The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is currently replacing the Western Avenue bridge on U.S. Route 202 over Interstate 95 in Augusta, located at the intersection of Western Ave. and Whitten Road.
The new bridge will be constructed on alignment, featuring a twospan steel girder structure with a concrete deck, supported by concrete substructures anchored into bedrock. This replacement will address the aging, structurally deficient fourspan bridge that has served for 68 years and was nearing the end of its useful life. The new structure also will offer increased vertical clearance over I-95 to reduce the risk of over-height vehicle collisions. In addition, the project includes approximately 1,350 ft. of sidewalk construction and reconstruction along Western Avenue and Whitten Road, creating safer pedestrian access on both sides of these roads.
Hartford’s 50-Year-Old XL Center Closes for Latest Renovation, Set
As of May 20, 2025, the XL Center on Trumbull Street in Hartford, Conn., is closed for construction to overhaul the arena — a project more than a decade in the making.
That means Hartford’s XL Center will not host any games, concerts or other events this summer.
“This is our troubled child of all the properties we manage,” Michael Freimuth, executive director of the Capital
Region Development Authority (CRDA), said to NBC Connecticut television affiliate WVIT in nearby New Britain.
First opened in January 1975, the building was initially called the Civic Center. In its heyday, the venue was home to the National Hockey League’s Hartford Whalers and played
MaineDOT photo
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to test a variety of equipment and specialized attachments, including Rotastar portable screeners, paired with the Steelwrist tiltrotator for efficient material handling.
A&D Equipment Holds Pit-Stop Event in Clinton, Conn.
A&D Equipment held its Pit-Stop Event May 3, 2025, in Clinton, Conn.
The event is designed to give prospective buyers hands-on experience with the company’s range of high-performance excavator attachments, as well as to provide attendees with the opportunity to test-drive equipment, ask questions and explore options without any hard sales pitch, according to the company.
A&D Equipment added it emphasizes transparency, offering insights into the pros and cons of different attachments to ensure customers find the best fit for their needs.
“We pride ourselves on long-term customer relationships, providing training and aftermarket support to help businesses maximize their investments,” the company said.
For those unable to attend in person,
A&D Equipment also offers virtual demos and maintains a library of product videos showcasing various attachments in action. In addition, the company frequently participates in expos and demo days across the United States, giving customers more
opportunities to experience its equipment firsthand.
A&D Equipment represents a variety of attachments, including Rotastar screening buckets; MB Crushers; Steelwrist; Indeco pulverizers, hammers and mulching heads; Xcentric crushers and rippers; and Antraquip rock cutters. CEG
(L-R): A&D Equipment’s team and valued customers gathered at the event, including Tim Spanos; Ian Auger; Tim Brechlin; Anthony LaFata, vice president of A&D; Donna LaFata, president of A&D; Liam O’Neil; Jim O’Neil; and Toran O’Neil, all of Jim & Liam’s Cutting Edge Land Services in Dorset, Vt.
The Tiltrotator’s design allows operators to transport heavy oblong objects to narrow pieces without hesitating.
The Tiltrotator’s quick coupler system makes switching attachments easy, optimizing jobsite efficiency while minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
The MB L140 crusher efficiently breaks down concrete bricks, recycling them into gravel within seconds.
(All photographs in this article are Copyright 2025 Construction Equipment Guide, except where noted. All Rights Reserved.)
The Xcentric XC-21, designed for rock crushing and material recycling, is constructed from HARDOX 400, offering exceptional strength and durability. Built to withstand intense wear and extreme stresses, its robust, streamlined structure ensures peak performance in the toughest environments.
A&D Equipment photo
The RS 20-30 series screener is Rotastar’s largest model, for 22-33-ton carriers, capable of screening up to 125 tons per hour — ideal for high-volume projects.
