Connecticut will be receiving nearly $291 million from the federal government for several transportation and infrastructure projects meant to provide safer, more reliable service for commuters.
“We're talking here about transforming rail,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said during a press conference at Union Station in Hartford on Friday.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration said it is investigating nearly $1.5 billion for 19 projects along the Northeast Corridor, including nearly $291 million for five projects in Connecticut through the bipartisan infrastructure law.
“More frequent rail service means more likely you get out of your car, stop jamming up highways,” Gov. Ned Lamont said.
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The Federal Railroad Administration said these are the five projects in Connecticut that will receiving funding in this round:
$8 million: Connecticut River Bridge Replacement Project
The proposal is for project planning for replacement of the 120-year-old Connecticut River Bridge on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor in Windsor Locks.
$6.4 million: Cos Cob Bridge Replacement Study
The proposal is to explore options to replace the 120-year-old movable Cos Cob Bridge over the Mianus River in Greenwich.
$102 million: Hartford Line Rail Program Double Track Project
The proposal includes construction to track, signals, and grade crossings in three segments totaling 6.2 miles of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor.
The Federal Railroad Administration said the work will focus on segments in West Hartford-Hartford, Windsor-Windsor Locks, and Enfield to add double- track and expand rail capacity, allowing more frequent future service and increased speeds. They said the project is expected to improve safety and reduce delays caused by single-track capacity constraints. This award contributes additional funding to the project selected under the under the FY22-23 FSP-NEC Notice of Funding Opportunity.
$2.56 million: Hartford Station Relocation Project
“The proposed project is for project planning lifecycle stage activities to refine the alternatives for construction of a new Hartford train station and multimodal hub with associated realignment and double tracking of 2.1 miles of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor in Hartford, CT.”
The Federal Railroad Administration said this will be to prepare the project to proceed to later stages of development.
$172 million: Track Improvement and Mobility Enhancement
The proposal is for the first phase of construction, which includes replacement of 88 catenary structures, addition of four new crossovers and replacement of the Longbrook Avenue Roadway bridge along a three-mile segment of New Haven Line, between Bridgeport and Stratford.
The Federal Railroad Administration said the existing structures are up to 100 years old and need to be replaced.
The administration said the award builds upon a prior FY22-23 FSP-NEC selection for project development and final design activities.
