Ongoing Six-Figure Project Leading to Traffic Delays on City's Main Street
By Jeff Toquinto on April 14, 2014 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
Motorists traveling U.S. Route 50 through downtown Bridgeport – Main Street – should expect some traffic delays of at least several minutes due to an ongoing project.
Workers with the City of Bridgeport are utilizing flaggers to keep traffic to one lane in the area of Main Street between Third Street and just 
past the All Saints Catholic Church in front of the Circle K. The road is closed as workers remove a portion of the old sidewalk to go along with the ongoing streetscape project that began in 1999.
past the All Saints Catholic Church in front of the Circle K. The road is closed as workers remove a portion of the old sidewalk to go along with the ongoing streetscape project that began in 1999.
This latest phase of the project began in July of 2013. Last year, Bridgeport Community Development Director Randy Spellman told members of the Bridgeport Development Authority the project could last a year or longer and that he would file for a time extension to make sure the project had plenty of time to be completed.
After the work is done in front of the church, City Engineer Tom Brown said curbing and lighting – but no sidewalks – will go in the area of Main Street up to Fifth Street. Also, work will then pick up in front of Oliverio’s Florist and Batman’s Trophies back to Second Street. Work there involves a retaining wall and a sidewalk.
Brown said last week traffic interruptions would likely start next week with the possibility of starting this week. He said a decision was made to move up the project due.
“We decided due to efficiency purposes that it would be best to tear out and replace the concrete and then do all the stamped concrete in the manner we’re doing now,” said Brown. “You’ll see one lane in that section tomorrow and Wednesday for a small portion of the day and then you’ll see one lane for a good portion of the day Thursday and Friday.”
Brown said to expect delays in the future as well. He said curbing projects will likely go into May and perhaps June and traffic delays will come with them.
Today, traffic at times as back up all the way to Virginia Avenue on the eastbound side and near Oliverio’s Ristorante on the westbound side.
The $300,000 project is funded primarily by a federal highway grant. Of that total, $60,000 is the city’s required match.
