DOT Promises New Signs To The Bypass Road

By Steve Bigham

The state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) finally appears ready to tell the rest of the world that the $4 million bypass road known as “Wasserman Way” is open to traffic.

In a letter to Police Lieutenant David Lydem, DOT official Joseph A. Grasso said his agency will install signs on Interstate 84 that alert motorists to the bypass, which was originally designed to re-route traffic around the center of town. One sign will be placed along I-84 westbound with the legend “To South Route 25 – Bridgeport” use exit 11. Another sign will be installed on I-84 eastbound instructing trucks to use exit 11 as an alternate route to Route 25 South. However, the DOT did not indicate where this sign would be located. First Selectman Herb Rosenthal believes the eastbound sign should be put up somewhere before exit 9 in order to keep trucks off Route 25 and Main Street as they head to points south. Right now, drivers have no way of knowing this and they continue to stream down through the center of town.

Last year, Police Chief James Lysaght predicted the new signs would have an impact on traffic in Newtown.

“How great? We can’t determine that until we implement it,” he said.

Also, the DOT plans to erect Route 25 signs at the end of the exit 11 off-ramp and at the intersection of Route 25 and Mile Hill Road.

Last spring, the DOT did erect signs along Route 25 northbound (before Mile Hill Road), Route 302 (at the intersection with Main Street) and along 34, alerting motorists that they can use the bypass to access Interstate 84.

It has been more than a year since town and state officials gathered along “Wasserman Way” (also known as Route 490) for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. At the time, state officials said they planned to put up signs, but indicated it might take some time. Some Newtown residents wondered how the DOT managed to get signs up on I-84 so quickly after the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team won the national championship. In that particular case, the signs were up the day after the championship game.

Rosenthal Wants More Lighting

A head-on collision this week on Wasserman Way drew attention to the road’s lack of lighting. Mr Rosenthal did not know whether or not the accident was related to darkness. However, as he points out, it remains one of the few state roads in Connecticut that does not have lights.

“I wrote a letter about this and the DOT has not done anything about it,” Mr Rosenthal said. “They wouldn’t even put a light up at the intersection of Nunnawauk Road and Wasserman Way. That is a major connector road.”

The long-awaited bypass road was built as a result of a 1991 agreement between the town and state over the construction of the Garner Correctional Facility on Nunnawauk Road. The road is named in honor of State Rep Julia Wasserman of Newtown, who played a key role in its successful completion.