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Plymouth seeks $6 million for roads and bridge repairs, emphasizing longer‑lasting full-depth reclamation
Summary
At a Sept. 3 public hearing, the town’s public works director outlined a $6 million roads and bridges bond package focused on full‑depth reclamation, drainage and prioritized bridge repairs; officials cited a pavement‑condition study showing about 58% of roads need major attention.
Carl Johnson, Plymouth’s director of public works, told residents that the town maintains roughly 81.66 miles of two‑lane paved roads and that a recent pavement‑condition study found about 58% require substantial attention. He presented a proposed $6 million bonding package to address priority roads and bridge needs.
Johnson described treatments tailored to specific corridors: crack sealing and chip sealing where appropriate; milling and overlay for shorter-term fixes; and full‑depth reclamation (FDR) with enhanced base stabilization and under‑drainage for longer service life. He said FDR and improved drainage can extend pavement life up to 20 years compared with routine mill-and-overlay treatments that typically yield five to seven years of service.
The package identifies candidate projects including South Main Street Bridge (state-eligible), a Todd Hollow crossing, North Street targeted for in‑place recycling (a continuous reclamation process), and multi‑year improvements for neighborhoods such as Fountain Head and Crest View. Johnson noted the town is coordinating with utilities when possible to avoid cutting recently repaved streets and said some projects—like a potential South Main Street bridge replacement—may receive state reimbursement (he cited a potential 50% match for eligible projects).
Proposals include drainage work, new signage, traffic‑calming measures and modest streetscape improvements; the town included a 15% escalation contingency in the $6 million figure to account for price uncertainty. Johnson said some grant applications were submitted but that the town has not yet secured the larger state or federal award for these packages.
During public comment and Q&A residents asked about prioritization (several cited North Street and Night Lane), coordination with utility companies and the schedule for projects such as Prospect Street and Route 6 realignment. Presenters said the town is working with Connecticut Water, Eversource and DOT to coordinate timelines and that some state DOT downtown work (Route 6 / North Main Street alignment) will begin in October and extend through 2027, with enhanced streetscape elements added after previous engineering revisions.
Officials said the roads package would be presented as a separate question on the referendum ballot so voters could approve roads, the police facility, both or neither. No formal vote took place at the hearing; the presentation served to inform voters before the referendum.
