Paved New Lebbon Road Gets Mixed Reviews

By Steve Bigham

Newtown is home to one less dirt road these days after the highway department paved over New Lebbon Road last week.

New Lebbon Road, a connector road between High Bridge and High Rock roads, is considered to be one of the most winding roads in town. It has been the scene of several motor vehicle accidents in recent years (while still a dirt road) as motorists tend to travel faster than the posted speed limit of 20 miles per hour.

Highway department chief Joe Tani said this week that the road was paved to help his crews better maintain the road. Heavy rain was washing out portions of the road, forcing highway crews to constantly make repairs. Much of the 8,870-foot road was paved two years ago. However, last week’s project put down pavement over the final eight tenths of a mile.

According to Public Works Department Director Fred Hurley, it costs three times as much to maintain a dirt road as it does a paved road.

But while paving the road may make sense in terms of maintenance, some residents fear it will prompt drivers to go faster. And with sharp turns along a roadway that features large trees right along the edge, the potential exists for serious accidents, they say.

New Lebbon Road also serves as a key link for those trying to get from Route 25 in Botsford to Route 34 in Sandy Hook.

Nearly three years ago, New Lebbon Road residents applied to the town for scenic road status in the hopes that it would protect the road from any major alterations such as widening or straightening.

“We want to keep that backwoods, country setting,” said Christine Dzujna of 23 New Lebbon Road. “We feel it’s a walk in the woods.”

The Legislative Council eventually turned down the request to the dismay of many residents. At the time, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said paving New Lebbon Road may be impossible to avoid due to the growing number of developments in the area.

“I’m a walker so I liked the dirt road. There are a lot of bad curves, which concerns me,” noted Laura Cuccio of Marlin Road, which is off New Lebbon. “But I also don’t have to worry about potholes and the outsides of our houses are much cleaner now.”

Michelle Babyak of New Lebbon Road said she likes the fact that the road is paved, but sees cars traveling “horribly fast.” She expects more and more people to start using the road once news of the paving gets out.

“I’ve run into some people who said, ‘Oh, New Lebbon Road, I’m so excited it’s paved. Now I can go to Stop & Shop,’” Mrs Babyak noted.

Gary Walter of New Lebbon Road agrees, pointing out that it is a lot easier to speed on pavement than it is on dirt.

“I had mixed feelings on the paving because we knew once it was paved people were going to fly. But now that it’s paved, it’s nice and smooth and no potholes. The tradeoff is people are driving at more than 20 mph. The question now is will traffic increase because it is now paved. Time will tell.

Highway crews plan to eventually put up guardrails along certain sections of the road.