Date: Fri 25-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Highway-Department-Hurley

Full Text:

Highway Dept. Braces For A Busy Summer On The Roads

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Newtown residents can expect to see more tangible road improvements going on

around Newtown over the next three months.

The 1999-2000 fiscal year begins next month, marking the start of what should

be a very productive summer for Fred Hurley and the town's Public Works

Department.

"It will be more apparent that we're attacking more roads," noted Mr Hurley,

director of Public Works.

The agency, under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, has shifted its

policy. Seeking to find a balance in its approach to road rebuilding, the

highway department will now do more resurfacing and/or paving in an effort to

hold roads together. "It's a better return on your investment," Mr Hurley

said.

While major road reconstruction is vital, it is also very expensive, he noted.

The 1999-2000 budget includes $1 million for road reconstruction, enough money

to do about a mile's worth of roadway. There simply is not enough time or

money to do reconstruction on all of Newtown's troubled roads, according to Mr

Hurley. And as local motorists can attest, there are plenty of them.

"This year we're taking a larger portion of the money and putting it toward

overlay paving rather than capital reconstruction. There will be more total

roads involved," noted Mr Hurley.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said the policy shift was made following last

year's private study of the town Public Work Department. The study team felt

Newtown might better hold its roads together this way, he said.

The $1 million budgeted for either paving, chip seal and/or crack seal is up

from $100,000 allocated for 1998-99. It will be used to tackle nearly 50

problem roads -- a much larger number than in years past.

"That should give us another 5-7 years on those roads," Mr Hurley said.

Just because the town is using more chip seal does not mean it can decrease

its capital road reconstruction, Mr Hurley said. Reconstruction projects will

take place on Hanover Road (between Lake Road and Dinglebrook Road), Walnut

Tree Hill Road (near Church Hill Road), Boggs Hill Road, Great Ring Road,

Great Quarter Road and George's Hill Road.

Next month, Public Works will also be ordering large capital equipment items,

including a large truck ($100,000), a paver ($65,000), a screener ($97,000), a

roller ($42,000) and a mower ($30,000).