A&D Equipment photo
The demo pit gave prospective buyers the chance
Rebuilding of ‘X’ Intersection in Springfield, Mass., Under Way
Fixing the X has been on the minds of Mayor Domenic Sarno (Podium) and other city officials for more than a decade.
The much-anticipated official reconstruction of Springfield, Mass.’s “X” intersection has finally gotten under way with a groundbreaking ceremony, local TV station WWLP reported.
One of Springfield’s largest roadway projects in the city’s recent history is now expected to make headway throughout the rest of 2025.
Fixing the X has been on the minds of Mayor Domenic Sarno and other city officials for more than a decade, and on May 21, 2025, they joined state leaders, including those from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), for the project’s ceremonial start.
One of Springfield’s largest roadway projects in the city’s recent history is now expected to make headway throughout the rest of 2025.
• create 5-ft.-wide bicycle lanes;
• expand and reconstruct sidewalks to become shared-use paths;
Prior to the official kickoff to the work, crews with Baltazar Contracting in Ludlow, Mass., were in the area doing preparation work and cutting down trees.
The $22.7 million road reconstruction encompasses Sumner Avenue at Dickinson Street and Belmont Avenue, and will include the addition of transition lanes, new traffic signals and updated signal coordination.
Reminder Publishing, a news source that covers much of Western Massachusetts, noted that the project also will:
• make pedestrian facility and accessibility upgrades;
• improve bus stops and shelters; and
• replace and install new street lighting, furnishings and landscaping.
According to the MassDOT website, the project begins at Springfield’s Sumner Avenue intersection with Churchill Street and continues 3,400 ft. east to the intersection with Daytona Street. The Belmont Avenue project limits start just northwest of
see SPRINGFIELD page 18
City of Springfield photo
Medford Makes Space for Bikes, Pedestrians With New Project
Nearly a year after its last public information meeting, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) shared a new draft design for Main Street in Medford at an April 23, 2025 public hearing.
The proposed work is a result of the number of high-crash intersections in downtown Medford where Main Street intersects with the eastbound on- and off-ramps to Massachusetts Highway 16/Mystic Valley Parkway.
In fact, the intersection of Main Street with South Street and the Mass. 16 eastbound on-and-off ramps was the site of 78 reported collisions between 2017 and 2019, the state’s 38th-highest crash location.
It also happens that this is one of the few ways for pedestrians and bikes to access Medford Square from the southern side of the Mystic River, according to Streetsblog Mass in a May 9, 2025 report.
In 2021, MassDOT installed interim improvements such as repainted lane markings and temporary barricades at the intersection of Main and South Streets; now, the state agency and the city are taking on longer-term improvements for the community.
The project aims to reconstruct Main Street’s high-crash intersections with Mass. 16’s westbound and eastbound ramps, and to its junctions with Mystic Avenue and Emerson Street.
MassDOT’s plans also call for realigning Main Street to encourage safe speeds and improve pedestrian and bike visibility, resurfacing and restriping the roadway, reconstructing sidewalks and curb ramps, and creating separated and buffered bike lanes for cyclist safety.
In addition, the work also would connect Main Street to a planned Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation path along the southern bank of the Mystic River.
Ultimately, the roadway project’s goals are to improve safety for people walking, biking and driving in this area of suburban Boston, as well as improve intersection connections for people walking and biking, and maintain acceptable traffic operations.
Community Had Its Say in MassDOT’s Latest Design
Following original ideas to reconstruct the area while keeping the Mass. 16/Mystic Valley Parkway highway overpass over Main Street, the newly drafted design pro-
posals are in, according to Streetsblog Mass.
The original proposal for Main Street and the westbound ramps on the Mystic riverbank included a fivelane roadway cross-section under the Mystic Valley Parkway overpass, 11ft. travel lanes and shared-use paths on both sides of the roadway.
Now, the plan has been revised to feature a four-lane roadway cross section under the overpass, as well as narrower, 10-ft.-6-in. travel lanes and raised bike lanes separated from pedestrian sidewalks.
