A $12 million request has been made to the Federal Transportation Administration by Connecticut to match the $18 million the state has pledged to make infrastructure upgrades.  Connecticut's two U.S. Senators along with Congress members Jim Himes and Elizabeth Esty are backing the request to design and construct a new dock yard in Norwalk for Metro North's Danbury Branch.  Esty says some of the funding will also go toward replacing the 119 year old Walk Bridge, which got stuck in the open position a couple of times recently.

Esty says the improvements will provide long-term benefits of operational flexibility, on-time performance and increased capacity on the Danbury Branch.  She says this core capacity improvement project will add sidings and extended electrification on the southern end of the Danbury branch.

Esty notes that as a member of the Transportation Committee, she will make the case directly to the Secretary of Transportation.

The state Department of Transportation says if funding is approved, the project could be completed by August, 2017.