Fairfield Resilience Opportunity Area Map Portfolio
Project Consultant: AECOM
Location: Downtown Fairfield is the economic hub of the Town of Fairfield and an important regional asset in Fairfield County. The downtown area is situated on relatively higher ground surrounded by a broad coastal floodplain to the south, the 0.2% annual chance floodplain along the Mill River to the west, and the 0.2% and 1% annual chance floodplains associated with Turney Creek to the east. Although the downtown area (Carter Henry Drive, Miller Street, Sanford Street, Unquowa Road, Unquowa Place, and the adjacent section of the Boston Post Road) is not directly mapped in a FEMA flood zone, it has experienced flash flooding during heavy precipitation events due to the extensive impervious surfaces and the limited capacity of the stormwater management system.
The limitations of the stormwater system were described in the Downtown Green Infrastructure Study and Plan (2018), also known as “Fairfield Project C,” which was prepared using CDBG-DR funds after Superstorm Sandy. Evacuation routes and arterial/collector roads from areas of flood risk such as Reef Road, Beach Road, and the Boston Post Road converge in downtown Fairfield. Although these roads converge outside a FEMA flood zone, stormwater flooding often occurs. This creates a unique situation where the downtown cannot function as a resilient hub for the community.
Flood risks from storm surge and tidal flooding, extreme precipitation, and riverine flooding occurring simultaneously would present significant public safety challenges to residents, hinder the use of transit, and impair numerous small businesses in the downtown area. This project focuses on adapting to current and future climate induced flooding impacts to transportation routes and major corridors within the neighborhood. Adaptation options and implementation planning that are identified and carried forward to conceptual design should incorporate the Resilient Connecticut PERSISTS criteria.
Critical roadways and egress routes to be considered as part of the Downtown Fairfield Project include the streets of the downtown area, the four nearest underpasses, and one road leading to/from the beach area:
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- Boston Post Road from North Pine Creek Road to South Benson Road.
- Carter Henry Drive, Miller Street, Sanford Street, Unquowa Road, Unquowa Place.
- Railroad underpasses at North Pine Creek Road, Mill Plain Road, Beach Road, and North Benson/South Benson Road (as well as the associated sections of these roads).
- The northern section of Reef Road.
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