Contributed Image
An illustration showing what Main Street in Derby could look like.
DERBY — The state Department of Transportation last week awarded an $18.7 million contract to a New Haven construction firm to build a new Main Street in downtown Derby.
C.J. Fucci Inc. was awarded the job for the Route 34 widening project on Jan. 3. Construction is scheduled to start April 1, 2022, according to a DOT spokesperson. Route 34, a state road, is called Main Street locally.
“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am,” Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan said in a Thursday morning interview with The Valley Indy. “The city has been wanting this to start for years, and it’s really been a team effort to get to this point.“
Dziekan thanked the DOT, the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, and members of his administration, including outgoing chief of staff Andrew Baklik and Carmen DiCenso, the city’s economic development liaison, for their efforts.
Dziekan also thanked the public and acknowledged their patience waiting for the state-controlled project to get to this point.
The project includes the reconstruction of Route 34 (Main Street) from the Derby-Shelton bridge to the Route 8 interchange.
The Derby-Shelton bridge is currently undergoing a separate, $6.3 million renovation project.
It is supposed to improve traffic conditions in downtown Derby — without turning Main Street into a highway.
The project will create two through lanes in each direction on Route 34 separated by a center median, with new, dedicated turning lanes at intersections. There will also be improvements to traffic signals, including the interconnecting of the signals to improve traffic flow, according to info posted on the website of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.
“Improvements will be made to Elizabeth Street, Minerva Street, Water Street, and Factory Street. Elizabeth, Minerva, and Thirds Streets will be converted to one-way circulation. Traffic will travel north on Minerva and south on Elizabeth,” according to the project’s description.
The work is expected to take two to three years to complete.
Rick Dunne, a Derby resident, is the executive director of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, the agency that has been managing the project under the supervision of the state DOT.
Dunne has been involved with the project since its conception in 2002.
Dunne said he’s ecstatic to see the project move forward, comparing Derby’s pursuit of the project to Captain Ahab’s pursuit of the white whale in “Moby-Dick.“
At the same time, Dunne said there will be complaints about the project once it starts because it’s a major project happening on a very busy road.
“But it will eventually make a huge difference in the performance of the roadway and the ability of the downtown to present itself,” Dunne said.
In November the city learned $12.6 million in federal money will be used to renovate and upgrade the Derby train station, which is off Route 34 next to Home Depot.
Dziekan said the projects — the Route 34 widening, the renovation of the Derby-Shelton bridge, and the upgrades to the train station — are important because they will encourage investment in downtown Derby.
The city’s planning and zoning commission is currently reviewing a proposal to build 105 apartments at the former Lifetouch property on Main Street.
C.J. Fucci Inc., in business for 47 years, has worked on numerous projects for the state and individual cities all over Connecticut. Click here for the company’s website.
C.J. Fucci Inc. was the lowest of six bidders, The Valley Indy reported in November.
The Valley Indy asked Dziekan whether, given the amount of time the public has been waiting for the project to move forward, the April 1 start date might be pushed a day or two after April Fool’s Day.
“Oh, I see what you’re saying. Don’t get me started,” the mayor said.
