Connecticut Raises Local Road Aid for First Time in Over 10 Years

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced the first rise in local infrastructure and transportation aid in over a decade.

“With this increase, municipalities can do more paving, more repairs, and more preventative maintenance,” CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said in a statement.

State support of Connecticut’s Town Aid Road grant program will grow from $60 million to $80 million. This 33% year-over-year increase is the largest program investment in more than 10 years.

Residents across the state said the money could not come at a better time.

“I definitely feel like we need potholes addressed,” Jeremiah Cole of New Britain told WFSB. “I feel like we need to add bike lanes, and I feel like we just need to get the maintenance that’s long overdue in these roads taken care of as soon as possible,”

The Town Aid Road program provides direct funding to Connecticut’s 169 towns and four boroughs, with no local match required. Localities can use the money for a variety of transportation needs, including road and bridge repair, snow plowing, tree trimming, traffic signal and marking upgrades, parking and more.

Municipalities determine how to prioritize and deploy the funds. Award amounts are determined by population and road mileage.

State capital Hartford will receive nearly $375,000 more, while most-populous city Bridgeport gets an increase of around $450,000, according to WFSB.

New Britain can expect a $260,000 increase. A full list of program funding by municipality can be found here.

“Everywhere I go in this state, people just want to know that we’re paving the damn roads — and I’m here to tell you, we’re getting that job done,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “This increase in state funding for our municipalities is a real, boots-on-the-ground investment that helps towns repair roads faster, improve safety, and respond better to severe weather.”

Sources: Connecticut Department of Transportation, WFSB