Transportation Commissioner Visits Winsted

WINCHESTER – It is no secret that many of the roads throughout Connecticut’s northwest corner are slowly crumbling. As a result, State Representative Jay Case, who represents Colebrook, Goshen, Winchester and Torrington, extended an invite for the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner James P. Redeker to take a tour of some roads in Winsted and Winchester. In order to provide the greatest insight, Commissioner Redeker and Rep. Case were joined by Winchester’s Director of Public Works, Jim Rollins and Foreman of Street Department, Dennis Millard.

“I really appreciate the Commissioner coming out to visit the district and see what’s going on with our roads,” said Rep. Case (R-63), “Although we know this visit does not mean the DOT is making any promises to us, I look forward to working with them to try and get some of our roads up in the northwest corner in better condition.”

The tour, which lasted a little under two hours, certainly gave Commissioner Redeker the first-hand perspective needed to grasp the needs of these roads. The harsh winters have left large heaves in many of the recently paved roads and have littered them with pot holes. Additionally, the tour passed by one of DOT’s crews, which was repairing a drainage system. Many drainage systems are beginning to decay throughout Winsted and Winchester and are compounded by years of no repairs, creating major bumps and cracks in the asphalt.

“I value first-hand experiences, it was great to see one of my department’s crews working up here and to hear from the local road crews,” remarked Commissioner Redeker. “It is clear we have people that are committed to keeping our roads up to date and safe, but are lacking the resources to do it.”

Throughout the tour Commissioner Redeker assimilated many of the local issues to macro issues the state is facing in both small and large towns. It is evident, however, that the smaller towns require more resources in order to help facilitate them getting state and federal allocated transportation dollars.

###