Rep. Labriola attends dedication for the realigned Schreiber’s Corner in Oxford.
Photo by Voices, 2009
Rep. Labriola (R-131) was on hand for the dedication of the realigned Schrieber’s Corner on Route 188 in Oxford recently. Read the article from Voices newspaper below:
the successful and long-awaited completion of the road realignment at Schreiber’s Corner on Route 188.
The sharp corner was the site of numerous accidents over the years, including fatalities, the latest in June, 2006.
The realignment project included softening the corner, widening the road, altering the pitch of the road, relocating utilities, providing drainage and installing guard rails.
About 1,000 feet of road was repaved.
To attain its objectives, the DOT negotiated easements from the Schreiber family.
First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers, standing with a pair of ribbon-cutting scissors on the newly paved driveway to the residence of former First Selectman Paul Schreiber, said it was only fitting that the current first selectman and Eric Schreiber, Mr. Schreiber’s son, share in the ceremony.
Paul Schreiber, under whose administration the project was launched, had another commitment and was unable to attend.
Mrs. Drayton-Rogers noted that the project was performed by Dayton Construction of Watertown, which submitted a bid of $638,000.
| Work began in September, 2008, was suspended during the winter and then resumed in the spring.COG representative Peter Dorpalen, one of several speakers at the ceremony, recalled that Mr. Schreiber approached COG with a request for an Urban STP (Surface Transportation Program) Grant to pay for the work in 1999.The project subsequently was transferred to another funding program for implementation.Noting that projects of this kind could take up to 15 years to accomplish, he said he was pleased to see it progress to the point of completion in a reasonable time.State Rep. Dave Labriola, R-131, and Sen. Rob Kane, R-32, spoke to the safety aspects of the project.”It will allow for a smooth flow of traffic and also save lives,” said Mr. Labriola.Jim Zaharevich, DOT project engineer, describing the construction process, announced that the job was completed within the allotted time and within budget.He noted that an environmental team assisted with tree planting, adding new trees to compensate for the 20 large trees and numerous saplings that were removed.Mrs. Drayton-Rogers pointed out that one especially appealing feature of the project was the creation of a greenscape in front of the Schreiber home.The grassy swath of land was planted with oaks, ash, Scotch pine and inkberry.Former selectman Dave Haversat, who attended the ceremony, recalled that, at a public hearing in November, 2003, when he served with then-first selectman Augie Palmer, David Schreiber, now deceased, expressed doubts, because of funding constraints, that the project would ever be accomplished.”I’ll make a wager you can come back in 10 years and it won’t be done,” he was quoted saying at the hearing.
“That’s a wager he would have been happy to have lost,” said Mr. Haversat.
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| ©Voices 2009 |
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