Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public works outlines bridge repairs, fall paving plan and ADA ramp progress
Summary
Public Works Director John Lawler reported the Center Street bridge box culvert is installed, emergency corrosion repairs on Oregon Road Bridge are underway ahead of replacement, West Main/Crow Hollow bridge work is planned for 2026 with likely detours, and about 38 of 50 ARPA-funded ADA ramps are complete.
John Lawler, Meriden's director of public works, told the committee the secondary box culvert at the Center Street bridge has been installed and the bridge is in place, and crews are completing a sanitary sewer siphon in that location.
"The secondary box culvert has been installed," Lawler said, adding crews are continuing work on related sewer infrastructure. He also said emergency corrosion repairs to beams on the Oregon Road Bridge must be completed before the full bridge replacement and that the emergency repairs should only take a couple of weeks.
Lawler said the West Main Street bridges over Crow Hollow are scheduled to be replaced in 2026 and the department is intentionally planning construction immediately after the Daffodil Festival to minimize disruption. He warned the work will likely require full closures and detours, "so they'll just close the whole row down, in order to make it a quicker process." Committee members asked for early public notices when detour plans are finalized.
On sidewalks, Lawler said the ARPA-funded ramp-construction program is progressing: "we have approximately 38 ramps done of the anticipated 50 that we expect to do." He told the committee he will present a one-year progress review with the city's consultant in November to show how the whole program is proceeding.
Lawler also previewed the fall paving program, which will begin with milling on East Main Street and follow the next week with paving; evening work will be used on major roads to reduce commuter impacts. He discussed ongoing assessments of pavement markings, traffic-signal timing and the inventory of signals, noting the town is working with the state traffic agency to determine whether some older signals remain warranted.
Lawler invited councilors to provide feedback on the revised waste-volume charts in the monthly report and said staff will follow up with more detailed public information once contractor schedules and detour plans are confirmed.
