Connecticut News

[KEVIN_224]

@ Shadyjay: Right! And the exit you refer to is westbound-only Exit 2 on CT Route 72. The ramps opened about 10 years ago at this time, in fact.

Crooked Street still exists, but as an eastbound-only Exit 34 from I-84 East. Soon after the work to close off the old Exit 34 Westbound was done, they added a dedicated on-ramp to CT Route 72 East. That road merges with traffic coming off of I-84 East Exit 35's ramp, once I-84 itself splits off and heads to Farmington and Hartford. The original Exit 35 off ramp for CT Route 72 East didn't change. It's still a left exit.

[yakra]

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=41.67243,-72.84099&z=16&t=O

[KEVIN_224]

Ah! Memories! The interchange as it used to be! No westbound off/on-ramp to CT Route 372 in Plainville! (That opened in 2001-02.) Also, I panned around a bit down to the Kensington village of Berlin and, sure enough, the supermarket my family frequents is not there. New Britain Stadium (c-1996) is there, but going by what's next to it, this picture may very well be from that time!

[Mergingtraffic]

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=41.67243,-72.84099&z=16&t=O

Interesting that in the map, I-84 WB is striped as 2 lanes from before the CT-72 on-ramp.  Also, interesting to see that CT-72 EB to I-84 WB was two lanes.  

The map date must be from 1989 or 1990-91 or so based on what roads were widened and what was under construction at the time.  There was a slew of road building in CT around this time:  I-91/CT-15/CHarter Oak Bridge reconfigurations, I-91/I-291 construction, I-91/CT-20 interchange, US-7 Expressway in Norwalk. 

I-84 widening in Danbury was already complete in the map and that was done in 1988.

[KEVIN_224]

The map is not from 1989, because the flyover ramp from I-84/US 6 East to I-91 North in Hartford is present. That opened in October of 1990. However, there is no tunnel yet on I-84/US 6 between Exits 50 (Main Street) and 52 (I-91 South). It also looks like the current Charter Oak Bridge (US 5/CT Route 15) had either just opened or was near completion. What looked like a ramp from the old bridge to I-91 North is no longer there.

Anyways, I found a reprint of an article from the day the old Charter Oak Bridge was used for the last time in 1991:

http://articles.courant.com/1991-08-08/news/0000213347_1_four-lane-bridge-founders-bridge-two-bridges

There was also this article about the Founders Bridge (today's western terminus of CT Route 2) from February of 1992, which spans the Connecticut River south of the Bulkeley Bridge (I-84/US 6/US 44). Interesting reading for all of us highway geeks!

http://articles.courant.com/1992-02-11/news/0000205959_1_i-91-new-project-founders-bridge

[shadyjay]

I remember reading that second article in the Courant when it came out and thought of how they'd undertake a massive project, especially the lowering of I-91 South.  But they did it, and IIRC it was a few years behind schedule, but the end result was a much smoother drive and less traffic headaches.  

I also remember meeting DOT Commissioner Frankel.  He came to my Junior High School in 1992 and I again met him at the Baldwin Bridge opening in 1993.  I even got a tour of the DOT building (aka - the Taj Mahal) and had submitted my "plans" for the reconfiguration of Route 9 in Middletown to eliminate the traffic lights  (nearly 20 years later and NOTHING has been done to it to improve that bottleneck).  Back then, I had big transportation aspirations.  After being a surveyor for almost 10 years, I've found myself back in the ski resort/tourism field and haven't looked back.  

I wished I saved those articles from "back in the day", and wished I took more pictures.  I have some of the Baldwin Bridge opening and at one time I had a video of it too.  CPTV also ran a special called "From Here To There" with a lot of archival footage of roads in CT but it was on VHS and the tape got chewed up.

[KEVIN_224]

Oh damn! I would kill to see a show like that now!

As for the articles from The Hartford Courant, I'm surprised they're still available like that! Despite the closeness of downtown Hartford (10 miles from my house), I almost never went there back then. I had to be reminded that I-91 South went over the Founders Bridge then! I, myself, can't even recall there being a northbound Exit 30 from I-91! Today, the exits northbound jump from 29A to 32A/B (Exit 30 for I-84/US 6 East and Exit 31 for State Street are southbound only).

In one other place, it was mentioned that I-91 access from Commerce Street closed. I would hope so, considering much of the Connecticut Convention Center now sits on that former roadway! (Commerce Street is the first bridge you pass under today when getting onto the Whitehead-Conlon Highway from I-91.)

Lastly, I found this little gem of a video! Somebody posted their drive through Hartford and parts of East Hartford, along I-84/US Route 6. The clip is from the late 80s. What makes that obvious?

