Connecticut Light & Power has a total of 17 crews -- 11 line and 6 tree -- in Newtown Thursday at midday with another seven utility crews on their way from Wisconsin, First Selectman Pat Llodra announced.
The town is expected to see "siginficant improvement on Thursday and Friday," Llodra said in the release, quoting CL&P field supervisor Rich Walsh.
The goal is to have most of Newtown powered by Saturday with full restoration by Sept. 8, Llodra said, although CL&P chief operating officer Jeff Butler had said earlier Thursday that he was still sticking to his pledge of full restoration by Sept 7.
Personnel bump is a change from the mere six CL&P crews, representing a total of about 12 workers, who were in town on Wednesday.
The utility crews are expected to focus on the Walnut Tree area, Brushy Hill, Mile Hill, Meadowbrook, Turkey, Washbrook, Hanover and Schoolhouse Hill roads Thursday, Llodra said. A crew also is taking a look at the utility wires that feed Route 302, which for some reason is not operational, according to the news update Llodra released.
Llodra pledged to have another update at 5 p.m. and a CodeRED call this evening.
Officials cautioned motorists traveling around town.
"We still have many roads that are compromised by hanging wires with tree/poles involved," Llorda said in the release.
Below is a list of roads that are blocked or have dangerous conditions involving both wires and trees (unless noted otherwise) as of early Thursday morning. Bear in mind conditions can change rapidly if a tree falls or if crews are able to clear the road:
- No. 40, 70 Parmalee Road at Daniels Hill Road
- No. 40, 67 Hanover road by Hall, north of Blakeslee
- No. 40 Buttonball Road
- Schoolhouse Hill and Walnut Tree roads
- No. 68 Tomahawk Trail (wires only)
- No. 17 Old Green Road (one lane blocked)
- No. 6 Sunset Hill (wires only)
- No. 20 Dinglebrook/Hanover roads
- Area of No. 70 Bond Brook (washout repairs needed by highway crew)
- No. 8 Woodbine
- Tamarack Road at Layfayette Trail
- Kenan Road closed between Adams Hill and Currituck roads (trees only)
- No. 69 Butler Field Road
- Walnut Tree Hill and Schoolhouse Hill roads (wires only)
- No. 60 Schoolhouse Hill Road
- No. 153 Hanover Road
- No. 1 Reservoir Road
- No. 8 Hyvue Drive
- No. 49, 56 Birch Hill roads (low hanging wire)
- Patricia and Nelson roads
- No. 3 Nelson Road
- No. 27 Scudder Road (wires only)
- No. 25 Plumtrees Road (wires only)
- Old Bethel Road (wires only)
- No. 84 (75, 198, 166) Hattertown Road (wires only)
- No. 188 (165, 79) Brushy Hill Road (wires only)
- Hi Barlow road
- No. 85 Poverty Hollow at Wentworth
- No. 79 (62, 9) Castle Meadow road
- Poorhouse/Flat Swamp roads
- No. 170 Boggs Hill Road
- Pine Tree at Bears Hill roads
- No. 20 Beaver Dam Road (wires only)
- No. 10 (3) Phyllis Lane (wires only)
- No. 54 Orchard Hill Road
- No. 49 Orchard Hill Road
- Eden Hill Road
- No. 8 Jacklin Road (trees only)
- Putnam (wires only)
- Cedar Hill Road (wires only)
- No. 39 Boggs Hill Road
- No. 235 Hattertown Road
- Hattertown and Castle Meadow roads (one lane open)
- Towns End Road
- No. 61 Hundreds Acres road
- No. 38 Littlebrook Lane (wires only)
- Arrowhead by Lyrical and Indian Hill Lane
- No. 15 Spring Trail (wires only)
- No. 15 Honey Lane
- No. 89, 16 New Lebbon Road by High Bridge
- No. 41 (33) High Rock Road
- Capitol Drive (trees only)
- No. 3, 16 Lyrcial (wires only)
- Lakeview Terrace
- No. 41 Buttonshop Road
- Sherman Street
- Jordan Hill Road (tree on one lane, washout)
- Ivy Brook
- Jeremiah at Fox Hollow roads
- Hitfield near Blackwalnut
The town also urged caution in using generators. The fact sheet is attached to this article as a .pdf file.
Editor's note: The list of blocked roads has been updated to include more since this article was first published.
