Route 195 Sidewalk and Safety Improvements
The Town of Tolland is collaborating with Cardinal Engineering to develop a concept plan and cost estimate for the installation of new sidewalks along Route 195, extending from the Town Green to the I-84 ramps. While portions of sidewalks currently exist, this project aims to create uniform pathways that provide connectivity from the municipal buildings and Town Green to the business area, maximize pedestrian safety and ADA accessibility and ensure safe pedestrian crossings near I-84.
In February 2026, the Town submitted an application for LOTCIP (Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program) funding CRCOG (Capitol Region Council of Governments), which will then submit projects for consideration to the CT Department of Transportation. Under this funding structure, the Town will be responsible for design costs, while construction expenses will be covered by CT DOT. The advancement of this project is contingent on receiving grant funding.
LOTCIP application scoring was released by CRCOG in April 2026 and can be viewed online. The Town's application scored well and final project selection will be determined by CRCOG's Policy Board at their May 26, 2026 meeting.
In March 2025, The Town Manager and Projects/Grants Manager reached out to the property owners within the proposed project area, to provide an opportunity to address any of their questions or concerns. Owners of three properties responded to the letters and met with the Town to review the project goals. The feedback received was supportive of the project.
In September 2024, Tolland's Project/Grants Manager met with students from the University of Connecticut, who would be working on a design for this project as part of the University of Connecticut's Senior Design Project Program. This project provides students an opportunity to design real-life projects as part of their learning experience. There is no cost to the Town for participating in this program.
As part of the sponsorship, the Projects/Grants Manager met regularly with the students, including a site walk, a project meeting with CTDOT and bi-weekly progress meetings. The students were tasked to produce a design with 2 alternatives and a cost estimate. This project was conceptual only and may not represent the final design. The Projects/Grants Manager attended both the students' final class presentation and the Senior Design Demonstration Day in May 2025.
The students presentation can be viewed here: Senior Design Demonstration Day | Senior Design 2025 : Civil Engineering Team 07