[JiminCT]

"she also killed the beltway around Hartford (the one that would have brought a safe highway into the Farmington River Valley bypassing Route 44 over Avon Mountain)."

Maybe some of us who grew up in the HARTFORD area....unlike some (cough cough)...did not want a concrete scar running along the edge of a very beautiful area.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by JiminCT

"she also killed the beltway around Hartford (the one that would have brought a safe highway into the Farmington River Valley bypassing Route 44 over Avon Mountain)."

Maybe some of us who grew up in the HARTFORD area....unlike some (cough cough)...did not want a concrete scar running along the edge of a very beautiful area.

I guess you peronally prefer the horror that has occurred at the base of the mountian. I am sure the families of those that were killed there would feel differently. My wife was rear-ended at that intersection years ago and that convinced her to not live in the valley even though she has close family there. She had nightmares about the experience and use to drive miles out of her way to avoid the mountain. JMHO Jay

[kidyankee784]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I guess you peronally prefer the horror that has occurred at the base of the mountian.

I don't think anyone would prefer the horrific crash, and I do agree that a highway would ruin the character of many valley towns.

The state has constructed the "net" along the stretch to catch runaway trucks - hopefully it will pay off.

[JiminCT]

All in the name of progress right Jay? It's OK to rip up beautiful land for development and freeways....because that's what (in your opinion) people want. Maybe we just should stick a few more freeways in the Farmington Valley and a few Red Lobsters, Subways, and Olive Gardens...

You cant possibly understand why people dont want that???

[JViello]

Originally Posted by kidyankee784

I don't think anyone would prefer the horrific crash, and I do agree that a highway would ruin the character of many valley towns.

The state has constructed the "net" along the stretch to catch runaway trucks - hopefully it will pay off.

I'm on RT 44 over the mountain at least 3 times a week and the speed at which that "net" has gone up is sickening. I find it amazing that because of the money and influence of that route/area how FAST things were acted upon.

In less than 6 months after the crash, houses were purchased, the road widened, construction done and even the West Hartford side (going up/Westbound) is about 50% complete taking "curves" out of the way and rerouting the road.

Normally you can't get the DOT to move quickly on ANYTHING. Their "fast track" projects take years.

The Avon mountain thing really went at warp speed. I'm sure someone of "influence" who travels that route did a full court press and got it done.

If it was Hartford or other "not so well off" areas they would still be TALKING about it.

The elitism that goes on for the "haves" in CT is rediculous and I find it amazing that these same people are generally from a certain political ideaology that preaches the opposite.

The 291 loop SHOULD have been completed...but yet again, money and political influence won over. Just about EVERY major city in the nation has a beltway, even Providence. Hartford has another half done, half way project done. You can literally map I291 and see where it stops, the money and influence starts. Go figure.

[jjbradleynyc]

My personal feeling is that more roads=more traffic (bridges included).

The bridge would be an eyesore, would result in pollution, destroy that areas' ecosystem, and is not a good idea. My recommendation would be to study the feasibility for a car barge, or passenger ferry. Why create a huge bridge creating a ton more traffic? That's a waste and is not the way to go.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by JiminCT

All in the name of progress right Jay? It's OK to rip up beautiful land for development and freeways....because that's what (in your opinion) people want. Maybe we just should stick a few more freeways in the Farmington Valley and a few Red Lobsters, Subways, and Olive Gardens...

You cant possibly understand why people dont want that???

No I don't think that. But I do think that the only major road for thousands of people should be safe, modern and well designed and Route 44 is not. For years the people of Avon and West Hartford fought improvements to this road. The State has tried to moderize it for years. They knew for years what was needed and the big accident made the improvements happen because it was hard for the opposition to fight them any longer. Even the truck run-off area was fought and finally when the last accident happened last year, the state put its foot down and said like it or not it is being built (it was already desinged and ready for bid when that accident happened). The opposition couldn't fight it any more.

JViello - as for your comments on ConnDOT, I will say that they do the best they can with what they have. This is a state of NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) and there is so much for ConnDOT to do that when they meet resistance for one project, they just take that money and apply it to one that can get built easierly. There is no easy answer for Avon Mountain. Lets hope it is a long time before another accident on the scale of the ones we saw before happens again. Jay

[nhctguy]

I agree with JJBradley's comments. The bridge would be a terrible eyesore and it would be more for the benefit of people on Long Island than it would be for CT residents. People from Nassau and Suffolk counties would probably use it to get closer to Rhode Island, Boston, and the Cape (it would cut off driving time from going around and through Westchester), however I just don't see alot of CT people interested in traveling over to Long Island (well maybe for business and that's a big maybe). The CT shoreline, especially from Branford - Mystic is a beautiful and pristine stretch of land. Wouldn't it make sense to protect that?

[Srib]

Originally Posted by JViello

If it was Hartford or other "not so well off" areas they would still be TALKING about it.

The elitism that goes on for the "haves" in CT is rediculous and I find it amazing that these same people are generally from a certain political ideaology that preaches the opposite.

The 291 loop SHOULD have been completed...but yet again, money and political influence won over. Just about EVERY major city in the nation has a beltway, even Providence. Hartford has another half done, half way project done. You can literally map I291 and see where it stops, the money and influence starts. Go figure.

Well said. 291 should have been completed as it would have alleviated much of the traffic problems and safety hazards that plauge some of the roads surrounding the hartford area. The problems will only become worst as more and more building out occurs in the suburbs of Hartford. And yes, there will be more tragedies and not neccessarily at the base of avon mountain. 291 didn't happen because of money and influence and a bunch of whining wasps who didn't want an interstate dissecting their pristine environment. Plain and simple.

[kidyankee784]

Originally Posted by JViello

I'm on RT 44 over the mountain at least 3 times a week and the speed at which that "net" has gone up is sickening. I find it amazing that because of the money and influence of that route/area how FAST things were acted upon.

In less than 6 months after the crash, houses were purchased, the road widened, construction done and even the West Hartford side (going up/Westbound) is about 50% complete taking "curves" out of the way and rerouting the road.

Normally you can't get the DOT to move quickly on ANYTHING. Their "fast track" projects take years.

The Avon mountain thing really went at warp speed. I'm sure someone of "influence" who travels that route did a full court press and got it done.

If it was Hartford or other "not so well off" areas they would still be TALKING about it.

The elitism that goes on for the "haves" in CT is rediculous and I find it amazing that these same people are generally from a certain political ideaology that preaches the opposite.

The 291 loop SHOULD have been completed...but yet again, money and political influence won over. Just about EVERY major city in the nation has a beltway, even Providence. Hartford has another half done, half way project done. You can literally map I291 and see where it stops, the money and influence starts. Go figure.

I couldn't agree more. The same thing is currently happening in Wilton on Route 7. The "Super 7" highway project stops just a few hundred feet before the Wilton border coming from Norwalk. There's more than enough room to continue it, but Wilton residents apparently would rather sit in bumper to bumper traffic than have a few trees cut down. I do agree with some that a highway takes away from the rural image of many towns but in some cases it is needed.

People must look at what is more damaging to the environment - a highway or hundreds of idling vehicles in a concentrated area.