Connecticut News

[RobbieL2415]

I couldn't readily find any pictures, so I will ask:

Did the original Charter Oak Bridge stand immediately north or south of the current one? I seem to think there was an off ramp from the COB South to I-91 North. Also...was CT Route 15 always intended to be the movement from I-91 North to I-84 East and vice versa?

Not sure. I always thought a truck ban for Exit 29 would cut down on the backups.

[shadyjay]

Part of the removal of the movements 91NB->84EB and 84WB->91SB via the Founders Bridge was to allow access to the riverfront to be created, which was being spearheaded by Riverfront Recapture.  There was also a left exit from I-91 NB that lead to "State Street" but in reality led to Kinsley St.  That's what happened to missing I-91 NB exits 30 & 31. 

Yes, there was a ramp from 91SB to 15/COB NB.  It was a loop ramp, though I don't remember seeing signage for it, but it did exist.  One reason was that in the days before I-91, that interchange was a trumpet, with the primary roadway being CT 15.  I-91 did not exist south of there, and north of there was "Connecticut River Blvd", which later became part of the Conland-Whitehead Highway (and was signed CT 9).  So you had what is today's Whitehead Highway from Pulaski Circle, meeting present I-91 at Exit 29A, going past the Colt building, and ending at CT 15.  SB traffic at that point could either take the ramp to 15NB to reach points north or east, or take the ramp to 15SB, Then, CT 9/15 ran multiplexed down to Exit 85, where CT 9 ran south on what is now CT 99. 

With the completion of I-91 through Hartford and other connections available, there isn't much of a need for the 91SB->15NB ramp. 

[connroadgeek]

Anyone see the new small "Welcome to Connecticut" signs? There's a new one on Rt 1 in Greenwich. They replaced the standard sign with a much smaller one that just says "Welcome to Connecticut" with no real design, and the governor plate is also smaller and now is just a picture of something that I couldn't make out as I passed it.

[Ben114]

Anyone see the new small "Welcome to Connecticut" signs? There's a new one on Rt 1 in Greenwich. They replaced the standard sign with a much smaller one that just says "Welcome to Connecticut" with no real design, and the governor plate is also smaller and now is just a picture of something that I couldn't make out as I passed it.

Sounds very basic. I'm a big fan of the very welcoming sign coming into CT on I-84 from Mass.

I also like CT's town line signage on their highways, much better than MA (at least MA's older ones, the newer ones are better).

[ipeters61]

Anyone see the new small "Welcome to Connecticut" signs? There's a new one on Rt 1 in Greenwich. They replaced the standard sign with a much smaller one that just says "Welcome to Connecticut" with no real design, and the governor plate is also smaller and now is just a picture of something that I couldn't make out as I passed it.

Sounds very basic. I'm a big fan of the very welcoming sign coming into CT on I-84 from Mass.

I also like CT's town line signage on their highways, much better than MA (at least MA's older ones, the newer ones are better).

Do they only have these smaller signs on non-expressways?

[connroadgeek]

Anyone see the new small "Welcome to Connecticut" signs? There's a new one on Rt 1 in Greenwich. They replaced the standard sign with a much smaller one that just says "Welcome to Connecticut" with no real design, and the governor plate is also smaller and now is just a picture of something that I couldn't make out as I passed it.

Sounds very basic. I'm a big fan of the very welcoming sign coming into CT on I-84 from Mass.

I also like CT's town line signage on their highways, much better than MA (at least MA's older ones, the newer ones are better).

Do they only have these smaller signs on non-expressways?

Probably not. Maybe they are only going to be used on local roads? The only one I've seen is the one on the post rd. in Greenwich coming in from Port Chester NY. Perhaps the old normal one that was there yesterday (I think) got mowed down in an accident and that was all they had to replace it? Time will tell. The new smaller one is like one of those brown signs with two lines of text (i.e. ROCKY NECK STATE PARK // NEXT RIGHT) except it's blue and says WELCOME TO // CONNECTICUT.

[shadyjay]

Here's the new "Welcome" sign on I-95 SB coming from Rhode Island, installed Spring 2018:

95NB-CTstateline by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

[danthecatrafficlightfan]

i found that in 2017 google streetview caught the wrrs mini bell crossing with the hand crank wishbone gates at the conneticut trolley museum in action!

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9299429,-72.5880126,3a,75y,195.81h,81.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPDdhqJ2gfNaM71E4qekw2A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[shadyjay]

Took a little drive today to check a few things out:

On CT 8 in Torrington, CT 202 shields have been replaced with US 202 shields, a la NJ style:
DSC08003 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

On I-84 in Waterbury, the widening project is substantially complete:
DSC07983 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

DSC08039 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

But, alas, it's still status quo on the sign replacement project from Southington to Farmington...

DSC08073 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Foundations for new sign supports were observed, but no supports installed yet.  ConnDOT web site now gives 2020 as a completion date.  Hopefully it won't take that long, but there's been little progress in the past 6 months, so...?