The project aims to reconstruct Main Street’s high-crash intersections with Mass. 16’s westbound and eastbound ramps, and to its junctions with Mystic Avenue and Emerson Street.
South of the overpass, at the intersection with South Street and the eastbound Mystic Valley Parkway ramps, the 2024 proposal featured a “Green-Tee” (a specialized intersection design for three-way/T-shaped intersections), shared-use paths on both sides of the roadway and a zigzagging, multi-stage crosswalk over Main Street.
After community input and advocacy, however, the new proposal calls for a full three-way signalized intersection, completely separate pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle lanes, direct crosswalks across Main Street, and a center island pedestrian refuge.
As for the intersection with Mystic Avenue and Emerson Street, the proposal calls for buffered bike lanes, a new crosswalk, widened sidewalks, a new left-turn lane on the northbound side of Mystic Avenue and a new refuge island on Union Street.
The design of these intersections has not substantively changed compared to the proposal MassDOT presented in 2024.
Medford’s Advocates for Walkers, Cyclists Are Happy
Ellery Klein of WalkMedford expressed appreciation that the design had evolved with better prioritization of the safety of vulnerable road users, including people walking and biking.
Advocates were “dismayed” by the first plan, she said, feeling as though the MassDOT was simply trying to expand the roadways and push everyone else to the edges on a “shared” 10-ft.-wide sidewalk.
“People are walking dogs, and they’re getting in the way of the bikes,” Klein said.
“And people have children and e-bikes, and pedestrians don’t want to be sharing their space.”
Besides commending the raising of bike lanes, the tightening of some intersections and narrowing the corner of the intersection, she also praised the acknowledgement and need for equity in these plans. As for the future impact on the area, Klein noted that the 96 bus route, as part of the bus network redesign, will be running at a higher frequency, connecting Malden Station to Tufts Station to Davis Square. Still, she wonders if transit was adequately considered in the Medford road redesign.
Klein also advocated for a more “topdown” approach to planning, where transit, parks and highway agencies would work together to encourage increased biking, walking and safer driving, as well as opening up more space along the Mystic River.
Ultimately, she thinks the work is meeting the needs of the road users.
“We’ve all been in meetings where they’re like, ‘We listened to what you had to say, and we don’t care.’ And it really did feel like they really did listen and change a lot of stuff,” Klein said. “Lots of good things are happening.”
Medford’s Main Street Intersection Improvements project still has a number of steps ahead, Streetsblog Mass reported. Among them are a Local Traffic Commission Meeting this summer, finalizing the design and advertising the project for construction in the late spring of 2026.
An overhead map of the upcoming changes
MassDOT map
Maine Will Need $11B to Replace, Repair Aging Schools
A new interim summary from the governor’s commission on school construction reveals the staggering scope of the crisis facing Maine’s public school infrastructure: an estimated $11 billion will be needed over the next two decades to repair or replace hundreds of aging school buildings across the state.
The commission’s summary, released in April 2025, paints a sobering picture of Maine’s school facilities — many of which were built in the 1950s and ‘60s and are now struggling to meet basic health, safety and educational standards.
This marks the first time in 25 years that Maine is conducting a full study of how school construction projects are funded, according to an April 24 report from WGME-TV, the CBS affiliate in Portland.
Five Out of Six Maine Schools Need Major Upgrades
Last year, the TV station’s CBS13 I-Team surveyed every public school district in Maine and found that the average age of a school building in the state is 54 years. Of Maine’s roughly 600 public schools, the commission estimates that 500 will need replacement or significant renovation by 2045.
Of Maine’s roughly 600 public schools, the commission estimates that 500 will need replacement or
The projected $11 billion price tag is nearly equivalent to the state’s entire two-year general fund budget and more than three times what Maine collects annually in property taxes, WGME noted.
The commission warns that without major changes to how the state funds and plans school construction, the problem will only grow — with more schools falling into disrepair each year.
