Full Text:

Newtown Traffic: Going Nowhere Fast

(with photo)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Progress has Newtown slowing to a stop.

The morning and afternoon commute along Newtown's main arteries have motorists

drumming their steering wheels in frustration. Traffic congestion is nothing

new in town, but its effects are wearing on the patience of motorists more

than ever before.

"There's just more traffic these days," noted Selectman Joe Bojnowski. "There

are more people in Newtown, more commerce, more reasons to come to the center

of town."

Police Captain Owen Carney agrees. He sees the traffic becoming worse and

worse with each passing year.

"The increase in Newtown's population has had some impact, but the traffic

increase has grown more than the population of the town," Captain Carney said.

"I would tend to believe most of the increased traffic is from

out-of-towners."

Routes 25 and 34 appear to be the worst spots to travel in the mornings and

afternoons. The roads bring in traffic to and from New Haven and Bridgeport.

In a way, Newtown is a crossroads town -- a junction for travelers on their

way to western Connecticut's larger cities. As Captain Carney pointed out,

people get off Interstate 84 in Newtown because the highway doesn't go to New

Haven. You have to take Route 34, he said.

"Part of it is the growth of Newtown. You simply have more people moving into

this town at a quick rate. It has a direct impact on local traffic," said

Public Works Director Fred Hurley. "The economy has stayed stable so more

people are taking trips. People are feeling free to move about."

Mr Hurley, a Stratford resident, said his commute has jumped from an average

time of 25 minutes to 40 minutes.

To beat the clogged main arteries, some road warriors have discovered

cut-through roads. These roads -- Currituck, Riverside, Jeremiah, Bennetts

Bridge, Key Rock, etc -- are seeing overwhelmingly high levels of traffic.

This has a definite impact on their need for maintenance, according to Mr

Hurley.

According to a 1995 traffic study conducted by the state's Department of

Transportation, 19,400 cars passed through the intersection of Mile Hill Road

and Route 25 during an average day. Another 17,400 cars traveled through the

intersection with Queen Street and Church Hill Road. The stretch of Church

Hill Road between Queen Street and Commerce Road saw 16,500 cars per day and

the intersection of Route 34 and Mile Hill Road was seeing some 16,000 cars.

All of those figures are expected to be significantly higher when the 1998

study is released in February.

"If you go to Bagelman or the hardware store, you can't get out sometimes.

Church Hill Road is so busy," said John Kortze, a member of the Legislative

Council.

Bypass For A Clogged Artery

The bypass road through Fairfield Hills was expected to be the cure for at

least some of Newtown's traffic blues. The bypass, according to the state,

would divert the large volume of traffic away from the center of town --

mainly Route 25 and Church Hill Road.

Its construction comes at a time when traffic levels are at an all-time high.

Has it worked?

Well, not yet. The steady stream of traffic continues to pour through the

center of town. To date, no signs have been erected to inform drivers of the

bypass. Until then, nothing is expected to change.

The signs are reportedly on their way, according to First Selectman Herb

Rosenthal.

"About 10 days ago I had a conversation with Doug Novac of the DOT. I

explained to him what we wanted," Mr Rosenthal. "He told me he was in the

process of putting up signs along Interstate 84."

Last month, DOT project manager Jim Burns said signs would be put up at either

end of the bypass road -- at its intersections with Route 34 and Route 25. The

state is also expected to erect a sign near exit 9 eastbound. This would

inform Bridgeport-bound drivers to proceed to exit 11 to access the bypass.

Another sign may also erected at the end of Route 302.

Even without the signs, there have been reports of major traffic coming across

the bypass road. There is no question that motorists have already discovered

the state's newest roadway.

Town officials warn residents not to expect miracles once the bypass is used

to full capacity. It should help alleviate some traffic, but it is not

expected to completely clear Church Hill Road and the upper part of Main

Street near the flagpole.