Malloy Announces Infrastructure Upgrades For City Projects

With roughly $6 million earmarked for Bridgeport projects, Governor Dan Malloy announced today $30 million in municipal grants for the restoration of infrastructure impacted by Super Storm Sandy.

News release from Malloy follows including funds for projects:

“The damaging effects of storms along Connecticut’s shoreline are just a reality these communities must face,” said Governor Malloy. “With these grants, however, we can assist these municipalities and their cleanup efforts from the devastation of one of the most severe storms in Connecticut’s history, and help them to establish resiliency plans so they can be better prepared in the years ahead.”

Last year, the state was awarded a second tranche of funds in the amount of $66 million through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and its Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) program. The CDBG-DR program, administered by the Department of Housing, was established to assist the most impacted and distressed areas recover from Super Storm Sandy.

“Earlier this year, DOH disbursed nearly $32 million in several communities ravaged by recent storms. This second round of federal funding will build on the momentum started in rebuilding infrastructure projects,” said Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein. “It’s also helping these same cities and towns take measures that will diminish the impacts of future storms.”

The primary goal in allocating funding for the rehabilitation and resiliency of infrastructure is to restore a suitable living environment in disaster impacted communities by rehabilitating or reconstructing existing infrastructure and adding resiliency to minimize damage from future storm events. The award recipients are as follows:

• Bridgeport, Crescent Crossing — $2,912,893: This project will correct flooding by raising the grade of the site above the 100-year-flood plain. It involves building a retaining wall, installing storm water drainage, and installing underground utilities, site lighting, and emergency generators. It will be followed by the construction of streets and sidewalks.

• Bridgeport, Essential Generators— $610,000: This infrastructure grant will support installing generators at Hooker, Madison, Columbus, Cross, and Hallen schools. Significant power outages during Super Storm Sandy resulted in the city doing an extensive analysis of its critical facilities. The analysis identified 46 public facilities in need of generators. These five generators were deemed “essential.”

• Bridgeport, Yellow Bridge Resiliency— $2,625,000: The project will improve the resiliency and operation of the moveable bridge over Yellow Mill Channel during extreme weather events. Running parallel to Rt. I-95, Bridge No. 03637 provides access to and from I-95, serves as an alternate route for local traffic, and is directly adjacent to the Steel Pointe Harbor development. Dependable operation will be critical for keeping the multi-year development initiative on schedule, and will have a positive impact on the community and ensure a safe evacuation if needed.

• East Haven, Hemingway and Cove Avenue Reconstruction — $1,241,831: Hemingway and Cove Avenues are principal arteries serving both East Haven and portions of Branford. The project will raise the road elevation to provide an evacuation route during storm emergencies and connect the Emergency Service Headquarters with the shoreline area so that emergency vehicles have access during storm emergencies. Highway and pedestrian safety also are a focus. This project will ease a significant “bottleneck” in East Haven’s roadway system, supporting economic activity and safety by facilitating access to adjoining properties and businesses.

• Fairfield, Penfield Beach Resiliency Improvements — $225,000: This project will retrofit a vital section of shoreline infrastructure. The timber bulkhead in the Penfield Beach area will be improved, providing the Fairfield Beach Road Neighborhood with the coastal resiliency to withstand the damaging effects of severe coastal storm events.

• Fairfield, Waste Water Treatment Plant Resiliency — $2,316,000: This project will provide proper protection from the risk of sanitary system overflows by constructing an earthen berm and storm water pump station to protect the waste water treatment plant and other critical facilities from future flood events.

• Fairfield, Water Pollution Control Micro-grid — $2,500,000: A new cogeneration unit will provide heat and electricity to the facility during normal operation and in the case of a grid outage. The unit will be fueled by biogas currently produced by the wastewater treatment facility.

• Milford, Essential Generator — $161,250: This project will provide 100% of the necessary power to conduct full shelter operations at Jonathan Law High School – including use of the cafeteria, kitchen, food storage, auditorium and classrooms – by connecting a new 200KW natural gas generator to the existing natural gas line.

• Milford, Calf Pen Meadow/Beachland Avenue Resiliency — $638,250: This redesign and reconstruction will allow vehicles, pedestrians, and emergency responders clear access on a daily basis raising the road height of portions of Beachland Avenue between 1.5 and 2 feet above the daily high tide elevation and installing a self-regulating tide gate.

• Milford, Bayview Beach Area Flooding Control — $1,326,150: This project will address road ponding and flooding by redesigning the Bayview Beach area drainage system. Flooding impedes first responders from performing standard emergency calls during storms or high tide and when the tide gates are closed. Flooding also prevents the public from accessing the beaches at high tide.

• Milford, Milford Point Road Flooding Control — $301,537: The redesign and reconstruction project will raise the road height of Milford Point Road between 1.5 and 2 feet above the daily high tide elevation, giving vehicles, pedestrians, and emergency responders clear access.

• New Haven, East Shore Erosion Control — $947,419: In an area seriously damaged by Super Storm Sandy, this project will construct a seawall to protect 10 homes in the low-lying residential area of the East Shore across Townsend Avenue and to a state-owned road.

• New Haven, Union Avenue Mitigation and Resiliency — $4,000,000: The award is for Phase One of the Hill-to-Downtown/Union Avenue projects. It includes design costs for drainage solutions and to install approximately 200 green infrastructure systems to reduce peak flows and provide for additional drainage. Storm water volumes into the Hill-to-Downtown Corridor will be reduced and drainage will be improved.

• New London, Drainage Improvements — $1,480,875: This project will reduce flooding on Pequot Avenue, a major north/south evacuation route. Improvements will be made to the storm water system, preserving access and use of the Greens Harbor Beach, the only free public beach in New London. The project will improve the health and safety of residents using the beach, contributing to the economic stability of the area.

• Norwalk, Washington Village Redevelopment — $3,000,000: The reconstruction and raising of portions of Raymond and Day streets above the 100-year-flood elevation will allow safe access for emergency vehicles and an evacuation route for residents during floods. The project will improve resiliency against future flooding in the area.

• Norwalk, Route 136 Bridge Resiliency — $2,625,000: The project will improve the resiliency and operation of the Route 136 moveable bridge over Norwalk Harbor during extreme weather events. Waterproofing the gate house floors and raising existing sea walls will minimize overtopping by incoming tides during storm tidal surges. In addition, submersible electrical junction boxes, pit lights, and electrical boxes will be installed and limit switches will be relocated.

• Old Lyme, Sheffield Brook Outfall Resiliency — $300,000: A new culvert and outlet will be designed and constructed to prevent extreme high tides from entering the culvert and damaging upstream structures. The project will control future shoaling at the outlet so the structure can drain.

• Stamford, generator upgrades — $303,795: This project will upgrade generators to ensure continuity of operations at these two critical sites: the Government Center and the Smith House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Both generators are under sized and beyond their useful life.

• Stratford, Bunnell High School Generator — $310,000: A generator will be installed at Bunnell High School in order to run the critical infrastructure at the school, which will service as an emergency shelter in future storm emergencies.

• West Haven, Old Field Creek Dredging — $525,000: This project calls for dredging contaminated sediment, improving the health and resiliency of Old Field Creek and benefitting the surrounding neighborhood. The work will make it possible for the National Resources Conservation Service to purchase some of the low-lying land.

• West Haven, Beach Street reconstruction — $1,650,000: This project will continue the reconstruction of Beach Street. The work includes raising 2,120 feet of road an average of three feet; providing critical road links to parts of West Haven; protecting utilities; maintaining vital connections to emergency services; and access and bike paths for residents.