Holbrook Road Reconstruction Scheduled To Start Soon In Seymour

A Google image showing Hollbrook Road in Seymour (on the Oxford border).

SEYMOUR — The long-awaited reconstruction of Holbrook Road, which residents have likened its deteriorating pavement to Swiss cheese,” is slated to get underway this summer.

That’s according to First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis who received word last month that the state Department of Transportation authorized the town to award the bid to Guerrera Construction of Oxford for $4,293,953. The Board of Selectmen is expected to approve the bid at its June 7 meeting.

According to Drugonis, seven contractors submitted bids vying for the project.

The project, according to Town Engineer Bryan Nesteriak, is being funded by the state Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program, or LOTCIP. Drugonis said the grant money is federal money distributed by the state for improvements to urban collector roads,” which, in this case, is where Holbrook Road connects to two larger roads, Route 67 and Rout 34.

Nesteriak noted the project was delayed because among other things it required several easements that had to acquired from residents, neighboring Oxford and the state of Connecticut, as well.

This was the most time-consuming effort of the project, and took around three years,” Nesteriak said. Many utility poles need to be moved as part of the project. State law requires that the utility companies do this at their own expense for municipal road reconstruction jobs, so this has been coordinated over the past year, with some of the work already started.”

Nesteriak anticipates Guerrera will start construction in late June or early July.

I would expect the project to take 12 to18 months,” he said. Winter conditions and its effects typically impact the timing of a project like this. Portions of the road will be closed at times in order to expedite the project, and to provide safety. It wouldn’t be closed where local traffic would be necessary, however, there are several sections that do not require local traffic. So closing it for a short period is the quickest way to complete the project.”

The project will involve a complete redesign and reconstruction of Holbrook Road, a town-owned road that serves as a cut-through for motorists to access two major routes in town, Route 67 and Route 34. Drugonis said there will be utility relocation, drainage improvements, realignment, an improved snow shelf, improved sloping and guide rails, improved signage and significant tree work.

The road will look very different when it’s done,” Drugonis added. We need a little more patience from the residents during construction, but we expect they’ll be very happy with the outcome.”

Nesteriak said Guerrera has a proven track record, having built the football field at Oxford High School, a bridge on Dutton Road in Oxford and are also involved in several state roadway projects.

Drugonis credited state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R‑105, for helping with some of the lengthy process, as the project needed to be signed off by the governor and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as some of the property on the sides of Holbrook belong to the state.

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