East Hartford

Project Consultant: AECOM

Location:

This project seeks to develop forward looking adaptation strategies with implementable recommendations and specific actions to mitigate the long-term impacts of climate change on the East Hartford community.  Downtown East Hartford is a priority area for a resilience project, particularly along Main Street from Connecticut Boulevard to the railroad underpass. The East Hartford Flood Control (Levee) System provides some flood protection from the Connecticut River, but stormwater flooding remains a concern.  Downtown East Hartford reportedly experiences road flooding during rain events, with flooding extending onto sidewalks and into businesses. Flooding presents public safety challenges to residents of the Town, as residents sometimes attempt to drive through floodwaters near the railroad underpass. East Hartford is also vulnerable to extreme heat. This is attributed primarily to the high social sensitivity within the community, combined with dense development, impervious surfaces, disconnected green spaces for mitigating high heat impacts, and an absence of nearby formal cooling centers and/or shelters with enough capacity for numbers of people to comfortably occupy space.

Additional East Hartford Resources

Resilience Opportunity Area Map Portfolio

Descripción del Proyecto

Meetings & Documents

Final Report

Situation: 

This project focuses on adapting to current and future climate induced flooding impacts to transportation and properties within the neighborhood; and mitigating extreme heat impacts for residents. Adaptation options and implementation planning that are identified and carried forward to conceptual design should incorporate the Resilient Connecticut PERSISTS criteria.pdf.

Critical roadways and egress routes to be considered as part of the Project:

    • Main Street from Connecticut Boulevard to the railroad underpass
    • Burnside Avenue (Route 44)
    • Connecticut Boulevard (Route 44)
    • Pitkin Street

In addition to the roadways and egress routes above, the project will assess future conditions and adaptation alternatives to mitigate flood and heat risks for critical facilities along Main Street, and businesses in the downtown East Hartford area. Special consideration should be given to future climate driven impacts to the neighborhood, to assist the community and the Town with developing a resilient long term vision for adapting land uses in this area.