Connecticut awards $864,760 for Higganum Village North pedestrian link

Connecticut has awarded Haddam $864,760 for the Higganum Village North Pedestrian Linkages project, a planned pedestrian connection along approximately 0.75 miles of Saybrook Road.

The award, announced July 23, 2026, is part of nearly $10 million in Transportation Rural Improvement Program grants for nine rural Connecticut communities. The Higganum project is planned as a sidewalk or multi-use trail designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

What the project is intended to connect

The route will link 36 approved and financed affordable senior-housing units with the resident trooper’s office, Haddam town offices and the Senior and Community Center.

It is also intended to connect the north and south commercial districts in Higganum Village’s center. The planned route would create a pedestrian connection among housing, municipal offices, a public-safety facility, community services and local businesses.

State officials described the trail as fully ADA-compliant. That designation is intended to support access for people traveling on foot or using mobility devices between the senior-housing units, public facilities and commercial areas along Saybrook Road.

State transportation investment

The grant was announced by Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration as part of the state’s rural transportation infrastructure awards. Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto was identified in the state announcement about the program.

State Sen. Norm Needleman separately confirmed the $864,760 investment in Haddam on July 23. His announcement described the same approximately 0.75-mile Saybrook Road route and said the project would connect commercial districts with town organizations while creating an ADA-compliant trail.

The award provides state funding for the planned project; it is not described as a direct payment to residents. The state announcement does not set a construction start date or completion date, and it does not identify a selected contractor, local match requirement or final design.

What happens next

The grant marks a funding decision for the Higganum Village North connection, not the opening of a finished trail. The project has not been described as complete or open to the public.

For residents of the senior housing, town staff, visitors to the Senior and Community Center and people traveling to Higganum businesses, the planned connection is intended to improve pedestrian safety and access between those destinations. Its practical reach will depend on the project’s eventual design and construction, details that were not included in the July 23 award announcements.