Town Presses For Church Hill Road Traffic Improvements

By Andrew Gorosko

The town is urging its representatives in the State Legislature to push for a planned set of physical improvements to the congested section of Church Hill Road (Route 6) lying to the west of the Exit 10 interchange, a road section which has a high accident rate.

In a memorandum, First Selectman Pat Llodra asks State Senator John McKinney and State Representatives DebraLee Hovey and Christopher Lyddy “to make our case in Hartford” for improvements to Church Hill Road.

Mrs Llodra seeks to have the state Department of Transportation (DOT) raise its priority ranking for traffic and safety improvements on Church Hill Road.

Due to the presence of much turning traffic at commercial driveways situated along Church Hill Road, the section of that street lying between Exit 10 and the Housatonic Railroad overpass has one of the highest accident rates in the ten-town regional planning area.

With her memo to the state legislators, Ms Llodra includes a report documenting the need for traffic safety improvements on Church Hill Road.

Mrs Llodra writes, “Newtown has a compelling case, a regionally significant safety problem, economic development benefit, and a record of many years of effort toward a solution.”

Also, Mrs Llodra includes letters of support for the Church Hill Road improvement project from Robert Sibley, the deputy director of Planning and Land Use; Michael Kehoe, the chief of police; and Elizabeth Stocker, the director of Economic and Community Development.

In February 2009, town officials met with DOT officials to discuss road redesign options for improving traffic safety along the hazardous section of Church Hill Road. Improvements could include installing a median divider along a section of the street.

As part of a broader Church Hill Road improvement project, the southern end of Edmond Road would be shifted to the west, creating a four-way intersection of Edmond Road, Church Hill Road, and Commerce Road. The existing approximately 650-foot-long southern end of Edmond Road thus would be eliminated.

Also, improved traffic signals would be installed in the area.

The road improvement project is intended to reduce the accident rate and make travel through the congested area safer.

In 2005, the US House of Representatives approved partial funding for Church Hill Road area improvements.

Of the prospects for accomplishing the Church Hill Road improvement project, DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said this week, “As it currently stands, due to funding constraints, the project is currently listed as an unfunded initiative and is not progressing.

“We have taken steps in the meantime to improve safety and efficiency by examining and reapplying new pavement markings in the area. The new markings were installed in 2009. The westbound … [painted] median opposite the Blue Colony Diner was restriped to provide a left-turn lane into the diner and the gas station,” he said in a statement.

“There currently is no schedule to move forward with a project,” Mr Nursick said. “We may be able to revisit the project at a later date based on funding availability,” he said.

“I have no ability to even speculate when something could occur, but this project is like over 100 others — there’s simply not enough funding to address them all and maintain the existing infrastructure at the same time,” he said.