Construction Work, Road Closures Proposed For Old Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — Fresh off the completion of the Sound Beach Avenue bridge replacement project, more work is being planned for Old Greenwich which will create more road closures and detours in the area.

Ian Brown, an engineer with the Greenwich Department of Public Works, went before the board of selectmen on Thursday to ask for road closures for sections of Tomac Avenue and Forest Avenue so critical work on drainage can take place.

The board did not take any action, but expressed support for the much-needed project and will instead wait two weeks to allow time for public feedback.

The town's flood and erosion control board has identified a number of areas in town that are in need of drainage improvements, Brown said, and the area around the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center site is one of them.

"This area sees regular flooding to roadways during heavy storm events, and in order to combat this flooding, DPW is performing drainage improvements to the pipe network within Tomac Avenue and Forest Avenue," Brown explained.

Work will include the removal of an existing 18-inch reinforced concrete pipe, and the installation of a replacement 2-foot-by-4-foot box culvert, which will run approximately 350 feet from Forest Avenue to Tomac Avenue, and terminate at the nearby channel south of the civic center site near the train tracks.

Additional improvements include the installation of three new catch basins and three new junction boxes.

"Given the location of the pipe network being worked on, we felt it was safest to close the road while construction is taking place. Road closures will vary depending on where exactly the work is taking place," Brown said.

Construction will move from Tomac Avenue toward Forest Avenue.

"We understand that road closures can be troublesome for the local driving population, especially in Old Greenwich, after recent construction events like on Sound Beach. We'll work to complete the project work as promptly as possible, but I would like to add this is a necessary project to increase the capacity of the drainage network and to fight flooding in the area," Brown said.

Two detours are being proposed. The one for road closures on Tomac is approximately two miles and utilizes Sound Beach Avenue, Harding Road, Forest Avenue and Lockwood Avenue.

The detour for Forest is about .85 miles, and uses Sound Beach Avenue and Harding Road.

"The detours are designed to move traffic around the site, and create the smallest disruption to existing traffic patterns as possible," Brown said.

The project is anticipated to start mid-to-late May, according to Brown, with a total detour timeframe of three months.

Complete closures will be in effect during normal construction hours, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The roadway will be reopened at the end each day. Any work outside of these hours will either be done outside of the road, or alternating one-way traffic will be in place.

"It's a necessary project and something that, after every storm, people wish for things like this," First Selectman Fred Camillo said. "I appreciate the work that's gone into the rerouting of the traffic and to have as little disruption as possible to people in their daily lives, especially after they've been through the other bridge closure around the corner. The good news is after three months we'll be in better shape when it comes to flood control."

Selectwoman Lauren Rabin asked if the work will have any impact on the ongoing construction of a new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. Brown said DPW is working with the town's building department to coordinate schedules.

"This work is really needed, and yes, Sound Beach and Old Greenwich has a huge amount of traffic, especially because it's the entry to the beach," added Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan. "Any consideration you can take to coordinate road closures is very, very appreciated in Old Greenwich."