Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Old Lyme committee told DOT prefers north-side sidewalk; survey expected in July
Summary
At a committee meeting, members heard state DOT engineers recommend starting a planned Route 156 sidewalk on the north side due to an I‑95 embankment and utilities. Engineers expect a topographic survey in July, concept plans by August, an engineering estimate of about $173,250 and roughly $270,000 of town/ carryover funding available.
Members of the Old Lyme sidewalk committee were told by state transportation staff that the north side of Route 156 is the preferred location for a planned sidewalk, and that a topographic survey is expected in July with concept designs to follow in August.
The committee heard that DOT and the project consultants identified several constraints on the south side: a steep embankment adjacent to I‑95 that could require a significant retaining wall and pile work, a large utility pole near the bridge that would be difficult to relocate, and the need to provide a 3‑foot snow shelf plus a 5‑foot pedestrian walkway — an arrangement the consultant said would best be designed with 9–10 feet of outboard width from the pavement. "This is the side we would prefer you start with," a committee member said, summarizing DOT's guidance.
Erin, the project engineer, said property‑line research and some DOT monuments had been located and that the field topographic survey remained to be completed. "I believe the survey has done the research for the property lines and the state right‑of‑way, but as far as the topographic survey, that's still to be determined," Erin said. He estimated survey crews could be available in July and that substantive concept plans could be ready for the committee to review around August.
On costs, the committee reviewed an engineering estimate totaling about $173,250 (consulting costs of $65,350 plus $107,900 for Jacobson). Members said the town has approximately $79,000 carried from prior budgets and an approved budget addition of $200,000, giving roughly $270,000 across the funding pots to cover the engineering phase. DOT staff also told the committee that additional grant opportunities could be pursued later — some programs, officials said, may provide larger awards (committee members referenced amounts up to $3 million for broader future projects).
The consultant outlined the remaining tasks and regulatory steps: wetlands flagging, geotechnical borings, district sign‑offs, inland wetlands permitting, and a flood‑management certification because parts of the design fall inside a floodplain. He said the typical design timeline for the engineering work would be about a year once surveys and 90% plans are underway, and cautioned that obtaining permanent easements from private property owners can add months to a schedule.
Committee members raised alternatives intended to reduce pedestrian conflicts, such as routing pedestrians across the bridge and installing a crosswalk at the post office to access the opposite plaza rather than providing sidewalks that would force repeated crossings of driveway openings. Members also discussed merchant access at the Hideway Plaza and noted many local students already walk on the plaza side, which has driven prior merchant requests for a north‑side sidewalk.
On ownership and maintenance, Aaron said the sidewalk would be the property of the Town of Old Lyme and that the town would be responsible for routine maintenance. Snow‑removal policy, he added, depends on the town charter and was not specified in the meeting.
The committee did not take additional formal votes on design choices; it approved the minutes and then agreed not to meet in July, scheduling the next meeting for August 12 in the meeting hall. The committee expects to review survey results and conceptual layouts at that August meeting.
