Local team handles the state’s toughest weather

By David Beers

The state highways of Connecticut are the arteries of its road network. Most drivers use them daily and generally take them for granted. It is not until one is stuck behind a snowplow or delayed by a construction lane drop that any thought goes to the thousands of Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) highway crew members who dedicate their working lives to maintaining the safety and efficiency of this network. These roads also vastly improve quality of life and support the state’s economy.

In addition to state highways, CTDOT also oversees the MTA Metro-North New Haven rail line (the busiest commuter rail in the United States), the CTtransit bus service, CTrides rideshare and two Connecticut River ferries. Around Norfolk, the bulk of CTDOT’s work involves overseeing the state highways. This includes the maintenance of pavement, drainage structures, signage, right-of-way clearing, accident response and, of course, snow and ice removal.

CTDOT splits the state into four districts. Norfolk is part of district 4, comprised of 52 towns in western Connecticut, with its head office in Thomaston. Sprinkled throughout these towns are highway maintenance garages that take care of their own geographic areas. The CTDOT Norfolk maintenance garage #81-803 is at 190 North St. When driving by it at a fast clip on Route 272 North, it registers as a typical utilitarian government facility. Of course, there is so much more to it than that.

The Norfolk state garage has four full-time employees who operate four large plows, a dump truck, a loader (for salt) and one hot box. The hot box is a mobile asphalt furnace for repairing potholes. The main garage was built in the 1960s and has three maintenance bays, restrooms, storage and an office. On the outside, the place looks quite grim, but it is surprisingly welcoming and homey inside. It is immediately clear that the crew takes great pride in their garage.

Behind the garage is outdoor storage for riprap, stone, gravel and sand. To the right is the tall, cavernous salt storage barn holding 1,300 tons of salt. Next to that is the brine tank used for spraying the roads with magnesium chloride, the material used to pre-wet salt to eliminate the bouncing and scattering of salt pellets.

Behind it all is a vast paved area used to stage supplies and equipment. To the left of the garage are the diesel fuel tanks and the new bunkhouse. The bunkhouse is a repurposed steel storage container that has heat, bunks and windows. CTDOT is installing these throughout the state for its staff to sleep in when they are doing multiday shifts during storms—far preferable to the old option of catching some z’s on the office couch.

The Norfolk garage takes care of all of Routes 182, 182A and 183. The crew also maintains Route 44 from the East Canaan post office to downtown Winsted, and Route 272 from its start in Torrington to the Massachusetts line. This adds up to about 50 miles of highway in Norfolk, Colebrook, Winsted, Torrington and North Canaan. Last year, they oversaw the laying of 10 miles of new pavement on Route 182. Route 182A is slated for new pavement this summer. The crew will also assist with the replacement of the stone retaining wall on Route 44 West.

Eric Adams is the supervisor for both the North Canaan and Norfolk garages. Mark Dings is the Norfolk garage crew leader. Roger Galitello runs the loader and has been working here since 1986. Wade Raabe and James Lavalette round out the crew, with Lavalette the young new guy. The incessant banter and ribbing makes it readily apparent that these guys work well together and enjoy the tight camaraderie of their crew.

The Norfolk crew takes great pride in the work they do for the highways they oversee and in the distinction of managing the coldest and snowiest roads in the state highway system.