Five more crews have arrived in Newtown Tuesday, bringing the total number of two-worker crews to seven, or in other words 14 people, officials said shortly after 1 p.m., Tuesday.
The crews join five private tree and landscaping companies contracted by the town who are working to clean up and remove trees from areas that are a mess but not affected by downed power lines.
By the end of the day, Obtuse, The Boulevard, Hyvue, Scudder, Birch Hill, Plumtrees, Taunton Hill and Taunton Lake roads are expected to be opened, officials said.
As of 1:30 p.m., CL&P still lists the number of outages in Newtown at 8,693 or slightly under 80-percent of town.
Roads inaccessible to emergency vehicles will remain at the top of the priority list in terms of clean-up, officials said. More than 30 roads that are impassable due to downed power lines and trees, Public Works Director Fred Hurley said.
Two line crews from CL&P and town and contractor workers are expected to finishing clearing those roadways by sunset Wednesday, but electrical restoration will not be complete until later, he said.
"That's not going to happen until end of the week," Hurley said of restoring power.
That is because a CL&P crew is still assessing and noting the damage to power lines throughout town and that so-called survey work needs to be completed -- expected to take through Wednesday -- before full restoration schedule can begin, officials said.
That means residents will see slow progress in terms of electrical restoration despite the fact that roadways will be start being cleared, Hurley said.
"It's going to go real slow at first and then you'll have whole circuits online," he said of the electrical restoration.
that it started the work late due to worker shortages, and were working hard to bring in crews from as far afield as Seattle and British Colombia.
The damage is extensive in Newtown with about 30 utility poles that came down and need to be replaced, officials said. A shipment of poles is expected to arrive Tuesday and later in the week.
Among one of the critical areas in town is the main primary circuit line on Main Street, which must be restored before any power can be turned on in the center of town, officials said. Four line crews were working on that effort.
Meanwhile, any resident needing drinking water supplies should head to the local fire station at , , , and but should be prepared to bring a container for the water.
Showers also are available at Reed Intermediate School, open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Masonicare at Newtown, 139 Toddy Hill Road. Call Masonicare at 203-426-5847 for hours. The Newtown Youth Academy also is offering showers to residents at no charge between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. but would accept donations.
until next Tuesday, Sept. 6. Parks and recreation facilities are closed with the exception of Treadwell and Tilson turf fields.
The Municipal Center is open to residents who need to power up their cell phone or other devices.
Hours for the transfer station have been extended until dusk for residents, particularly those who need to dispose of spoiled food. A transfer permit will not be needed to use the roll offs.
Area businesses that are open and offer wireless Internet service include the Hideaway Cafe, Panera and the Starbucks on Stony Hill Road in Bethel.
Editor's note: This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
