Litchfield asks CTDOT to advance Route 202 design; burying utilities discussed

First Selectman Denise Raap said the town has submitted formal correspondence to the Connecticut Department of Transportation asking to advance the Route 202 corridor project from conceptual to active design and requested a meeting with DOT and a local design committee to discuss municipal priorities, including parking configurations and pedestrian crosswalk improvements. The board agreed that a pre-engineering meeting should cover those municipal priorities before design work begins.

Selectman Jeff Zullo raised burying utility lines along the north side of Route 202 in conjunction with planned sidewalk excavation, noting interest from the Litchfield Preservation Trust and Friends of the Green. Selectman Dan Morosani said coordinating burial with State work could reduce costs and that state and federal grant funding may be available; he also highlighted aesthetic and reliability benefits during severe weather. Raap flagged recent storm-related traffic signal outages at North Street and Route 202 and said the board will meet with DOT to establish clear protocols for temporary traffic control and to clarify liability if signals fail on State roads.