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State transportation chief warns that federal funding and inflation will shape Connecticut projects
Summary
Commissioner Garrett Eucalo outlined a $15 billion five-year capital plan, said bridge conditions improved but warned inflation could reverse gains, and urged preservation of federal formula funding ahead of an expiring surface-transportation authorization on Sept. 30.
Commissioner Garrett Eucalo of the state Department of Transportation briefed the Crag Policy Board on the department's asset-management priorities and looming funding pressures.
Eucalo said the department's five-year capital plan is "for over $15 billion programmed over a 5year period" and pointed to progress on bridge conditions (from about 10% of bridges in poor condition in 2012 to roughly 3.8% last year). He cautioned that sharp construction-cost inflation and rising operating costs mean "we will begin to tick the wrong direction on bridge condition" unless investments continue and federal funding holds.
The commissioner stressed that federal surface-transportation reauthorization for formula and multimodal programs expires Sept. 30 and that Connecticut needs to preserve at least current formula funding (adjusted for inflation). He also warned that some programs, such as the NEVI electric-vehicle infrastructure program, could be folded into broader categories or eliminated in future federal bills and said the state is advocating for continued passenger-rail funding.
On major regional projects, Eucalo described the Greater Hartford mobility program and a long-range plan to realign I‑84, build a second Connecticut River bridge and advance related mobility investments. He said that the I‑84 viaduct work is a multi-decade effort and that planning and preliminary environmental permitting are underway for the project's initial component (including a new Connecticut River crossing).
Commissioner Eucalo urged local leaders to begin planning studies for bus-rapid-transit and CT Fast expansions before pursuing federal capital grants and described interim CT Transit investments (more frequent service and park-and-ride upgrades) to increase headways in key corridors.
Board members thanked DOT staff for assistance on local road-safety projects, and one town representative said red-light and speed cameras will be operational in their community by early April; Eucalo cautioned that pending legislation on automated license-plate readers could unintentionally affect municipal camera programs and said DOT is working with legislators to clarify statutory definitions and data protections.
Eucalo closed by summarizing internal agency reorganizations intended to strengthen municipal and federal affairs and offered to arrange a CT Transit briefing for interested towns to review short-term operational options ahead of larger capital grant planning.