“Absent changes, Maine is on a clear path to even higher costs — state and local — and substantial disruption to students, teachers and communities,” the report stated.
Maine’s School Funding Model Under Great Strain
Currently, school construction in Maine is funded through a patchwork of local property taxes, bonds and limited state aid. Only the highest-priority projects receive state support — and even then, the number of projects approved is small.
WGME-TV reported that in the most recent funding cycle, 97 schools applied for major capital funding, but only a fraction are expected to be approved. According to the summary, renovation funding is also limited: through the School Revolving Renovation Fund (SRRF), Maine offers interest-free loans, but the maximum is $2 million per
The report highlights that most schools in Maine lack dedicated maintenance funding, leading to deferred repairs that ultimately drive up costs.
project every five years — not enough to cover many large-scale upgrades.
The commission found Maine’s school construction debt service also is approaching its cap and future borrowing may be restricted unless new funding strategies are adopted.
Maintenance Deficits Lead to Other Problems
The report highlights that most schools in Maine lack dedicated maintenance funding, leading to deferred repairs that ultimately drive up costs. In addition, many buildings have not been tested for potential environmental hazards like radon, lead, PCBs and PFAS — raising health and safety concerns.
Other key findings include:
• declining enrollment in rural districts, contributing to inefficiencies and higher perstudent building costs;
• understaffed state oversight, with just three full-time staff at the Maine Department of Education (DOE) managing school construction, renovation and leasing; and
• lack of a statewide master plan for school capital investment, making it difficult to track building conditions or prioritize projects systematically.
Reform Measures to Be Studied Throughout 2025
The interim summary stops short of making final recommendations but outlines potential strategies the commission will explore in the coming months.
These include:
• creating a centralized office to support districts with planning, financing and design;
• developing standardized school prototypes to reduce soft costs and speed up construction timelines;
• requiring districts to contribute funds, rather than the existing all-or-nothing state funding approach, which could increase capacity for more projects;
• expanding funding for preventive maintenance and larger renovation projects;
• exploring public-private partnerships and philanthropic support to supplement
state and local funds; and encouraging school consolidations in areas where multiple under-enrolled schools operate in proximity.
Much More Work Ahead for State School Officials
The commission was originally expected to deliver final recommendations by April 15, 2025, WGME-TV reported, but recently requested an extension, citing the complexity and volume of issues uncovered.
“It became very clear to all of us that the volume and scope, depth and complexity of information was more than we could come to some final recommendations within four months,” Commission Chair Valerie Landry said during a recent meeting.
“The point of the summary is just to put all the information in one place,” she added.
“It makes it as transparent as possible for any interested party to see what we’re working on and the hope is it will allow interested parties to comment even more specifically as they see what we’ve been working on.”
A final report, including recommendations, is now expected in mid-late 2025.
Even as the commission continues its work, state lawmakers in Augusta are debating several bills that could reshape how school construction is funded in Maine. Members of the commission are expected to brief legislators on their interim findings before the session ends.
Portland Public Schools photo
significant renovation by 2045.
Mass. Constructs First Diverging Diamond Interchange
Jacobs Engineering, a design firm based in Dallas, Texas, along with its design-build partner McCourt Construction in Boston, Mass., is working replace a bridge and install a new interchange at a critical road junction in the city of Natick, Mass.
Located at the intersection of Massachusetts Highway 27/North Main Street and state Highway 9/Worcester Street, the $99.2 million Natick Bridge Replacement and Interchange Improvements Project also will introduce the state’s first diverging diamond interchange (DDI) to enhance safety, mobility and reduce traffic congestion in the Boston suburb.
The new configuration in Natick will take the place of the existing partial clover leaf interchange.
Its design-build team was selected August 2024 by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
As lead designer, Jacobs will oversee the replacement of the Mass. 27/North Main Street bridge in Natick with two new singlespan bridges and a dedicated shared-usepath bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. The redesigned interchange will use a modified DDI configuration to eliminate left turns and reduce vehicle-to-vehicle accidents by up to 50 percent.
