Harbor Park Walking Tunnel Eyes July 1 Access to Connecticut River

By the time the city's Fourth of July fireworks are loaded onto barges on the Connecticut River at Harbor Park, the city will unveil a newly renovated pedestrian tunnel.

Deputy Director of Middletown Public Works Bob Dobmeier says the construction project — which began late last fall — is projected to be finished July 1, "pending steel delivery and erection."

The cost for the American with Disabilities Act-compliant and electronically monitored pedestrian walkway to the water, which connect to Harbor Park, the river and the Mattabesett Canoe Club restaurant, is estimated at $675,000, according to Dobmeier.

Parking Director Geen Thazhampallath says soon department staff will be able to watch activity there — from city hall. The hope is to decrease criminal activity and discourage vandalism, as well as boost safety.

"Though not finalized yet, we are laying the infrastructure to fully view the tunnel, with two cameras on entry, two cameras on the harbor side, and two cameras internal for public safety coverage."

Residents may recall aquatic and other murals painted on the whitewashed walls being covered in graffiti and trash being discarded throughout the tunnel. Updates are expected to make the walkway accessible from Melilli Plaza near city hall — connecting Middletown's downtown to the Connecticut River.

It's all part of the larger mission of the city's Riverfront Development Committee which meets monthly on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.