Department f Transprtatin Prject N. 40-141 Rehabilitatin f Bridge N. 01138 Twns f East Haddam and Haddam, Cnnecticut Mnday, Octber 2, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. Grange Hall 488 Twn Street East Haddam, Cnnecticut Meeting Minutes In Attendance: Thedre H. Nezames CnnDOT Manager f Bridges Rabih M. Barakat CnnDOT Bridge CLE Design Andrew J. Cardinali CnnDOT Bridge CLE Design Jnathan W. Kang CnnDOT Bridge CLE Design Michelle A. Miller CnnDOT Rights-f-Way Mark Ellitt CnnDOT District 2 Cnstructin Anand Seshadri CME Assciates Tracey A. Brais CME Assciates Steven Harlacker Hardesty & Hanver (Designer f Recrd) Benjamin Hawthrne Hardesty & Hanver (Designer f Recrd) Public and Individual Stakehlders Presentatin: Mr. Kang pened the meeting with a brief intrductin f the Department f Transprtatin (Department) and the Cnsultant Liaisn Engineer, CME Assciates (CME) persnnel. He then stated the rle f the Department and the rle f CME as liaisn engineers and cntinued with an intrductin f the subject prject and its gals. Mr. Kang stated that the purpse f this public infrmatin meeting is t present the prpsed design and discuss any questins, cmments, r cncerns that the public r twn fficials may have. Ms. Brais fllwed with the technical prtin f the presentatin fr Bridge N. 01138. She explained the bridge s current deficiencies, prpsed rehabilitatin measures, prpsed scheme t maintain and prtect traffic during cnstructin, funding surce fr the prject, prject schedule, and the anticipated utility, rights-f-way and envirnmental impacts. Ms. Miller explained the right-f-way acquisitins prcess fllwed by the State f Cnnecticut.
Cmments and Questins: 1. D the duratins fr the Rute 82 clsures and swing span peratin utages include night wrk r wrk n weekends? Can cnstructin n hlidays be restricted? Will tw lanes be available n hlidays when n cnstructin is ccurring since the twns depend a lt n turism especially during hlidays? Ms. Brais said that the estimated swing span peratin utage length f 4 weeks is based n wrk being dne 24 hurs a day, 7 days a week. She said that the Cast Guard requires wrk arund the clck t minimize the impact t marine traffic. Ms. Brais said that the half-day full radway clsures culd likely be dne during ff-peak vernight perids. Ms. Brais said that mst f the wrk wuld be dne during the day; hwever, ways t reduce the cnstructin duratin and impacts t traffic wuld be investigated further during design. Mr. Cardinali said that the cntractr is nt allwed t wrk n hlidays and the specificatins list the hliday restrictins. He stated that the use f lane clsures depends n the cntractr s means and methds as well as the cnstructin peratin that is being perfrmed. Mr. Cardinali said that the need fr lane clsures will be evaluated in design and can be added t the Limitatins f Operatins in the cntract specificatins. 2. Will the sidewalk structure be cnstructed as part f this prject as it is critical t the needs f the twns? Hw much des the sidewalk structure add t the prject if the bridge rehabilitatin already includes steel strengthening and mechanical and electrical system upgrades t supprt the sidewalk? Mr. Cardinali said that the entire prject cst f $55 millin is nt funded at this time. He said that the sidewalk structure and necessary imprvements t the existing bridge t supprt a sidewalk adds apprximately $15 millin t the estimated $40 millin cst t repair just the deficient bridge cmpnents. Mr. Cardinali said that they wuld cntinue t design the bridge with the sidewalk structure attached. Mr. Barakat said that if the funding is nt available fr the full amunt, the bridge structure will still be rehabilitated, withut a sidewalk, t prvide a safe passage fr vehicular and marine traffic; hwever the bridge will be strengthened and ready at the end f this prject t accept the sidewalk structure whenever funds are available t build the sidewalk. Mr. Barakat said that they wuld estimate the cst f the sidewalk structure alne, withut including csts assciated with strengthening the bridge, and share the infrmatin. 3. Accrding t the presentatin, apprximately 80% f the prject cnstructin cst is funded by the federal gvernment and the remaining 20% is funded by the State. If the State cannt fund their 20% and the sidewalk structure cst is apprximately 20% f the prject cst, can the State decide t nt pay their 20% by eliminating the sidewalk structure cnstructin frm the prject scpe. Mr. Barakat said that, in rder t get the funding prtin frm the federal gvernment, the State is bligated t prvide the funds fr 20% f the prject cnstructin cst. The State cannt decide t nt pay their 20% by eliminating the prpsed sidewalk structure cnstructin.
