Regional board adds Middle Street dam cleanup to TIP and flags $135 million Stevenson Dam concept for later action

The Central Naugatuck Valley NPO voted to add a $1 million sediment cleanup project tied to removal of the Middle Street Dam in Bristol to its current Transportation Improvement Program, and members spent substantial time discussing a concept-level $135 million Stevenson Dam crossing project that will return to the board for later action.

Staff described the Middle Street Dam addition (project 17198) as a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection–funded dam removal with additional Department of Transportation work to clear sediment upstream and downstream, noting the project carries no local match and is budgeted with an 80/20 split of formula and state funding. A motion to add the item was moved, seconded and carried without recorded opposition. "This is an exciting one," the presenter said when introducing the Middle Street item.

Why it matters: the board said the Middle Street addition addresses recurring flooding along the river corridor. At the same meeting, staff presented the draft 2027–2030 TIP — a four‑year, fiscally‑constrained program approaching $500 million and weighted toward federal‑highway projects and system preservation — and explicitly called out the Stevenson Dam crossing as a future conceptual project.

Staff said Stevenson Dam appears in the TIP as a future‑year concept with an estimated $135 million price tag to move Route 34 off the top of the dam. Members and towns raised two long‑standing concerns: whether FirstLight (the dam owner named in historical documents) is contractually required to contribute to a new crossing and whether any replacement structure will be designed to allow roadway widening. One member said the original 1919 agreements suggested the private owner assumed maintenance of the crossing; another member asked whether a legal opinion exists. "We asked the question because the documents exist," a town official said, summarizing earlier research into century‑old commitments.

Staff said DOT and the NPO are still negotiating with utilities and with FirstLight on cost‑sharing and detailed design and that the board would be asked to act on the Stevenson Dam concept at a future meeting only after additional analysis and meetings with affected jurisdictions. Staff also emphasized public engagement: the TIP is open for a 45‑day public comment period, and a dedicated public meeting is scheduled April 30 to gather project‑level feedback.

What happens next: the NPO added the Middle Street project to the TIP and will not yet endorse a Stevenson Dam programming action. Staff will continue meetings with DOT and utility stakeholders about FirstLight's potential obligation and design limits, and will return with a recommendation when details are clearer.