jnewman@wiltonvillager.com

WILTON — At a public information event at Cider Mill School Wednesday, state Department of Transportation [DOT] officials projected the widening of Route 7 to be complete by April 23, 2010. The project stretches from Wolfpit Road to Olmstead Hill Road, and will add a lane on each side of the road, plus occasional turning lanes.

The contractor, New Britain-based Tilcon Connecticut, is 90 days into its 824 day contract, or 10.9 percent complete. Tilcon has spent $4.45 million of its allotted $35 million.

There have been some utility conflicts, where water mains have been located in places where storm drains were planned. There was also a conflict when outlets had to be run across train tracks. DOT got around that by working during an existing Metro North outage.

"This happens all the time in our industry," Mercure said of the problems.

Mercure outlined some of the procedures happening during the spring and summer. Retaining walls, which hold the soil under the widened roads, are being built. Drainage work is being expanded.

Roads will be widened, but only temporarily to shift lanes and leave more room for workers. That includes laying temporary black top and shifting traffic signals.

Construction is only allowed near schools during the summer, so a planned reconstruction of School Road won't take place until then. The portion of School Road connecting Route 7 and School Road North will be closed for eight weeks between June and August. Those needing access to the schools will have to take a detour on Catalpa Road and School Road North, Mercure said after the meeting.

Mercure also addressed some issues raised since the last public information meeting in November.

DOT met with the Wilton Garden Club to discuss landscaping concerns. The club suggested moving heavy pollen producing trees away from the tennis courts and schools, replacing them with trees less likely to trigger allergies. They also suggested relocating more trees to Allen's Meadows, to increase density in that area.

"It's really no effort to us, we're just swapping trees out," Mercure said.

Mercure also said there had been a lot of feedback regarding the construction site at Allen's Meadows East. That area is state property, he said, and DOT has the right to use it for construction.

The area is being used to stage and store materials, to house the contractor's field offices, and to test soil from areas that may be contaminated.

After the meeting, Mercure explained that the contaminated soil comes from areas along Route 7 that were once farms, gas stations or dry cleaners, which can possibly leave lead, pesticides, petroleum or other chemicals in the ground. Contaminated soil is stored so it won't be used in places where contact is possible.

Before the completion of the project, Mercure said a wetlands area will be created at Allen's Meadows. This was negotiated into DOT's contract by the state Department of Environmental Protection to compensate for lost wetlands in other projects and in other areas along Route 7.

First Selectman William Brennan asked Mercure to address a concern of "green stuff" being sprayed along the side of the road. Mercure said DOT is required to spray hay mulch and seed in areas where vegetation is disturbed, "so it's just planting and grass," he said.

During a question and answer session, Barbara Quincy, a Wilton resident since 1963, said the widening "really breaks my heart," because it is an unnecessary project, but she was glad DOT was explaining their process.

After the meeting, Quincy said to deal with traffic, she would rather see Super 7.

The next public information meeting will be held in October. Until then, residents can write to DOT's district engineer, Joseph DeMarco, 140 Pond Lily Avenue, PO Box 1007, New Haven, CT 06515.