House Republican Press Release

February 29, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Reps Hamzy, Burns, Nicastro: Bond Commission Approves $1.85 Million for Route 229 Improvements

Upgrades will Accommodate Southeast Bristol Business Park

The State Bond Commission has approved $1,850,000 in state funding for various improvements to Route 229 to accommodate the Southeast Bristol Business Park, state Representatives William A. Hamzy, Ron Burns, and Frank N. Nicastro Sr., announced today.

The bond commission approved the funding at its regular monthly meeting Friday, February 29, 2008 at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, the legislators said.

The improvements to Route 229 at Battisto Road and Business Park Drive include minor widening to provide turning lanes and traffic signal installation to accommodate the business park, the legislators said.

“The improvements this grant will finance will ensure traffic continues to move smoothly along Route 229 and make the Southeast Bristol Business Park easier to market. ESPN and 229 Technology Park have contributed significantly to economic growth in Bristol over the years, broadening the city’s tax base and creating thousands of new jobs. The Governor’s and bond commission’s approval of this funding will help ensure that trend continues,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78^th District.

“The completion of the new turning lanes and installation of the traffic signal that will serve the business park will ease traffic flow and safety concerns that might be raised by companies interested in moving there. Those improvements, coupled with the completion of the Route 72 extension project, will help make the business park a highly desirable location for new employers. Governor Rell and the bond commission’s support for the Route 72 project, the downtown revitalization initiative and the development of the Southeast Bristol Business Park are all contributing to Bristol’s economic renaissance and I thank them for it,” said Representative Burns, R-77^th District.

“When I was mayor and the business park was still in the pre-development stages, the city’s legislative delegation and I met with state Department of Transportation officials regarding the road widening and signalization improvements that would be needed to ensure easy access to and from the business park,” said Representative Nicastro, D-79^th District. “The improvements will go a long way toward easing the concerns we had about traffic flow and safety in the area. I’d like to thank Governor Rell and the Bond Commission for their support for this important project.”

The Southeast Bristol Business Park will be developed on 51 acres of mostly vacant land on the east side of Route 229 and north of Redstone Hill Road. The business park will consist of 12 developable lots which will support a total building area of 677,968 square feet. Access to the Southeast Bristol Business Park will be via a new city-owned public roadway constructed between Route 229 (opposite Battisto Road) and Redstone Hill Road at a point 1,300 feet east of Route 229, the legislators said.

The Route 229 improvements will be completed at no cost to local property taxpayers, the legislators said.