U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (pictured) said Saturday that the $75 million allocated for major reconstruction of the Amtrak Bridge and the expansion of Route 1, is precisely what “Congress had in mind when we made infrastructure the guts and the heart and soul of this economic recovery package.”
Surrounded by state and local officials, DeLauro said Connecticut would receive $302 million specifically for bridge work around the state. (The state will receive a total of $487.5 million for infrastructure funding.) She did not disclose the other projects, but said they would become known in upcoming weeks.
She said the Amtrak bridge project had been expedited, that bidding would take 30 days, not 90 days. “This project is about as shovel ready as any project can be. We are there,” she declared.
The Amtrak bridge project has been in the works for at least 15 years, spanning both Democratic and Republican administrations.
DeLauro told the group she experienced firsthand the town’s daily congestion nightmare as she navigated “the Pretzel,” the intersection of the Amtrak bridge, Route 1, Main Street, the connector onto Exit 53 off I‑95 and the road to Wal-Mart.
“I got caught in this traffic coming around here,” she said at a press conference held at a commuter lot within view of the bridge.
“The project begins right here, at the bottom of Branford Hill on Route 1, below the train track, but its impact is far and wide,” she said under chilly skies. “This project will affect one of the most heavily traveled roads running down the East coast and the busiest traffic rail line in the nation… It opens up a bottleneck that often stretches well beyond the intersection, which creates serious problems for local businesses. The community has called for a critical clear gridlock free emergency and evacuation route. Public safety and public health demand that we do this.“This is essential not just for quality of life but for economic development. Quality jobs will be created and they are jobs that cannot be outsourced. They are going to make a difference for people in this region.”
She described First Selectman Unk DaRos (pictured) as “a full partner and an unrelenting advocate for this critical regional project.” DaRos praised state transportation officials and the South Central Regional Council of Governments (COG), including Executive Director Judy Gott, “for making sure this stayed at the top of the priority list.”
And he personally thanked DeLauro because “she went out and battled to get the funding for this project so that we can finally get some relief in this area.”
Democratic State Sen. Ed Meyer (pictured below) observed that soon after he was first elected to serve the 12th district, he helped to negotiate the purchase of 20 acres nearby. “Hopefully those 20 acres will enable us to have commercial development but also to have a connector going south on I‑95 that will permit access to Exit 53,” he said.
In an interview afterward, DaRos told the Eagle that his next project will be to get “a full interchange off Exit 53.” He said he would go to the state DOT and to officials who oversee the national highway system. “We will be looking for that. It is not impossible to do.” He observed that development would also be part of the expansion. “There is a couple of hundred thousand square feet already authorized for commercial development — once the bridge is fixed.”
Branford Republicans have also pressed for change at Exit 53. Former First Selectman John Opie envisioned an economic rebirth in the area if the I‑95 interchange could become two-way.
Both Opie and former Republican Majority and Minority RTM leader Kurt Schwanfelder pressed the Democrats to stay on top of the Amtrak bridge reconstruction. The development is contingent on the bridge reconstruction.
Rep. Lonnie Reed (D‑102, pictured) described the efforts on the federal, state and local levels as a “great team effort” and praised DOT Commissioner Joseph Marie. “He did say that this was at the top of his shovel ready list if Rosa could help deliver this money. Well, sure enough, here it is.” ####