Resources & Researh

We are happy to receive and post relevant and well-researched studies and information pertinent to the future of Historic Route 146.  

Scroll down to view resources on Route 146, the Bridge Proposal, Scenic Byways, Cyclists and Pedestrians, Town Conservation, Historical Resources, Flood Mitigation/Wetland Restoration, and related articles that have appeared in local Press & Media.

RISING SEAS AND THE FUTURE OF ROUTE 146

Route 146 is not just a road. It is a cultural landscape on the Connecticut shoreline, recognized by the national register of historic places. This road, however, is becoming increasingly vulnerable to title, flooding, and rising sea levels as the planet warms. Watch “Rising Seas and the Future of Route 146”  with an introduction by Carol, Lee Hall, from the Town of Branford Conservation/Environmental Commission, commission, and a presentation by Peter Henschel, Town of Branford Coastal Vulnerability Working Group chairperson about the issues of concern, possible solutions, and the outlook for the future. 

ROUTE 146 RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

— Route 146 — 

Connecticut DOT Complete Streets Policy (2009)

Connecticut DOT Transportation Studies - includes various transportation studies conducted in the state, including the Route 3 Traffic and Development Study which appears to be similar to what SCRCOG will produce

Consulting Agreement, Town of Guilford and Town of Branford Route 146 Corridor Study, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Guilford Safe Streets Task Force: Complete Streets Resolution (2020)

The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the country.  Historic 146 is one of these byways.

The Preservation Office Guide to Historic Roads, Paul Daniel Marriott

Route 146 Scenic Roads Designation, 1990

SCRCOG Traffic Calming Resource Guide (2008)

Route 146 Corridor Study, Virtual Public Meeting, South Central Regional Council of Governments,  VIDEO, (December 1, 2020)

From the Mountains to the Sea: Routes 77 and 146 Corridor Management - prepared for the Route 77 and 146 Scenic Road Advisory Committee and the CT Dept. of Transportation by Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, et al. in December 1996. (Document / Appendices)

Scope of Services – Route 146 Corridor Study, Towns of Branford and Guilford, CT (8/14/20)

State Scenic Roads Legislation and Regulations

Town of Guilford Community Coastal Resilience Plan (May 30, 2014) – Undertaken to address the current and future, social, economic and ecological resilience of the Town’s shoreline to the impacts of sea level rise and anticipated increases in the frequency and severity of storm surge, coastal flooding and erosion. 

RAILROAD QUADRUPLE-TRACKING OPPOSITION LETTER

To Rosa deLauro, from Leonor and Kent Bloomer

— Bridge Proposal —

Scenic Roads Advisory Committee Meeting Draft Minutes (March 2017) - Connecticut DOT Consultant, representatives from DOT and Guilford Scenic Road Committee met in Guilford to “discuss rebuilding the box culvert on Route 146 near the crabbing area in Guilford.” The first two pages are minutes, the following 21 pages are slides of DOT’s proposal for State Project #59-157 replacement bridge 2677 Route 146.

Bridge postponed due to lack of State funding, press release, January 2018

Construction News from the Connecticut Department of Transportation: Public Information Meeting Concerning Proposed Intersection Improvements on U.S. 202/Route 10 at Route 20 and Route 189 in Granby (December 26, 2018) The Connecticut Department of Transportation (Department) will conduct a public information meeting concerning the proposed intersection improvements on US 202/Route 10 at Route 20 and Route 189, on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at the Granby Senior Center Community Room, 15 North Granby Road, Granby, Connecticut. A design presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. followed by a question and answer session.

State of Connecticut Public Involvement Procedures 2020, Connecticut DOT

— Scenic Byways —

Main Street (Route 146) Scenic Highway Gateway Study Town of Branford, CT, prepared for SCRCOG and the Town of Branford by Clough Harbour & Associates LLP Rocky Hill, CT. 2008. 57 pages

Flexibility in Highway Design, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. 1997. 205 pages. “This Guide has been prepared for the purpose of provoking innovative thinking for fully considering the scenic, historic, aesthetic, and other cultural values, along with the safety and mobility needs, of our highway transportation system.” Recommended by Karyl Lee Hall during the Q & A with SCRCOG.

