By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — Grass is growing, some ramps for Interstate 95 have a fresh layer of asphalt, and the old Arrow restaurant parking lot has been cleared of debris and will soon house a pizza joint.

Springtime is looking hopeful at Exit 17, two years after the state Department of Transportation embarked on the Interstate 95 Norwalk-Westport project.

The $104 million project — which includes bringing the two-mile stretch of dangerous interstate up to modern engineering standards and making it safer for those trying to exit and merge onto it, as well as the replacement or rehab of three bridges — is expected to be completed in November.

The most noticeable portion of the project was the complete replacement of the spans over Saugatuck Avenue, which were built over the secondary road and slid into place over two weekends in the fall.

The project also includes the spans over Frankin Street and the Saugatuck River, which needed expansion-joint and concrete deck replacement.

About a week ago, the southbound Exit 17 on- and off-ramps were closed for repaving.

A few weeks ago, the embankments between Saugatuck Avenue and Franklin Street were seeded.

Before that, the steep slopes looked something like a battlefield, denuded of vegetation and streaked with tire ruts.

But now the grass is greening up, and some evergreens have been planted. More plantings are expected, according to the DOT’s landscaping plan.

The exit areas on the other side of Saugatuck Avenue are still in use as staging areas, but will be replanted with grass and trees, according to the DOT’s plans.

By the time the project wraps up, grass, native bushes and trees are scheduled to be planted along the project’s corridor, between Exit 16 in East Norwalk and the Saugatuck River.

Also looking noticeably tidier than a few months ago is the restaurant property at 60 Charles Street, originally the second home of The Arrow and most recently Mystic Market.

The property had been used by the state and its contractor, Yonkers Contracting Company, as a staging area. It had all kinds of concrete demolition debris piled up and signs telling people to stay away.

All that debris — chunks of concrete, asphalt, twisted rebar and banged-up road signs — is now gone. A few weeks ago, the burgeoning pizza chain Riko’s Pizza sought permitting from the Aspetuck Health District to open a location at 60 Charles St.

Riko’s has locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Florida, and is expanding soon to North Carolina and Vermont, according to its website.

To follow the I-95 Norwalk-Westport project, click here.

Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 36 years. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.