More photos from today's drive on my FLICKR (PRO!) page, link in sig.

[Ben114]

I'm a fan of these new signs being installed around the state, but why are the exit tabs so wide? It could possibly be for mile post based numbers, but MassDOT has narrower tabs for their new signs.

Looking at shadyjay's photos, it looks like ConnDOT realized what their state route shield actually looks like, and also the pulled an NJDOT with the US route shields.

[Magical Trevor]

I'm a fan of the blue services icons being integrated with the mile advance signs. The big question is, what will those annoying temporary Speed Limits be replaced with? 65 to the mixmaster would be great.

The difference in "Exit Only" arrows in the above signs, erected in the same year, is bothersome. My only preference is for uniformity.

[shadyjay]

To be honest, it looks a little odd to see the service symbols posted on overhead signs.  As before, if there was an overhead sign, the symbols were mounted on a ground sign.  The "first generation" service bar had the symbols on a blue background, now its whatever the primary sign color is.  The symbols themselves are still blue.

I would assume that the speed limit from the mixmaster, out to Exit 25A would become 55 MPH once the work zone speed limit is removed.  45 MPH is the current temporary limit, and not one vehicle I saw was going anywhere close to that speed. 

It also just dawned on me why the delay in the I-84 sign replacement project.... there is a highway illumination replacement project taking place in Farmington, from vic. Exit 37 to Exit 39A.  Within this area, existing lighting is being powered by above-ground cables, mounted lightpost to lightpost, one of which can be seen in the last of my 3 photos linked above.  It is possible this project is suspending any lifting of existing gantries or installation of new gantries due to "overhead wires".  I noticed new foundations for the final Exit 39A sign already installed, just waiting for a gantry.  Now this illumination project does not appear to be in place down in New Britain/Plainville, so the lack of progress in that area is unknown.  I'll continue to watch the web cams for any changes. 

[Magical Trevor]

I do think the blue background of the "first generation" was a more consistent and cleaner appearance but unfortunately they've clearly made the decision to move away from that. Separate signs can sometimes be easier to actively look out for but at the same time it's more attention paid searching for another sign rather than keeping eyes on the road (and then one must make sure they keep track of which exit number the sign applies to).

[jp the roadgeek]

The 65 mile zones that were implemented earlier this year are from 25A to just before the 72 interchange, and then after the 72 interchange to 39A.  You won't see 65 through the city of Waterbury.  I agree that it will be 55 from just east of the Mixmaster once construction is complete, but I have a feeling the Mixmaster limit will remain 50. 

CTDOT needs to swap the 202 and 4 shields on the sign to be MUTCD compliant.  The US route usually comes first (ie goes on the left).  The NJ look is interesting, but it looks like more of a temporary fix.  Now, if only they'd fix the CT 6 signage on 84 between 39A and 43.

Some of the wider exit tabs would indeed be for future mile-based exits.  For example: the one for Crooked St (current Exit 34) would be to accompany the new number: 49B.  Then again, the wide one for 39A would actually need a diet, as it would become 55.  I didn't notice any wide tabs for 38 and 39 westbound, which would be 54A and 54B.  Also: I'm surprised they replaced the oblong BGS for Exit 39 WB that used to be on the unused bridge tha would have been the mainline carriageway of I-291 in-kind, and just slapped the new one on a four chord truss gantry.  I did see a couple of the piers have been installed in the Plainville area for new overhead gantries, but does a lighting project preclude them from removing the old signage for Exit 36 EB, where there are two instances of duplicate signage (old in front of new, and new on 4 chord truss in front of bridge mounted)? 

[shadyjay]

I did see a couple of the piers have been installed in the Plainville area for new overhead gantries, but does a lighting project preclude them from removing the old signage for Exit 36 EB, where there are two instances of duplicate signage (old in front of new, and new on 4 chord truss in front of bridge mounted)? 

Honestly, I have no idea if the replacement of illumination, Exits 37-39A, has anything to do with the lack of progress on this sign replacement project.  I just happened to notice the temporary wires going to existing lighting, and a light bulb went off in my head.  I bet it has something else to do with either a contractor delay, shortage of supplies (ie - new gantries/supports?), or something else. 

I have noticed that the 2017 version of the state's spot overhead sign replacement project has not yielded any new signs in many of the sites.  While I haven't gotten a chance to view them all in the time I've been back in the state (only been by half of the sites), I have seen zero progress to the naked eye of the motorist traveling by at highway speed.

Seeing the slow motion progress of these projects makes me wonder how the Merritt Parkway or CT 8 sign projects are going, if at all.  Though if its anything, the Merritt project consists of mostly ground-mounted signs, so in theory, that should go quicker.