Wayshowing for Byways: A Reference Manual, March 28, 2011. 176 pages. A product of an initiative of the America’s Byways Resource Center* to assist byway organizations help travelers find their way to and along America’s Best Roads.

*America’s Byways Resource Center operated from 1999 to 2012, when the US Dept of Transportation discontinued their funding. “The center answered requests for technical assistance about 700 times a year, was involved in 20 to 25 strategic planning efforts a year, and provided 1,600 hours of long-distance training over the last two years.” Duluth News Tribune, February 9, 2012

— Cyclists and Pedestrians —

2017 Connecticut Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update, prepared by Fitzgerald and Halliday, Inc. for CTDOT. 68 pages

2017 South Central Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update, prepared by Fitzgerald and Halliday, Inc. for SCRCOG. 100 pages

— Town Conservation —

Plan of Conservation and Development: An Action Plan for Guilford’s Future. 2002. 75 pages. Prepared by Guilford’s Planning and Zoning Commission and Guilford’s Planning and Zoning and Environmental Planning Staff.

Town of Guilford, Natural Resource Inventory and Assessment. Jan 2005. 141 pages. Produced by the Natural Resource Inventory Committee A Subcommittee of the Guilford Conservation Commission

HISTORIC RESOURCES IN THE VICINITY OF ROUTE 146

The following is a collection of and information about local historic properties that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the State Register of Historic Places, and/or included in townwide historic resource inventories.

It's important to note that inclusion on the National Register enables federal, state, and local agencies to consider historic properties in the early stages of planning projects, and provides for the review of federally funded, licensed, or sponsored projects which may affect historic properties. (See the State Historic Preservation Office’s National Register of Historic Places Fact Sheet for details.)

— National Register of Historic Places —

Route 146 Historic District

BRANFORD

Branford Center Historic District

Hezekiah Palmer House (340-408 Leetes Island Road)

John Rogers House (690 Leetes Island Road)

Stony Creek-Thimble Islands Historic District

GUILFORD

Guilford Historic Town Center

Pelatiah Leete House (575 Leetes Island Road)

— Additional Information —

• Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office’s National Register of Historic Places Fact Sheet

• National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service)

• What is the National Register of Historic Places? (U.S. National Park Service)

• More about the  National Register of Historic Places from Connecticut’s State Historic Preservation Office

• National Historic Preservation Act

• Connecticut Digital Resources for Researchers (digital resources regarding files maintained by the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office including links to the National Register of Historic Places, Connecticut archaeological site files, the State Register of Historic Places, local historic properties, and a collection of surveys and reports) 

• 1966 Statewide Architectural Survey - includes properties automatically added to the State Register when it was created; online through UCONN’s Dodd Library and is sorted by town. The Branford section is here and Guilford is here. This survey includes many resources on or near Route146, although most should be included within a National Register historic district.

• Additional Architectural Surveys for Branford from the Dodd Library

With thanks to John Herzan and Jenny Scofield, Connecticut's National Register and Architectural Survey Coordinator at the State Historic Preservation Office for compiling these resources.

FLOOD MITIGATION / WETLAND MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

Coastal Resilience is a decision support tool that provides local, regional, state and national stakeholders a step-wise process to guide decisions to reduce the ecological and socio-economic risks of coastal and inland hazards.

Adapt CT - An Outreach Partnership of Connecticut SEA Grant & The Center for Land Use Education & Research (CLEAR)

The Center for Land Use Education & Research (CLEAR) - UCONN CLEAR is a partnership between the Department of Extension and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, two units of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), and the Connecticut Sea Grant Program. The mission of the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) is to provide information and assistance to land use decision makers and other audiences in support of better land use decisions, healthier natural resources, and more resilient communities.

Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) - CIRCA is a multi‐disciplinary, center of excellence that brings together experts in the natural sciences, engineering, economics, political science, finance, and law to provide practical solutions to problems arising as a result of a changing climate. The mission of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut’s coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change on the natural, built, and human environment.

