Sidewalk to Branford Train Station Getting Repaired

Last week Patch spotted the final touches being done to the sidewalk over the Amtrak bridge, which leads many commuters to the Shore Line East train station. Commuters travel west via SLE to New Haven and New York City or east to Guilford and points beyond.

The sidewalk, which has been in need of repair through several seasons, has been refinished as part of a $160,000 grant project the town received from the Greater New Haven Transit District according to Town Engineer Janice Plaziak. The town has a 20 percent match of funds for the project, she detailed.

“The scope of the project included adding a dedicated pedestrian phase and pedestrian signals at the traffic signal at the intersection of Indian Neck Avenue and Maple Streets along with crosswalks and handicap ramps at those crosswalks; replacement of the sidewalk along the frontage of the train station parking lot along with the new guide rail system,” Plaziak told Patch.

Most of the project was completed last year, she said, but was held up when workers came across large brownstone blocks under the area near the bridge where posts for the rail system needed to be driven into. “Fortunately GNHTD was able to shift some funds into the project under the grant program so we could adjust the design and construction in that area and now complete the project within the next week or two,” Plaziak said.

In other sidewalk news, Branford Public Works was repairing the sidewalk on Pine Orchard Road near Montowese Street last week as well; this repair was not part of the grant money.

Do you use the Branford train station? Are you happy to see the sidewalk being completed?