4. Hw bad des the cnditin f the bridge need t get befre the rehabilitatin prject will be mved up n the Capital Plan pririty list? Mr. Barakat said that the bridge prjects that are in the Capital Plan have a structure evaluatin rating f 4 r less. Mr. Barakat stated that if the cnditin f the bridge wrsens, it is mved up n the pririty list. Mr. Barakat said that the bridges are never left in an unsafe cnditin if they are nt higher in the pririty list fr repair. He said that the frequency f safety inspectins are increased t mnitr deteriratin and sme maintenance is dne t ensure that the bridges remain safe until funding fr a majr rehabilitatin prject is available. 5. A recmmendatin was made t have traffic persns at each end f the prject limits during rush hur perids in additin t the prpsed temprary traffic signals. 6. A recmmendatin was made that the bridge nt be designed with heavier deck cmpnents due t past histry f mechanical/electrical systems nt designed/capable t carry heavy lads which resulted in a need fr early repairs. A recmmendatin was als made that the Department have extra spare parts f critical items available shuld there be need fr future repairs. 7. A recmmendatin was made that the Department use sand r ther methds t keep ice ff f the radway. It was nted that the currently used de-icing chemicals seem t accelerate the deteriratin f the deck verlay and steel bridge members. 8. Can sidewalk be less than 6 feet in width t reduce the added lad and lessen the need fr strengthening f the existing bridge? Mr. Barakat said that 6 feet width is the minimum required fr the sidewalk t be cnsidered cmpliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mr. Cardinali added that the sidewalk needs t be wide enugh fr tw wheelchairs t pass each ther. 9. If the Department is waiting fr funding, hw lng can cnstructin n this prject be delayed befre parts f the prject planning and design prcess expire? Mr. Barakat said that envirnmental permit apprvals are usually valid fr five years. He stated that the steps and reviews dne as part f the Natinal Envirnmental Plicy Act (NEPA) prcess are valid fr three years. 10. The detur is apprximately 30 miles lng. Has crdinatin been dne with the Twns f East Haddam and Haddam (Twns) t make sure that emergency services can easily access residents in either twn? Mr. Cardinali said that they had discussed the prject with the Twns and that further crdinatin will be dne t make sure each twn has the necessary emergency resurces during the radway clsure perid. Mr. Barakat added that n ther prjects where there is a lng detur, a mutual aid agreement is made t send emergency respnders t ther twns that may nt have the resurces.
11. It was mentined during the presentatin that the swing span peratin utages will be crdinated with the US Cast Guard. Can crdinatin be dne with the marinas and the Lady Katherine Cruises in the area? When are the peratin utages anticipated t ccur? Mr. Cardinali said that crdinatin wuld be dne as the prject design prgresses. Mr. Cardinali added that the Office f Cnstructin will issue bulletins that give ntice f upcming clsures and peratin utages. Mr. Cardinali said that the utage perid and sequence f peratins wuld be determined later in the design phase. 12. Has a staging area fr this prject been decided? Mr. Cardinali stated that the exact area fr staging had nt yet been decided but the CTDOT maintenance area n Rute 82 west f the bridge culd be cnsidered. 13. Are any easements needed n the East Haddam side f the bridge especially t address deficiencies in the radway gemetry as that culd impact prperties/businesses and ptential redevelpment? Mr. Cardinali said that nly temprary easements are mst likely needed fr cnstructin access and that they wuld evaluate further if there was any need fr temprary easements n the East Haddam side. He said this prject is nt intended t address radway gemetric deficiencies and therefre permanent easements/takings are nt anticipated. 14. Des it really cst $15 millin fr just the cantilevered sidewalk structure? Mr. Cardinali said that the $15 millin includes mre than just the materials and labr t build the sidewalk structure. He said that the estimated cst includes: strengthening f steel members n rest f the bridge structure, the cunterweight in the swing span, the replacement f the span drive system and sme mechanical cmpnents that wuld nt need t be replaced withut the additinal lad f the sidewalk, and additinal electrical system cmpnents such as pedestrian barrier gates. Mr. Cardinali said that the cst als includes adjustments t the end wedges that supprt the swing span ends at Pier 2 and East Abutment because there is increased deflectin at the ends f the swing span due t the sidewalk lad. 15. Is the walkway just fr pedestrians r is it als fr bicyclists? Mr. Barakat said that the walkway designed will accmmdate nly pedestrian traffic. He said that a walkway that is at least 10 feet wide wuld be needed t safely accmmdate bth pedestrians and bicyclists. He said that bicyclists wuld have t dismunt and walk their bicycles acrss the bridge.
