Rail Terminal Equals Traffic

To the Editor:

There is little doubt that the planned Hawleyville freight station is going to have an impact on I-84’s exit 9 route 25 area as well as the immediately adjacent communities. If one considers existing traffic and adds the additional truck traffic to and from the station and added rail car deliveries to and from Botsford increased congestion is unavoidable.

The train has to block Route 25 to deliver and/or remove rail cars. The trucks have to use Route 25 for entry and exiting. Add to that the closeness to the Interstate exit and the steep hill preceding entry into Brookfield. DOT could not have picked a less desirable location to fund and support.

New Milford has a trucking facility on Picketts District Road. Whoever was involved in the choice did an excellent job. It is a wide, level, and open area; rail tracks exist that do not intersect state roads; no adjacent interstate exits/entry points and no steep hills in the immediate vicinity to negotiate. One is not suggesting moving the station to New Milford but is identifying characteristics of a more suitable location.

Discounting Hawleyville (which is part of Newtown), Brookfield is the big loser. Under existing conditions Brookfield cannot escape the increased truck traffic. All trucks destined for northwest Connecticut will use Route 25 to 202/7 and 133 or enter exit 9 of 84 west to exit 7 and enter Brookfield from Federal Road. There is minimal difference in time and miles when one compares the choices. At least Newtown will increase its tax base, albeit miniscule.

As to impact on real estate values along Route 25/133, I would carefully consider any purchase confronting a well-traveled truck route.

George A. Oldham

2 High Ridge Road, Brookfield                                    August 4, 2000