All Noroton Heights Station Platforms to Be Replaced from March ’17 to Late ’18

The concrete platforms at the Noroton Heights Railroad Station will be replaced between March 2017 and “late” 2018, Connecticut Department of Transportation officials said at a public meeting Wednesday in Town Hall.

Darienite.com will have more coverage of this meeting concerning the desire of town officials and owners of two commercial tracts across Heights Road to improve the station and co-ordinate access to it.

The platforms — what train riders stand and walk on just before and after they ride trains — can be seen to be crumbling (see photos attached to this article) and they’re in need of replacement, DOT officials said at the meeting.

While they are being replaced in the state-financed project, other small changes will be made — new ramps will be added at the eastern end of the platforms, a short stretch of sidewalk will be added at the north side of the station just west of the station building, modern LED light will replace existing lights and guardrails compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act will replace the current guardrails. The shelter at the south side of the station will be replaced — and planners are hoping to replace it with a larger shelter.

The 850 long concrete platforms on each side of the tracks will be replaced in four stages. In each stage, half the platforms on the north or south side will be replaced.

Here’s what will be done in each of the four stages:

Stage 1: Replace western half of the south platform from early April to mid-July 2017 — 31 parking spaces expected to be lost temporarily (two handicap spaces will be relocated) — a temporary shelter will be installed.

Stage 2: Replace eastern half of the south platform from mid-July to early October 2017 — 34 parking spaces expected to be lost temporarily

Stage 3: Replace western half of the north side of the station from early October to mid-November 2017 and from early March to mid-April 2018. The DOT does not want to impede Christmas shoppers and holiday travelers, so the work may break earlier in November.

Stage 4: Replace eastern half of the north platform from mid-April to mid-July 2018. This part of the station is where the station building and overhead walkway are located. On two weekends the station may be closed sometime in late May 2018 and again in mid-June 2018. Two handicap spaces will be relocated.

Toward the end of the project, the station will be closed down for two weekends — otherwise, the station will remain open throughout, with only portions of the platforms on one side or the other closed. Some parking spaces — at one point 35 spaces — will be removed from service during the reconstruction.

“Major construction tasks will be performed during night and weekend closures,” according to a brochure for the “Noroton Heights Railroad Station Platform Replacement Project” made available at the meeting.

What won’t be replaced are the station building or the overhead walkway bridging both sides of the tracks.

A total of $10 million has been budgeted for the project, and planners currently estimate it will cost between $8 and 9 million.

Jim Cameron, a Representative Town Meeting member and founder of the Commuter Action Group, asked DOT officials why the Noroton Heights concrete platforms had deteriorated more than others along the line. The platforms had been installed originally in the 1970s and haven’t been replaced since.

John Bernick, assistant rail administrator for the department, and other DOT officials said they didn’t know why the platforms had deteriorated more at some stations than at others. Stations in Norwalk and Bridgeport have also significantly deteriorated, they said. It may mean that more salt was used to prevent ice by maintenance workers at some stations, they said.

The new platforms will have a coating to delay deterioration, said Thomas Laliberte, the design project manager for Parson Brinckerhoff, an outside firm hired by the department.

David Mathus, a new resident in town and a commuter to New York City, asked whether there’s any plan to replace the overhead walkway, which appears to be pretty deteriorated.

Yuri Kuljis, a project manager in the office of rail design, said the bridge is inspected annually and repaired as needed, but there is no plan to replace it yet and it isn’t part of this project.

According to the brochure made available at the meeting:

“All comments and recommendations made at this meeting will receive careful consideration by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. […]

“As a result of the information presented at this meeting, some of you may wish to submit additional comments. Additional comments, made in writing, should be sent to:

Mr. Jayantha Mather

Transportaton Principal Engineer

Connecticut Department of Transportation

P.O. Box 317546

2800 Berlin Tpk.

Newington, CT 06131-7546

“Please submit any comments by Oct. 7, 2015 to help us maintain our schedule.”