16. East Haddam hsts bike turs in which ver ne hundred bicyclists have participated. Culd the walkway be widened t 10 feet? Mr. Cardinali said that it wuld be best if the bike turs cntinued t travel in the radway. He said that a 10 ft wide cantilevered sidewalk wuld require significantly mre steel strengthening and it wuld make balancing f the swing span mre difficult. 17. Cnsidering that this bridge is rated a 4, where des this rehabilitatin prject rank in the Capital Plan? Mr. Barakat said that the prjects are prgrammed by fiscal year. Mr. Cardinali said that the prjects are slated fr a certain fiscal year based n the prject design schedule and are mved up in the pririty list t fill a funding gap if ther prjects d nt meet the bligated design cmpletin dates which are then pushed t the next fiscal year. Mr. Barakat said that all bridges in the Capital Plan are rated 4 r less. He added that it is easier t increase the pririty level f a prject with a cst f few millin dllars because the funding gaps that need t be filled are ften less than the $55 millin that this prject is estimated t cst. 18. It was a fiasc when a cncrete filled grid deck was installed n the swing span as it verstressed the mechanical and electrical systems including the center pivt bearing even thugh it was stated prir t cnstructin that these systems were designed fr the heavy lads. Is the Department analyzing the center pivt bearing and designing all ther parts fr the additinal sidewalk lad that will nt be symmetric? Mr. Cardinali said that all cmpnents f the bridge wuld be analyzed in design fr the sidewalk lad. 19. The East Haddam twn ffices are relcating which will make the prperty adjacent t the east end f the bridge available fr redevelpment. Wuld the Department cnsider using Eminent Dmain that culd cut int future redevelpment in rder t imprve the hrizntal alignment r gemetry f Rute 82 at the east apprach t the bridge? Mr. Cardinali said that there are n plans t change the radway alignment east f the bridge as part f this prject. He added that the prject limits were defined t fit nly the bridge ftprint because the purpse f the prject is t address bridge deficiencies and incrprate the Twns request t add a sidewalk. He said that ther right-f-way takings wuld be necessary t realign the radway. Mr. Nezames said that, even if the east apprach radway is realigned, the bridge wuld still be functinally bslete due t the narrw deck gemetry and the bridge is nt being prpsed fr widening since it wuld nt be pssible with the current structure type/cnfiguratin. He said that in rder t imprve the bridge deck gemetry, it wuld prbably be best t replace the entire structure. 20. A representative frm the RiverCOG discussed the Tiger Grant prgram frm the Federal gvernment. When the time is apprpriate, the RiverCg wuld wrk with the Twns t apply fr a TIGER grant t help fund a prtin f the bridge rehabilitatin prject. RiverCOG has been successful in the past in receiving the grant and is ptimistic that they will receive sme funds fr this prject.
21. Once the sidewalk structure is attached t the bridge, wn t the swing span be unbalanced? Mr. Cardinali said that the design is mving frward with the sidewalk attached t the bridge. The cunterweight needed t balance the sidewalk lad will be designed as part f this prject and, when the sidewalk is cnstructed, the cunterweight will als be installed. 22. It was suggested that ferry hurs f peratins be extended during the cnstructin f this prject. It was nted that the ferry has run vernight during past cnstructin prjects. 23. What will be the service life f the repairs prpsed under this prject? Will the Department keep up with the maintenance and have staffing fr the bridge peratins? Mr. Cardinali said that the rehabilitatin scpe is estimated t have a service life f apprximately 25 years. Mr. Barakat said that this bridge is cnsidered t be an imprtant part f the state s infrastructure and state will want t well maintain this bridge. He stated that the maintenance schedule f this bridge wuld be discussed with the Department s Maintenance unit. 24. Will there be cmpensatin fr the lss f business and ecnmic grwth due t the prpsed maintenance and prtectin f traffic methds? Mr. Barakat said that the full radway clsure with a thirty mile detur is being prpsed nly fr a half-day ver a limited 3-week perid f time. He stated that the half-day clsure perid will be specified t be ff-peak times such as week nights that wuld minimize impacts t lcal businesses. He added that the alternating ne-way traffic pattern, likely t be in-place fr mst f the cnstructin, wuld allw fr mvement f peple and vehicles thrughut cnstructin and minimize impacts t the cmmunity. He said that the Department will cnsider user impacts due t alternating ne-way patterns and wuld try t reduce the duratin f the lane clsures. Mr. Barakat stated that while the Department strives t minimize impacts t the cmmunity and recgnizes the hardships faced, the state des nt prvide any cmpensatin fr any lss f business due t prject cnstructin. Mr. Cardinali said that the Department ften cnsiders Accelerated Bridge Cnstructin (ABC) methds t shrten the cnstructin duratin; hwever, ABC methds cannt be utilized fr the type f repairs needed n this structure. 25. Isn t cnstructin n the Arrigni Bridge suppsed t ccur at the same time as the prpsed cnstructin n the East Haddam Bridge? Will the Department crdinate this prject with ther majr bridge prjects in the regin? Mr. Cardinali said that the Department wuld crdinate with the prject managers f the Arrigni Bridge prject and ther cnstructin prjects slated fr that time perid. 26. Is this prject suppsed t ccur at the same time as the tw rundabuts are cnstructed at the Rt. 82/Rt. 154 intersectin in the Tylerville sectin f Haddam? Mr. Cardinali said that crdinatin wuld ccur with the prject manager fr the rundabut prject t help mitigate cnflicts during cnstructin.
