CT-72 Extension NOW OPEN (partially) & I-84 EIS CANCELLED!!

[Mergingtraffic]

http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2010/09/27/news/doc4ca0cb17d542b123237204.txt

I find it interesting that the politicians tout themselves as pro-transportation while this project falls very short of a compromise to the CT-72 Expressway that was supposed togo towards CT-8.

Also, in a related note, the state quietly took back the money for the I-84 Waterbury to NY State Line widening EIS.  It is cancelled...for now.  3 Million dollars was approved in 2009 by the bond commission and the EIS actually started but now has stopped.   How come the politcians don't mention that?  Well, we know why...but still! Don't act like you are the transportation administration when you don't back all the projects.

[iwishiwascanadian]

If anything roads-related needs to get done by ConnDOT, the widening of I-84 between Waterbury and Danbury is it.  I'm sick of sitting in traffic from Danbury to Waterbury for miles just because of a lack of capacity.  At this point, I would be happy with short-term fixes such as auxiliary lanes. 

[shadyjay]

If anything roads-related needs to get done by ConnDOT, the widening of I-84 between Waterbury and Danbury is it.  I'm sick of sitting in traffic from Danbury to Waterbury for miles just because of a lack of capacity.  At this point, I would be happy with short-term fixes such as auxiliary lanes. 

Before that gets done... they should finish what they started:  the widening of I-84 from Waterbury to Southington.  They have yet to touch the section between the end of the present 3-lane section near Hamilton Ave (Exit 23) and Exit 25A.  So, ConnDOT, do that section FIRST... then work your way west towards Danbury. 

Yes, I-84 between Waterbury and Danbury is a nightmare, but I think even before that gets done, I-95 needs to get widened east of New Haven, but starting with the section between the Conn River & I-395.

[iwishiwascanadian]

The section between the new widening in Cheshire and the Mixmaster in Waterbury is a massive bottleneck.  Was there plans for the widening to be done in conjunction with the widening in Cheshire?

I rarely travel in that neck of the woods, or East of the River for that matter so I can't really say anything about any widening on I-95 east of New Haven.  I was down there last month and the widening I saw through East Haven seemed really nice and going over the Q Bridge makes me appreciate the fact that they are doing something about it, it seems really narrow and heavily trafficked.

[shadyjay]

The section between the new widening in Cheshire and the Mixmaster in Waterbury is a massive bottleneck.  Was there plans for the widening to be done in conjunction with the widening in Cheshire?

Oh indeed!  They were going to straighten out that section, combine interchanges, and add another lane each way.  Not sure what happened but after the debacle with the contractor issues on the section east of there, the damages were repaired and the project never got west of Exit 25A.

[Mergingtraffic]

The section between the new widening in Cheshire and the Mixmaster in Waterbury is a massive bottleneck.  Was there plans for the widening to be done in conjunction with the widening in Cheshire?

Oh indeed!  They were going to straighten out that section, combine interchanges, and add another lane each way.  Not sure what happened but after the debacle with the contractor issues on the section east of there, the damages were repaired and the project never got west of Exit 25A.

The plan is on the books to widen from Exit 23-25A.  It was supposed to start in 2008 but permit problems delayed it and then the state ran outof money.  You would think somebody could've thought ahead on that one.

It's annoying to sit in traffic EB at Exit 23 or WB at Exit 25A only because it goes down to two lanes and you know that is the only reason the backup is there.

They say it will  start at 2014 the earliest.

[iwishiwascanadian]

Whenever I'm in that area we always get stuck either eastbound or westbound on that section, it never made since to me why the whole section wasn't redesigned.  I can agree with you this is a major priority, or should be for ConnDOT. 

[Mergingtraffic]

Whenever I'm in that area we always get stuck either eastbound or westbound on that section, it never made since to me why the whole section wasn't redesigned.  I can agree with you this is a major priority, or should be for ConnDOT. 

Once it is done, it will be nice, I have seen the plans. They plan to straighten out the curves and allign the exits.  I think even add in a short C&D road.  Of course they say 2014..weknow that means 2024.

[Mergingtraffic]

I had a chance to drive on the soon to be nw CT-72 Boulevard.  The boulevard section is nice.  However, I was under the impression it was going to be a boulevard all the way until CT-229.   That is NOT the case.  The last two blocks will be a 4-lane undivided road with strip malls on the side and NO center turn lanes!  Ugh! 

So, this is not a compromise to an expressway, it isn't even a boulevard all the way through!