While most of the earth moving taking place at the White Oaks development is currently being done to facilitate the construction of the new Dominion office complex, equipment doing that work can be seen almost all the way out to Saltwell Road. With plans calling for the main road through the development, “White Oaks Boulevard,” to eventually connect Jerry Dove Drive to Saltwell, speculation is that the rest of the road may currently be in the construction process.
So is that what’s happening?
“We do plan on extending the road, but we also don’t have immediate plans to do that,” said Woody Thrasher, who is developing the White Oaks property. “We still have acreage to sell and until that is developed you probably won’t see the road connecting.”
However, Thrasher said with all the grading work for Dominion that is finishing up and other infrastructure work taking place, some of the work being done on the Saltwell end of the development is for the road. It’s just not a full blown project.
“I guess you could say we’re picking at it right now. It’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of when,” said Thrasher. “It is in Phase II of the development of the property.”
While Thrasher is adamant it’s going to happen, he was less adamant as to when it was going to happen. He said one thing is for certain, you won’t see it done in this calendar year.
“Not this summer for sure and I’d say it’s unlikely for next summer,” he said. “At the same time, I wouldn’t be floored if the road was complete by the end of next year. A lot of things would have to happen and we’d have to complete a lot of grading, but it’s not impossible. Having that road connected is unlikely for sure by 2015, but not impossible.”
The road will access through roughly four acres of the White Oaks Development just off of the Saltwell exit of Interstate 79 on the southbound side of that roadway. It will be near the new Saltwell Exxon station.
Once the road is built - and built to the proper specifications - Thrasher hopes to turn it over. At that point, the road, he hopes, will become part of the City of Bridgeport's system.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows earth work clearly visible from Saltwell Road and approximately 200 yards from proposed area where White Oaks Boulevard would tie in to that roadway.
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