— Flooding —

A One-Dimensional Diffusion Analogy Model for Estimation of Tide Heights in Selected Tidal Marshes in Connecticut, Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5076. US Dept of the Interior, US Geological Study, prepared with the cooperation of DEEP. 25 pages

In this study, a method was developed for estimating tide heights by using a one-dimensional diffusion model. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP) has identified nine priority wetlands as being substantially affected by tide gates; therefore, an investigation of improved methods for understanding the effects of hydromodifications was undertaken. The method can be used to estimate high-tide heights in tidal wetlands drained by tide gates where tide levels cannot be observed directly by opening the gates without risk of flooding properties and structures. The method developed and tested in this study to estimate extreme high water limits in tidal marshes along the Connecticut coast can assist in regulatory and planning processes

A Study of Coastal Flooding at Jarvis Creek, CT, by CT Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation and Dept. of Marine Science, UCONN. August 2016. 32 pages

Sea level rise impacts on Connecticut: Increased frequency of coastal flooding along roads crossing marshes, Connecticut Assoc. of Flood Managers 2017 presentation by Dr. Rebecca French, UCONN. Focuses on Sachems Head Rd., Leetes Island Rd., Indian Neck Ave. (and 146), Limewood Ave. section of 146, Jarvis Creek.

Road Flooding in Coastal Connecticut: Final Report to South Central Regional Council of Governments, Technical Report, June 2017. 76 pages. Executive Summary: The towns of Branford and Guilford are concerned about flooding and access on Route 146 in both towns. The proximity to tidal wetlands and the minimal elevation difference above tidal wetlands in many areas makes the roadway extremely vulnerable to tidal flooding, both now and as sea level gradually increases. The study provides information on current and potential impacts. This information can be used as a basis for addressing access during normal tidal cycles and storm events, future resiliency measures and future roadway improvements. We have performed extensive measurements of water level fluctuation and road elevations in areas that were identified as prone to coastal flooding. We integrated these measurements using mathematical models as statistics to characterize the current risk more quantitatively, and to assess the impact of rising sea levels.

Resilient Connecticut Workshop: Developing a Planning Framework for New Haven and Fairfield Counties, powerpoint showing 13 areas on 146 that are prone to flooding, presented by Janet Plaziak, Guilford Town Engineer, at Resilient Connecticut Workshop: Developing a Planning Framework for New Haven and Fairfield Counties on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at the UConn Stamford Campus.

Elevating Roads in Response to Climate Change & SLR: Impacts and how to Minimize Them. Presented at 2019 Climate Adaptation Academy. 35 slides. Harry Yamalis, Environmental Analyst 2, Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection Land & Water Resources Division.

— Wetland Restoration —

Wetlands Restoration Investigation, Leetes Island Salt Marsh, Guilford, CT by US Army Corps of Engineers, New England Division, March 1994. 98 pages . Investigation to assist the Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection in identifying an approach to restore tidal flows to the extent necessary to restore typical salt marsh communities to the Leetes Island salt marsh.

Restoration Design Report, Leetes Island Tidal Marsh, prepared for Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Office of Long Island Sound Programs, Sept 1999. 87 pages. The purpose of this study is to report on the existing conditions of Leetes Island Tidal Marsh and to present alternatives for the restoration and continued maintenance of the marsh.

Leetes Island Tidal Marsh Habitat Restoration Project, funding application prepared by DEEP, Dec 2011. 26 pages. Proposal to “install the new tide gate so that the 42” diameter pipe functions as a smaller pipe during the flood tide, but functions to its fullest capacity for low tide drainage” is described.

Tidal Wetland Restoration in Connecticut by Ron Rozsa, Ecologist; Office of Long Island Sound Programs Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 2012. 8 pages, includes Great Harbor Marsh, Lost Lake and Long Cove.

PRESS & MEDIA

“Connecticut’s vanishing shoreline: One storm away from disaster,” Connecticut Mirror, Jan Ellen Spiegel (November 2018)

“Climate change threatens Connecticut’s vital shoreline rail,” Connecticut Mirror, Jan Ellen Spiegel (July 2015)  Part 1 / Part 2

“Plan to replace bridge on Guilford's Route 146 to be aired. Option could address emergency response time concerns,” by Sam Norton, New Haven Register, January 2017

“Guilford bridge along scenic route in urgent need of repairs” by Meghan Friedmann, New Haven Register, March 21, 2019. Article regarding bridge proposal including pictures of current and proposed bridge

Jarvis Creek Marsh Becomes a Lab, by Marcia Chambers, Branford Eagle, Dec 2014. Description and photos of road flooding at Jarvis Creek Marsh