Upgrades Coming To Busy Greenwich Intersection: Details

GREENWICH, CT — The Town of Greenwich will receive $657,653 in state funding for a traffic signal upgrade at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Greenwich Avenue as part of a $10.8 million grant package announced by Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto.

The funding is being awarded through the Connecticut Department of Transportation's Community Connectivity Grant Program, a competitive, state-funded initiative that provides construction funding for municipal infrastructure projects designed to improve safety, accessibility and mobility.

"This program cuts red tape and accelerates local infrastructure projects that make a real difference in people’s daily lives," Lamont said in an announcement. "Across Connecticut with the support of this state program, communities are building accessible sidewalks, new bicycle connections, and stronger links to jobs, schools, and local businesses."

"We are proud to help towns and cities bring their own infrastructure priorities to life," Eucalitto said. "Communities know what their residents need, and this program gives them the resources to build it. Thank you to Governor Lamont and the State Bond Commission for their ongoing commitment to these investments."

The intersection of Railroad Avenue and Greenwich Avenue is heavily used with pedestrian traffic coming from Greenwich Train Station, where the Metro-North lines are used extensively throughout the day for people going to and coming from New York City.

This is also part of multiple bus routes, and there is also the pedestrian and vehicle traffic coming from Greenwich’s downtown commercial district with several popular restaurants at the bottom of Greenwich Avenue and on Railroad.

The planned upgrades in this project will include new, fully ADA-compliant pedestrian signals and accessible pushbuttons at all four corners to improve safety and accessibility for all users.

The project will also incorporate traffic signal phasing improvements, including a dedicated left-turn signal and updated timing intervals to enhance traffic flow in the downtown area and reduce conflicts.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said the grant money "will be a tremendous benefit" to making the area safer and more efficient for users.

"I thank the Connecticut Department of Transportation for seeing the importance of this work as it will go hand in hand with the many improvements downtown from both Greenwich’s Department of Public Works and the Greenwich Crossing project being overseen by The Ashforth Company," Camillo said. "This project is going to modernize this intersection, and it will really help make downtown better and safer for anyone walking or driving."

The town said the project builds upon prior engineering work that has already been completed by the Greenwich Department of Public Works and is part of the town’s ongoing effort to systematically upgrade aging traffic signal infrastructure across town.

"We’re grateful to the state for supporting this important investment in Greenwich’s transportation network," Greenwich DPW Commissioner Jim Michel said in a news release. "Improving accessibility and modernizing our traffic signals are key priorities, particularly in high-volume pedestrian areas like the Railroad Avenue and Greenwich Avenue intersection."

The Community Connectivity Grant Program is now in its eighth round of awards. State officials said the grants can only be used for construction activities.

Since the program launched in 2019, Connecticut has awarded 172 grants totaling more than $84 million to municipalities statewide. Communities receiving grants are expected to complete their projects within three years.