Vernon Officials Bracing For Heavy Traffic With School Solar Work

VERNON, CT — A project to install a solar canopy at the Center Road School rear parking lot is slated to begin Friday and Vernon officials are bracing for a potential traffic mess in an already tricky area of town.

Steven Langlais, the Vernon school system's supervisor of logistics and safety, said different traffic patterns will be in effect beginning Friday morning. The construction company performing the work will be utilizing about three-quarters of the rear parking lot during for about three weeks — perhaps even longer if the weather is uncooperative, Langlais said.

Staff members who normally use the rear lot will be parking in the front lot of the school, which will reduce the amount of lanes for drop-offs and pickups, Langlais said. The lot abuts the Vernon Police Department, which also uses spaces there.

A police officer will be positioned to direct traffic at the entrance to the school and extra staff members will be in the lot "trying to make this process go smoothly," Langlais said.

Center Road School sits near the intersection of Route 30, Bolton Road and Center Road and is one of the busiest exchanges in town each morning, particularly with its close proximity to Exit 66 on Interstate-84. Drivers from several towns pass through the area en route to the highway.

Traffic also tends to backs up at dismissal time each afternoon.

The police department, the ambulance building and a fire station are also nearby and things get even more complicated when public safety vehicles are dispatched for a call.

Langlais said drivers who do not have students at the school should consider taking alternate roads during the construction period, particularly from about 7:30 to 8 a.m. and from about 2:30 to 3 p.m. during the week.

School and police officials will be providing updates as the project moves along.