Wilton’s Simultaneous Bridge Closures Raise Safety Concerns, Resident Frustration

Wilton’s Department of Public Works (DPW) is now underway with two bridge reconstruction projects — one on Honey Hill Rd., another on Cannon Rd. — prompting concerns from residents who fear the simultaneous closures will create unsafe traffic conditions and unreasonable burdens for nearby neighborhoods.

The projects have closed both bridges for potentially 18-20 months or longer, forcing detours for several miles along the east side of Rte. 7 and igniting debate over planning decisions, traffic safety and whether the impacts could have been mitigated.

The detours divert traffic onto several alternative roads and leave no options for drivers to make left turns onto Rte. 7 at a traffic signal anywhere in the four miles between Georgetown and Old Highway — and the official detour (shown in the Town’s detour map below) runs just under one mile even further south at Sharp Hill Rd. (Rte. 106).

One impacted intersection is where Pimpewaug Rd. meets Rte. 7. For years before construction began, residents have complained about the intersection and called for a traffic light, but the volume of diverted traffic is now compounding those concerns. Town officials agreed the intersection could become problematic and, before the projects began, asked the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT-DOT) for a temporary traffic signal to be installed there during the bridge closures.

CT-DOT denied the request — twice.

Now, with both bridge projects underway and traffic patterns beginning to shift, residents say problems are already becoming visible.

One resident recently shared dashboard-camera footage with GOOD Morning Wilton showing traffic backed up along Pimpewaug Rd. following the Cannon Rd. closure, as well as a near-miss collision at the intersection. The footage illustrates what residents say are the safety concerns that have become one prime source of opposition to the current traffic plan.

The diversions come at a time when DPW and Wilton Police are also managing new detours around the Aquarion project on New Canaan Rd. (Rte. 106) — a project that began in 2022 — for a new phase of roadway excavation and paving. Those detours will continue through October 2026.

While residents have directed frustration at Town officials over the resulting disruptions, Town leaders say they were surprised the projects were approved to proceed concurrently and have worked to address anticipated traffic concerns.

After hearing from several residents with deep concerns about the prolonged impacts of the bridge closures, GOOD Morning Wilton sought answers as to why the two bridge projects are being conducted simultaneously, what officials are doing to alleviate safety concerns, and why efforts to secure a temporary traffic signal have so far been unsuccessful.

Quick Bridge Facts

Project Planning: Why Are Both Bridges Being Rebuilt At The Same Time?

Typically, Wilton’s anticipated bridge repairs are managed through a federal local bridge grant program and the CT Department of Transportation. As with the recent reconstruction of the Lover’s Ln. and Arrowhead Rd. bridges, the upgrades are funded with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds.

For these two projects, the grant program will pay the estimated $6,720,000 for the Cannon Rd. bridge and $4,760,000 for the Honey Hill bridge — at no cost to Wilton taxpayers.

According to First Selectman Toni Boucher, the state decision to approve working on the two projects simultaneously came as a surprise to DPW.

“Upon learning that the State DOT had approved these bridge projects so close together, I expressed my concern to [then-DPW Director/Town Engineer] Frank Smeriglio,” Boucher wrote in an email to GMW. “[He] told me that he honestly did not think the DOT would approve them in the same time frame. This had not been his experience with the DOT previously.”

Boucher initially said she believed “the DOT approvals were coincidental and not planned to be approved at the same time by the bridge reconstruction program.” But Andrew Shields, a CT DOT official on the project team, said the rationale was quite deliberate: million-dollar cost efficiencies.

“In order to save a considerable amount of time and money on both jobs, they are being run concurrently,” Shields said in an email exchange with GMW. “Multiple parties are working on both jobs at the same time which is saving upwards of a million dollars of taxpayer dollars between the two bridges.”

Both bridges require reconstruction, not just repair. The projects have been in the design and planning stages for several years, as part of DPW’s longterm plan for maintaining all Wilton roads and bridges.

For the two public information sessions on the projects held in October 2023, public notices were posted on the Town website on Sept. 21, 2023. There was also a two-week public comment period after the sessions, before plans were finalized. (Video recordings of the the Honey Hill session on Oct. 3, 2023 and the Cannon Rd. session on Oct. 5, 2023 are posted online.) No other public information sessions or hearings were held to present final plans with residents.

Wilton Police Chief Tom Conlan said Wilton’s Local Traffic Authority (LTA) was involved “throughout the [planning] process” but said “we could definitely see that Pimpewaug Rd. as a possible detour was going to be challenging.”

