Mayor Bobby Sanchez (D) has announced that the long-awaited Allen Street infrastructure project has taken a major step forward as the City of New Britain remains on track to secure $5 million in transportation funding.
The Mayor’s office stated the funding is being pursued through the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP), where the Allen Street proposal received a score of 86.6 out of 100, ranking it among the highest-scoring projects submitted in the region.
The funding application—which city officials confirmed they were submitting last month to close a major funding gap for the Allen Street Utility-Road Phase II project—was approved on Tuesday by CRCOG’s Transportation Sub-Committee, according to City Director of Operations and Communications Alisha Rayner, adding that the proposal now moves to the full CRCOG Policy Board for final consideration at its May meeting.
For decades, the Allen Street neighborhood has struggled with an outmoded stormwater and sewage system. Heavy rains have routinely overwhelmed the infrastructure, causing neighborhood flooding and sewage overflows that have led to persistent property and basement damage for residents.
“This is a major milestone for a project that the Allen Street neighborhood has waited decades to see addressed,” Mayor Sanchez said in a statement. “For too long, residents have dealt with repeated flooding, damaged property, and uncertainty every time heavy rain hits. We made a commitment to this neighborhood that solving Allen Street would be a priority, and today we are delivering on that promise.”
According to the Mayor’s office, the, “project is designed to address longstanding drainage and utility failures while rebuilding critical roadway infrastructure. Planned improvements include upgraded stormwater systems, sewer and water line replacements, roadway reconstruction, sidewalks, curbing, and related safety improvements.”
Rayner also noted that the Allen Street corridor has been one of the administration’s highest infrastructure priorities as the city has worked to assemble the local, state, and regional resources required to get the project off the ground.
“This progress did not happen by accident,” Sanchez added. “It happened because we refused to accept that Allen Street should keep flooding year after year. We brought urgency, we built partnerships, and we stayed focused on results. There is still work ahead, but today shows we are moving in the right direction.”
The Mayor’s office also noted the Mayor’s thanks to regional partners and local officials for their help in advancing the proposal, emphasizing that the City will continue its push until construction begins.
“Residents of Allen Street deserve action, not excuses,” Sanchez said. “We are closer than ever to delivering the relief this neighborhood deserves.”
