something over the Mianus River."

Himes — who has been in Congress since 2009, before the feasibility study even started in 2012 — secured federal funding for the project. 

The initial pre-construction and design phase, happening now, is expected to cost $5.47 million, all of which will be paid for by the federal government. Himes secured an additional $35 million for the construction itself as well.

If, as construction gets closer, the project cost exceeds $35 million, then all the involved agencies and officials will need to scrounge up extra funds, but an exact contingency plan for that has not been developed as USACE believes $35 million will be sufficient.

The scope of the project is narrow — officials are not looking at rearranging traffic patterns or upstream flooding issues — but Jim Michel, Greenwich Commissioner of Public Works, said his team is aware of other concerns in the area and they will use information gathered during the bridge replacement project to potentially use in other work in the future.

Judge Rejects Siting Council Plan for Powerlines Through Fairfield and Bridgeport

Daniel Tepfer, Sophia Muce,

NEW BRITAIN — Oversized electric-wire carrying monopoles will not be dotting the skyline of Bridgeport or Fairfield anytime too soon after a Superior Court judge Wednesday rejected a plan by the Connecticut Siting Council.

In an 11-page decision, Judge Matthew Budzik ruled that the council’s plan for high-power lines to be routed through the Bridgeport and Fairfield communities was in violation of its statutory authority.

“The court holds that the council’s decision was made in excess of the council’s statutory authority, upon unlawful procedure and that the plaintiffs have been prejudiced thereby,” the judge stated.

“This was pretty strong language from the court,” said Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim, “But it was well deserved. They [the siting council] as a public utility has the obligation to respect the opinions of the communities.”

The judge ruled the case must now go back to court where the communities will get a chance to argue their own plan. Ganim said he still strongly supports electric cables being put underground as they are in other communities such as Greenwich.

“We made a promise to residents of Fairfield to fight UI’s initial application and the subsequent decision made by the Siting Council,” said Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber. “This is a substantial win for every resident, but especially those whose properties were potentially subject to forced easements on the north side of the Metro-North railroad tracks in a blatant violation of their due process rights. The ruling affirms our right to expect accountability and transparency from utility companies that too often act without concern for the impact on residents of Connecticut’s cities and towns.”

Gerber said they will also continue to argue for burying the transmission lines.

State Rep. Jennifer Leeper, D-Fairfield, said, “Today is proof that regardless of how powerful a utility company may be, communities who come together and speak out and stand up are more powerful. This is such an important win for our community that so many worked to achieve together.”

The City of Bridgeport, Town of Fairfield and more than a dozen Fairfield neighborhood, environmental, historical, business and church groups filed suit against the Connecticut Siting Council after the state agency — following months of hearings in which officials and residents objected to UI’s plan to install the monopoles on the south side of the train tracks — then claimed to come up with its own plan.

The Siting Council, the state panel that regulates utility projects approved instead a novel plan that would have allowed United Illuminating to put up more than 100 monopole electrical wire carriers along the north side of railroad tracks. That plan, named the Hannon-Morissette Alternative after the two siting council members who came up with it, immediately drew strong protest from the communities and business owners who claimed they had been broad-sided by a plan passed without any public input.

“We believe that the Siting Council has failed to meet its obligation to satisfy the requirement to balance the alleged public need with the environmental impact, and has done a disservice to our residents,” Gerber said in a statement at the time. “There was never any prior notice to any of the abutting property owners to the north of the Metro-North Railroad tracks that UI may be constructing new transmission lines to the north, nor did UI provide any evidence of the impacts of this route, including whether property owners may now be facing permanent easements. This is a blatant due process violation.” 

In its lawsuit, the City of Bridgeport claims UI is pursuing profits over the interests of the community in its plan that the suit claims would disrupt historically sensitive areas of the city including “New Liberia,” the more than 200-year-old neighborhood that was home to a free Black community.

“UI has conceded that the entire railroad corridor that serves as the pathway for the project is historically sensitive, yet UI failed to perform any consultations with local colleges or universities, local museums, or the local historical commissions of the city of Bridgeport or the town of Fairfield,” the suit states.

According to court documents, the total cost of the project would be $255 million with Connecticut ratepayers footing 25 percent or $64 million of the bill with the rest being paid by “other New England ratepayers.”

During numerous public hearings residents and officials had first questioned the need for the new power lines and then advocated for them being buried underground rather than on giant monopoles.

But in court documents defending its decision, the Siting Council pointed out that UI evaluated an underground transmission alternative within the railroad path but this was rejected because the state Department of Transportation does not allow longitudinal underground utility occupations within the railroad right of way and an underground transmission alternative within public streets was rejected based on its $1 billion cost projection.