Jacobs also will apply its StreetLight mobility analytics platform to support datadriven decision making. The platform will help minimize traffic disruptions during construction and guide the addition of shareduse paths that improve access to schools, transit and major employers throughout the region.
“The Natick Bridge replacement, a firstof-its-kind interchange in Massachusetts, exemplifies how infrastructure and data solutions together deliver lasting societal benefits,” said Jacobs Executive Vice President Katus Watson in a company news release. “Using insights from our StreetLight platform, we’ll keep traffic moving while delivering an innovative interchange design that improves safety and strengthens community connectivity.”
The project also includes new accessible bike and pedestrian facilities and is expected to be completed by mid-2030.
According to MassDOT, crews will replace the existing North Main Street bridge over Worcester Street with three independent bridge structures — one for North Main’s northbound vehicle traffic, another for the street’s southbound drivers, and a third to accommodate the planned shareduse pathway.
Other aspects of the new interchange will include:
• four transit stops (two along Worcester Street and two along North Main Street)
with corresponding bus shelters for the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA);
• a shared-use path along the south side of Worcester that will connect the North Main interchange area with the Cochituate Rail Trail (at the westerly project limit) and the MathWorks campus (at the easterly project limit);
• a new sidewalk along the north side of Worchester Street within the project’s footprint;
• building a continuous shared-use path along one side of North Main and a sidewalk along the other side from Bacon Street to Rutledge Road;
• pedestrian-actuated warning systems at multiple crosswalk locations to increase driver awareness and yielding of crossing activity;
• two new traffic signals along North Main to accommodate the street’s crossing traffic (associated with the function of the modified DDI);
• reconfiguring and improving access between Lakeshore Road and North Main Street;
• changing the traffic signal at North Main and the Mass. 9/27 Exchange Driveway; reconfiguring the Worcester Street on/off ramps to provide increased deceleration and acceleration lengths;
• upgrading and/or replacing existing drainage infrastructure along both North Main and Worcester streets within the project limits; and
• replacing the existing median barrier
along Worcester.
Other ancillary items planned for the project are low maintenance landscaping, stormwater improvements, retaining walls, guardrails, pedestrian fencing, new signage and new pavement markings, according to MassDOT.
Old Natick Bridge No Longer Meets Safety Standards
In a description of the Natick Bridge replacement project on its website’s project page, MassDOT said “the bridge that carries Route 27 over Route 9 is near the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. In addition, the existing bridge … does not meet federal requirements for vertical clearance. The project design includes raising the profile of Route 27 so this requirement can be met.”
The agency added that during its evaluation of alternatives for the bridge replacement, the challenge of construction staging was also identified. A key advantage of the modified DDI is that the new eastern bridge can be built “off-line” — eliminating the need for a temporary bridge during construction.
As far as the need for enhanced safety and a reduction in traffic congestion at the Natick interchange, MassDOT noted that the on ramps to Mass. 9/Worcester Street have been identified as the first and second highest crash locations in Natick, with more than 100 accidents occurring there each year.
“The project will address this by eliminat-
ing the weaving condition that occurs on Route 9 caused by the Route 27 on and off ramps,” according to the state transportation department. “This will be achieved by reducing the number of ramps and adding deceleration and acceleration lanes on Route 9 so that traffic doesn’t need to stop before entering [the road].
“On average, more than 80,000 vehicles travel through this interchange each day,” MassDOT said. “During peak weekday travel times, Route 27 experiences significant delays, with vehicles frequently queueing on the Route 9 on-ramps. Studies have shown that DDIs can reduce delays from 15-60 percent. This project will provide a more efficient design to better manage this demand while safely accommodating all mobility needs of the community.
