Residents press Winchester board over deteriorating roads; manager points to grant and DOT sign‑off

Winchester residents used the May 4 Board of Selectmen meeting to press for fixes to local streets, with repeated calls focused on Hallebert/Holliver Avenue and the town’s broader road maintenance backlog.

Steve Robertson, who said he lives at 17 Hamill Drive, told the board that a 2019 study rated Hallebert/Holliver as "very poor to poor" and cited subsequent reports and public comments documenting the road’s decline. Robertson said residents lack confidence that local revenues alone can cover necessary repairs and asked what citizens can do to attract state or federal funds while noting many residents are on fixed incomes.

Town Manager Harrington replied that the grant funding to rehabilitate the road is in place but the Connecticut Department of Transportation must sign off on the plans before work can proceed. "The good news with Hallebert is the money's in place to get that road redone," Harrington said, and he urged residents to share the town survey and to participate in outreach that helps secure additional state or federal monies.

Harrington also addressed related infrastructure questions in the meeting: sidewalks tied to a prior bond were rebid after the original contractor went silent, delaying completion; and the town obtained an approximately $800,000 grant for a Bridge Street intersection redesign but has abandoned a proposed one‑way conversion after public opposition and will instead pursue a two‑way redesign to address winter icing issues.

What comes next: Harrington said the town will continue outreach to CT DOT on the Hallebert/Holliver project, rebid sidewalk work to secure a contractor for school sidewalks, and provide a bond‑spending update to the board at an upcoming meeting so members can see what work has been completed and what remains funded.