Rt. 69 and Hatfield Hill Road in Bethany: A Dangerous Intersection?

A series of accidents on Route 69 near Hatfield Hill Road in Bethany has some residents wondering if a traffic light may be needed at that intersection.

Last week on Apr. 15 just before 9 a.m., a small school bus traveling south on Rt. 69 was struck on the driver’s side by a car coming out of Hatfield Hill. The bus continued off the side of the road. The driver of the car, Daria Sizova, was given a ticket for unsafe movement from a stop position. There were no reported injuries.

On Sunday morning, Apr. 17 at 2:30 a.m., a driver traveling south on Rt. 69 lost control of his car when he hit a large puddle of water near Hatfield Hill. He drove into a utility pole, which snapped at the base and was dangling from the wires, causing the road to be closed for several hours while the pole was repaired.

Some residents, disturbed by what seem to be steady reports of accidents and near-misses in that area, plan to attend the next board of selectmen’s meeting to ask if a traffic light can be installed at the intersection of Rt. 69, which is a state road. According to First Selectman Derrylyn Gorski, it’s not as easy as it might seem. The selectmen will listen to the residents and send a request for a light to the state, which will then decide if they will order a study done to see how many accidents actually occur at that spot. Gorski said the town has tried on other occasions to have traffic lights installed on state roads in town, but have failed. In the end, Gorski said, she believes the biggest problem with that stretch of Rt. 69 is speed.

Resident Trooper Dave Merriam agrees that speed and road conditions are the largest contributors to the volume of accidents in that area. Merriam said the car vs. utility pole accident was the fourth accident in that area that could be attributed to wet roads.

“If your driving south prior to Hatfield Hill Rd., water is coming off the hill and the shoulders are flooded,” Merriam said. “The speed limit is 45, but if you’re doing 55 you start to hydroplane. It’s a dark stretch of road that people tend to speed on.”

The CT Department of Transportation has been out to investigate, but Merrian said he hasn't heard yet if they plan to try to alleviate the water problems.

Merriam added that it may seem like there are a lot of accidents at that intersection since it is one of the few cross streets on that stretch of Rt. 69, so even accidents that are a quarter mile away are referred to as being near Hatfield Hill.

The traffic light will be added to the agenda of the next Bethany Board of Selectmen meeting, which is Apr. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at town hall. The public is welcome to attend.