HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto have announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is awarding more than $9 million in grants for transportation infrastructure and safety upgrades in 10 rural communities.
The grants are being released through the Transportation Rural Improvement Program (TRIP), a newly created state grant program designed to support rural municipalities, which are often ineligible for many federal transportation programs, according to a news release.
“Right now, we are in an era in which we are making some of the largest investments in transportation infrastructure improvements in our lifetime, and we want to make sure Connecticut’s rural communities are also supported,” Lamont said. “Small towns across Connecticut support families and play a vital role in growing the agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. We’re providing state grants to help ensure these smaller communities remain safe and connected for future generations.”
Eucalitto said he is “proud of the work our team at CTDOT has made in coordination with local leaders to review submissions and select projects that will improve safety and mobility. These investments will go a long way toward improving safety and building a stronger transportation network throughout rural Connecticut.”
The 10 selected projects include:
Cornwall — Sidewalk construction on the West Cornwall Bridge ($868,000)
Coventry — Pedestrian safety improvements ($498,000)
Haddam — Haddam Center sidewalks ($782,916)
Hampton — Airline Trail resurfacing ($822,250)
Hebron — Jones Street improvements ($985,200)
Preston — Mathewson Mill Road rehabilitation ($1,007,874)
Salisbury — Main Street sidewalk construction ($1,145,525)
Sharon — Sidewalk rehab Route 41 and 361 ($1,100,000)
Stafford — Levinthal Run multi-use path construction project ($883,844)
Voluntown — Voluntown Village sidewalk extension ($950,511)
In 2023, towns with 50% of the population living in rural areas were eligible to apply in coordination with their respective council of government.
Municipalities are required to cover design costs. CTDOT will cover 100% of construction costs.
Additional TRIP grant opportunities will be announced later this year. For more information on the program, visit portal.ct.gov/dot/pp_bureau/trip.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
