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Two days before a briefing by the state Department of Transportation (DOT) on the much-delayed Branford Train Station project, the Eagle has learned that the opening is now planned for the end of September. Fingers crossed.
The briefing, open to the public, will take place at the Branford Fire Headquarters on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
DOT Transportation Engineer Paul Andruskiewicz discussed the latest opening train station date in an interview yesterday. He said he will be among DOT officials attending, as will DOT Chief Inspector Mark Fullerton. Both have expressed frustration with the delays in the opening. The most recent opening date was June, but that was bumped due to a problem with delivery of the new Train Approach Messaging System (TAMS).
There was an original completion date of October 2014. The DOT announcement to make the town’s commuter railroad a two-way station took place in 2008. The Eagle has been reporting regular updates on the difficulties the project has encountered since its inception.
State Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr. (D‑Branford), Rep. Lonnie Reed, and Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove will take part in the briefing where they said they will express the concerns of their constituents and seek answers about the project’s repeated delays. According to a press release, Kennedy, Reed and Cosgrove have received numerous calls and emails from town residents about the status of construction at the train station.
DOT representatives will be available to provide information and answer questions on the current status of work at the train station.
“The Branford Train Station helps town residents commute every day and brings visitors who patronize our many local businesses. Branford cannot keep waiting for it to be restored to full operation,” said Kennedy. “Our offices have been communicating with DOT and asked them to provide us with a formal briefing. We have heard from many community residents about this project, and invite town residents to come to this briefing. Local officials and DOT representatives will be on hand to provide information and answer any questions or concerns from the people of Branford.”
The following officials are also expected to attended the meeting: Janice Plaziak, Branford town engineer; Terence Elton, Branford Economic & Development Department; Eileen Ego, district construction engineer, DOT; Mike Washington, supervising engineer, DOT; and Robert Obey, District 2 engineer, DOT.
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To state the obvious --
These continuing delays have damaged Branford's economy.
They have also seriously damaged the credibility of DOT and other Connecticut officials, as well as the already eroding trust Connecticut citizens have in the timeliness of public projects in our state.
Add this one to the list that already includes the Q bridge and the Hartford baseball stadium.
This has to stop.