CT DOT Says ‘No’ — Twice — to Town’s Ask for Temporary Traffic Signal

While no residents weighed in at the 2023 public information session for Honey Hill, several residents raised concerns at the Cannon Rd. session. Their questions were varied, pertaining to easement compensation, Cannondale Village commercial access, and school bus routes, among other comments.

One resident, Sara Curtis, specifically asked about traffic safety plans for the Pimpewaug Rd. intersection — concerns that would later become a focal point of community opposition to the bridge closures.

“What plans are being made to ensure the safety for those who will have to cross Rte. 7?” Curtis asked. “There’s four lanes with no traffic light there, making a left turn south onto Rte. 7 from Pimpewaug dangerous.”

During the meeting, then-DPW Director Smeriglio responded that temporary traffic signals for that intersection would be sought.

“One of the design considerations that we’re looking at — and this will need state input — [is] to put a temporary light there at that intersection,” Smeriglio said. “There’s a lot of hurdles that have to happen to get that approval, but that’s what we’re looking at as part of the design for this.”

Jeff LeMay, the state’s highway expert, then chimed in, suggesting that a temporary traffic signal would be warranted.

“Obviously, there’s a signal right now at Cannon Rd. and Rte 7. There’s a high volume of traffic right now on Cannon Rd., so if we send that traffic to another intersection, we’re obviously going to have to take that into consideration,” he said.

“Temporary signals are set up quite often… to handle situations like this,” he said. “The department is not going to set up a detour [or] traffic situation where we’re going to create issues, so that’ll definitely be worked out during design.”

However, CT-DOT ultimately concluded a temporary traffic signal was not warranted.

In December 2023, Wilton’s police chief personally (and on behalf of Smeriglio) appealed to the DOT to reconsider, citing topography, speed and traffic volume.

“I [Conlan] and [Smeriglio] reviewed the recommendations from CHA Solutions [traffic consultant] and CTDOT and do not concur with their findings that a temporary traffic light at Pimpewaug Rd/Route 7 will not be needed,” Conlan wrote. “The topography as well as the speed of vehicles on Route 7 make it very challenging to make a left turn from Pimpewaug Rd onto Route 7. It is anticipated that average daily traffic on Pimpewaug Rd will more than double during bridge construction. Due to this increased traffic, we believe a temporary traffic light will be required at this intersection.”

DOT did reconsider — but again concluded the temporary signals were not warranted. In August 2025, CT DOT sent Conlan a detailed letter explaining the reasons which even included a lack of crash history at the Pimpewaug intersection and the potential for a signal to increase crash risk. Specifically, the letter stated:

• “Eight Hour Vehicular Volume is not met” (including estimated detoured volume)
• “The intersection does not have a statistically significant crash history to meet the warrant.”
• “The requested temporary traffic control signal would introduce queues and would increase the potential for crashes at the intersection.”

GMW also reviewed numerous emails about the sought-after traffic signals sent by concerned residents to a variety of Wilton and state officials, and their responses — including exchanges with State Sen. Ceci Maher and Rep. Savet Constantine — also to no avail.

On Thursday, June 4, Brina Luciano launched a Change.org petition to mount a pressure campaign on local leaders and the DOT for the temporary traffic signals at the Pimpewaug Rd./Rte. 7 intersection.

“We understand that setting up a stoplight is a substantial endeavor, but the benefits to our community’s safety and efficiency are undeniable,” the petition states. “Not only would this aid in preventing future accidents, but it would also make daily commutes more predictable and less stressful for all residents.”

The petition appears to be gaining steam. As of Sunday, June 7, it had garnered almost 150 signatures.

Resident Frustration: Feeling Ignored

One resident, who requested not to be named in this story, recorded a dashboard video of a near-miss collision she witnessed while driving with her child near the Pimpewaug Rd. intersection. The video also shows a long line of cars backed up on Pimpewaug. She recently shared the video with Boucher, Conlan, and the Board of Selectmen, among others.

“This incident highlights the safety concerns regarding the Cannon Bridge closure and the lack of a safe left-turn option onto Route 7,” she wrote in an email to officials. “This 18-month closure is a significant safety risk, and it is beyond perplexing why our leaders and government officials are ignoring our pleas for safety.”

The same resident expressed particular concern about young drivers: “Wilton High School is located right in this area, and many student drivers will be navigating these already difficult intersections daily [and] during peak traffic times. Expecting inexperienced drivers to make high-pressure left turns onto Route 7 under these conditions is simply unsafe and increases the likelihood of accidents.”

Julie Corbett is one Honey Hill area resident who reached out directly to GMW with concerns.

