Route 7 Heaven

Twelve years of work culminated in a one minute celebration, as town officials gathered in the middle of Route 7 this morning for what may have been the quickest ribbon cutting ceremony in history.

Today marked the offical opening of all lanes on Route 7/Danbury Road following the completion of a long-awaited and ongoing widening project. Police blocked traffic in front of Town Hall for a total of five minutes (the blink of an eye in comparsion to how long the construction has impeded drivers along the route) so officials could string yellow police tape across the road and First Selectman Bill Brennan could ceremoniously snip it in half.

"How does it feel?" Bill Brennan repeated when asked during a roughly 50-person gathering in Town Hall afterward. "It feels great. This is a project we have taken from beginning to end, and the DOT and everyone involved have just been fantastic...this is a great Christmas present to Wilton."

State Sen. Toni Boucher said she was "warmed by the 12 years of blood, sweat, and tears that went into this project," and lauded both the state DOT and Bill Brennan, in particular, for all their hard work in bringing the Route 7 widening to completion.

Boucher recalled how, initially, state officials believed the solution to the area's problems serving as a traffic corridor lay in building a Super 7 highway, a solution she and many others opposed.

"They thought the only way out of the traffic jam was a Super 7 highway and we proved them wrong." said Boucher proudly.

Instead, the Route 7 widening project, coupled with the improved signaling system of the Danbury Branch Rail Line expected to be completed in 2011, will make Wilton's long-clogged transportation arteries much more navigable. Indeed, traffic was already zipping along the clear, sunlit road this morning with ease. Boucher added that ConnDOT Commissioner Joseph Marie and Governor M. Jodi Rell were instrumental in finally bringing the project to fruition, as well.

Local officials also expect a boon to local businesses from the decreased traffic and increased navigability of Route 7. Chamber of Commerce President and local business owner Brian Perry, who has lived in Wilton since 1962, said the construction had adversely affected small businesses in town and he was excited at the clear path Danbury Road will hopefully pave for their future.

"We've had people go out of business as a result of the construction," Perry said. "I've had people tell me they will not come to Wilton because of it...but now for residents and businesses, it's full steam ahead."

With the hurdle of orange cones and narrow lanes now cleared, the town's next concern came quickly into focus directly following the opening ceremony. Just as residents and officials cleared off of the roadway, a large SUV barreled by at an excessive speed, blaring its horn and narrowly missing a few people on the roadside. Police standing by gave the vehicle a long look as it sped away, shaking their heads.

"Our biggest concern now is speeding," Brennan said. "And we expect our police force to be very active in monitoring the roadway and maintaining a visible presence."

Brennan's comments echoed Police Chief Michael Lombardo's from earlier in the week when he said, .

But, all in all, the new, clear roadway is already impacting local travel in a positive way. A drive in from Weston that used to take 20 minutes this morning took eight. And it is worth noting that shaving those 12 minutes of drive time took 12 years, however brief the ribbon cutting ultimately was.

"It's a little like a wedding," said Wiltonian and Commissioner of the CT Transportation Commission Gail Lavielle. "So much work goes in beforehand but it's what comes after that that really counts."