Main Street Widening Comes Up During Legislative ‘Listening Session’

DERBY — The long-anticipated but can-never-quite-get-going Route 34/Main Street widening project is moving along, according to information shared Wednesday by state Rep. Kara Rochelle, D‑Ansonia.

Rochelle said there is a meeting scheduled to happen Dec. 22 between The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments and the state Department of Transportation.

The meeting will involve a large team of more than a dozen engineers to look over a finalized plan, or a hopefully finalized plan from every angle. This is part of the process and hopefully the last hurdle to get the finalized engineering plan.”

Rochelle made her comments during a Valley legislative listening session” held online Wednesday. State Rep.-Elect Mary Welander, D‑Orange, as did State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R‑Seymour. State Sen.-Elect Jorge Cabrera could not attend as he lost power to his residence as a snowstorm arrived in the state Wednesday night.

Rochelle made her comments in response to points brought up by Marc Garofalo, the former Derby mayor who now serves at Town/City Clerk.

Garofalo pointed out the money to expand Main Street/Route 34 in downtown Derby from roughly the Derby-Shelton bridge to Home Depot was allocated more than a decade ago.

That money was obtained in 2003. Now it’s 2020. So hopefully we’re closer than we were yesterday on this matter,” Garofalo said. I think it’s high time we get this matter to closure, and to construction. So your attention on that certainly would be helpful.”

The estimated cost of the project has increased to $13 million from the $10 million estimate made in 2008.

Rochelle said she’s been told the project will break ground in 2021.

As of right now they’re saying that ground would be broken late summer or early fall, and we’re trying to make sure that that truly does happen and that it gets there,” Rochelle said.

She also said she had spoken with representatives from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Government earlier in the day about the Route 34 project.

It is moving, there are active meetings. I’s are being dotted and t’s are being crossed,” Rochelle said.

During the roughly one-hour online session, the current state lawmakers and incoming lawmaker also talked about economic support that could be coming to help struggling restaurants; food insecurity; the long-promised but never delivered volunteer firefighter training facility, and whether Derby’s legislative districts should be redrawn.

The meeting was streamed onto Facebook and is embedded below.

Another Zoom meeting, this time for Ansonia residents, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday Dec. 19. For the Zoom link info, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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