Beeping Backhoe Sonata Means Jobs In A Recession

Top federal, state and local officials gathered near the Branford ​“pretzel” Amtrak Bridge site Thursday to praise job-creation and a restoration of the economy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a signature Barack Obama program. 

Against a backdrop of beeping backhoes, the sounds of workers constructing a new $71 million Amtrak bridge and roadway, Victor Mendez, the top federal highway administrator, praised the construction of current major highway projects in the area: Branford’s Amtrak Bridge, the Q Bridge project and the opening of the New Haven office of A.H. Harris & Sons, a key supplier of products and services for big construction and highway jobs.

Mendez said: ​“We are here to take a look at the status of this project,” Melendez said before addressing the crowd. What’s important is if you look at the crowd you see the amount of jobs being created by the project.” 

The timing of a press conference in praise of jobs and economic recovery did not go unnoticed. It comes about 12 days before the mid-term federal and state elections. DeLauro is seeking her 11th term representing Connecticut Third U.S. Congressional District.

Mendez praised DeLauro for her leadership, not only in the Amtrak project but for helping to get federal funds for a new Q Bridge and most recently for her work in obtaining a $16 million TIGER II grant designed to return New Haven’s Route 34 Connector, the ​“road to nowhere,” to a neighborhood-connecting function. ​“Congratulations,” he said. ​“Considering the competition you had, it is really amazing.” He spoke of another recovery project in Bridgeport, also a TIGER grant.

“Connecticut,” he said, ​“is doing very well.” 

DeLauro was enthusiastic about her role in the area of public works. She told the crowd it reminded her of an event in her life, back in the days when she worked for New Haven Mayor Frank Logue. 

The year was 1977. What she wanted to do for the City of New Haven was to be its public works director. ​“They said ​‘no,’ because I was a girl. And since that time I have been proving to them that yes, you can do this.”

She went on to become a Congresswoman, finding her role as land mover and shaker through this next calling, she said. Over the years she has helped get money for roads and bridges and new buildings.

“We stood here last February, on a very cold day, to highlight the project. This along with the Q bridge project, they are really the heartbeat of what we need in this community,” DeLauro said.

“What we are doing today is talking about jobs, good jobs, high-paying jobs and jobs that cannot be outsourced overseas,” she declared. 

Most of the workers who arrived at the parking lot near the Amtrak site were from around the state. 

Mendez said that so far Connecticut has received over $302 million under the Recovery Act for 151 projects. He said 81 are underway and 51 have been completed to date. So I say to Connecticut, congratulations, you have done a great job. The leadership has been incredible.”

Don Shubert, the president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, was there to lend his praise and support: ​“We are here to show that these investments work. These investments are doing just what Congress had in mind. They are creating and sustaining jobs, they are improving mobility, and they are driving economic growth in the country.

Branford First Selectman Anthony ​“Unk” DaRos said the Amtrak project was 15 years in the making.

“Thanks to a lot of people it came about, it got off the ground,” he said. He said state and local contractors are ​“actually doing this job, which I think is very, very important. We are putting people to work — the operating engineers, the iron workers, the masons, the carpenters, the laborers. These are the people who spend money. And that’s the only way that this economy is going to get on an even keel is by people spending money.”

DaRos described the Amtrak intersection as a ​“festering sore on the Route 1 corridor.” The Amtrak bridge project is expected to be completed in 2014.

“This recovery money will help open up this piece of land for development,” he said of adjacent land that has been ​“sitting stagnant for 30 years. This corridor is where DaRos and other first selectmen have envisioned commercial growth for Branford.

The Amtrak bridge lies adjacent to Exit 53 on I‑95 northbound. Legislation is needed to build a southbound exit and those discussions are underway, said State Rep. Lonnie Reed, who represents Branford. 

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