CTDOT's eight-phase comprehensive corridor-length upgrade project is nearing its completion. The work, designed following guidelines developed in the 1990s for safety improvements, and bridge and landscape restoration is now in its last phase located between exits 37 and 39 in New Canaan and Norwalk. Like earlier phases, work includes:

 

• Replacing the 1960s metal “W-section’ guiderail with new steel backed timber “Merritt Parkway” railing

• Widening the right shoulders in both directions by 8 feet (4 feet paved and 4 feet reinforced grass shoulder), which in many areas involves regrading the adjacent shoulders with new swales to receive rainwater runoff and plowed snow 

• Installing a concrete curb and gutter system along the median for drainage

• Installing a new subsurface drainage system (you would not believe how frequently rainwater is conveyed back and forth below the travel lanes and median!)

• Resurfacing the roadway

• Landscape restoration, including removal of invasives and unsafe trees, and re-planting of native shrubs and trees

• Bridge rehabilitation (cleaning patching and repair) and in some cases, restoration

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As with past projects, the Conservancy works closely with CTDOT on evaluating trees for retention and removal, the work on bridges, and other project specific issues.  CTDOT is committed to restoring the architectural features of the bridges that have been compromised due to age and insensitive repairs. This project includes work on the following bridges, from west to east:

 

Lapham Road bridge, replacement of the damaged precast panels above the travel lanes (these panels and the steel structure behind are not original to the bridge and were built prior to the development of bridge restoration guidelines).

 

South Avenue Bridge, cleaning, patching and replacement of original missing sunburst ornament.

 

White Oak Shade Road bridge, cleaning, patching and re-coating

 

Marvin Ridge Road, patching and re-coating the bridge. (Like Lapham Road, the precast panels and steel structure behind are not original and were built prior to the bridge restoration guidelines).

 

New Canaan Avenue bridge (below the parkway travel lanes), patching and staining the bridge to match the surface color of the outer faces added prior to bridge restoration guidelines with the original concrete color).

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