“My family understands that infrastructure improvements are necessary, but completing both bridges at the same time is deeply problematic,” she said. “Taking the suggested detour to Sharp Hill leaves us in the south of town, which misses three of four schools, the YMCA, the entrance to town center, Comstock, and numerous sport fields.”

Corbett (and other residents GMW heard from) expressed frustration with the estimated timetable and “why it would possibly take 20 months.” She also says her requests for details on the timetable have gone unanswered.

Doug Krupa, a Cannondale area resident, also communicated concerns to various local and state officials, but says the results are “very disappointing.”

“It’s been vexing,” Krupa said. “I don’t know if we, as a community, mobilized early enough. I don’t think that we pounded the table hard enough.”

Charlie Wetmore initially felt the Honey Hill bridge closure near his home was inconvenient, but manageable. That changed when he learned the Cannon Rd. bridge would also close, creating what he felt were “unsafe” and “unreasonable” options.

“The decision to simultaneously close and replace both the bridges [is] placing an unrealistic burden on the residents that are impacted. It is not fair to us, and it is not safe,” Wetmore wrote in an email to GMW. “Forcing the people who are impacted by the bridge closures to drive all the way through Georgetown, or to Sharp Hill Rd. to have safe access to Route 7 is an unreasonable burden.”

“I feel the town has really let us down and am very disappointed with what seems to be a serious lack of planning and consideration,” he added.

GMW also heard some residents question the Town’s contingency plans when accidents, storms or downed trees (as Wilton so recently experienced) impact the detour roads. Conlan responded to those concerns:

“Emergency services continuously monitor road closures and adjust response routes as conditions change. Wilton Police, Fire, EMS, and our dispatch center maintain situational awareness of roadway conditions throughout town and coordinate closely to ensure emergency access remains available. While detours and closures can certainly affect travel times for residents, emergency responders adapt to these situations and utilize alternate routes when necessary.

Additionally, when a neighborhood or roadway becomes effectively “landlocked” due to downed trees, utility poles, or power lines, restoring emergency access becomes a top priority. The Town’s [DPW] and Eversource work closely with emergency responders to identify and address these locations first so that emergency vehicles can access affected neighborhoods as quickly as possible. This prioritization is a critical component of the Town’s emergency response efforts during severe weather events.”

Timing

According to DPW’s latest May 28 update on the Cannon Rd. project, the portion of Cannon Rd. between the Metro-North train tracks and Pimpewaug Rd. will be closed as of Wednesday, June 3, and will remain closed for approximately 18 months.

Residents can access the Cannondale Train Station as well as businesses and residences in the work area throughout the course of the project. (Officials thought it was possible that one of Cannon Grange‘s two driveway entrances could be impacted, but were confident at least one would be accessible.)

DPW has not provided an update on Honey Hill since March 13. At that time, DPW announced tree-trimming would begin in preparation for the bridge work, which would start in April. Boucher confirmed the tree-trimming was completed and the project is “on schedule”. The bridge is expected to be closed for approximately 20 months.

Multiple residents in the area have told GMW there has not been any activity at the site since it was closed two months ago. According to DOT official Andrew Shields, the contractor determines the work plan.

“Their internal scheduling of how they plan to execute the project is really up to them. The road will be set to open November of 2027,” Shields wrote in an email to GMW.

Caution on Timetables

Officials have couched the estimated timetables with contingencies such as “subject to change” and “pending utility relocation.” In the early planning stages, Smeriglio explained why the latter, in particular, could be “a big wild card.”

“The wild card to the schedule is the utility relocation, because we don’t control Eversource,” he said. “We work with them during design [and] give them a schedule we anticipate, [but] their timeframe can be longer.”

“They [Eversource] are a big wild card in the project schedule,” Smeriglio repeated.

Going Forward

WPD is urging drivers to use the designated detours to the signalized intersection on Sharp Hill Rd. rather than other alternatives — even Old Highway, which also has a traffic signal.

“Obviously, it’s going to take a little longer [to go to Sharp Hill Rd.],” Conlan said. “Old Highway is not a great road… [it] is narrow, and that’s a problem. You don’t want to put more traffic on that road.”

As of now, WPD is stepping up its “selective enforcement” activity in the impacted areas, especially on Pimpewaug Rd. Conlan said Wilton’s Local Traffic Authority will closely monitor conditions, with hope CT-DOT might still reverse its position on temporary traffic signals.

“We hope that DOT reconsiders it,” he said.

Project updates will be posted by DPW on the Town website. DPW has invited anyone with questions during the project to contact the department at 203.563.0152.