By Michael Dinan
[Editor’s Note: The video above, from Feb. 9, shows a jogger making his way down the hill from Main Street toward Kiwanis. The town is looking into extending the (now snow-covered) sidewalk on the opposite side of the road.]
Town officials this week will decide whether to approve $8,600 for engineering work designed to extend the sidewalk that now comes down Old Norwalk Road from Main Street to the bridge over the File Mile River.
The sidewalk, which runs along the south side of Old Norwalk Road and ends at the eastern end of the bridge, would be extended down the hill to Kiwanis.
On Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen will take up an item on whether to enter a contract with Bridgeport-based Cabezas DeAngelis Engineers for a final survey and sidewalk design.
The sidewalk’s installation would extend to the popular Kiwanis Park the pedestrian walkway that runs all the back to the center of town, along the west side of Main Street. Three years ago, the decision on whether to install sidewalks along Main Street from Oak Street all the way to the intersection at Farm and Old Norwalk Roads—estimated at about $400,000 itself and part of a far larger repaving and roads project—emerged as a hot-button issue in town. Though several residents voiced opposition to the work, the project cleared a referendum and went forward.