Connecticut News

[SidS1045]

They only seem to care for larger purchases like those.

Er, not quite.  If you file a MA resident income tax return, you are expected to report all purchases on which you did not pay MA sales tax *and* did not pay sales tax to another jurisdiction outside the state, and add the tax thus owed to any other taxes you owe or reduce your refund by that amount.

One of those voluntary things which is virtually impossible to enforce, unless a return is audited.

[kurumi]

Route 9 in Middletown has surfaced again (Hartford Courant article). There's no details, since the DOT is presenting the plan tomorrow (Tues June 21) and the Courant couldn't get some early information. The mystery plan will reportedly get rid of both traffic lights.

The riverside boulevard section (Acheson Drive) of Route 9 opened in 1950; many proposals to make it a full freeway came forth over the intervening decades. Here are a few:
* 1965 city plan - some great maps and details. Ambitious to the point of impossibility by today's standards.
* City of Middletown doc library - many plans and maps, such as a relatively recent 2006 proposal that might be close to tomorrow's DOT unveiling; a 2003 tunnel proposal; and more interchange designs.

[jp the roadgeek]

Here is a cool link with a virtual tour of the CT 9 proposal in Middletown.https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/storage.123bim.com/1690/Virtual%20Tour/index.htm?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIYZHQDMA7X4TJZEA&Expires=1466550385&response-content-type=text%2Fhtml&Signature=Ey6NVhurR8twgB06xTfg%2BUWxFx0%3D

[kurumi]

Here is a cool link with a virtual tour of the CT 9 proposal in Middletown.https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/storage.123bim.com/1690/Virtual%20Tour/index.htm?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIYZHQDMA7X4TJZEA&Expires=1466550385&response-content-type=text%2Fhtml&Signature=Ey6NVhurR8twgB06xTfg%2BUWxFx0%3D

That particular link expired, but the one without the access key is OK: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/storage.123bim.com/1690/Virtual%20Tour/index.htm

Newer Courant story: http://www.courant.com/community/middletown/hc-middletown-route-9-announcement-0622-20160621-story.html. There's a driving video of the area on that page, with an odd choice of soundtrack and prominent unblurred license plates. I prefer FreewayJim's work myself :-)

About the proposal itself... it looks super cheap. Raise the southbound lanes (only 2) in 2 places, providing access for one left exit from NB at CT 66, and one left entrance to NB at the Arrigoni Bridge connector (St. John's Square, formerly Hartford Ave). The estimate is $75 million, which seems low, but nonetheless this is the Nissan Versa of Route 9 proposals. Maybe that means it can get done.

If it gets done, then CT 17 is no longer continuous at its northern interchange with CT 9 (no way to follow CT 17 northbound). So we might see the 17 designation relocated to follow Main St to Washington St (SR 545), then move east to CT 9 so it can branch off again for the short CT 17 freeway. (Another plan calls for tearing down that freeway, building a SPUI at 9/17 and an at-grade intersection to replace the diamond interchange.) St. Johns Place would probably get a new SR 5xx designation as it connects two state highways (as SR 545 did).

[Henry]

I find it amusing that the accompanying pic in the article shows the intersection being designated as Exit 16. I thought that was disallowed, and that these could only be applied to freeway interchanges (which it clearly is not).

[The Ghostbuster]

Will the Highway 9 freeway conversion plan actually be constructed? Or is this another case of all talk but no action?

[Mergingtraffic]

I'm not a big fan of the left exits.  Can they elevate the NB lanes too and just have the ramps enter and exit from the right and go under both?  I don't see it taking up too much space.

With the left entrances and exits (something CT still seems to love) I can see that being a problem in the future with traffic flow.  Putting slower traffic in the left. 

Also NB  you have a right on-ramp merge followed by a left off-ramp just after that.  They could make it all right hand entrances exits by narrowing the median. Of course I'm no engineer.

Once the traffic lights are gone it's an expressway style and having lefts will create a problem as the traffic light era gets forgotten,

http://ctmirror.org/2016/06/21/if-you-can-wait-until-2023-no-more-red-lights-on-route-9/

and not related....the CT-8 design build stage one has been completed ahead of schedule.  http://rt8bridgeport.com/

[RobbieL2415]

Does anyone have any pictures of the CT 17 onramp to CT 9 NB in Middletown from the mid/late 90s?  Supposedly that onramp was metered for a period of time.

[shadyjay]

Really nothing interesting to see there... it was just a simple red/green ground-mount traffic light a few hundred feet before the existing stop sign. 

I think this proposal is a good relatively-cheap idea.  A downside is it's going to throw a lot of traffic onto that portion of Washington St/Main St to get to Portland from CT 9 NB.  Though from what I've seen, the majority of Portland-bound traffic is coming from CT 9 SB.  Wonder how they're gonna elevate the SB lanes while maintaining traffic flow.  I'm glad I don't have to travel through there every day. 

I see not really any room for a right hand exit, even if you raise the NB lanes as well.  Look at a google streetview and you can see the lack of space between the NB lanes and the river.  The drawings in the link above over-exaggerate the space.  Besides, CT is adding more left exits anyway (Exit 29 from 91NB to the Charter Oak Bridge, in the latest plans).  And no doubt we'll lose some with the I-84 Viaduct replacement. 

[kurumi]

One less (Stannis: "fewer") left exit in CT soon: http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=582464

I-95 NB to I-91 NB will be a right-hand exit as I-95 NB moves to new bridge over Water St. in New Haven.

[shadyjay]

... and it's going to happen during the weekend I'll be in CT... July 14-17.  I plan on driving through there on the 15th (Friday) as part of my western CT road trip (9N-84W-7N-7S-84W-684S-287E-95N) but I doubt the change will be done in the first night.  I'll still get photos either way!

