Mayor Caggiano and Public Works Director Rogozinski provide update on West End Intersection Project

Mayor Jeffrey Caggiano and Director of Public Works Raymond Rogozinski. | Laura Bailey Photo

Posted By: Jack Krampitz May 1, 2023

Mayor Jeff Caggiano and Ray Rogozinski, Bristol’s Director of Public Works, spoke at the West End Association meeting at the Bristol Library Saturday morning regarding the West End Intersection Project.

Rogozinski stressed that Bristol officials are being consulted and informed, but that citizens should realize that the project is under the control of the State Department of Transportation. Both Rt. 69 (West Street) and Route 72 (Park and School streets) are state roads, so the state is ultimately responsible for the work being done.

The mayor added toward the end of the presentation that the state is going to propose three separate plans to be considered by the City Council at the monthly meeting on May 9 on straightening Rt. 72 at Bracket Park.

In effect, the road would go straight through where Bracket Park presently stands and the park would be moved toward St. Anthony Church. That would eliminate traffic having to take a sharp left, then a right to stay on 72. Instead, they would be able to drive straight through.

The meeting was attended by 20 people, including District 3 City Councilors Cheryl Thibeault and Andrew Howe, City Engineer Nancy Levesque and State Representative Mary Fortier (D-79).

Those in attendance were provided updated information regarding the progress and timetable for the changing intersection of Park and School Streets with West Street.

Left: Mayor Jeffrey Caggiano. Right: Public Works Director Raymond Rogozinski. | Laura Bailey Photos

The biggest effect of the project, Rogozinski said, is that Rt. 72 is moving North closer to the Pequabuck River and will be a straight drive from School Street into Park Street.

The other major change is that Divinity Street will no longer feed into Rt. 72, but instead will become a dead end. People traveling down Divinity will have to turn onto Pratt Street to access Rt. 72.

The biggest challenge for the project, according to Rogozinski, is staging the traffic flow during the different phases of construction.

City Engineer Nancy Levesque added that it was stressed with all the parties involved, including the construction company and Eversource and the Bristol Police Department, that the city would like to see alternating one-way traffic be maintained as much as possible.

Left: Bristol City Engineer Nancy Levesque. Right: West End Association Vice President Jesse Jablon. | Laura Bailey Photos

A question about coordination with the proposed bike and hiking trail being considered that will go from Rockwell Park to eventually hook up with the bike lanes at Memorial Boulevard was answered that it should mesh with the new road construction without a problem. The trail is only in the planning stages, however.

Richards Corp. of Plainville is the road contractor on the project, and they are planning on doing their work each day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but Eversource is planning to do some of their work on gas lines and telephone poles at night, so there is an effort to make sure the work will not interfere with events at Muzzy Field and Rockwell Park.

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