The Central Naugatuck Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (CNVMPO) was awarded funds from the US Department of Transportation under its Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. The project will complete the environmental assessment and design plans for sections of the Naugatuck River Greenway (NRG) Trail.
The NRG Trail is a planned 44+ mile multiuse trail following the Naugatuck River from the City of Torrington in the northwest corner of Connecticut to the City of Derby. When complete, the NRG Trail will link 11 municipalities, connect historic downtowns, reclaim and provide better access to the Naugatuck River for recreation, create an alternate mode of transportation, drive local and regional tourism, promote economic development and revitalization, improve the quality of life for residents and address equity in historically underserved communities.
Today, several sections of the NRG Trail have been constructed and are open to the public, and progress is being made to complete the remainder. About 8.5 miles of the trail are completed and an additional 5+ miles are in design. Despite this progress, gaps in the trail exist. This project focuses on the segment of the NRG Trail between Breen Field in the Borough of Naugatuck and East Main Street in the Town of Thomaston. This segment is about 17.4 miles, including spur connections. Currently, only three sections, extending 3.1 miles, have been constructed and are open for use. A 2.1-mile section in Waterbury is in design and will be constructed using RAISE funds awarded to the city in 2022. The remaining 12.2 miles of trail along this segment have yet to advance to the design phase or only partial design activities have been funded or begun.
The project will complete environmental assessment documents and develop full design plans of gaps along this segment. A critical aspect of the project is to address mobility constraints and reconnect historically disadvantaged neighborhoods that have been split by the Route 8 Expressway by expanding community connectivity, mode choice, and access. The Naugatuck River flows through the region, further separating neighborhoods. This project will help create vital non-motorized linkages across the river. It will also improve safety, fight climate change, and advance equity. Key activities funded by the grant include environmental analyses, equity, community engagement, and engineering feasibility.
The project will be conducted in a multi-disciplinary approach with defined tasks and deliverables. Three phases have been identified:
- Phase 1: Preliminary Engineering Assessment. This phase will assess and evaluate possible route alignments and determine the preferred route along this segment of the NRG Trail. This phase will be based on previous routing studies.
- Phase 2: Environmental Assessment: Because of past land uses and the dense urban nature of development along this segment of the NRG Trail, a comprehensive environmental due diligence for the corridor, including wetland delineation, hazardous waste and cultural resource screenings, will be completed. This environmental analysis will be performed to satisfy NEPA requirements for the project.
- Phase 3: Engineering and Design: Construction ready design plans and bid documents will be developed for all gap sections.
The result of this project will make all sections ready for construction once construction funds are identified and awarded.
Substantial planning of trail routing and alignments has been completed to date and several requests for federal and state grants have been made to advance projects. State Recreational Trails grant program funds have been allocated to Thomaston, Watertown, Waterbury and Naugatuck to design four sections in the project corridor. In addition, federal Transportation Alternatives funds were allocated to Thomaston. Despite these successes, funds are not enough to fully design the sections, let alone initiate construction. This project will leverage state awarded grant funds to obtain the necessary federal funds to fully design all sections within the project corridor.
The following table lists the specific sections included in the project, current status, and activities to be completed under the project. View PDF of the table.
Timeline
The NVCOG expects to begin the project this fall and intends to engage the services of a team consultants to conduct the environmental assessments and complete the design plans. This will be a complex project with three distinct tasks that will be undertaken concurrently. The design of identified sections will proceed independently and based on status and priorities as some of sections are more advanced and ready to proceed. Each section will be designed based on logical beginning and ending points to allow sections that are ready to move forward to be constructed.
Public Engagement
A proactive and extensive public engagement plan will be implemented to ensure all Interested stakeholders have ample opportunities to offer feedback and direction on plans. This will be especially important as we evaluate alignments for the undetermined trail sections.
Stakeholder Meetings
The NVCOG will convene a project advisory committee to guide and direct the project. Members will be representatives of the municipalities along the project corridor and interested stakeholder groups. The public will be invited to attend and participate in all stakeholder meetings.
Stay Updated on Social Media
As the project progresses, staff will provide ongoing updates and insights into the development of plans and results of the environmental assessments. Stay up to date on the NVCOG website and its social media platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.
Linked below are current and past resources and documents relating to the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail. As reports and plans are prepared during this project, they will be linked and published here.
Staff Contact
Mark Nielsen
Assistant Director
mnielsen@nvcogct.gov