State DOT outlines $34M in renovations to Darien Train Station

Susan Shultz  DARIEN — The Darien Train Station is first on the list of stations that need improvements according to the state’s Department of Transportation.

A recent presentation from the state DOT showed those improvements are scheduled to begin in February 2022 and are estimated to cost $34 million.

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson introduced the presentation and question-and-answer session, which was held virtually and recorded for viewing on Darien TV 79’s Vimeo channel.

Stevenson pointed out the commuting amenities for Darien are vital, and though commuting has slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, she expects a “robust” use of Metro-North in the future.

Tony Sardilli, project manager for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. explained the project’s impact and timeline during the virtual meeting.

The purpose of the project is to address the “current structural deficiencies at the stations platforms and bring the rest of the station into a state of good repair,” according to the DOT.

The project will completely replace all platform sections with electric-heated, fiber-reinforced polymer transit panels. The new platform will be designed in conformance with building, Americans with Disabilities Act and all applicable standards and codes.

Lighting, handrails, recycling centers and others areas will be evaluated and replaced or upgraded as needed. The elevators located on the north and south side of the station will be rehabilitated. The station’s existing grounding and bonding system will be replaced using the state DOT’s newly developed standard as well, according to the presentation. In addition to the work on the platforms, the four catenary structures within the limits of the project will be demolished and replaced.

A new emergency generator will also be installed near what is currently used as a storage utility building near West Avenue.

The $34 million project is expected to be paid with state and federal funds.

In 2016, the DOT commissioned an assessment of 43 of Connecticut’s rail stations. In 2017, the final report concluded the Darien station was the station most needed of repairs, according to the DOT.

Deficiencies include deteriorated concrete platforms and other concrete elements, non-ADA compliant elements and historically problematic elements.

The project will be staged in the extreme west end of the Leroy West parking lot. Construction is expected to be conduced in five phases, each lasting between six and seven months.

Each stage will tackle a portion of the project and impact between 15 to 30 parking spots at the train station.

The design is expected to be completed by June 2021, with construction commencing in February 2022, and completed by July 2024.

In a subsequent question-and-answer session about the project, Selectman Kip Koons asked about the heated platforms and the lifespan they are expected to have.

“It is impressive how well they work and what they can withstand,” Sardilli said, noting the heated platforms have been used in New Jersey, New York and Chicago in the winters and harsh weather. “They have a 50-year lifespan and most of them have a warranty of 10 to 25 years and they will outperform the lifespan of a typical concrete with corrosion from salt and sand.”

Several virtual meeting viewers asked if the planned canopy replacement could be full coverage on the New York side, but the team said that the canopy is one of the most expensive parts of the project.

Stevenson also asked if there would be a plan to make the station ADA-complaint while the elevators were out of commission during the construction, and the team said the plans were in the works.

Meanwhile, Darien resident Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and a transportation columnist for Hearst Connecticut Media, questioned why the high cost of the project was so high.

Sardilli explained the $34 million price tag includes all aspects of the project, from the contractor bid to engineering, inspection, a security system, and inflation adjustments. He also said the elevators and the heated platforms are more expensive outright but “in the long run and in their service life, your true cost over time will be less than concrete.”

As far as the project timing, Cameron expressed concerns about contruction deadlines, pointing out that there were delays on the completion of recent improvements made to the Noroton Heights Train Station.

Sardilli said while he couldn’t speak to why Noroton Heights ran behind, he said the contractors have a financial motive to complete their work not only on time, but early.

“We develop a calendar day schedule the contractor has to complete the job, and if he doesn’t, he is penalized a monetary amount for every day they over,” he said.

Sardilli also said the contractors don’t want to be there any longer than they have to because “the earlier they get done, the more money they will make. They want to keep the schedule, if not beat the schedule.”

The team also commented on whether the project funding was already in place, saying some federal money was involved and that the costs are currently in the capital program.

While they said it was difficult to comment on budget cuts, DOT Assistant Rail Administrator John Bernick said “based on what we are expecting, funding will be available.”

CT awarded $144 million in federal funds for rail-bridge replacements

Staff Reports  Connecticut has been awarded more than $144 million in federal funding to support the replacement of the Walk Bridge in Norwalk and Connecticut River Bridge connecting Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, Gov. Ned Lamont and members of the state’s Congressional delegation announced Friday.

Those officials described the funds as crucial to upgrading two aging rail bridges that are among the most-used in the region and said those projects would also support economic growth.

“This $145 million grant will provide Connecticut with the urgently needed funding to replace both the Walk Bridge and Connecticut River Bridge — vital structures that have long outlived their intended lifespans,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a statement. “Rail passengers along the Northeast Corridor deserve speedy and reliable service on Amtrak, New Haven Line and Shoreline East.”

The state Department of Transportation, in partnership with Amtrak, was awarded nearly $80 million for the replacement of the Walk Bridge, which was built in 1896. The project involves the construction of two two-track vertical-lift rail bridges, supporting rehabilitation work on the bridge-approach embankments and retaining walls, installation of new catenary structures and signal-system upgrades.

“The Walk Bridge is a critical juncture for commerce traveling along the East Coast,” said Rep. Jim Himes, whose district covers most of Fairfield County. “But, for too long, we’ve been trying to accommodate a 21st-century economy with 19th-century technology. Securing these funds has been a top priority of ours because we need critical infrastructure investment to keep Connecticut thriving and competitive for years to come.”

Amtrak, in partnership with the state DOT, was awarded about $65 million for the replacement of the 113-year-old Connecticut River Bridge with a bridge immediately to the south of the existing structure. The new bridge will maintain the two-track configuration and existing channel location and include a moveable span, with additional vertical clearance for maritime traffic.