[Mergingtraffic]

Seeing the slow motion progress of these projects makes me wonder how the Merritt Parkway or CT 8 sign projects are going, if at all.  Though if its anything, the Merritt project consists of mostly ground-mounted signs, so in theory, that should go quicker.

Same as nothing is going on.  The foundations for most signs on CT-8 are done except for a few and no progress.

The Merritt has a lot of new side sigange such as warning, regulatory, route shields.  Some new LGS town line signs with the "wood triangles on the border" are up (they are not extruded aluminum) BUTTTT they still have that awful font and is NOT highway gothic.  WTF

Only new foundations I see are for the US-7 button copy signs on the Merritt SB just before Exit 40A-B.

[shadyjay]

Honestly, I've liked the distinctive style of the Merritt's signage.  When I first started traveling the Merritt in the late 90s, it had unique signage, with many route markers featuring the outline of the state.  Backroads onramp signage also was unique.  The mainline, however, was a hodgepodge of Phase II, III, and IV signage.  It was nice to see it get a (mostly) uniform look c 2000, except for Exits 39-40, 'cause the US 7 interchange completion "was real close".  Eighteen years later, no progress on that front!

Still a shame that they couldn't take this opportunity to fix the exit numbers and make it mile-based.  Boy, it would've been perfect.  But, alas... 

I am surprised that the FHWA is letting them use the unique font/design, given how everyone is MUTCD happy lately. 

[jp the roadgeek]

I did see a couple of the piers have been installed in the Plainville area for new overhead gantries, but does a lighting project preclude them from removing the old signage for Exit 36 EB, where there are two instances of duplicate signage (old in front of new, and new on 4 chord truss in front of bridge mounted)? 

Honestly, I have no idea if the replacement of illumination, Exits 37-39A, has anything to do with the lack of progress on this sign replacement project.  I just happened to notice the temporary wires going to existing lighting, and a light bulb went off in my head.  I bet it has something else to do with either a contractor delay, shortage of supplies (ie - new gantries/supports?), or something else. 

I have noticed that the 2017 version of the state's spot overhead sign replacement project has not yielded any new signs in many of the sites.  While I haven't gotten a chance to view them all in the time I've been back in the state (only been by half of the sites), I have seen zero progress to the naked eye of the motorist traveling by at highway speed.

Seeing the slow motion progress of these projects makes me wonder how the Merritt Parkway or CT 8 sign projects are going, if at all.  Though if its anything, the Merritt project consists of mostly ground-mounted signs, so in theory, that should go quicker.

Drove through there today.  The new light poles are going up EB.  They had made it from Exit 37 to about a quarter mile before Exit 39. 

[jon daly]

Here's the new "Welcome" sign on I-95 SB coming from Rhode Island, installed Spring 2018:

I drove by that on my way home from work tonight. Lamont's name is already on it.

[KEVIN_224]

I wonder how much it's going to cost to change all of them at the RI, MA and NY borders? At least we don't have any of the big "Cuomo" signs here!

[ipeters61]

Also: I'm surprised they replaced the oblong BGS for Exit 39 WB that used to be on the unused bridge tha would have been the mainline carriageway of I-291 in-kind, and just slapped the new one on a four chord truss gantry.  I did see a couple of the piers have been installed in the Plainville area for new overhead gantries, but does a lighting project preclude them from removing the old signage for Exit 36 EB, where there are two instances of duplicate signage (old in front of new, and new on 4 chord truss in front of bridge mounted)?

I think I read something a while back that said that ConnDOT was averse to installing BGS's mounted on overpasses because it causes more wear to the bridge, so they'd prefer to either ground mount or mount signs on a separate gantry nowadays (sorry, I cannot remember the source).

[PHLBOS]

I think I read something a while back that said that ConnDOT was averse to installing BGS's mounted on overpasses because it causes more wear to the bridge, so they'd prefer to either ground mount or mount signs on a separate gantry nowadays (sorry, I cannot remember the source).

ConnDOT's not the only agency that's moving away from overpass-mounted BGS'.

[Alps]

I think I read something a while back that said that ConnDOT was averse to installing BGS's mounted on overpasses because it causes more wear to the bridge, so they'd prefer to either ground mount or mount signs on a separate gantry nowadays (sorry, I cannot remember the source).

ConnDOT's not the only agency that's moving away from overpass-mounted BGS'.

NJ Turnpike Authority has moved all of their new signs off of overpasses.

[jon daly]

I wonder how much it's going to cost to change all of them at the RI, MA and NY borders? At least we don't have any of the big "Cuomo" signs here!

There's 6 signs on the interstates, 1 at BDL, 1 on the Merritt, and 10 (?) on US routes?, (I'm guessing.) Are there any other welcome signs that mention the governor?

[DJStephens]

I have a prediction: The DOT will pick an option. The locals will howl and protest the option picked. Nothing will be done, and the existing viaduct will stay up until it collapses.

This does seem to be the  most likely outcome.

Just like Syracuse.