The pandemic may be over, but on-street dining will nonetheless return to restaurants in West Hartford Center.
In a post on its website, the town announced Tuesday that expanded on-street outdoor “dining corrals” will return to Blue Back Square and West Hartford Center next month.
The Department of Public Works will begin installing concrete barriers on May 9, before the Mother’s Day holiday weekend. Barriers will be placed on LaSalle Road, Farmington Avenue and Memorial Road, it said.
Work to install the barriers will begin at 7 a.m., so motorists can expect lane closures in the work zone but the roadway will remain open, officials said.
The notice said that to prepare for placing the barriers, Public Works has begun trimming trees on the sidewalks “to ensure the safety of diners and pedestrians.”
The Town Council unanimously approved changes to its outdoor dining ordinance in April 2023, to bring local regulations in line with state statutory changes enacted in 2021, during the pandemic.
Town officials also noted that, through its work with Stantec on the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan, the town plans to widen sidewalks to accommodate more outdoor dining in 2025.
