On June 12th there was a public discussion on the fate of the I-84 viaduct. I did not attend, but thanks to a tip from Heather Brandon, was able to find part of a website dedicated to this study.
A document on the site describes the impetus for examining alternatives to the viaduct:
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) recently completed an evaluation of the I‐84 viaduct in Hartford. The study concluded that the ¾ mile long structure through the central area of
Hartford is in need of immediate repairs, but will also need to be fully reconstructed or replaced within 10‐15 years.
The image below was taken by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and shows how one part of the structure is deteriorating (think of that the next time you are stuck on that bridge during rush hour traffic).
The site describes the Hub of Hartford vision as follows:
The problems caused by I‐84 in Hartford are like those of many American communities where
highways were literally bulldozed through the middle of neighborhoods and downtowns during the interstate highway construction boom. Pollution, noise, separation of neighborhoods, and ultimately blight and economic decay resulted.
Access to the city is essential to Hartford’s economy and future. The opportunity to create a comprehensive, integrated strategy makes it possible to re‐imagine the entire central area of the city with a new vision worthy of its historic setting, while building a new economic engine based on the tenets of responsible growth, improved regional transportation, and inter‐modalism. Fourteen separate community, economic development, transportation, business
and environmental projects that are currently being planned or implemented near this section of I‐84 make it possible to realize the explosive synergy of coordination and mutual reinforcement when all are considered together. The Hub of Hartford Project has been conceived to take advantage of these opportunities ‐‐ beginning with structuring a meaningful partnership among City, State, regional, business and community interests for its overall planning.
Using the redesign and de‐emphasis of I‐84 as the central theme for change, the Hub of Hartford can become a lively and walkable, mixed‐use, mixed‐income urban place, and a regional crossroads where business, government, community and recreational uses integrate seamlessly in a historic context supplemented by compatible new development. The buildings, trees and landscaped areas will define public streets and spaces that reconnect previously
separated city precincts: the state government complex, the Frog Hollow, Asylum Hill and Downtown neighborhoods and employment centers, and Bushnell Park. Cyclists, walkers and transit riders will share the road comfortably with automobiles.
The re‐design of I‐84 can allow Asylum Hill to become an iconic entry to Downtown, a place where connections among people are made, and where views across the city are accessible from the public way. Capitol Avenue can become a grand multi‐modal boulevard – a “complete street” ‐‐ worthy of the street’s name. Retail establishments, new compact housing, hotels, and new office buildings will serve the government, business and community constituencies that meet in this place. Union Station will be connected gracefully to Asylum Hill, and will function as a true multi‐modal regional center that incorporates a direct connection to Bradley Airport, comfortable and easy connections by walkers, bikers, rapid transit busway passengers, city bus or shuttle riders, and commuter and inter‐city rail travelers. Automobiles will be accommodated by on‐street parking and in garages that are well hidden.
I have something personally at stake because the viaduct impacts my route to work. Much of my route is markedly desolate, as it’s along the viaduct, which means few businesses and homes, but several parking lots. It can be creepy being one of only a few pedestrians in an area at any given time. The area along Capitol Avenue that is primarily in Parkville and Frog Hollow seems to be viewed as nothing more than an extension of the highway, but less deserving of attention at times. As noted, a sidewalk as been partially blocked for about a month, but nothing has been done about it. If more people used the sidewalk in this area, maybe the city would move a little faster.
This Hub of Hartford/viaduct project hides its information as well as the Park River. An invitation for inquiries is buried in a PDF, and the deadline is approaching:
Project questions should be directed via e‐mail to Tom Maziarz, Director of Transportation Planning
Manager (tmaziarz@crcog.org). No questions will be accepted after 4 PM on August 27, 2008. CRCOG
will post our response to questions and clarifications on the CRCOG website (www.crcog.org). The final
posting will be made by the end of the workday August 28, 2008 with a link posted from the home page
titled “I‐84 Viaduct Planning RFQ responses”. IT IS THE RESPONDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK THIS
WEBSITE FOR THE ADDENDUM.
Deadline:
The statement of qualifications must be received by CRCOG, no later than 4 PM, September 5, 2008.
Statements should be marked “I‐84 Viaduct” and addressed to Tom Maziarz, Director of Transportation
Planning, 241 Main Street, Hartford, CT, 06106‐5310. Any responses received after this deadline will not
be considered.
Besides information that is obviously connected to the project, this website provides actually useful maps. I found a series of maps which indicate where the North and South branches of the Park River run, where there are trails in the area, where the New Britain-Hartford busway will run, and where the railroad tracks are. You can only find out so much from Google Maps, and if you are like me and enjoy exploring areas that probably are not supposed to be explored, you can find entry points to paths/buried rivers much more easily.