Rt 53 to Receive New Traffic Lights, Handicap Ramps.

As part of a State Pedestrian Safety Improvement plan, construction on the corners of Rt. 53, or Grassy Plain, and South Street, and Rt 53 and Greenwood Avenue, will soon have new traffic lights and curbs that will include handicap ramps.  

 Jim Bent, of Ny-Conn Corp. of Danbury, said that these two sites are two of ten in Ct that have been slated for new, modern traffic lights.

 At the corner of Greenwood Ave and Rt 53, a new crosswalk will be added that will cross the street by the sign for the car wash.  The other two crosswalks will remain. 

 The challenging construction includes running new conduits in a foundation without cutting into any water or gas lines or AT&T’s concrete duct banks that contain communication wiring.  

 Less than a mile down the road, at the corner of Rt 53 and South Street, a long trench is being cut to lay more new wiring in concrete blocks.  Gabe Blais, who was working on the project, said, “It will be a whole new intersection, with new lights, new poles, two new handicap ramps and a new sidewalk.”

 Blais said that other projects would have to be completed before these two sites became operational, and it could be a month before both sites are working.