In order to keep the public informed about progress during the 2018-19 paving and road work season, the Newtown Highway Department will be regularly publishing updates that will list all ongoing budgeted work.The Newtown Bee on August 7, Old Farm Hill and School House Hill Roads will be finished in the coming few days.click-to-fix feature to enter potholes and road repair needs into the town's work order database. The feature can be activated from the home page at newtown-ct.gov.sign up to receive by e-mail.

While the progress of road repairs, patch paving, and chip sealing is subject to weather delays and the availability of subcontractors, Public Works Director Fred Hurley said tight monitoring of these projects on a weekly basis will help in keeping the schedule accurate and up-to-date.

According to details supplied to 

The following roads are expected to have repairs and maintenance completed before the August 20 start of the town-wide chip sealing program: Acorn Drive, Antler Pine Road, Arthur's Court, Brandywine Lane, Bristle lane, Cobbler's Mill Road, and Fawnwood Road.

Also, Lone Oak Meadows, Merlins Lane, Misty Vale Road, Mountain Manor Road, Old Purdy Station Road, Purdy Station Road, Rose Lane, Stone Gate Drive, Sweetbriar Lane, and Yogananda Street.

Mr Hurley said the following roads have had pocked sections reclaimed and are now fully paved, curbs and driveway aprons have also been completed, and necessary landscaping is planned in the coming weeks: Birch Hill, Brushy Hill, Hundred Acres, Huntingtown, Monitor Hill, and Pond Brook Roads.

As of August 3, the following roads or sections of roads have had maintenance preparation completed and are prepped for the chip sealing program to begin sometime after August 20: Alder lane, Far Horizon Drive, Huntingtown Road, Osborne Hill Road, Owl Ridge Lane, Paugussett Road, and Skidmore Lane.

During a July 16 Board of Selectmen meeting, Mr Hurley explained that with the sheer number of roads that need attention sooner than later, a chip sealing program will buy the necessary time required to get caught up resurfacing roads that are in the worst shape.

A chip sealing program in the current fiscal year, he said, added 13 miles of road surfacing for $500,000. In addition, crews will tackle the worst sections of longer roadways with patch paving.

"We're trying to go from eight to ten miles per year to 25 or better to avoid the kind of disrepair we are seeing all over town," Mr Hurley told selectmen. "We think it's practical and gets the overall road service level up."

Mr Hurley told selectmen that Newtown residents shoulder the heaviest burden in the entire state - with the most roads in Connecticut and the least amount of public taxpayer revenue for a road maintenance program.

Regarding the planned chip sealing, Mr Hurley assured the selectmen and residents that Newtown has access to a capable vendor, and the adhesives are better than those that were used in a previous and sub-par chip sealing effort several years ago.

The current vendor uses a smaller stone chip that provides a better binder, he added.

"After it cures, we clean off loose chips, and then overlay with sealer to further deter it coming apart," Mr Hurley said.

Mr Rosenthal said Newtown is using the same chip sealing vendor as Easton, Redding, and Monroe.

"They all use this vendor and have had good luck," the first selectman assured. He said Southbury also got caught up by stabilizing roads with chip sealing, albeit from a different vendor.

As the current road program ramps up, Mr Rosenthal and Mr Hurley both encouraged residents to utilize the online

Mr Rosenthal is also planning to hold more information sessions as work progresses and to expand the information on progress and make it available 24/7 on the town website and in regular e-notifiers that residents can