Phase 6 of the Park Road construction project is scheduled to begin the week of July 22, and by the end of August all roadway work should be substantially complete.

Phase 6 detour plan. Courtesy of Town of West Hartford

By Ronni Newton

Construction on Park Road will shift to the south side of the roadway the week of July 22, changing detours slightly, but the end of this significant road construction project is in sight as Phase 6 – the second-to-last phase – gets underway.

According to Assistant Town Engineer Greg Sommer, the north side of Park Road between the I-84 off ramp and the Trout Brook Drive intersection, which has been under construction for the past week, is scheduled – weather dependent –  to be paved on Monday, July 22. The roadway will be paved about 2 inches low, in preparation for a final course of paving for the entire work zone, and motorists will need to be cautious to avoid raised utility structures.

The commencement of Phase 6 will follow.

“We plan to shift the work to the south side of Park Road,” Sommer said Thursday.

Phase 6 traffic pattern exiting I-84 onto Park Road eastbound at Trout Brook Drive. Courtesy Town of West Hartford

Westbound traffic in the construction area will still not be permitted, Sommer said, and instead eastbound traffic will be shifted to the north side of the roadway, which will allow motorists to be able to turn left and head north on Trout Brook Drive. During Phase 5, that maneuver was not accessible, but Sommer said that it was important for the traffic pattern to best accommodate motorists exiting I-84.

Eastbound traffic on Park Road will also be able to proceed straight through the intersection, but will not be able to turn right to head south on Trout Brook Drive during Phase 6.

It’s basically the “mirror image” of the Phase 5 detour, Sommer said.

A new detour will also be put into place for traffic headed north on Trout Brook Drive approaching the intersection with Park Road. Traffic will be detoured (as shown above) to White Avenue and then to South Quaker Lane, Sommer said. Motorists will also be able to use Fennbrook or Woodmere as detours. Avoiding Trout Brook completely and utilizing South Quaker Lane is also an option, he said.

“There is no real change to westbound traffic,” Sommer said, which will continue to be detoured off Park Road at South Quaker Lane. Southbound traffic on Trout Brook Drive will be detoured at Boulevard.

Detours will be in place 24 hours a day, but local access for residential properties and businesses will be maintained at all times.

Sommer said it’s “encouraging” that the most recent phases of work have been progressing faster than predicted. The estimate for Phase 6 is still officially two to three weeks, he said.

Like Phase 5, and the portion of Park Road from Raymond Road to Thomson Road and Overbrook Road that was recently repaved, the Phase 6 area will also initially be paved about 2 inches low.

Phase 7 is the final paving of the entire area, and that will take place during August. Prior to that, sections of Park Road and the off-ramp, which were temporarily paved earlier to full height to avoid the hazard of raised structure like storm drains, will be milled to remove the top 2 inches of pavement.

The final paving “for a smooth ride” will be done by late August, before school resumes, and work will be done at night, Sommer said.

Landscaping is the last major component of the approximately $6.8 million project, and that will likely take place in September, once the weather cools off, Sommer said. Landscaping work will not impact traffic patterns.

The town urges motorists to expect delays, and to use caution when traveling throughout the project area.

Alternate routes to avoid the project area are suggested, and include entering and exiting I-84 at Exit 41 (South Main Street), Exit 42 (Trout Brook Drive), and Exit 44 (Prospect Avenue/Kane Street).

“Thank you to the motoring public and especially the nearby residents for your continued patience and cooperation throughout this project,” Sommer said.

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