Here's When Work Could Begin On The Great Island Access Road

August 27, 2024 0 By JohnValbyNation

DARIEN, CT — Work to widen the Great Island access road is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-September, according to Darien Director of Public Works Ed Gentile.

Gentile provided an update on the project during last week’s regularly scheduled Great Island Advisory Committee meeting, which featured another presentation from landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand.

Read also: Darien Ready To Embark On Next Phase For Great Island

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Gentile said the access road project was awarded to Burns Construction, and the cost is around $1.7 million. Once work begins, the island will be closed to the public from Monday through Friday, but it will be open during weekends. Gentile said he would release more information once a start date for construction is finalized.

Last week’s presentation from Reed Hilderbrand touched on a variety of topics at Great Island, including access, infrastructure, ecology, architecture, activation and governance, and community outreach.

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Beka Sturgis, partner in charge from Reed Hilderbrand, said access is paramount.

“As a shared goal, there’s this incredible island. It has these sort of magical conditions on it, so how we create access to all those wonderful conditions for as many people as possible while doing no damage is one of the great challenges we’re tackling with this vision process and the committee as its major mandate,” she said.

Sturgis said the committee and project officials will be looking at bicycle access, and if dogs will be allowed on the property.

She mentioned possibly having a small ferry drop people off at the dock, or having a trolley that runs in a circuit to bring people to and from the island.

“We love the idea of people being able to walk to the island. We love the idea that walking is maybe the primary experience of the island, but we’re really starting to understand how we can get people there in routes other than walking,” she said.

A parking study is underway to determine where and how many parking spaces can be implemented for vehicular access, Sturgis said.

A community workshop is being planned for Sept. 21.

There will be a morning session at Darien Town Hall, which will include an introductory presentation from the Reed Hilderbrand team and some community engagement activities.

An afternoon session at Great Island will feature guided Great Island walks, workshop boards and activity stations for the public to engage with the island and begin to think about its future uses.

More information on the workshop, which will be one of many, is expected in the coming weeks.

You can view the entire Great Island Advisory Committee meeting on demand on Darien TV79

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