“The council devoted time and effort to find the appropriate alternative,” it stated. The council rejected four plans put out by UI.

But the judge ruled, “Neither the plaintiffs nor the public can prepare intelligently for the hearing when the council changes the very subject matter of the hearing from one facility to another facility.”

In a statement released after this report, Sarah Wall Fliotsos, a spokesperson for UI, replied to the decision:

“Transmission line development is crucial for ensuring grid safety and stability regionally, enhancing grid reliability to prevent outages locally, and ensuring communities, like Fairfield and Bridgeport, have the electricity they need to power their growing economies. Connecticut’s energy needs continue to grow, and after years of delays, the fundamental purpose of this project remains unchanged. The longer this project is stalled by permitting and legal challenges, the more urgent this project becomes to ensure continued safe and reliable service to the region. UI is eager to put forth its plan for the Siting Council’s consideration, in-line with this program’s previous projects spanning six communities, from New Haven to Stratford, that have been approved again and again for the past decade.”

Groton to pursue $56M in athletic field improvements in phases

Kimberly Drelich

Groton — The town plans to pursue a phased-in approach to implementing about $56.5 million in recommended upgrades to athletic fields.

Town Manager John Burt said the Town Council reached a consensus Tuesday to pursue a multi-year project. The intent is to undertake the project over four years in stages that cost about the same.

Each of the four stages would require a referendum to move forward, he said.

The Athletic Fields Task Force, which was formed in 2020, had recommended improvements and new fields at Robert E. Fitch High School, Sutton Park and the former Claude Chester School property.

"We're excited to see that the council is supportive and moving this forward and hope the community comes out and supports this when it comes time to a referendum," said Parks and Recreation Director Mark Berry.

He said the task force found there is a need for more fields across town.

The task force recommended about $37 million in investments at Fitch, including a new football field and track, bleachers, field house, restrooms, multi-use field and softball field.

It also recommended about $13 million for the Claude Chester property, including fields, a field house and amenities, as well as the demolition of the former school building.

For Sutton Park, the task force recommended $6.4 million for a baseball field, softball field, amenities, restroom and concessions.

Berry said the task force will refine recommendations for the four phases, with the goal of making them cost about the same and prioritizing and addressing the needs identified in the plan.

Burt said once he has the refined plan for each stage, he will work with the town's financial advisor to create an initial bond payment schedule. He will then present that information to the council.

During Tuesday's meeting, town councilors discussed the uncertainty over interest rates, tariffs, inflation and the federal budget, with some saying the town should wait to undertake the project until more information is known, while others urged action to meet a long-running need.

Mayor Rachael Franco said a phased-in approach takes into consideration taxpayers while it makes sense to avoid having all the construction taking place at one time. She said the town has flexibility, for example, to delay the second phase if things look bad and then see what the situation is.

Councilor Juliette Parker proposed waiting to make a decision until September. She said she's hesitant to make a decision now when the town does not know what is going to happen and interest rates could change. She said the town is still paying its current bonds, including for its schools, and she doesn't want to add more debt payments for residents.

The council also reached a consensus Tuesday to bond the project over 15 years.

Burt said the first referendum would likely be in November if the town can get through all of the required steps in time. He said otherwise, the council may consider holding a special election.

He said the intent is to hold a referendum annually over the next four years.

Twenty years after InterRoyal Mill fire, Plainfield sees redevelopment opportunity

Alison Cross

Plainfield — Twenty years after the smoke cleared, the InterRoyal Mill fire still burns in Paul Yellen’s memory.

When the alert came through Yellen’s pager on the evening of April 26, 2005, the then-fire marshal and deputy chief of the Moosup Fire Department said he “went speechless.”

“My wife looked at me and she said, ‘Oh my God. What's wrong?’ And I said, ‘It's InterRoyal Mill. It's on fire.’”

A thick column of smoke was already visible from Interstate 395 as Yellen drove to the scene, hanging over the mill like a noxious cloud.

When he arrived, the abandoned factory where Yellen had once interviewed for a job long ago was now a raging inferno.

It was four days before Yellen said he finally returned home.

On April 27, the firefighters had contained the blaze, but remnants continued to smolder on the 16.5-acre property behind Town Hall. Twenty duplexes on First Street were evacuated and nearby schools remained closed. When all was over, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the wind carried asbestos-laden debris up to five miles from the mill.

While millions of dollars have gone toward environmental studies and debris cleanup, much of the mill remains stuck in time. The charred, collapsing and overgrown remains stand as a constant reminder of the fire and the asbestos, lead and cancer-causing PCBs that continue to contaminate the site.

But, as the town marks the 20th anniversary of the fire this Saturday, redevelopment is on the horizon.