27. Will there nly be ne lane available during the tw years f cnstructin? Mr. Cardinali said that the duratin f ne lane clsure will depend n the type f repairs being dne. He said that the Designer f Recrd will evaluate and refine the need/duratin f lane clsures during the design phase f the prject. 28. Befre the 1988 rehabilitatin prject, the swing span was able t swing in the clckwise and cunterclckwise directin. This helped reduce the amunt f time that vehicles spent waiting fr the swing span t clse. Will it be able t swing in bth directins at the end f this prject? Mr. Cardinali said that the presence f a suth sidewalk wuld likely require the bridge t pen in a cunterclckwise directin t reduce the amunt f time t clse the bridge, since Span 3 is cnsidered t be the main navigable channel. He added that the Department wuld lk int the feasibility f allwing the swing span t rtate in bth directins. 29. With a prperly sized mtr, will the swing span be able t perate faster? Mr. Cardinali and Mr. Barakat said that it was unlikely that there wuld be any increase in swing span rtatin speed, since an increased speed is nt desirable due t the large inertia assciated with the bridge structure and need fr peratinal safety. 30. Can the purpse f the sidewalk be revised t accmmdate bicyclists? Why des it need t be ADA cmpliant if the bridge is nt used frequently by peple in wheel chairs? Mr. Barakat said that the Department has t design it s that wheelchair bund peple can use the sidewalk t be in cmpliance with ADA. Mr. Barakat added that a bike path wuld require adding a ten ft wide cantilevered structure which is nt feasible. 31. Will the Department stp pretreating the radway with deicing chemicals? Can sand be used instead t treat the rads? Mr. Barakat stated that the use f pre-treatments has advantages and disadvantages. Mr. Cardinali said that there are envirnmental cncerns with the use f sand n this bridge. Mr. Barakat said that a further discussin n the use f de-icing salt may be held with the Department s Maintenance unit. 32. A suggestin was made that the walkway be cvered s that peple are mre likely t use it during all seasns. 33. A cmment was made that adding a sidewalk structure t an lder mveable bridge is a wasteful expenditure and has a big assciated risk. Why is the sidewalk needed? It was added that a survey f the twn residents shuld have been cnducted t determine whether a sidewalk is needed. Fllwing the cmment, the Land Use Administratr fr the twn f East Haddam spke t the histry behind the need fr a sidewalk n the structure and nted the significant benefit t the public, the twns f East Haddam and Haddam as well as the surrunding businesses. It was nted that a sidewalk was requested by bth twns t imprve the ecnmic develpment f the Twns f Haddam and East Haddam and that bth twns wuld benefit greatly by having walkable cnnectivity
34. Hw will pedestrian safety be maintained during swing span peratins? Mr. Cardinali said that cameras will be used t mnitr pedestrians n the bridge. 35. When wuld the Department knw that the funding is available fr the full prject cst? Mr. Barakat stated that it wuld depend n the cmpletin f design (currently anticipated t be cmpleted by spring 2019) and if the funds are nt available by then, the prject will be shelved until the bridge becmes priritized based n structural cnditin r funds are made available. Mr. Barakat said that the Department will keep the Twns infrmed n the funding situatin f the prject. 36. The prpsed sidewalk is n the bridge and will just end. Are there plans t build the apprach sidewalks? The Twn f Haddam said that the design and cnstructin f the apprach sidewalk n the Haddam side (up t Tylerville sectin) is being funded with reginal funds. The Twn f East Haddam said it is still wrking n getting the funds fr the sidewalk n the east side f the bridge. 37. Was a sidewalk feasibility study dne? Mr. Barakat said that a sidewalk feasibility study was perfrmed by the Designer f Recrd and the cnclusin f the study was that the additin f a sidewalk is feasible. Adjurnment: The recmmended plan prvides a design fr crrecting the structural deficiencies f the existing bridge while minimizing the need fr future maintenance, and als a design fr imprving pedestrian access between the Twns f East Haddam and Haddam. Accrdingly, the Department intends t seek design apprval fr the prpsed plan. The Department will cntinue t keep the Twns infrmed f any changes that may ccur as the design is being cmpleted and will ntify the Twns as the prject transitins int the cnstructin phase. The meeting was adjurned at 9:30 p.m.