By using the design-build project delivery method, where a single team manages both the design and construction in a single phase, the need for a separate construction bid based on finalized plans and specifications is also eliminated. Design-build also streamlines the process by reducing project timelines and fostering collaboration among designers, contractors and the MassDOT team.
The delivery method also enabled McCourt-Jacobs to begin early construction on some project components while final design is still underway.
MassDOT said it is using design-build more frequently because the practice promotes innovation, reduces the owner’s project risk and expedites project delivery.
A render of the proposed diamond interchange in Natick.
MassDOT render
Reed & Reed Leads Western Ave. Bridge Replacement
Reed & Reed [Jack Turner] photo
The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026.
REED from page 1
Subcontractors involved include The lead contractor of the project is Reed & Reed of Woolwich, Maine, with a contract value of $30 million. Subcontractors include Gendron & Gendron (Lewiston, Maine) for earthwork; Electric Light Co. (Neddick, Maine) for electrical work and traffic signals; Maine Drilling & Blasting (Milford, Maine) for bedrock drilling; Knowles Industrial Services Corporation (Gorham, Maine) for pressure grouting; Calderwood Engineering (Richmond, Maine) for detour design; and Northeast Paving (Waterford, Conn.) for paving.
MaineDOT has provided updates on the project’s progress beginning in early 2024:
• Crews began structural earth excavation and bedrock removal at Abutment 1. A crane was mobilized, and forms for Abutment 1 were built in the laydown yard. Excavation continued at Abutment 2.
• Workers cleaned the ledge at Abutment 1 and continued excavation. Footing forms were installed with reinforcing steel, and excavation work also continued at Abutment 2.
• Construction focused on the bridge abutments. At Abutment 1, crews worked on clearing the ledge, earth excavation and installing footing forms and structural steel. Abutment 2 saw earth and rock excavation.
• Crews excavated structural rock and cleared the ledge for the Abutment 2 footing, installed footing forms, and poured concrete. Work also began on the temporary footings for the temporary bridge.
• Excavation to structural rock continued at Abutment 1, and footing forms were installed. Concrete was placed for Abutment 1, and forms for Abutment 2 were stripped.
• Work continued at both abutments, with structural rock excavation and ledge cleaning at Abutment 1. Concrete was placed in the north footing section of Abutment 1. Crews also worked on the temporary bridge, stripping forms at Abutment 2 and the south wingwall.
• Construction progressed at both abutments and the temporary bridge. Abutment 2 saw structural excavation and cleaning of the ledge at the north footing, while temporary structural support was installed. At Abutment 1, re-steel and forms were installed for the north stem and wingwall. Concrete was placed for the Abutment 1 expansion. At the
MaineDOT photo
The new bridge will be constructed on alignment, featuring a two-span steel girder structure with a concrete deck, supported by concrete substructures anchored into bedrock.
Reed & Reed [Jack Turner] photo
This replacement will address the aging, structurally deficient four-span bridge that has served for 68 years and was nearing the end of its useful life.
temporary bridge, concrete was placed in the bridge beds, and traffic control devices were installed. Structural support continued at Abutment 2’s northwest wing, and drainage work was completed on the Whitten Road Connector. On I95 southbound, pavement markings were ground off, and lane shift striping was completed overnight.
Throughout February 2025, crews made significant progress, advancing work on the temporary bridge, existing
&
The lead contractor for the project is Reed & Reed of Woolwich, Maine, with a contract value of $30 million.
bridge demolition, traffic control measures and precast bridge unit (PBU) construction.
Bridge work focused on installing the timber curb on the temporary bridge, placing concrete barriers and improving temporary pedestrian access. Crews also worked on installing new roadway striping and removing existing markings as part of the ongoing traffic realignment. Meanwhile, demolition of the existing bridge continued, with saw-cutting and slab removal progressing as scheduled.