“The Walk Bridge and the Connecticut River Bridge are both over a century old, and they are major chokepoints on the northeast corridor — affecting travel within our state and well beyond our borders,” said Sen. Chris Murphy. “Connecticut’s economic competitiveness depends in large part on its connection to Boston and New York. This funding represents a big step toward modernizing the Northeast Corridor.”

Rep. Joe Courtney, whose district includes Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, said the project “will also provide a shot in the arm to the building trades, and I look forward to working with federal rail to target local contractors and skilled workers when the time comes to award this sizable contract.”

Lamont praised the legislators for helping to secure the funding and shared their enthusiasm about the projects.

“One of Connecticut’s many strengths is the state’s access to rail and the major cities to our east and south,” Lamont said. “Fixing our aging bridges is about public safety and speeding up our transportation system. Our Department of Transportation will do a great job in making these improvements for our rail passengers.”

Opinion: Show support for Torrington’s schools with ‘yes’ vote

On Nov. 3, it is our sincere hope that the voters of Torrington Vote Yes for a new high school/middle school, just as they have come together to support our school buildings in the past. We would like to remind the voters of why this is the most educationally and fiscally sound plan for our community.

While the referendum question is whether or not to approve a $159 million project, after state grants, the actual taxpayer cost is $74 million, an average of under $200 per household per year in Torrington.

First, let’s review why this needs to be done. The THS building was constructed beginning in 1961, and not much has changed since then. The mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection are at the end of their useful life. The windows and walls contain hazardous materials, and there are leaks throughout the building, causing moldy walls, falling ceiling panels and broken floors. The bathrooms are in such disrepair that many students refuse to use them for the entire day. The temperature inside can range from low 50s in the winter to low 90s in the spring, and many windows cannot be opened, limiting the flow of clean air. The gym is in such poor condition that the state has threatened to condemn it. Without these repairs, the school will not be re-accredited. You can see pictures of the conditions at thsbuildingproject.org.

The state will not reimburse the cost of most repairs, so the cost of these mandatory fixes without a single classroom improvement is $78 million. All repairs would be done inside the existing building, disrupting learning for several grades for several years.

Instead, imagine something better. Picture culinary students cooking in a real kitchen while business students manage the restaurant and art students design the menus. Envision preschool labs where future teachers meet their first students, and shop classrooms where potential engineers learn high tech manufacturing. Imagine a state-of-the-art theater where Torrington’s world-famous band and Halo Award-winning actors perform, and open floor plans that allow for drone and video production classes.

A new school will bring enhancements to the direct career pathways already being implemented at THS. Existing teachers will have the space and equipment to fully execute programs with the following focuses: business and entrepreneur, healthcare, public safety and criminal justice, health and wellness, education, STEM/High Tech Manufacturing, and applied arts.

We can build a safe, state-of-the-art building for all of Torrington’s grades 7-12, at the lowest per pupil cost of all recent statewide school building projects.

As a continuation of this project, our existing middle school will be used for all fourth through sixth graders, and this has educational and financial benefits of its own. We currently combine all of the city’s children in one building when they enter sixth grade, a time that is filled with pre-teen angst. Instead, we will now combine them when they are only nine years old, during a developmental moment in time when children are conditioned to all get along, and are not yet struggling with transitioning to being a young adult. Those same children will then have the opportunity to go through the next nine years together on the same two campuses, creating relationships to last a lifetime.

Advanced middle school students will only need to walk through a corridor to take high school courses. Economically speaking, having the seventh and eighth graders together means many of them will then choose to stay at THS for high school. We currently lose 30 percent of our city’s eighth-graders to area schools, which costs our district over two million a year in outplacement tuition costs. If even a third of those students remained in district, we could save over $700,000 a year.

Our district’s director of facilities, together with the Board of Education’s facilities committee, is actively creating long-term maintenance plans for all of the city’s school buildings. Combining our schools and our administration building will allow us to save over half a million dollars every year in energy and maintenance expenses.

By voting YES for the Torrington High School/middle school building project, you will be saving millions of dollars in construction costs, and millions more in ongoing energy, maintenance and outplacement tuition costs. You will also be saying that you have faith in Torrington, and in the potential of our students. We hope you will join us in believing in our community, believing in our kids and believing in Torrington.

For more information follow us on facebook at Vote Yes New School Bright Future, or at voteyesnewschool.org

Keri Hoehne, on behalf of the Vote Yes New School Bright Future Committee, Torrington

Letter: Torrington Democrats unanimously support school project

At a meeting of the Torrington Democratic Town Committee held virtually on October 22, the committee voted unanimously to support the ballot question in favor of the construction of a new high school and middle school. The committee strongly believes that project will benefit future high school and middle school students as they seek careers in a fast changing economy. Further, the committee stresses that the most effective solution to a deteriorating high school building is to build a new one rather than continuing to dump money into one that is long past its useful life. A vote in favor of this project is a vote for a bright future for Torrington and its students and teachers.

I had an extensive tour of the high school building over the summer with a member of the board of education and a custodian. I was shocked at the poor condition of the building. From widespread water damage to inefficient windows to mechanical systems way beyond their useful life, the building is unsuitable for our students and staff to work and learn in. Instead of continuing to dump money into a failing building, our city has an opportunity to build a new high school and middle school which will meet the educational needs of our students as they enter an ever changing economy and will also ensure that the health and safety of students and staff are met. And even better, the cost to build new is less than the cost to constantly fix an old one way beyond its useful. On Nov. 3, please support our students and teachers and instill pride in our community by voting yes on this ballot question.

Paul Summers, Torrington