1- The left exit lane for Exit 46 in Hartford (Sisson Avenue) was longer.
2- No tunnel between Exit 50 (Main Street) and 52 (I-91 South).
3- No flyover ramp from I-84/US Route 6 East to I-91 North (that opened in October of 1990).
4- A construction zone in East Hartford. It may be when the addition of the HOV lanes was started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6oUYKtFH6o&list=FLxqRs_5SiHClOhFWAbR_mMQ&index=1&feature=plpp_video

[Mergingtraffic]

Here is the DOT 5 year plan.  On the pdf page 13, it still lists the US-6 expressway extension from the end of I-384.  Of course it's unfunded, but glad to see it's still there.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dcommunications/press_release/5-year_Cap_Plan_-_Oct11_Update_11-17.pdf

[yakra]

What route does 72 take between 372 & 229 right now?

[Duke87]

What route does 72 take between 372 & 229 right now?

Last time I was up there (August?), there was conflicting signage between the old and new routings. But the new routing is complete and driveable, so presumably the move has taken place, at least on the books.

What's screwy is that 72 still follows Riverside Ave (requiring three turns) as opposed to Memorial Blvd (which would be a straight shot). Maybe there's a turf war there?

[shadyjay]

What's screwy is that 72 still follows Riverside Ave (requiring three turns) as opposed to Memorial Blvd (which would be a straight shot). Maybe there's a turf war there?

There is an old white  overhead sign at the start of Memorial Blvd at each end.  Here's the west end view:  http://www.google.com/maps?q=bristol,+ct&hl=en&ll=41.670386,-72.942634&spn=0.00068,0.00142&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.677964,93.076172&hnear=Bristol,+Hartford,+Connecticut&t=h&layer=c&cbll=41.670397,-72.942767&panoid=iQnan7VxK4k1xmCzIpbXlQ&cbp=12,146.02,,0,-19.29&z=20

It states: 

VEHICLES WITH PASSENGER
PLATES ONLY ALLOWED
CHAPTER ##-## ORDINANCE

This could very well be why the signed route takes it bypassing the Blvd.  

Of course if they had just built the whole expressway like they should have back in the 1970s, there wouldn't be an issue.  

[Duke87]

Okay, how did I not notice that?

[shadyjay]

On another note....

Has anyone gotten any pics of the new signage on I-84 in the Danbury area?

[wytout]

On another note....

Has anyone gotten any pics of the new signage on I-84 in the Danbury area?

ditto was wondering the same thing, esp new mileage markers w/ shields which have allegedly been sprouting up.

[Mergingtraffic]

Drove on US-7 north of I-84 and the last of the non-reflective button copy signs are gone.  Interesting note, drivers on NB US-7 now see US-202 signed from the expressway, including the off ramps and White Turkey Road Ext and until you reach Federal Road.  

However drivers from Federal Road (US-202) getting on US-7 SB, it is not signed.

However again, US-202 is signed both directions for Exit 11 (Exit 11, To US-202 East Federal Road) on the US-7 Expressway itself.

For the most part US-202, for the first time ever, is now signed through Danbury.  US-202 was never signed at Exit 11 on US-7 til now.  US-202 was signed on I-84 until it was widened in 1988.

[shadyjay]

I just found this on the CT 9 Wikipedia page.  As with all things Wiki, take it for what its worth, but is there any truth to replacing the "Stack" on I-84 at Route 9 with a trumpet?

In the future ConnDOT will have plans to build the trumpet interchange at I-84/U.S. 6 and Route 9.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Route_9#History

[KEVIN_224]

That's the first I've ever seen or heard about it. There are a couple of reservoirs just north of the current "stack" on the Farmington/West Hartford town line, hence part of the reason the beltway was never built north of there.

[Alps]

At some point those ramps will be getting old enough to replace, so may as well build a trumpet. But if Wiki says it, it's wrong.

[kurumi]

I just found this on the CT 9 Wikipedia page.  As with all things Wiki, take it for what its worth, but is there any truth to replacing the "Stack" on I-84 at Route 9 with a trumpet?

In the future ConnDOT will have plans to build the trumpet interchange at I-84/U.S. 6 and Route 9.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Route_9#History

I've heard nothing about the trumpet. That would seem like a lot of expense for marginal benefit (less capacity, possibly free up some land?). There are many real needs going unmet these days.

