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Honest, say the state engineers!
The state of Connecticut is responsible for the repaving of the Post Road and Fairfield's Town Engineer, Bill Hurley, said he has no idea why it has taken so long.
He spoke to Jeff Hanson, the Connecticut Department of Transportation manager responsible for the Post Road repaving and temporary yellow lines were painted last week.
Temporary, because there will be another course of paving on top of the one that's there now. Hopefully, that paving will make the manhole covers even with the street.
Then permanent yellow lines, with better, more durable paint, will be added and, just as important, cross walk lines will be added.
Two women, one pushing a baby stroller, were seen tempting fate recently by crossing the Post Road near the brown field that used to be the Exide factory.
Surely, there never was a cross walk there. But how could they know?
The crossings at the intersection of Unquowa, Post Road, and Old Post Road usually have cross walks to aid people in navigating that busy intersection.
Hurley noted that, in the meantime, there is signalization where crosswalks used to be.
The re-paving was to have started last Sunday night and it should take about two weeks, weather permitting. (No rain dances, please.) The paving will be done in three sections: the north side of the street, the south side of the street and the center. This will impact traffic, the least amount possible and it will also allow parking on one side of the street at all times.
All work is done at night.
Hurley said that state engineer Hanson has said that he is under a lot of pressure to get the Post Road, or Route 1, done.
"Jeff said that he wants this project done with quality work as soon as possible,"
Hurley said.
A lot of other people want the work finished.
Sgt. Jim Perez of the Fairfield Police said he is not aware of any accidents because of the lack of lines or crosswalks, but he said the police have received calls from people wondering when the work will be done and saying that they have almost gotten into an accident.
A search of police data bases showed that there have been 27 accidents on the Post Road between Oct. 1 and Nov. 1 this year. However, many of those accidents may have been in parking lots, Perez said.
Hurley noted that the re-paving was to have been done in 2006, but the laying of the high voltage electrical lines under the Post Road by CL&P delayed that, and it seems the electrical company was only responsible for repaving the approximately one-third of the road that it had dug up.
Hurley said the town is anxious for all the work to be done before snow season starts.
