Greenwich Avenue/Elm Street Intersection Project Almost Complete

GREENWICH, CT—The improvements to the Greenwich Avenue/Elm Street intersection are almost complete, as the Board of Selectmen on Thursday unanimously approved a request for a detour plan so final paving work can commence.

The detour will begin May 24 and stretch up until June 11. It will utilize Benedict Place, Lewis Street and Mason Street.

There will be a complete closure of West Elm Street between Benedict Place and Greenwich Avenue, and a complete closure of East Elm Street between Mason Street and the Avenue. Vehicles will have local access only to businesses, buildings and parking areas.

Closures will only be in effect during work hours allowed by the noise variance. Detour signs will be covered and barricades removed outside of work hours.

After the paving work is done, said Jason Kaufman, senior civil engineer for the town during the Board of Selectmen meeting on Thursday, a separate contractor will then come in and imprint the crosswalk. The same detour will be used.

The contractor will use the same product that is being used in front of Cos Cob Park and the Senior Center to imprint the crosswalk. Kaufman said the reddish material is more cost efficient and durable than using actual red bricks.

The whole idea of the project is to increase pedestrian safety and enhance the aesthetics of the area.

Part of the project includes the installation of "bulb outs" - sometimes referred to as "bump outs" - which extend the curb-line to the edge of the existing parking areas on east/west Elm Street, and the angled parking areas on Greenwich Avenue. The purpose of bulb outs are to increase the visual connection between pedestrian and driver, and reduce the crossing distance and crossing time for pedestrians.

The intersection is also raised, so pedestrians who are approaching the intersection at the elevation of the sidewalk travel at a consistent elevation across.

Additionally, the project addresses green-space around the intersection. Before the project was approved, there was about 340 square feet of green-space within the work area. DPW began construction looking to increase that by 1,860 square feet - or roughly 550%. DPW has coordinated with the Parks & Recreation Department to assist in the landscaping plan.

Kaufman said Thursday that sidewalk improvements, cubing and landscape islands were just about finished, and planting beds should be finished by next Monday morning.

First Selectman Fred Camillo was hoping that this first intersection improvement project could be a pilot program for future intersections on the Avenue. He had included $500,000 in the proposed 2021-2022 budget for future work on perhaps two intersections elsewhere, but the Representative Town Meeting ultimately deleted the money during their final budget vote.

RTM members said the town did not give a clear indication as to which intersection would be worked on next, and that there should be a pause so the impact of the completed intersection project can be gauged.

Camillo said earlier this week after the RTM vote that the town could have communicated better as to where the money was going to be spent, and he said he respected those who wanted to take a pause. But he took exception with an argument that was raised saying that the intersection improvements would take away parking in the downtown area.

"We're in the process of providing more parking than we had there. To keep saying we're missing four spots there and two spots there is totally ignoring the fact that we've gotten 100 new spots on the Avenue with our new merchant parking program to get employees off the Avenue and into the municipal lots," Camillo said.

Camillo added that in a few weeks, he's confident residents will see what an improved intersection can do for one of Greenwich's crown jewels: Greenwich Avenue.

"I'd prefer [RTM members] didn't pause it, because now you have to wait two years. But now they're going to see for two years just how well this works. To have every intersection looking like that will set Greenwich Avenue apart from lots of Central Business Districts," Camillo said.

"Right now it's quaint Greenwich Avenue, but it's a concrete stretch of road. This breaks it up with color, with greenery and trees, and it shortens the distance for pedestrians to cross the street. It improves the sightlines and slows the cars down."