Grant paves way for project

Last week, state and local officials announced that the town has received an $8 million grant through the state’s Community Investment Fund to finance the remediation and redevelopment of InterRoyal.

With a developer already lined up, First Selectman Kevin Cunningham said the plan is to renovate the property into an indoor sports complex, restaurant and row houses that will create 32 units of new housing.

Cunningham said the project will revitalize the neighborhood by increasing the tax base, boosting economic development, and mitigating contaminants that pose health and environmental risks.

“I can't tell you how long we've been waiting for this to happen,” Cunningham said. “This has been an eyesore for the town of Plainfield for many years. … All you have to do is a Google search on the InterRoyal Mill and there's video out there (of) the devastation from the fire and the neglect.”

“To clean that environment up (and) make it so it comes back on the tax rolls is huge,” Cunningham said.

In a statement shared by the town, the Providence-based developer — The Discovery Group Inc. — said a portion of the property will be donated back to the town to expand Lion’s Park.

Once complete, The Discovery Group said, the mixed-use site will also include space for farmers’ markets, festivals and other events.

Residents must authorize the property sale during a town meeting. While Cunningham said he hopes to “turn this around very quickly,” he said the meeting will likely have to wait until June, once the town’s budget season is over and the ramp project at the Town Hall’s front entrance is completed.

According to Cunningham, back taxes owed on the property are just under $483,000, but Cunningham said the town is unlikely to recoup that cost when it sells the site.

"I'll get guidance from our attorney, but I'm not going to say that this is something we're looking for back taxes for,” Cunningham said. “Obviously, (the developer) could do a lot more if they could put the funding they have into actually redeveloping.”

While the $8 million grant falls short of the town’s initial request of $14.5 million, Cunningham said the project will move forward with the current funding. Cunningham said the town anticipates making up the difference through the state’s Brownfield Municipal Grant Program.

“We need more, but this is a very big start,” Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, said in an interview last month after the Community Investment Fund board recommended that the project receive a grant.

Somers said securing funding to remediate the site has been a priority for years. She said it was important to her that the cost would not fall on the backs of residents.

“They were not the business that was there, they were not the ones that created this contamination … or left this building in the condition that it was,” Somers said.

In a statement released last week, Somers described the project as critical to Plainfield’s future.

"Once fully redeveloped, the site will become a hub for growth, creating jobs, revitalizing the surrounding area, and improving the quality of life for the people who live and work here," Somers said. “This is a significant step in transforming a once-abandoned brownfield site into a vibrant, mixed-use community that will benefit residents, local businesses, and future generations.”

Yellen, who retired from the roles of fire marshal and emergency management director in 2021 after more than 30 years of service with the town, said he is excited for the InterRoyal property to move into a new chapter.

“There's been a lot a fair amount of money spent on that property. And, when you look at it, you don't really see where all that money has gone,” Yellen said. “The InterRoyal building has to go down to the ground so they can so they can start over again.”

A long history

When the mill first opened in 1906 it manufactured cotton cloth until 1937, when the mill began producing clothing, wood products and metal furniture, according to a report from the state Department of Public Health. In 1970, the InterRoyal Corp. took over, and the mill churned out institutional furniture for hospitals. But by 1986, the company went bankrupt and the mill shut down. For the next decade, the DPH said a plastics recycling operation, woodworking company, staircase manufacturer and plumbing fixture warehouse set up shop and left the site.

In 1995 the the mill was officially abandoned. Demolition efforts began in 2000 until the EPA said work halted in 2001 “when it was discovered that asbestos-containing material had been mixed in with the other building debris.”

In 2004, the town’s former economic development director, Michael Saad, was convicted for directing the demolition of a building on the site, even though he knew “that these areas contained asbestos that had not been properly remediated,” according to an EPA report.

One year later, the 2005 fire broke out after prosecutors said three juveniles were smoking cigarettes and drinking grain alcohol at the mill when 17-year-old Felix Lebron poured liquor on a piece of cardboard and took a lighter to it, according to media reports from Lebron’s sentencing in 2007. Lebron pleaded guilty to third-degree arson.

Yellen said he doubts that the memory of the fire will “continue much beyond 20 or 25 years.”

“A lot of the investigators from the state police that worked on (the arson investigation) with us are now deceased,” Yellen said. “They're gone, unfortunately, and people are gonna lose track of that.”

Yellen said he hopes that he will still be around to see the completed redevelopment.

“I think it's going to be great — if I'm alive in 10 years — to go back and see what it's all developed into,” Yellen said. “To see how successful it is and to see the good that it can bring to the town of Plainfield, and the area, just to show that, hey, Northeastern Connecticut exists, it is a viable and a wonderful place to live, and we’re not being forgotten.”