[dgolub]

One less (Stannis: "fewer") left exit in CT soon: http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=582464

I-95 NB to I-91 NB will be a right-hand exit as I-95 NB moves to new bridge over Water St. in New Haven.

And it's happening the weekend before the New Haven meet, so we'll get to drive through the area right after the change.

[KEVIN_224]

One less (Stannis: "fewer") left exit in CT soon: http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=582464

I-95 NB to I-91 NB will be a right-hand exit as I-95 NB moves to new bridge over Water St. in New Haven.

http://www.nhregister.com/20160710/new-haven-interstate-95-91-interchange-to-head-in-new-direction-for-first-time-in-60-years

Saw this on the New Haven Register's web site today.

[shadyjay]

I may have to make a run to Union Station after 1am on Saturday morning to pick up my brother.  If that happens, I'll be right in the thick of it for the changeover.  Ramps from 34E to 95N will be closed during that time.  Either I'll do Rt 1 or head for the detour 95S->1st Ave->95N.  It'll depend on traffic, but I may opt for US 1, just to save time.  We will see.

Looks like there will be some left-exit shuffling coming up in the next 5+ years if the I-91 NB Exit 29 and CT 9 Middletown projects get off the drawing board and onto the pavement... which it's looking more and more likely.  We'll lose CT 9 Exit 16's left "exit" but gain I-91NB Exit 29 (again!) in the process.  Time will tell.

[RobbieL2415]

I may have to make a run to Union Station after 1am on Saturday morning to pick up my brother.  If that happens, I'll be right in the thick of it for the changeover.  Ramps from 34E to 95N will be closed during that time.  Either I'll do Rt 1 or head for the detour 95S->1st Ave->95N.  It'll depend on traffic, but I may opt for US 1, just to save time.  We will see.

Looks like there will be some left-exit shuffling coming up in the next 5+ years if the I-91 NB Exit 29 and CT 9 Middletown projects get off the drawing board and onto the pavement... which it's looking more and more likely.  We'll lose CT 9 Exit 16's left "exit" but gain I-91NB Exit 29 (again!) in the process.  Time will tell.

I'd rather have them re-align the entire interchange so that US 5/CT 15 runs down the middle of I-91 and have feeder ramps going to/from each highway.  Exit 87 (Airport Road) would probably have to be relocated, though.

[KEVIN_224]

Have it run down the middle like in Meriden? Except there, CT 15 is on the outside of I-91.

[RobbieL2415]

Have it run down the middle like in Meriden? Except there, CT 15 is on the outside of I-91.

Precisely, except I-691 wouldn't be in the way, which IMO is part of why that interchange is ineffective and handling modern traffic flow.

[mariethefoxy]

the ramp from 15N to 91N for some reason every single time I go that way no matter what time of day or night that ramp is backed up or slow moving to get onto 91 for no explainable reason other than the fact people cant merge, it becomes an exit only for 66 East but theres still plenty of time to get up to speed and move over.

[shadyjay]

What they should do is restripe the 91 NB lanes.  Presently, there are 2 lanes until just before the merge from 15N enters, then the 3rd lane begins, and the 4th is the merge, becoming an exit only for 66E.  So why not restripe so that 91NB is two lanes and traffic from 15N gets a dedicated lane.  Make that ramp 2 lanes wide with the right lane on the ramp being an exit only for 66E.  Better yet, block off access from 91NB to 66E at Exit 18.  I tend to think DOT wants you to exit 91N at Exit 17 (15N) anyway to get to 66E, hence the way Exit 17 is signed "15 NORTH TO 691/66".  Just put up a jersey barrier blocking 91N to 66E access at Exit 18, a little bit of asphalt to make the 15N-91N ramp a little wider, and some striping.  Done. 

Solving the SB problem may take a little more than that, however.

[mariethefoxy]

the southbound one is wierd, and once again im either stuck behind some slowpoke, or im doing 65-70 and some ass in an expensive car is tailgating, or even worse both at the same time.

[KEVIN_224]

http://wtnh.com/2016/07/13/expect-delays-on-i-95-northbound-in-new-haven-this-weekend/

The changes with the I-91/I-95 junction from WTNH-TV (ABC) channel 8 of New Haven.

[yakra]

Have the new mile-based exit numbers for CT2A (old exits 1 & 2) been posted in the field yet?

[shadyjay]

Have the new mile-based exit numbers for CT2A (old exits 1 & 2) been posted in the field yet?

Yup... start here...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/26076397194/in/album-72157667598037406/

... and go right

[KEVIN_224]

That gantry before the Mohegan Sun exit looks brand new. Meanwhile, I can't see why CT Route 2A doesn't start/end at I-395.

[shadyjay]

Technically, it starts at the I-395/CT 2-32 interchange in Norwich (I-395 Exit 13).  Signage from CT 2 EB to I-395 SB has a CT 2A shield.  With the recent sign replacement on I-395 and CT 2A, CT 2A reassurance shields were added on I-395, and a CT 2A West shield was added on CT 2A at the ramp to I-395 North.  But yes, I agree, it should just begin/end at I-395.  But the way its currently signed, it services as a signed bypass around Norwich.


In other news....

Expect a FLICKR update later in the weekend, as I'm down in the Nutmeg State til Monday.  Didn't get any shots on the way down in CT (I-91 & CT 9), but tomorrow it's my Western CT trip, covering I-84WB and I-95NB.  Hope to get the trip done before I get stuck in the infamous 40-mile Fairfield County Friday afternoon nightmare.