NORFOLK — Construction of the massive retaining wall being built on Route 44 is coming along ahead of schedule.
Amy Hare, Connecticut Department of Transportation chief engineer on Project 97-95, was happy to report that due to some design changes, the project planned over five years has been reduced to two years with an expected completion in September 2026.
DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto traveled to Norfolk on Thursday, May 29, for a rainy morning site visit to highlight the significant progress of DOT Project 97-95. He met in Norfolk Town Hall with First Selectman Matt Riiska, contractor James Curtis, project manager Pedro Soares, Norfolk Superintendent of Streets Troy Lamere, DOT engineers and members of the local press for an update from Hare.
According to Hare, “With two 12-foot lanes, wide shoulders, and six-foot buffer, or snow shelf, Route 44 is going to be much wider. When finished, this section of highway will be safer, visibility is going to be better and we will have two beautiful retaining walls to keep the slope stabilized.”
Plans include a decorative metal safety fence at the top and extensive use of native plants and trees on the hillside.
Hare added, “The necessary clearing job was a drastic landscape change for the town. We relocated all the overhead utilities and sewers. Construction of a temporary access road on the actual westbound lane gives us access to the upper elevations of the slope to get equipment up there to install the earth retaining system. We are now installing soil nails and tie backs, part of the permanent retaining wall design.”
Managing water flow has been a challenge. Water from Haystack Mountain to the north flows across Old Colony Road, through the cemetery and down the slope being worked on.
Amy Hare, DOT chief engineer for Project 97-95 explaining to Norfolk resident Avice Meehan how the temporary earth retaining system works. Jennifer Almquist
Workers use sedimentation controls such as catch basin silt sacks, or filters, which protect the waterways from loaded silt and sediment.
This also prevents eroded material from impacting the roadway.
Despite the winter weather, the crew made significant progress. Hare laughed, “Norfolk had some freezing temperatures, which is to be expected in the ‘Ice Box of Connecticut,’ but the contractors stepped up.” Hare continued, “Our revised design is part of the reason we were able to save almost two years.”
The current construction budget is $37,546,399. DOT has spent 35% of its estimate and expects to come in under budget.
When asked what the biggest surprise has been, Hare answered, “The biggest surprise for me was witnessing drivers’ behavior through the temporary signal. We have state troopers on site twice a week now because we noticed that people were driving through the red.” She added, “Two weeks ago the troopers pulled over a bicyclist who was trying to beat the signal.”
Avice Meehan, Norfolk resident, expressed concern about cars speeding up Old Colony Road. She pointed out that Google Maps now guides drivers on that route to avoid the signal delay.
There have been a couple of near misses because the public works crew is also stationed up at the Town Garage. Meehan noted the impact of increased activity as construction of Norfolk’s affordable housing project Haystack Woods begins.
Commissioner Eucalitto, the DOT team, and the Norfolk group donned hard hats and safety vests and climbed up the temporary sand access road into the work site. Hare explained the work being done by a giant drill driving the soil nails deep into the hillside. Up close, the scale of the challenge seems daunting, yet Project 97-95 continues ahead of schedule and under budget.
Eucalitto said, “I knew what a significant impact the Route 44 project would have on Norfolk. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made so far, and how well it is going. We’re working closely with the community and town leadership. The acceleration that we’ve had on the project design will get us out earlier than expected.”
To report a problem or raise a concern, call 860-594-2560 or email DOT.CustomerCare@ct.gov
A blue SUV remains in a ditch after an early-morning crash along Segar Mountain Road in Kent May 27.
The driver was transported to Danbury Hospital with minor injuries, according to police.
The damage to a utility pole forced crews to shut down parts of the road and reduce traffic to a single lane throughout the day. First Selectman Eric Epstein announced that traffic would be impacted as utility companies make repairs. Motorists were advised to avoid the area until the work is complete.
