I guess it’s time to rev up the old Mystery Machine and head on over to West Norwalk. The Hour reports:

It doesn’t amount to a lot, but after crews from the Department of Public Works allegedly painted about a half-mile of traffic lines on the New Canaan side of a group of West Norwalk roads, some residents are questioning whether the workers know Norwalk’s borders.

Norwalker Chris Duff said he has seen trucks from public works perform work on the New Canaan side of Old Rock Lane and now believes he and other concerned residents have proof.

Freshly-painted, double-yellow traffic lines extend from four West Norwalk roads into the New Canaan portion of the same road.

The freshly-painted, double-yellow lines also extend to the New Canaan side of Weed Road, Old Rock Lane, Marvin Ridge Road and White Oak Shade. The combined measurement of the lines on the four roads totals two-thirds of a mile, according to a measurement that was conducted with the odometer on Duff’s van.

The roads segue in and out of Norwalk, and Duff believes workers do not know or cannot locate the border between the two towns.

“There’s no sign that says: ‘Leaving Norwalk, entering New Canaan,’” said Duff. “The paving in the road changes. It’s very subtle.”

Old Rock Lane and Weed Road were recently paved and are smoother than New Canaan’s rocky roads. Duff said the fresh traffic lines clearly extend beyond the smooth pavement.

Though the residents did not see the work done firsthand, they derived that the work was done by Norwalk crews as nearby roads in New Canaan lack fresh paint.

Duff, who lives on Meeting Grove Lane, a street off Weed Road, said, though the work was minimal, he objects to it as a taxpayer.

“I’m still paying taxes in Norwalk, and it’s like $9,000 a year,” he said. “I just don’t like to see waste.”

DPW Director Hal Alvord said the accusations are impossible as the DPW maintains a tight system of road maintenance.

“There’s no reason in the world why we would be striping or sweeping in the town of New Canaan,” he said.

Alvord said the roads are striped by subcontractors and DPW traffic personnel inspect and measure the subcontractors’ work.

“Our people know exactly where those town lines are,” said Alvord. “You can tell just by the end of the pavement where the town lines change.”

So if the lines extend past the town boundary just who exactly painted them?

source: The Hour, Some residents believe public works crosses the line, By STEVE KOBAK , July 14, 2008