Road work begins: Kneeland Flats paving prep, Perry Hill surfacing start Thursday

May 14, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti

Summer road work is getting underway all around the region and Waterbury is no exception. Two projects are getting a start this week on Kneeland Flats and Perry Hill roads in Waterbury Center. 

On Thursday, May 15, a J.A. McDonald crew will be working on Kneeland Flats Road to prepare for paving in June. They will begin with milling the existing surface in the stretch between the intersections with Guptil Road and Ring Road, according to Public Works Director Bill Woodruff. 

That work is expected to run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The road will be open for traffic with flaggers in place, and motorists should expect delays, he said. 

Once milled, the surface will be grooved and rough. Travelers on motorcycles and bikes especially should use extra caution or seek alternate routes. 

Paving Kneeland Flats Road is scheduled for the third week of June, Woodruff said, noting that the timing will depend on weather conditions and contractor availability. 

Also on Thursday, a second project will get underway in tandem with the Kneeland Flats milling work, Woodruff said. The material generated by scraping up 1.5 inches of asphalt from Kneeland Flats will be used to improve a nearby section of Perry Hill Road between Woodland Acres and Henry Hough roads.

The town Highway Department typically reuses the milled asphalt, Woodruff explained, and this project will be timed so it can be incorporated into the other road without having to haul it away and haul it back. 

If the milling generates enough material, Woodruff said the road crew may also add a layer to a portion of Ripley Road where it meets Kneeland Flats near Ring Road. 

Afterwards, the roads where the ground asphalt is added will also be topped off with a fresh gravel surface, Woodruff said. 

The milling work on Kneeland Flats is expected to take Thursday and Friday, rain or shine. The ensuing work on Perry Hill and possibly Ripley Road will continue into next week, he said. 

Motorists are asked to travel with caution through the work zones and to expect delays. 

Woodruff acknowledged the short notice ahead of the project starting this week, saying it was initially scheduled for the week of May 19, but unexpectedly got moved up for an earlier start. 

“That’s unusual,” he said. “Projects don’t usually start early.”