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Potholes and large areas of damaged pavement are everywhere in the city, the result of winter weather. Torrington's Department of Public Works' street department is responsible for repairing roads and streets in town, and has a summer work schedule focused on those repairs.

Potholes and large areas of damaged pavement are everywhere in the city, the result of winter weather. Torrington's Department of Public Works' street department is responsible for repairing roads and streets in town, and has a summer work schedule focused on those repairs.

Torrington’s summer road repair projects include Torringford Street.

TORRINGTON — This summer, a number of road resurfacing and repair projects are scheduled to begin, including work on Prospect Street, Torringford Road and numerous residential streets around the city.

City Council members approved bids Monday night for the projects, which were presented by City Engineer Paul Kundzins and assistant engineer Mark Austin.

All of the projects, Kundzins said, are funded by the city’s Pavement Management Program Bond Fund.

One of the projects, for for reconstruction of the Bogue Road Bridge, off South Main Street, was tabled until the council’s next meeting in July, after Councilwoman Keri Hoehne questioned the cost-sharing.

Bogue Road is used by heavy trucks and other vehicles and leads to the Harwinton town line. Under the original agreement that was approved by referendum in 2018, the town of Harwinton agreed to pay 14 percent of the project cost of $2,377,351.

“That sounds like a pretty good deal to me,” Hoehne said. “Is there a reason why (Harwinton’s share) is so small?”

Bogue Road is the entrance to O&G Industries to the west. To the east, the road leads to the city’s animal control building, which is also under construction; the public works yard; and the Water Pollution Control Authority/sewer plant.

“The main users of the bridge with heavy truck traffic is the WPCA,” said Public Works Director Ray Drew. “There’s also Supreme Industries, and O&G. The cost share was established prior to the bidding for this project.”

He added that the cost share probable had been done in 2017 and included in a 2018 referendum.

“Prior to that, those discussions and establishments would have taken place, and any communications with Harwinton would have happened at that time,” he said.

Drew and Kundzins agreed to find the original documentation on Harwinton’s share of the project and bring it to the next meeting.

According to Drew, the Bogue Road bridge will be replaced with concrete panels, steel railings and structural modifications. The proposal also includes drainage improvements and road construction.

The City Council also approved a bid Monday for $1.35 million from PAC Group LLC of Torrington for the Torringford East project, with includes milling, grading and paving a mile of the roadway. The road will also receive new concrete curbing, driveway, drainage repairs, new catch basins and manhole covers. The streets to be improved include Augustyn Court, Belmont Drive, Breezy Hill Road, Carmody Court, Gaylord Lane, Limestone Drive, Loretta Road, Rock Creek Lane, and Tunxis Lane and crossing and intersecting streets as needed, according to Kundzins.

Another project, milling and overlay of various roads, was awarded to PAC Group for $759,750. This work will include milling and paving, curbing and driveway aprons, new catch basins and manhole covers on Aetna Avenue, Litchfield Street, Maple Street, Wyoming Avenue and Zappulla Drive.

Sealcoating, Inc. will replace and restore pavement on a portion of Albany Street and on Beverly Road, Buena Vista Avenue, Clearview Avenue, Elmira Avenue and Whitewood Road in an $860,000 project.

As a separate, $535,000 part of the project, PAC Group will be paving Albany Street, Beverly Road, Buena Vista Avenue, Clearview Avenue, Davis Street, Elmira Avenue and Whitewood Road.

“We’re going to be doing work all summer,” said Austin. “We’re in the process now of creating public outreach, contacting neighbors, and sending press releases to alert the public.

Work on a number of streets off South Main Street, which were approved earlier this year, have already started, Austin said. The city is also preparing its sidewalk replacement project for East Main Street, which is scheduled to start this summer.

Residents can read more about all of these projects on the city’s website, torringtonct.org.

Emily M. Olson is the community editor for the Torrington Register Citizen, the New Haven Register and the Middletown Press.

She is a 1997 graduate of Western Connecticut State University with a degree in English and a minor in journalism.

She started her career at the Patent Trader newspaper in Westchester County, NY in 1998. After a brief period as a reporter with the Register Citizen in Torrington in 1999, she joined the former Housatonic Publications group as a reporter. She was managing editor of the former Litchfield Enquirer and helped run the weekly newspapers at Housatonic and the Litchfield County Times. She returned to the Register Citizen in 2009.