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Residents press Torrington council on potholes and paving; public works outlines debris cleanup and road-assessment pilot
Summary
A resident urged restrictions on certain left turns on East Main and raised concerns about road surfaces; public works reported substantial debris cleanup after the July 4 storm, described use of Violytics for rapid road-assessment, and said coordination with utilities and rail work is delaying some paving.
During public comment Ray Budis told councilors he waits as long as 20 minutes to make a left onto New Harrington Road from East Main and urged time-of-day restrictions for that movement. He also described rough pavement on East Elbert Street, Oak Avenue and other corridors and called attention to the long-empty Yankee Pedaler building as an eyesore.
Public works staff updated the council on storm-related cleanup and collection of storm debris. Staff said most of the city27s plow-root sections have been cleared and material is staged while the city awaits FEMA determination for reimbursement; officials said they will set a deadline for curbside debris and plan a second pass through residential sections. Staff also reported that they have driven many vehicle miles to move material and are tracking costs closely for any FEMA submittal.
On road-condition monitoring, staff described a pilot using Violytics, an AI-enabled roadway-assessment application that takes periodic snapshots as trucks drive and produces condition scores. Officials said the tool has already been used on about 40 miles of local roads and will supplement—but not entirely replace—manual inspections. Staff warned that utility work (Eversource, rail and phone-company projects) can force the city to delay paving schedules to avoid having a finished street immediately opened for digs or utility upgrades.
Council members asked for a written pavement-assessment report within a few months, and staff said they will prioritize roads with the worst condition ratings while coordinating with utilities to minimize repeat work.
Next steps: staff will produce an assessment report and recommended paving schedule, set a short window for final debris pickup, and continue coordination with utilities and rail companies to align work windows and reduce rework.
