The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will conduct a virtual public information meeting concerning the Replacement of the Route 149 Bridge over Dykas Brook in East Haddam on Tuesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. 

The virtual public information meeting is being held to provide the public and local community the opportunity to offer comments or ask questions regarding the proposed project. The meeting will take place on Zoom and registration is required. A question and answer (Q&A) session will immediately follow the presentation. The presentation will be recorded. 

For instructions on how to access the meeting, ways to provide comments, and how to ask questions, please visit http://portal.ct.gov/DOTEastHaddam40-148. 

“The bridge carrying Route 146 over the Dykas Brook, originally constructed in 1905, has exceeded its current lifespan. This project will replace the bridge with a new structure in accordance with current design standards,” said Project Manager Francisco Fadul. “We encourage the public to attend this meeting to share their feedback with the CTDOT project team to incorporate into the design.”

The purpose of the project is to address structural deficiencies of Bridge No. 02698 by designing and constructing a replacement bridge that meets all current design standards. The bridge has been given the structural rating of 4, or poor.

There are right-of-way impacts anticipated with the proposed improvements. These impacts include temporarily relocating a residential driveway and temporary construction easements on each side of the bridge.   

Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2025 based on the availability of funding, acquisition of rights-of-way, and approval of environmental permit(s). The estimated construction cost for this project is approximately $4.6 million. The project is anticipated to be undertaken with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds. The project is identified as State Project No. 0040-0148.

Individuals with limited internet access can listen to the meeting by calling (877) 853-5257 and enter Meeting ID 839 2601 6838. Persons with hearing and/or speech disabilities may dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). Persons with limited internet access may also request that project information be mailed to them within one week by contacting Francisco Fadul at Francisco.Fadul@ct.gov or (860) 594-2078. 

Language assistance may be requested by contacting the CTDOT Language Assistance Call Line (860) 594-2109. Requests should be made at least five business days prior to the meeting. Language assistance is provided at no cost to the public and efforts will be made to respond to timely requests for assistance. 

This meeting will also be livestreamed on the CTDOT YouTube channel and no registration is required. Non-English language closed captioning will be available on Zoom and YouTube. The recording will also be posted immediately following the meeting in the list of CTDOT virtual public meetings at portal.ct.gov/ctdotVPIMarchive.

Members of the public can submit comments and questions during the two-week public comment period following the meeting. Please submit comments and questions by August 1, 2023 to DOTProject40-148@ct.gov and (860) 594-2020, or Francisco Fadul at Francisco.Fadul@ct.gov or (860) 594-2078. Please reference State Project No. 0040-0148 in the email or voicemail.