Norwich City Council accepts maintenance duties for Route 82 roundabouts project
May 21—NORWICH — If the state goes forward with its controversial $30 million plan to reconstruct Route 82-West Main Street with four roundabouts and a median divider, the city will take on landscape maintenance and electricity cost for the streetlights.
The City Council voted 4-3 along party lines Monday on two resolutions related to the state's revised Route 82 improvement plan. The first resolution calls for Norwich to accept the now private, short Crane Avenue as a public street. A roundabout is planned for the intersection.
The second resolution, normally a standard statutory procedure, calls for the city to take on maintenance of landscaping and streetlight energy costs after the improvements are completed.
But with opposition still strong to the state's plan for Route 82, the council's majority four Democrats voted in favor, seeing it as a routine maintenance request, while the three Republicans saw the measure as a vote to support the roundabouts.
Prior to the Crane Avenue vote, Alderwoman Stacy Gould acknowledged the efforts by state Department of Transportation has put into the project, making alterations and concessions to address city concerns. But Gould said the project still would be devastating to West Main Street businesses.
The project would take five properties entirely, including three at the corner of Asylum Street, one gasoline station and a building that houses a barbershop. Portions of other properties would be taken, including a projection that Grader Jewelers would lose one parking space. A previous version of the plan called for taking the entire property.
Phase one of the project runs from Asylum Street to Dunham Street, with two roundabouts at Asylum Street and Osgood Street. Dunham Street would get a roundabout in the second phase, with the fourth roundabout at Norman Road.
During the discussion on the maintenance agreement, Scott Bushee, DOT principal engineer and a leader on the project for several years, explained that the state has agreed to clear snow at crosswalk areas, and will pay to replace 3,000 feet of Norwich Public Utilities' water line expected to be impacted by the project.
Norwich Public Works Director Patrick McLaughlin estimated maintenance would cost about $10,000 to $12,000 per year for the city to maintain the landscaping. By city ordinance, property owners are responsible to clear snow from sidewalks in front of their properties.
Bushee said the DOT also has agreed to do night work whenever possible, but the state must be mindful of residents nearby. The DOT also would try to keep one lane of traffic open in each direction most times. He said during paving and some work, brief traffic closures would be necessary.
A community liaison will be stationed at the onsite project office throughout the project to work with business owners, the city and residents. The liaison will discuss matters such as business delivery times and driveway entrances.
Last Friday, Mayor Peter Nystrom, City Manager John Salomone and city Engineer Brian Long met with Bushee to discuss details of the project. In addition to the property acquisitions, the DOT will require grading improvements to 50 properties along the route.
To speed up the project, Bushee said, some side street intersections would be closed for brief periods.
Construction is projected to begin in 2027.
Nystrom thanked Bushee and other DOT officials for their efforts to work with the city and business owners, but he still could not support the project.
"They have listened. They have made changes," Nystrom said, citing the DOT's agreement to pay for 3,000 feet of NPU water line as one example.
"They are working with us," Nystrom said. "I just wish we had a different solution before us tonight."
