Unionville Streetscape Project Set to Start

Colonna Masonry employees were surveying Unionville center Wednesday and setting up signs warning of construction, causing residents to wonder what was in store for the already congested area.

The West Haven concrete and asphalt company is set to begin work in the next week on a three- to five-month streetscape project that will give the area a facelift.

“We’re going to remove the existing sidewalks and put in new sidewalks with granite curbs and a cobblestone snowshelf,” said John Colonna, company owner. A snowshelf is a 2-foot space where the snow is supposed to go, he explained. In Unionville, it will be a concrete section closest to the road with cobblestones embedded.

On the other side of the sidewalks and on the islands in Unionville center, the company will do landscaping with various types of flowers and trees. New lighting, signs, benches, fencing and drainage improvements are also in the plans.

The project area extends from the bridge on Mill Street to around the corner in front of Farmington Bank, along the other side of the street in front of George’s Pizza and the traffic islands.

“The traffic won’t be too bad” during construction, said Nuno Ferreira, company foreman.

Work will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with one lane of traffic closed during the work.

“It will be beautiful when it’s done,” Colonna said.

Funding for the project comes from the state in the form of several Small Town Economic Assistance Program grants.