The Newington Town Council is considering making changes to the intersection of Cedar Street, Route 175, and Alumni Road.
There will be a public meeting at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium to discuss a proposal to put a traffic light at Alumni Road and Cedar Street and remove the light at Maple Hill Avenue.
Traffic would be redirected behind four homes on Maple Hill Avenue, so the street would connect to Alumni Road.
“It’s dangerous. Nobody has been killed there, but there’s a lot of concern that someday somebody will be hurt,” Craig Minor, the Newington town planner, said.
People who frequently drive through that intersection agree it can be dangerous, especially making left hand turns in and out of Alumni Road.
“It’s definitely not easy to get out. You can sit here for a good five minutes just waiting to get in and out during a really congested time,” Brian Merchant, of Wethersfield, said.
“It’s not soon enough, the light. It would be very helpful,” Art Amor, of Newington, said.
Local
But some drivers feel the traffic light would not help alleviate congestion and the intersections should stay as is.
“Thirty-two years I’ve been going through it. So I’ve seen a lot of accidents coming over here. I don't think it’d make much of a difference. Waste of taxpayer money, especially my money,” Todd Bacote, of Meriden, said.
This is the second time town leaders are considering changes to the intersection. It was also discussed about 15 years ago, Minor said.
If the town moves forward with the changes this time, the Connecticut Department of Transportation would be responsible for funding, designing and executing the changes.
“The only reason we’re doing this is because we were given signals by DOT staff a year or so ago that if Newington wanted to do this, the DOT would be willing to consider it,” Minor said.
