Middletown unveils scaled‑back Old Saybrook Road design; seeks $248,000 for final design

Acting Deputy Director of Public Works Brian Gardner told the Middletown common council on July 6 that a revised concept plan for Old Saybrook Road and an amendment to the Cardinal Engineering contract are ready for council review. The amendment would fund final design work at a cost of $248,000.

Gardner said Cardinal's current estimate for full construction of the redesigned corridor is between $5.1 million and $5.3 million, explaining that a previously proposed, fuller build‑out would have been roughly $10 million and required more easements. He said the revised plan aims to keep most of the work within the existing right‑of‑way and to limit property impacts to several parcels rather than the larger set of easements in the original scheme.

"This will actually be a little more substantial in most points... we are planning on providing a nice wide path so folks can use it for whatever," Gardner said, describing an intended 8‑ to 10‑foot multimodal path that can accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists and wheelchair users.

Council members pressed on outstanding easement acquisition (historically cited as as many as 39 easements), traffic signal timing and crash history in the corridor. The mayor and Gardner noted the city holds a $3.4 million grant through RiverCOG that has been available for nearly a decade; Gardner said once final design and cost estimates are complete the city will request supplemental funding from RiverCOG and may use road bond funds or other local sources to cover remaining costs.

Gardner said Cardinal expects to deliver drawings in approximately two months, after which the city will hold a mandatory public hearing because the new design differs substantially from its predecessor. If approved and funded, the city hopes to begin construction in the spring following design and permitting.

The council did not vote on the design amendment at the workshop; council members were asked to review the materials recently placed in council mailboxes and to raise any questions with staff ahead of the August meeting when the amendment will be considered.