Off site in Woolwich, crews continued work on the precast bridge units. Progress included assembling deck forms for the PBUs, placing the final two PBU units for Phase 1 and completing the curing process for three previously placed units. Work will continue in March, with crews focusing on the next phases of bridge construction, demolition, and traffic management to maintain project momentum.
“We’ve had to build temporary earth support cofferdams at both abutments, where the wings go under our detour bridge,” said Dom Cyr, assistant project manager of Reed & Reed, which has handled most of the work, aside from earthwork, ledge removal, and electrical work. “Right now, we’re focused on completing our four-span, 50-foot-wide detour bridge on the north side of the existing bridge. We’ve also started building Precast Bridge Units (PBUs) at our yard in Woolwich. This project has been accelerated. Once the detour bridge is operational, we have 11 months to demolish the existing bridge, finish the abutments, build a new pier, install the PBUs, pour closure concrete, complete paving, electrical work and approach work.”
Cyr added that the designers (Stantec) had anticipated voids in the bedrock at one of the abutments. As a result, Maine Drilling & Blasting drilled approximately 40 holes in the bedrock, and Knowles Industrial pumped grout into the holes to fill the voids.
The construction equipment being used includes a LinkBelt LS138 crane; a Liebherr LTR1220 crawler crane; Caterpillar 349 and Case CX350 excavators; and a Dawson EMV450 excavator-mounted vibrator with a vibratory hammer for installing the cofferdam sheets.
The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026. CEG
Reed
Reed [Jack Turner] photo
After 10 Years, Intersection Construction Finally Begins
“We’re doing this [project] to get speeds down, and we’re doing it to make it safer.”
Chris Cignoli Department of Public Works
SPRINGFIELD from page 6
its intersection with Burlington Street and continue 1,650 ft. south to the intersection with Ormond Street.
When the Dickinson Street segment gets under way at its intersection with Burlington Street, crews will work south from there for 1,050 ft. to the intersection with Cliftwood Street, according to MassDOT.
Aside from those roadways, the project also is due to affect Lenox and Oakland streets and Commonwealth Avenue.
Crews Busy Doing Prep Work On X Since March
Springfield planners began developing the project back in 2017 before the city’s public works personnel were finally able to start adding advanced traffic signage, surveying and removing trees in March 2025.
Chris Cignoli, director of the city’s Department of Public Works, told a public gathering with the Forest Park Civic Association two months ago that residents should expect to see some utility work happening during the remainder of 2025.
MassDOT’s timeline tentatively expects utility work to occur over the next few years and for roadway construction to officially begin sometime in the summer of 2028.
When complete, the Reminder noted, the road upgrades will fix what city officials have described as an antiquated section of Springfield where tattered pavement, a lack of bike lanes and dangerous pedestrian crossings are exacerbated by more vehicles on the road, as well as an increase in accidents and speeding drivers.
“By far, this is probably the largest roadway project we’ve done in the city since we did [the] State Street [Corridor Project],” Cignoli said. “We’re doing this [project] to get speeds down, and we’re doing it to make it safer.
“The other thing this project is going to do is get rid of a lot of cut-through traffic,” he
said.
In 2024, the Springfield City Council approved four partial land takings by eminent domain, plus permanent easements at five locations and an additional 128 temporary easements where a new sidewalk is slated to be installed.
Despite the approval of these easements and land takings, which occurred at a Springfield City Council meeting last fall, Reminder Publishing reported that council members expressed outrage for finding out in the 11th hour that they would need to vote on land taking and easements during that session or risk losing the state-funded project.
Still, the council understood the need for upgrades to the X and approved the easements despite their objections.
“This is not a want; this is a need,” said Springfield City Councilor Victor Davila, whose ward includes the X. “It’s a dangerous intersection.”
Springfield City Forester Alex Sherman said that the initial project revealed the need to remove approximately 130 of the 163 trees in the project area; however, after some pushback from residents in the neighborhood, the most recent plan has the city losing only 58 trees, according to the Reminder.
