university - FontAwesome car - FontAwesome Page 1 industry - FontAwesome leaf - FontAwesome building-o - FontAwesome Page 1 Page 1 anchor - FontAwesome Page 1 Page 1
Urban to Begin Work on CTfastrak, Connecticut’s First Rapid Transit System
Publication Date
May 31st 2012
Tagged

 Connecticut officials broke ground on CTfastrak, Connecticut’s first rapid transit system. This project will provide a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) 9.4-mile corridor between downtown New Britain and downtown Hartford.

 

The CTfastrak route is being constructed on an abandoned railroad corridor from New Britain to Newington Junction and then to downtown Hartford alongside the active Amtrak rail right-of-way of the Springfield Line. The project will include 11 stations in New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, and Hartford.

 

Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) selected Urban to provide construction inspection services for the project. Urban’s assignment is a mile-long section of the CTfastrak in Hartford, which includes oversight of construction for travel lanes, local road and streetscape, a bridge, parking lot, new station facility, and rail relocation.

 

According to ConnDOT, the project is expected to generate 1.4 million new transit trips in the corridor, while reducing vehicle miles by 17 million miles annually (a reduction of 12,800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually!). It is anticipated that buses traveling along this corridor will travel faster than automobiles as they bypass congestion on arterial streets and I-84. The project is expected to create or sustain 4,000 construction jobs and 100 direct permanent jobs after construction. CTfastrak is projected to open in 2014.

 

“ConnDOT’s first BRT project is a critical element in eliminating congestion along the I-84 corridor and updating their transportation needs in the Hartford area,” said Urban’s Resident Engineer, Jason Cardinal, PE. “Urban is proud to be a part of this high profile transportation project.”

 

“We are excited to have the opportunity to display our extensive transit and highway construction engineering and inspection capabilities in Connecticut,” said Vice President William Murphy, PE. “The strength of our local staff, complimented by Urban’s full support in the New England area, positions us well for these tasks.”