Middletown Mayor Nocera Highlights Road, Building Projects In Biweekly Newsletter

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Mayor Eugene Nocera used his Sept. 11 biweekly newsletter to highlight the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, upcoming community events, seasonal health programs and an extensive list of infrastructure projects underway across Middletown.

Nocera opened the newsletter by remembering the nearly 3,000 people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and honoring first responders, survivors, veterans and others affected by the events.

He emphasized the unity that followed the attacks and said younger generations should understand Sept. 11 as a lesson in “courage, sacrifice, resilience, and unity.”

The mayor also encouraged residents to participate in fall programs and events and announced the Mayor’s Ball for Nov. 6. He also promoted a planned cultural exchange pilgrimage to Middletown’s sister city of Melilli, Italy. An information session is scheduled for Sept. 17 at 4:30 p.m. at St. Sebastian Church.

The Middletown and Cromwell health departments are partnering with Stop & Shop Pharmacy on seasonal vaccine clinics. Vaccines offered will include COVID-19 boosters, influenza, RSV, pneumonia, Tdap and shingles vaccines.

The newsletter also announced an eight-week Freedom from Smoking tobacco cessation program beginning Sept. 28. The classes will be held virtually at 4:30 p.m.

Public Works projects

Much of the newsletter focused on the city's Department of Public Works and its capital projects.

Nocera said the department has spent the past year addressing deferred maintenance, improving coordination and advancing infrastructure projects while continuing essential services. Priorities include road rehabilitation, traffic and pedestrian safety, dam safety, municipal building improvements and ADA accessibility.

The city said more than 10 miles of road rehabilitation have been completed, improving pavement conditions and safety on key corridors.

Among the municipal facility projects highlighted:

• The City Yard and Parks Department building on Washington and Butternut streets began a roofing project Aug. 26, with additional siding, door, masonry, interior, exterior and HVAC work planned.
• City Hall's environmental systems project is substantially complete, with a new chiller brought online Aug. 26. Planned ADA improvements include a new north-side ramp, additional accessible parking, sidewalk changes and bathroom upgrades.
• Work has begun on a new environmental system at the Green Street Arts Center, along with planned elevator, masonry, window and roof improvements. Its parking lot expansion is complete.
• Planned improvements at Oddfellows Playhouse include roofing, drainage, retaining wall, paving and HVAC work.
• The John Smith Boathouse is slated for a new roof and siding, along with a new boat rack system.
• Roofing work at Middletown Fire Department Station 2 on Cross Street has been completed, while the project has moved to the construction phase under a building committee.
• Russell Library is receiving critical facility upgrades while the city plans for a new facility.
• A contract has been awarded for roof and gutter replacement at the Emergency Management Building on Randolph Road.

Road work

The city is developing a pavement management database that will track conditions and projected repair costs for city streets.

Traditional mill-and-pave work is being used on roads with deeper structural problems, while the city is expanding the use of hot in-place recycling, or HIPR, on roads with surface deterioration. The newsletter says HIPR can reduce trucking logistics by as much as 80%.

The city is also using micro-milling with a bonded wearing course on some roads to address surface deficiencies while preserving structural pavement depth.

Roads listed as completed or under construction include Prospect Street, Liberty Street, Green Street, Ferry Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Warren Street, Broad Street, Crystal Lake Road, Villa Street and the Main Street Extension.

Camp Street and Country Club Road are receiving micro-milling and a bonded wearing course.

HIPR projects include Arbutus Street, Bell Street, Chamberlain Hill Road, Coleman Road, Crystal Lake Park access road, Livingston Road, Margarite Road Extension, Oakcliff Road, Preston Avenue, Sawmill Road and South Bartholomew Road.

The city said it completed its original HIPR list and expanded the program to additional road segments, including South Bartholomew Road, Margarite Road Extension and Bell Street. Broad Street, Crystal Lake Road and Villa Street were also added to the mill-and-pave program.

Over the next several weeks, the city plans to participate in a Connecticut Department of Transportation-supported trial of a new surface treatment on Laurel Grove Road, Bernie O'Rourke Drive and Kelsey Street West.

Nocera said continued coordination among city officials, employees, residents and other stakeholders will be important as the infrastructure work continues.