Like many towns, Westbrook has gaps in its sidewalk network. Filling them has been a high priority—sidewalk projects are listed in the town’s five-year capital plan—so it was with excitement and relief that First Selectman Noel Bishop learned in an Aug. 9 letter from the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) that the town was awarded a $200,000 Community Connectivity Grant (CCG).

The town’s grant application was submitted a year ago by then-town planner Meg Parulis. The town proposed building two new sidewalk sections that would link the train station and town center and extend the sidewalk network serving the town center’s commercial businesses, allowing safer pedestrian access to these sites.

Two projects were proposed that the CCG grant will now fund. The first project will build a new sidewalk linking an existing sidewalk, one that starts at the train station and extends out along Norris Avenue to Essex Road/Route 153, to a new sidewalk to be built along Essex Road/Route 153 to end at the Town Green. The second link would extend the existing sidewalk that ends at the edge of the Walgreens property. The new sidewalk section would go from the Walgreens lot along the Boston Post Road/Route One to end at Salt Island Road and the gas station that includes JoJo’s Food Mart.

Bishop said it is an important project for the town because sidewalks are “one of our highest priorities in the capital plan.”

Bishop said that with the state’s fiscal constrains, he didn’t think the town would get this DOT sidewalk funding, so he’s thrilled to receive it.

Before the town can begin, the award letter states that DOT will “perform an environmental screening to assist the municipality in achieving compliance with the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) and identify items relative to natural resources, historic/archaeological resources and environmental permitting requirements that are to be investigated and/or addressed during the design phase.” The town also must send to DOT completed design plans with a Certification of Rights of Way Acquisition, if required.

Bishop hopes to able to complete the project bidding process this fall of 2018. Under the terms of the grant, the DOT will disburse funds to the town after the low bid amount and supporting documentation is received from the Town of Westbrook.

Construction of the new sidewalk links is planned to begin in spring 2019.