1. Notice of Scoping for the Replacement of Bridge No. 02866 - Route 275 over the Willimantic River

Municipalities where proposed project might be located: Coventry and Mansfield

Address of Possible Project Location: Route 275 over the Willimantic River

Project Description: This project involves the replacement of Bridge No. 02866, which carries Route 275 over Willimantic River, and is located on the Coventry/Mansfield town line. The bridge, built in 1900 and reconstructed in 1973, is a two-span bridge supported by stone masonry abutments and a center pier. The total length of the bridge is 122 feet, with a maximum span length of 61 feet.  There are no curbs or sidewalks located on this bridge.  The curb-to-curb deck width is 14.3 feet, which accommodates one lane of alternating one-way traffic controlled by stop signs. The average daily traffic on the bridge is roughly 3,100 vehicles.  The approach roadways accommodate one lane of traffic in each direction; however, just east of Bridge No. 02866 is a railroad bridge, which has a minimum curb-to-curb width of 17 feet, allowing only alternating one-way traffic to pass beneath.    

The replacement is necessary because the existing bridge structure is structurally deficient, functionally obsolete, and hydraulically inadequate.  The bridge is functionally obsolete due to its substandard curb-to-curb roadway width.  The bridge is hydraulically inadequate due to its inability to pass the 100-year design storm with the required 2-feet of underclearance.  The bridge is structurally deficient due to the poor condition of the box beams. 

The proposed project consists of replacing the existing bridge with a two span precast, prestressed box beam superstructure supported by integral concrete abutments founded upon augered steel piles.  The box beams will be approximately 24" deep with a 5" reinforced concrete shear slab placed on top.  The box beams would be connected with a reinforced concrete closure pour to facilitate integral movement and preclude the need for an expansion joint.  The roadway width will be 32 feet comprised of two 11-foot lanes with 5-foot shoulders.  The new concrete integral abutments will be constructed behind the existing stone abutments, which will remain.  Piles will be augered 10 feet from the face of the existing abutments which will increase the structure length to 140 feet.  The span lengths will each be 70 feet in length.  The concrete caps of the existing abutments will be removed.  The existing stone pier will be utilized, removing the existing concrete cap and replacing it with a widened cast in place concrete cap.  The approach roadways will be reconstructed to accommodate the widened roadway section of the bridge.              

Project Maps:  Click here to view a map of the project area.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on:  Thursday April 16, 2015.

Any person can ask the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) to hold a Public Scoping Meeting by sending such a request to the email or address below.  If a meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, CTDOT shall schedule a Public Scoping Meeting.  Such requests must be made by Friday March 27, 2015.

Written comments and/or requests for a Public Scoping Meeting should be sent to:

Name:	Mr. Mark W. Alexander, Transportation Assistant Planning Director
Agency:	Connecticut Department of Transportation
	Bureau of Policy and Planning
Address:	2800 Berlin Turnpike Newington, CT 06131
Fax:	860-594-3028
E-Mail:	dot.environmentalplanning@ct.gov

If you have questions about the project, contact:

2. Notice of Scoping for Downtown Crossing - Phase II

Municipality where proposed project might be located: New Haven, CT

Address of Possible Project Location: Area generally to include work on Union Avenue, South Frontage Road, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (MLK) Boulevard, Orange Street, South Orange Street, Water Street and State Street.

Project Description: State funds will be used to complete Phase II of the Downtown Crossing project, which will covert Route 34 from a limited access highway to urban boulevards. The CT Dept. of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is the sponsoring agency and is working with the CT Dept. of Transportation (DOT) and the City of New Haven to bring the project forward.  The project introduces a new at-grade connection across the former Route 34 Corridor by re-connecting the north and south sections of Orange Street.  Five major components of the project include construction of a new at-grade, signalized intersection of Route 34 with South Orange Street and MLK Boulevard and South Frontage Road; pedestrian improvements to the State Street underpass; transition zone improvements intended to slow travel speed along the transition of Route 34 to the new intersection; a bike lane along Water Street from Orange Street to Olive Street; and relocation of utilities and stormwater improvements within the project area. 

This Phase II work in part will support the private redevelopment of the Coliseum Site (275 South Orange Street) into a human-scale, mixed-use, community-gathering place centered on an activated public square and laneway, with 719 residential units, 76,900 square feet of retail, 160 hotel rooms, 200,000 square feet of Class A office, 52,620 square feet of public space and 785 parking spaces.   

Under the final phase (Phase III) of the Downtown Crossing Project, Temple Street is intended to be re-connected from MLK Boulevard to South Frontage Road, MLK Boulevard and South Frontage Road will be further improved as urban boulevards, and Church Street will be reconstructed between MLK Boulevard and South Frontage Road. Various utility relocations and stormwater management improvements will also be a part of Phase III.

