Westport DPW thinks fast, lands $1M extra for road repairs

Westporters can thank decisive action by public works officials for an expected windfall.

Public Works Director Steve Edwards told the Representative Town Meeting's Finance and Public Works committees Thursday night the town expects to receive more than $1 million in additional federal stimulus funds for road repairs. Both committees unanimously endorsed the appropriation, and formal approval of the funds will be decided at a full RTM meeting next Tuesday.

This new allotment follows the approximately $1 million the town received last year in stimulus money for road repairs. Like several other area municipalities, the town's bill for the initial road work came in under budget -- about $300,000 in Westport's case -- and the surplus funds were returned to the state's Department of Transportation.

But the town did not relinquish the extra money for long. In June, the DOT invited lower Fairfield County towns to submit requests for another round of stimulus money for road improvements. Westport was one of the first towns to apply, putting it in position to scoop up most of the unused money from the first funding phase.

Edwards credited the town's sophisticated computer software that tracks the condition of Westport roads as being instrumental in his department's ability to quickly file its application.

Finance Committee Chairman Michael Rea hailed the news as "payback by technology," the result of the Department of Public Works' investments in IT.

Repairs will be made on about five miles along North Avenue, Cross Highway, Longs Lots and Roseville Road. This work supplements the three miles of renovations performed with the first round of stimulus funds.

Edwards told the Westport News that despite some hassle in dealing with state bureaucracies, the funds have been a welcome source of additional revenue.

"The town is going to be in much better shape because of this," he said. "This will keep our heads above water. We're lucky. The quality of pavement is really suffering in other neighboring communities."

In addition to the stimulus funds, Edwards said Westport is also due to receive about $800,000 for road repairs from Connecticut's Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.