State Senator Bob Duff
March 26, 2008
Duff: Residents Must Be Heard on Planned Merritt Parkway, Route 7 Interchange
State Senator Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), vice chair of the General Assembly's Transportation Committee, has asked the acting commissioner of the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and the chairman of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy to incorporate the suggestions of area residents before beginning preliminary work on a compromise design of the planned interchange of the parkway and Route 7 in Norwalk.
"I'm happy that the Department of Transportation and the Merritt Parkway Conservancy were able to reach an agreement on the long-awaited interchange between the parkway and Route 7," Senator Duff wrote in a letter to Acting Commissioner H. James Boice and Conservancy Chairman Peter Malkin today. "However, I would encourage both the department and the conservancy to incorporate the suggestions of area neighbors who have expressed concerns about both the safety and the environmental impact of the plan."
The conservancy and the DOT agreed on a modified cloverleaf design for the interchange; however, residents in the Silvermine section of Norwalk have voiced concerns over the plan.
"When I came to the public meeting on March 18 and supported the option D ramp compromise, my assumption was that all parties had been consulted, especially residents in the Silvermine area of Norwalk," Senator Duff continued. "It now seems apparent that residents who would be impacted by the interchange construction-and who would prefer the 12A option over the modified cloverleaf ramp D agreement-were not part of the conversation prior to the agreement."
A federal judge blocked the DOT's plan to rebuild the interchange two years ago following a lawsuit filed by the conservancy.
"I have a great deal of respect and thanks to both the department and the conservancy for their efforts in negotiating this agreement," Senator Duff wrote. "While we all want to see the interchange completed, we cannot fail to appreciate the very important concerns of the people who live in this area."
Download Senator Duff’s letter to the Department of Transportation.
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