Project Map: Click here to view a map of the project area.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on:  Thursday, April 16, 2015.

Any person can ask the sponsoring agency to hold a Public Scoping Meeting by sending such a request to the address below.  If a meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the sponsoring agency shall schedule a Public Scoping Meeting.  Such requests must be made by close of business on Friday, March 27, 2015.

Written comments and/or requests for a Public Scoping Meeting should be sent to:

Name:	Binu Chandy
Agency:	CT Dept. of Economic and Community Development
Address:	505 Hudson Street, Hartford CT 06016
Fax:	860.706.5740
E-Mail:	binu.chandy@ct.gov

If you have questions about the public meeting, or other questions about the scoping for this project, contact:

Name:	Binu Chandy
Agency:	CT Dept. of Economic and Community Development
Address:	505 Hudson Street, Hartford CT 06016
Phone:	860.270.8154
Fax:	860.706.5740
E-Mail:	binu.chandy@ct.gov

3. Notice of Scoping for Seaview Avenue Corridor Improvements

Municipality where proposed project might be located: Bridgeport, Connecticut

Project Location: Along Seaview Avenue beginning at Barnum Avenue and extending approximately 2,500 feet north to Boston Avenue (US Route 1), then continuing northerly along a new alignment just west of, and parallel to Bond Street from Boston Avenue approximately 2,250 feet north to Stewart Street, and then extending approximately 600 feet to the west from Stewart Street.   

Project Description: The City of Bridgeport, with technical and financial assistance from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), proposes reconstruction, streetscape enhancements, and a new transportation corridor centered upon Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport. The project will reconstruct and provide streetscape enhancements on Seaview Avenue and construct a new arterial roadway which will provide access to the planned Lake Success Business Park (LSBP), as well as the new Harding High School which is to be located at 379 Bond Street and is scheduled to open in Fall 2017.   

Improvements on Seaview Avenue from Barnum Avenue to US Route 1 are anticipated to include pavement rehabilitation, replacement and upgrade of traffic signal equipment, new sidewalks, streetscape enhancements, transit service features, and relocation of above ground utilities to below grade.  The intersection at US Route 1 will be realigned to accommodate a "normalized" four-way intersection with Seaview Avenue and Bond Street, thus eliminating the current offset alignment of the north/south legs.  The new proposed arterial roadway is adjacent to the existing Bond Street alignment north of US Route 1 to the intersection with Stewart Street, and would continue westerly from the present Stewart Street alignment to provide access to the proposed LSBP.  Based on the final preliminary engineering determination of the most suitable access point for the proposed LSBP, a new structure may also be proposed spanning the Yellow Mill Channel.     

Project Maps:  Click here to view a location map and an aerial view of the project area.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on:  Friday May 7, 2015

Any person can ask the sponsoring agency to hold a Public Scoping Meeting by sending such a request to the address below.  If a meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the sponsoring agency shall schedule a Public Scoping Meeting.  Such requests must be made by Thursday April 17, 2015.

Written comments and/or requests for a Public Scoping Meeting should be sent to:

If you have questions about the public meeting, or other questions about the scoping for this project, contact:

3. Post-Scoping Notice for Hawleyville Low-Pressure Sewer Extension

Municipality where project will be located: Newtown

CEPA Determination:  On February 3, 2015, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) published a Notice of Scopingto solicit public comments for this project in the Environmental Monitor.  Comments were received from the Department of Public Health (DPH) Source Assessment & Protection Unit  and the DPH Private Well Program. DEEP will include a condition in the STEAP funding agreement requiring Newtown to incorporate design and construction measures aimed at meeting DPH requirements. Based on DEEP's environmental assessment of the project and the comments provided, DEEP has concluded that the project does not require the preparation of Environmental Impact Evaluation under CEPA.

The agency's conclusion is documented in a Memorandum of Findings and Determination and an Environmental Assessment Summary.

If you have questions about the project, you can contact the agency at:

Name:	Carlos Esguerra
Agency:	Department of Energy & Environmental Protection  Bureau of Water Protection & Land Reuse
Address:	79 Elm Street  Hartford, CT 06106-5127
Phone:	860-424-3756
Fax:	860-424-4067
E-Mail:	carlos.esguerra@ct.gov

What happens next:  DEEP expects the project to go forward. This is expected to be the final notice of the project to be published in the Environmental Monitor.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint.

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 After Scoping, an agency that wishes to undertake an action that could significantly affect the environment must produce, for public review and comment, a detailed written evaluation of the expected environmental impacts. This is called an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE).

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No Environmental Impact Evaluation has been submitted for publication in this edition.

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 Connecticut General Statutes Section 4b-47 requires public notice of most proposed sales and transfers of state-owned lands. The public has an opportunity to comment on any such proposed transfer. Each notice includes an address where comments should be sent. Read more about the process.

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