Derby police said to expect heavy delays on Route 34/Main Street in Derby Wednesday and Thursday as state contractors begin to dismantle three buildings to make room for the Route 34 widening project.
Fences around the properties at 128 – 141 Main St. went up Tuesday.
Wrecking crews are expected to start taking the buildings down 9 a.m. Wednesday. The buildings are very close to the road, so the eastbound lane of Route 34/Main Street will be shut between Caroline and Factory streets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (March 6 and March 7).
Derby police will be starting and stopping traffic to get motorists through the area using the only open lane.
“Motorists should expect heavy delays in the area during these times,” Derby Deputy Police Chief Scott Todd said in a press release.
If you use Route 34 east coming from Seymour/Oxford to get to Route 8 south near Home Depot in Derby, a possible alternative is to make a left on Cedric Avenue in Derby just past Derby Discount Liquors, then make a right onto Hawthorne Avenue. Make a left onto Chatfield Street near Roseland Apizza. Go past the Derby High School campus and Coon Hollow Road, and the road quickly turns into Division Street. Make a right onto Emmet Avenue to get on Route 8 south.
The buildings are coming down as part of the state’s plan to widen Route 34 to ease congestion, a project that has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. Many public forums have been held on the plans since 2009.
Click here for information about the project from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.