As of 2 p.m., traffic at the scene was reduced to alternating single lane travel. Employees from Eversource Energy, Aquarion Water Company and the state Department of Transportation were at the site making repairs to the utility pole and wiring. They have yet to provide an estimate for when the repairs will finish.
The car was still in the ditch as of mid-afternoon, officials on the scene said.
In an email to Kent residents, which was sent at approximately 12:40 p.m., Epstein reported that a water line connected to one residence in the area was also damaged, but clarified that it was not the line supplying the town.
Repair crews respond to an early-morning crash along Segar Mountain Road in Kent that damaged a utility pole and water line. Ruth Epstein
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Filmmaker Yonah Sadeh on a shoot last year in New York City.
It is an exciting opportunity for Sadeh, who has built his own business, Sadeh Studios, by working with small area businesses and nonprofits, “helping to tell their stories through film,” he said.
Some of his projects have included projects for local affordable housing organizations and area nonprofits such as Berkshire Busk, Berkshares, Naturalis Healing, local after-school programs and the Falls Village Fire Department. Current projects are for Berkshire Mountain Bakery and a documentary about Great Barrington’s revitalization in the 1990s.
Sadeh discovered early in life that he wanted to make films and began to develop his process and distinct style.
“It started with puppet shows and musical performances, and then, when I was around 12, a family friend showed me how to use my family’s computer to record and edit short homemade videos using iMovie. From that point on, it was pretty much all movies. I would set up my mom’s computer on a stack of books and record with the webcam.”
An early influence was Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” which, “inspired my Claymation videos when I was 10 and remains one of my favorite films.”
He said getting his first camera made a big difference in his filmmaking.
“I was no longer stuck filming wherever I could set up the laptop. I could move with the camera and be more intentional about how things looked.”
Finding some of the technical aspects challenging, he watched YouTube to learn.
“I would imagine these big scenes, like fight sequences with lighting and effects, and then have to figure out how to actually make them. That process pushed me to learn. I spent a lot of time watching people like Casey Neistat, Film Riot and Corridor Digital, and just trying things out.”
Knowing the path he wanted to take, he pursued his high school education at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, MA. The school has since relocated to Barrytown, New York.
“Simon’s Rock was not a film school in a traditional sense, but it had incredible faculty that I was able to work with one-on-one throughout my years there,” he said. “It gave me the flexibility and time to make films both in and outside of class, and to start my production business while still in school.”
He was able to take college-level film courses while still in high school.
“It seemed like the perfect opportunity. I loved it so much that I stayed at Simon’s Rock after graduating from the academy for my bachelor’s degree.”
Filmmaker Yonah Sadeh at work. Lisa Volmer
After graduating, he focused full time on his freelance business.
“Most of my professional work is in documentary, where I am a one-man crew overseeing every aspect of the process, from meeting with clients to develop the idea to planning, filming and editing it all together. I love working in this way, with my hands in every part of the project.”
In addition to documentaries, he also works on narrative films.
“The script I am working on now is set over the summer solstice and follows two kids over a short but formative period of time. I feel like this idea of land and place, and the passing of time, is a pretty consistent theme in all of my work, both narrative and documentary.”
Narrative films involve working with a crew, and he said writing and directing have presented different challenges.
“By the time I get to production, I’ve usually been sitting with the story for a while and have a pretty clear picture of how I want each scene to feel. So a lot of directing is about communicating that vision to the actors and crew. It can definitely be stressful, especially with the pressure of being on set. But I’ve been lucky to work with people I really trust and enjoy collaborating with, which makes a big difference.”
The finished film, Sadeh said, “becomes something built by everyone involved.”
Eager to share his love of filmmaking, Sadeh recently took on the role of curator of the VideoWall at the Hunt Library in Falls Village.
“I would love the VideoWall to become a place that showcases the work of local filmmakers, and I hope that other creatives in the area will submit their work to be shown.”
Reflecting on his chosen path, Sadeh said, “I feel really excited and creatively fulfilled to be doing the work I love in the place I grew up.”
Learn more at sadehstudios.com
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