Town Seeks Federal Grant For Church Hill Road Improvement Project

By Andrew Gorosko

To enhance traffic safety and reduce congestion, the town is seeking federal funds to pay for a range of improvements along a heavily traveled section of Church Hill Road, just west of the Exit 10 interchange of Interstate 84.

The congested section of Church Hill Road extending westward from Exit 10 to Commerce Road is the road section with the highest incidence of motor vehicle accidents in the ten-town Housatonic Valley Planning Region. Church Hill Road, which also is known as Route 6, is part of the federal highway system.

In a recent preliminary submission to federal officials, Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker seeks $4.46 million in federal grant money for Church Hill Road improvements. In the past, the town had unsuccessfully sought state funding for the improvement project.

A main component of the project would involve shifting the intersection of Edmond Road and Church Hill Road from its current location near Exit 10 westward about 650 feet to the area directly across Church Hill Road from Commerce Road.

A new four-way intersection of Church Hill Road, Edmond Road, and Commerce Road would be controlled by a set of new traffic signals. The Church Hill Road-Commerce Road intersection is now controlled by a traffic signal.

The project also would construct additional vehicle turning lanes at the proposed four-way intersection to enhance traffic flow.

An approximately 250-foot-long section of Edmond Road, which now lies immediately north of Church Hill Road, would be taken out of use. Edmond Road provides access to the Rand-Whitney Container factory at 1 Edmond Road, and also to the Pitney-Bowes Distribution Center at 7 Edmond Road. Many commercial trucks travel on the road.  

Edmond Road, which is privately owned, has fallen into disrepair. The road is in a swampy area and has deteriorated due to drainage problems. The road improvement project would include upgrading the drainage system on Edmond Road. The town would need to own Edmond Road for the improvement project to occur, Ms Stocker said.

Increased staffing at Pitney-Bowes and the resulting increased traffic flow through the area has prompted the town to again pursue the road improvement work, Ms Stocker said. Making a left turn from Edmond Road onto eastbound Church Hill Road is especially difficult due to heavy traffic in the area. A stop sign posted at the end of Edmond Road now controls the traffic exiting that street. 

The road improvement project would relocate and modify the parking lots for Newtown Pizza Palace at 65 Church Hill Road and for Newtown Shell Service at 67 Church Hill Road. Construction would also include modifying the driveway for the Blue Colony Diner at 66 Church Hill Road.

New sets of traffic signals would be installed at Church Hill Road’s intersections with I-84’s eastbound and westbound ramps, as well as at the new four-way intersection of Church Hill Road, Commerce Road, and Edmond Road. The three sets of traffic signals would be synchronized to maximize traffic flow through the area.

The Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials (HVCEO) has endorsed the town’s application for the $4.46 million in federal funds for road improvement project.

Ms Stocker said the town’s prospects for receiving the grant money are uncertain.