The closest thing I've seen is a project (on hold, no funding) to fix nearby exit 39 (SR 508/CT 4) to remove the left-hand ramps, and provide direct access from CT 4 to CT 9: http://www.farmington-ct.org/docs/FYI/Road_Project_Summary.pdf

(We do know from Wikipedia (or we did, until it got "fixed") that the number of African elephants had actually tripled in the last decade: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/wikipedia_handles_colbert_elephant_prank/)

[KEVIN_224]

Don't you love how Conn-DOT is too lazy to have the Exit 39 signs read "TO CT 4"? Anyways, how would they fit this all in? Presently, the long on-ramp to I-84 East is separated with a jersey barrier, because traffic is already coming in from US Route 6 Eastbound on the other side of I-84 East. That was already in place long before the last portion of CT Route 9 opened in 1992. Also, between where US Route 6 East joins I-84 East and the Exit 39A off-ramp for CT Route 9 South, there's a small access road for a Conn-DOT maintenance yard. Then there's South Road and it's overpass to contend with, too. Good luck Conn-DOT!

Here's how it looks on Google Maps:

http://g.co/maps/xqd9c

[Mergingtraffic]

I hate trumpets, b/c of the long curves ie I-95 & CT-25-8.  If anything, the DOT would tear down the non used ramps at the stack.  The stack was actually well designed and that seems to be the favored style of ramps, flyovers.  Look at all the recent construction, I-691, I-384-I-291 and the new CT-34 flyover.

Plus, notice the sentence in wiki isn't sourced. 

and the new project of the I-84, CT-9 and 4 project includes flyovers or flyunders.  The left hand on-ramp from CT-4 will enter on the right side of I-84 EB.  There will be a new C&D road on the south side of I-84 connecting to CT-9 SB.  Drivers could connect to I-84EB or CT-9 SB.  The left hand exit from I-84 EB to CT-4 will also be from the right. 

[KEVIN_224]

My guess is that the space being used now for the left on-ramp from CT Route 4 could become the left lane for I-84 (the highway would get shifted over a few feet to the left. As for a C/D road, would it be similar to how they reconfigured the combined I-84/CT Route 72 in Plainville near the New Britain city line? (That project also provided eastbound access for both roads from Crooked Street in Plainville.)

[shadyjay]

I hate trumpets, b/c of the long curves ie I-95 & CT-25-8.  If anything, the DOT would tear down the non used ramps at the stack.  The stack was actually well designed and that seems to be the favored style of ramps, flyovers.  Look at all the recent construction, I-691, I-384-I-291 and the new CT-34 flyover.

Plus, notice the sentence in wiki isn't sourced. 

That's what I figured, but wanted to make sure.   Well, we're not 100% sure, but wanted to make sure I didn't miss some article in the Courant or online elsewhere about it. 

I still think that CT 9 should be extended north at least to CT 4 or to US 44, getting around the reservoirs either by veering east or west or split carriageways.  If it was up to me, I'd build all of I-291.  Still hard to believe there is no [limited access] route from points west of Hartford to points north without having to go through downtown.   

[Mergingtraffic]

My guess is that the space being used now for the left on-ramp from CT Route 4 could become the left lane for I-84 (the highway would get shifted over a few feet to the left. As for a C/D road, would it be similar to how they reconfigured the combined I-84/CT Route 72 in Plainville near the New Britain city line? (That project also provided eastbound access for both roads from Crooked Street in Plainville.)

Correct, I believe I-84 would shift over to where the left on-ramp is and the C&D would tie in to the existing ramp to CT-9 SB. 

I do have a plan pdf on my computer I received from the DOT (if you ask, they are happy to share their knowledge)  but don't know how to post it on here.  Any ideas? 

[shadyjay]

Here's my take - base map is from DeLorme's Street Atlas USA program:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rGQwS-ZE1N0/Tz8QjhHedlI/AAAAAAAAQEc/z6o4inkg_V4/s912/I84-Farmington.jpg


I-84 EB new right hand exit would become a flyover to CT 4, somewhat meeting up with the existing ramp alignment.  Just past this new exit, a new exit would lead to a C&D road leading to CT 9.  This single lane ramp would be joined by the existing ramp from Colt Highway.  Joining the C&D road on the left just past the Colt Highway ramp would be the extended ramp from CT 4.  The C&D road would run parallel to and south of I-84, with one lane continuing straight and slightly left to merge onto I-84 EB, and the right lane(s) continuing to CT 9.  It is optional whether or not Colt Highway traffic would merge onto the C&D or be given its own lane.  The need for one or two lanes past the I-84 EB "exit" would be determined by whether or not CT 9 is extended north of I-84.  3 lanes of I-84 EB traffic would be maintained throughout the area, increasing the current capacity slightly.

And to simplify matters, US 6 is no longer signed through this area, but rather leaves Colt Highway and heads north and then northeast on Farmington Avenue into Hartford.  Therefore, CT 4 would actually start at the I-84 interchange, making the "TO" unnecessary.