Where Are Fairfield's Worst Roads?

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — You know the feeling if you’re a driver. No matter how thorough Superintendent of Roads Scott Bartlett and the Department of Public Works are, some roads in Fairfield are just too rough to drive on. Whether it’s because of lingering potholes or deteriorating roads, some streets are a mess.

But when you head to a part of town you’re not familiar with, you might not know what to expect. So TheDailyFairifeld asked its Facebook and Twitter followers which roads are the worst in town. Reader Kathleen Ruggles Orefice chimed in almost immediately, singling out Hillside Road as her pick for the worst. Marinelle Hervis Mayo also pointed to a busy road in the northwest portion of Fairfield.

“Stretch of Cross Highway between Congress and Redding roads,” Mayo wrote. “I avoid it because of the damage it’s doing to my tires!”

Though Orefice and Mayo expressed frustration with roads in the more rural Greenfield Hill, Fairfield’s work crews try not to focus on one area more than others. Bartlett, who oversees all road work for the DPW, said last week that all streets are judged equally.

Crews physically walk each street to measure the depth and number of pothole and cracks, drainage issues and puddles. All those measurements are entered into a computer, which spits out a “Pavement Condition Index.” Streets with the worst numbers get paved each summer.

“The easiest way to equate the understanding of a PCI rating is a report card,” Bartlett said. “If it gets an F, we’ve blown it, and we need to repave it.”

For residents in the town’s northeast corner, some relief may come soon. Bartlett said a few major roads in the area are slated for full repaving this summer. Brookside Drive was repaved last week. And Bronson Road, Duck Farm Road and other roads in the area will get the same treatment soon. As for streets that just need holes filled, residents can direct the Department of Public Works to problem spots via the town’s website.

What roads get your vote as the worst to drive on in town? Share your picks with your neighbors in the comments below so they can avoid them, too.

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