Wilton Reassessing Road Guardrail Policy

WILTON, CT — The town has reassessed the criteria used to place guardrails along the sides of roads, following complaints about their aesthetics.

Wilton had been replacing its wood and wire guardrails with Connecticut-standard steel as they have aged out, but the upgrade resulted in an outcry from some residents. As a result, First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice last month issued a moratorium on further replacements until the Board of Selectmen could reconsider the Town's policy.

Those considerations have been made, and Wilton's guardrail placement standards "were incomplete and do not take into account the many roadway and roadside characteristic scenarios," town officials said in a release Wednesday.

Crews will be removing the guardrails recently installed on both Wild Duck Road and Woods End Drive. Officials said that do not know yet whether they will be removing any other guardrails, but going forward they will no longer rely on an existing guardrail as evidence one is needed. That determination will be made by DPW and Facilities Director Chris Burney and Town Engineer Frank Smeriglio.

Burney praised the process, and the efforts of the residents of Wild Duck Road and Woods End Drive in bringing the issue to the town's attention: "This is exactly as it should happen. Residents raise a concern, the Town investigates and, where possible, makes improvements benefiting all residents."

Recent data acquired during the town's evaluation of its paving needs can be utilized to begin evaluating the town's guardrails, officials said in the release. Options for guardrail materials to be used in lieu of steel will be presented at Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.