Description

CT Rte 122, aka Forest Rd., floods severely and regularly in rainstorms, and the overflow from the street and Hopkins School's hill runs downhill onto private property and causes significant damage to homes and yards.

Normal heavy rain floods the street quickly, so rains as we had from Ida last night flood it instantly and for hours, with many thousands of gallons of water swiftly flowing downhill into homes and yards.

Since most people drive too fast on the street, and there is no advance warning of the flooded area, they zoom into the foot-deep flood zone at 40+ mph, making the powerful downhill flow more like a surge tide, complete with waves. Then the cars stall out or try to turn around in traffic. It's a dangerous mess for drivers.

This has been a problem for at least a decade. While it is a state highway, it is New Haven taxpayers who are suffering the repeated property damage, and paying for mitigation efforts that ought instead to be addressed at the street.

The drainage system on Forest Rd. dates to when it first became a paved road instead of a dirt road, in the early 1900s. The state DOT must, at minimum, keep the antiquated, inadequate, easily overwhelmed drain system on this road clear. Far more appropriate would be to bring it up to modern code and design.

The city needs to work with DOT on the problem, and also to commit to fully or partially closing the road between Edgewood and Chapel in heavy rains to limit, divert, and slow traffic in order to save lives and property.