Engineering

About Us

The Engineering Division of the Public Works Department prides itself on being versatile and resourceful with respect to all engineering-related projects for the city. On a daily basis, this Division's staff is responsible for tasks ranging from technical review of proposed land development projects, and management of the city's Roadway Infrastructure System to work on bridges, dams, roadways, storm drainage, sanitary sewer mains, water mains, traffic signals, sidewalks and management of school expansions and renovations projects.

The Engineering Division consists of six highly qualified Professional Engineers, two licensed surveyors, one Traffic Engineer, two traffic technicians, a CAD draftsman, and administrative staff. All take great satisfaction in the design and administration of worthwhile, solidly engineered, safe, and budget-conscious designs for construction, renovations, and improvements related to city projects.

Engineering's mission is to ensure the high accuracy and efficiency of all work that affects the city and the public and to see that proposed engineering projects are designed and inspected based on sound engineering standards and guidelines to prevent a negative impact on properties and the general public. Our staff works closely with consultants, contractors, architects, engineers, and developers to secure project approvals in the shortest possible period of time. We also provide regular technical reports and reviews to the City Council.

Our Accomplishments Fiscal Year 2021 to 2022

  • The Division’s expertise and high standards to require accurate and complete design plans and bidding documents ensure that additional charges or overruns during construction are eliminated or minimized.
  • This year, the Engineering Division approved 195 sanitary sewer and water connection permits.
  • Daily reviews of site plans, special exception/subdivision applications, design and subsequent construction of sanitary sewers, water mains, subdivision roads and storm drains proposed by developers were conducted.
  • We continue to be in compliance with State DEEP regulations for the mandatory General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4).
  • The Engineering Division continues to oversee several gas main projects, proposed by Eversource Gas, to ensure the projects minimized impacts to the city’s existing underground utilities, to city streets and to traffic.
  • City voters approved the bond referendum for the Danbury Career Academy.  Architectural Services have been awarded to Friar Architecture, Inc. We are proud to move this project to the next phase of Design Development.
  • The City Engineering Department continues to work with Putnam County, Metro-North Railroad, Housatonic Railroad, NY DOT, and CT DOT for the federally funded feasibility/planning study of restoration of rail service between Danbury and Southeast, NY.
  • Our expert survey crew continually works on easements, verification of rights of way, street tree locations, monitoring reservoir levels, preparing CAD surveys for in-house design of city projects, and updates maps of the entire city storm drainage systems using GPS equipment.

Traffic Engineering operations are conducted by a team of three staff members, an on-call vendor who is responsible for installation of pavement markings and an electrical vendor who is responsible for major traffic signal work and breakdowns after work hours.

Under the direction of our Traffic Engineer, Veera Karukonda, the team oversees operation and maintenance of transportation assets worth over thirty-six million dollars which includes eighty (80) traffic signals, forty (40) Fire and Emergency response devices, sixteen (16) traffic surveillance cameras, twelve (12) flashing beacons for safe walk-to-school, six (6) low bridge height clearance signals, ten (10) rectangular rapid flashing back devices, six (6) at-grade railroad crossings, fifteen (16) speed humps, fifty (50) miles of fiber optic communication networks (for traffic and municipal services) and a five (5)  mile radio band system.  They also oversee the installation and maintenance of pavement markings along all local roads, municipal buildings, school parking lots, Danbury Parking Authority lots and the Danbury Train Station.  Forty-five (45) traffic signals owned and maintained by the State of Connecticut are also monitored by this division.

Traffic Engineering works on a variety of transportation projects ranging from preliminary engineering studies, engineering design, grant applications to construction of traffic signals and roadways.  Some work is exclusively conducted and other is done in collaboration with other agencies such as the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, Metro-North, Housatonic Railroad and the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation.  Reconstruction of the Newtown Road Corridor, design of the South Street Corridor, design of the Clapboard Ridge Road Corridor as well as a study on improvements of I-84 Expressway are some of the collaborative work we are involved in with the State.  

Traffic has prepared several grant applications for transportation improvements and provides professional advisory services to the Legal Traffic Authority and Planning and Zoning Department along with other departments and agencies, relative to transportation matters, relative to the preservation of the welfare and safety of the public.  They are greatly committed to a continuous evaluation program on traffic operations for optimization purposes as well as proactive maintenance of devices to cut down failure frequencies and extend their life.  A friendly customer service atmosphere is maintained with the public in handling their concerns and taking appropriate actions promptly.