CT Construction Digest Tuesday March 18, 2025
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto today announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation has begun construction on the Dutch Point Viaduct rehabilitation project on Interstate 91 southbound in Hartford.
The Dutch Point Viaduct is the 61-year-old, 1,800-foot elevated bridge structure on I-91 southbound between the area of the Connecticut Convention Center and the Colt Armory. It includes ramps to and from the Whitehead Highway, connecting I-91 to downtown Hartford.
The purpose of the project is to upgrade the structural elements of the bridge to current safety standards. Improvements include the replacement of the viaduct’s bridge deck, drainage system, and installation of new barrier walls and highways lights, among other structural enhancements. Upon completion in fall 2026, the reconstruction project will improve safety for motorists, increase the viaduct’s load-carrying capacity, and extend the viaduct’s service life until it is replaced as part of the Greater Hartford Mobility Program.
The $91.85 million project is funded by a mix of 90% federal funds and 10% state funds. The funds are sourced from various federal programs, including those dedicated to highway and bridge maintenance and improvement.
“The Dutch Point Viaduct is a vital artery for thousands of commuters and visitors traveling through the Hartford region every day,” Governor Lamont said. “Modernizing this aging bridge is a crucial investment to ensure the safety and reliability of this key stretch of highway. I appreciate the hardworking Connecticut Department of Transportation crews and contractors for their dedication to completing these upgrades.”
“Like many of Connecticut’s aging bridges, the I-91 viaduct was built for a different time and requires significant upgrades to the bridge deck to extend its service life,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. “We urge motorists to slow down and move over when they see our crews working on the highway or in the roadway shoulder on this important project. Thanks to Governor Lamont and our federal, state, and local partners, we are upgrading this critical infrastructure while ensuring minimal disruption to commuters and businesses downtown.”
“This blockbuster $82 million federal grant will positively impact safety and quality of life for all Connecticut,” Senator Richard Blumenthal said. “This project is in our capital city but is key to transportation interests statewide. I’m proud to continue to fight for federal investments that improve aging infrastructure and make our roadways safer.”
One lane of I-91 southbound in the area will be closed for approximately 18 months while work on the project is underway. Temporary nighttime lane closures between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and daytime shoulder closures between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. will occur throughout the duration of the construction period. Additionally, the State Street on-ramp to I-91 southbound will be closed during all three stages of the project.
Motorists should anticipate potential delays during these times but can rely on traffic control measures and signage to guide them through the work zone.
For detailed information on this project and to subscribe to construction updates via email, visit portal.ct.gov/dutchpointviaduct.
Guilford Village West, 162-unit apartment complex, commercial project planned for Boston Post Road
GUILFORD — Motorists stopped at the light at Guilford Commons on Route 1 may have wondered about the huge mounds of dirt and hulking construction equipment on a lot across from the shopping plaza.
About four years after heavy earthmoving started, developers unveiled plans to turn the construction site into Guilford Village West, a large-scale 162-unit apartment project and commercial development. A public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission is set for April 2 on the new plan.
The property owner also seeks two special permits for two drive-thrus and a special permit to exceed the 40-foot-height limit to more than 54 feet for the four apartment buildings. The developer is 1940 Boston Post Road LLC, whose principal is Robert Sachs, owner of Cherry Hill Construction in Branford.
The 92-acre parcel has sat undeveloped for years, despite having P&Z approval in 2010 for 115 age-restricted residential units on 82.4 acres, when it was owned by another party, Mark Lancor, an engineer for the project, told the Inland Wetlands Commission at its March 12 meeting.
The residential portion also includes a clubhouse, pool, tennis court, two pickleball courts and a dog park, according to plans submitted to the town and presentations to town boards. Some 12% — 20 units would be designated as affordable housing and offer rentals below market rate.
First Selectman Matt Hoey is especially pleased with the housing component.
“What I'm most excited about is the substantial amount of housing that will become available, particularly rental housing, apartment-style rental housing,” he said. “Guilford, like most communities in the state of Connecticut, is in need of more housing in a variety of price points. And this will give a significant boost to meeting those needs.”
The apartment buildings will be clad in a shingle-style material with dormers and a gambrel-style roof ends, “appropriate for a coastal New England town,” a representative told the town’s Design Review Committee at the Jan. 25 meeting.
The three-story apartment buildings are 54-feet, 9-inches tall and parking occupies the first level.
The commercial portion is three buildings that will include a retail center with three stores, a stand-alone coffee shop and a “quick serve,” both with drive-thrus, plus a “white tablecloth” restaurant, Lancor told the wetlands commission.
Hoey said the mixed development will benefit both residents at the apartment project and the town.
“Mixed-use development is something that we are looking forward to because that creates a walkable environment for those folks to secure services. In the commercial properties, that'll be apparently on Route 1, and also creates the ability to easily get up to the Guilford Commons, where there are a variety of other retail outlets.”
The development will also boost the town’s tax base, Hoey
added, “Without doubt, there will be some increased tax revenues coming from
both the commercial and residential side.”
The 19,400-square-foot mixed-use retail mixed-use building, located in a 9.4
acres portion of the lot zoned “commercial shopping center," has no
tenants lined up so far, according to a representative for the developer.
The proposed development is before the Inland Wetlands Commission for septic, waste-water treatment and stormwater run-off in addition to wetlands management. A public hearing before the commission March 12 was continued to its April meeting.
The Inland Wetlands Commission hired two consultants, Codespoti & Associates and Rema Ecological Services LLC, as a third party, to help review the extensive plan because it is considered a "complex application" with multiple parts, according to Kevn McGee, the town's wetlands manager. The applicant will pay for the services as part of a "complex application fee."
Up for review are planned sanitary and storm sewers, stormwater management facilities, installation of a sanitary treatment plant, site grading including driveway and roadways, installation of utilities, wetlands mitigation and passive and active recreation, according to documents from the commission.