HARTFORD — The long time Pratt Street construction project is now in its final stages. The Director of Hartford’s Department of Public Works, Marilynn Cruz-Aponte, told FOX 61 the project is now expected to be complete on deadline and under budget.
The brunt of the work on Pratt Street was to replace the more than 30-year-old brick pavers that make up the street and give it its unique look to others in the downtown area. The sidewalk pavers were repaired, but the DPW said a section of old granite pavers were too damaged to be restored as originally planned. They were torn out and replaced instead.
Cruz-Aponte says the deadline negotiated with the contractor was for October and that the work is on track to finish within that deadline.
“We’ve got to take a look at all of the street signage and that’s important for safety,” Cruz-Aponte said about the work that still remains. “We’ve got to take a look at the traffic signals and make sure that they’re synchronized and really just go through a punch list and make sure that the vendor understands that all that was contracted for was completed.”
Cruz-Aponte also said the project will likely finish within the $1.1 million budget and that some of that cost was covered by private companies.
“There’s been real investment in addition to the city from other businesses, really looking at Pratt Street as a potential venue, it’s really an important part of the downtown mix of activities and opportunities for visitors and businesses,” Cruz-Aponte said.
She also said the city recently held a meeting with business owners on Pratt Street who were disrupted by the project and the more than four month road closure.
