State Rep. Linda M. Gentile (D‑Ansonia/Derby) and State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. (D‑Woodbridge) welcomed the passage of a pair of items for Ansonia and Derby when the State Bond Commission met Friday (Jan. 25) in Hartford.
Emmett O’Brien Technical High School in Ansonia will receive $87,000 for technology upgrades, renovations and improvements to its buildings, grounds, tools and supplies necessary to update the school’s curriculum.
“I am thrilled with the funding allocated for Emmett O’Brien,” Rep. Gentile said. “These funds will improve the facilities at the technical high school, make learning easier for students and provide the technical education and skills needed to support local businesses and grow our economy.”
Emmett O’Brien Technical High School is at 141 Prindle Ave. in Ansonia. The school offers programs in automotive mechanics, carpentry, culinary arts, electronics and machine drafting among others.
“I have long maintained that an investment in our state’s vo/tech high school system is a sound investment in our future to yield a well-trained, experienced workforce in Connecticut, so I’m pleased about this funding for the Emmett O’Brien school in Ansonia,” Sen. Crisco said.
Along with the projected plan for Ansonia Tech High School, a separate item on the bonding agenda sets aside $11 million for the rehabilitation of the Route 34 bridge over the Naugatuck River in Derby.
The bridge is at the intersection of Route 115 at the off-ramp of Route 8 at exit 15. The bridge will be widened slightly to accommodate a sidewalk. Construction is anticipated to start in spring of 2014 and continue until the fall of 2015.
“Likewise, I’m pleased about the planned infrastructure upgrades for the Naugatuck River bridge at the interchange of Routes 8, 34, and 115,” Sen. Crisco said. “We must suitably maintain our transportation network to efficiently move people and goods – the building blocks of a thriving economy – and that crossing is among the busiest in my entire district.”