Sherman said a number of those trees are in poor health condition and have showed signs of infestation. When the road project is finally finished, his department plans to replant 118 new trees.
“I think overall, it was great that the neighborhood came out and made their voice known about the original plan and the loss of those trees and I think this project reflects that sentiment,” he said. “We’ve been able to improve the project.”
Sherman added that his department will walk through the work area with the prime contractor to make sure the trees staying during construction are protected “so that they remain healthy and viable once the project is complete.”
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Hartford’s New XL Center Will Meet Modern NHL Standards
host to big musical acts, including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Tina Turner and Elton John.
After the Whalers left Connecticut in 1997, Freimuth said the building failed to keep up with the demands of shows that required more technology and elaborate sets.
Discussions about renovating the arena began in earnest around 2010. That year, the arena got a new sound system and set of Jumbotrons. The state legislature also set aside $35 million in bonding for repairs to begin in 2014.
Freimuth described those actions as a “band-aid.”
“We thought it would buy us a window, roughly 10 years. Honestly, we’re pretty close to that,” he said. “During that time, we explored replacing the property. You wouldn’t build this building in today’s world. To [do so] today would [cost] north of a billion dollars.”
In 2017, Connecticut’s then-Gov. Dannel Malloy pitched a $250 million overhaul of the Hartford arena. The plan was eventually scaled back in response to push back from state lawmakers.
Legislators did approve another $40 million in bonding to replace the aging ice system for hockey games and the old arena floor, in addition to building a sportsbook on the Ann Ucello Street side of the building.
The latest investment includes $118 million from the state and $20 million in private funding from Oak View Group, which operates the XL Center for CRDA.
Freimuth said the private investment will offset the building’s losses, which are typically $1 million to $2 million a year.
Some critics, however, believe the state should have abandoned the XL Center a decade ago.
“We should not be dumping millions, hundreds of millions of dollars, into a facility that we don’t own, we don’t manage and loses money every year,” said state Rep. Doug Dubitsky.
Connecticut officials put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase of the building in 2018 but said it did not receive any acceptable offers.
Updated XL Center Will Again Meet NHL Standards
NBC Connecticut was able to get a look at the construction under way, which will include creating new locker rooms for the University of Connecticut Huskies when they play at the XL Center.
The facility also will have new commercial kitchens, and five premium “bunker” suites with access to the arena floor.
Freimuth expects the upgrades to extend the building’s life another 15 to 20 years.
“We essentially will rebuild the lower bowl ... as well as [the] back of the house,” he said.
“If you don’t have the right suites, you don’t have the right seats, you don’t have the right foods, you don’t have the right facilities to attract the right artist, [meaning] you don’t get the business,” Freimuth said.
Renovations are expected to be completed in fall 2025, NBC Connecticut reported.
When the updated XL Center reopens, Freimuth hopes to attract approximately 30 concerts a year — five times more than it currently hosts.
Len Besthoff, NBC Connecticut’s chief investigative reporter, asked an expert at the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA) if the new Hartford venue must turn a profit in order to be considered a success.
“What you’d really like is for people to say, ‘Oh, there’s a great concert at the XL. Let’s go down to Connecticut,” said CCEA Director Fred Carstensen. “And while we’re there, there’s some great restaurants, there’s some great cultural institutions.’”
He said there are some other considerations too.
“[Do] the things that it contributes, not just financially and not just in terms of tax revenue from these other activities, … impact the quality of life?,” he said. “There are things that we want to subsidize because they engage us in community. They give us a better sense of participation, a better sense of ownership.”
Freimuth said he is frequently asked about the possibility of bringing the Whalers back to Hartford and told NBC Connecticut that the new Hartford arena will be upgraded to meet NHL standards.
But while Freimuth and the CRDA will not rule it out, they also are not holding their breaths.
Capital Region Development Authority photo
A photo of the current stadium bowl during a UConn basketball game, before renovations.
