weird intersection in middletown ct

[zachary_amaryllis]

i discovered this particular intersection in a railroading magazine, of all places..

this seems to hit a lot of weirdness -- a signalized at-grade, that has an exit number, and looks like it could be a hot mess at the wrong time of day. its middletown, ct, curious what anyone from this area thats been through here has to say.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5635978,-72.64838,3a,15y,151.63h,89.56t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjxfQ3WO2_15vfOerRkgAHw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Ben114]

Yeah, that's weird, especially when you look at it from the other direction. A 90-degree left turn at-grade with an exit number.

The closest thing that compares to this is this intersection on MA 146 in Sutton, but even that doesn't have an exit number.

[STLmapboy]

Ah, New England. 

[shadyjay]

Oy vey... route 9 in Middletown.  Don't get me started. 

Ok, well since you did...

Most days its not as bad as you'd think.  Yes, it backs up in the AM peak heading north and southbound in the PM peak, which on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer can be longer due to shore traffic.  However, this year, with the Arrigoni (Rt 66/17 bridge to Portland) down to one lane, traffic can back up and cause delays on Route 9.  This is impacting northbound traffic even during the PM peak.

There have been numerous proposals over the years, and in the 90s, I even submitted one to then-DOT commissioner Frankel.  Middletown has been afraid that any proposal would block convenient access to their city, and that traffic instead would just zoom by to other destinations.  Among the proposals have been flyovers, interchange upgrades, and new connector roads.  The latest plans show a northbound flyover between Exits 15 & 16. 

If you had told me in the 1980s that there would still be traffic lights on Route 9 in Middletown in 2020, I would've said you were crazy. 

There is light at the end, however, as it appears that the state is at least trying to improve conditions in the area.  There's a project web site, https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Highway-Design/Route-9-Middletown, and there's a near-term plans to close the unsignalized Miller/Bridge St intersection. 

Lastly, northbound traffic doesn't have to stop at the Exit 15 lights, as there is no entering traffic here.  The traffic lights at both intersections are old, having been installed in the 1980s and have never been replaced.  I find this strange, since many adjoining roads are on their 2nd or 3rd generation of lights since that time.

I hope to god that something is done soon.  But until then, its just something we in CT have gotten used to.

[Alps]

Don't forget the intersection just north of the lights! It looks like they've finally closed off left turns, but back when I was there in 2006, you had an unsignalized at-grade... https://goo.gl/maps/P9q5Dt4JVeM1PMXH6

[TravelingBethelite]

[...] Middletown has been afraid that any proposal would block convenient access to their city, and that traffic instead would just zoom by to other destinations[...]

Gee, I wonder why. It's not like it's another slowly dying post-industrial city in the Northeast with little to offer or interest the wider world. The same could be said of Connecticut, I suppose. At least we have ESPN.

[Rothman]

[...] Middletown has been afraid that any proposal would block convenient access to their city, and that traffic instead would just zoom by to other destinations[...]

Gee, I wonder why. It's not like it's another slowly dying post-industrial city in the Northeast with little to offer or interest the wider world. The same could be said of Connecticut, I suppose. At least we have ESPN.

Middletown is home to Wesleyan University and other colleges.  It's a college town.

[SectorZ]

Yeah, that's weird, especially when you look at it from the other direction. A 90-degree left turn at-grade with an exit number.

The closest thing that compares to this is this intersection on MA 146 in Sutton, but even that doesn't have an exit number.

Similar weirdness at MA 24 and MA 140 in Taunton as well

[Ned Weasel]

Similar weirdness at MA 24 and MA 140 in Taunton as well

This one looks 1000 times better, to be honest.

But yeah, perhaps a bit overzealous with the exit numbers.

[TravelingBethelite]

[...] Middletown has been afraid that any proposal would block convenient access to their city, and that traffic instead would just zoom by to other destinations[...]

Gee, I wonder why. It's not like it's another slowly dying post-industrial city in the Northeast with little to offer or interest the wider world. The same could be said of Connecticut, I suppose. At least we have ESPN.

Middletown is home to Wesleyan University and other colleges.  It's a college town.

Don't worry, I'm plenty familiar with them. But without them, I wonder what Middletown would be... I suspect it would look a lot like its counterpart on the other side of the river.

But I have to say something about the Route 9 and Route 66 intersection. The fact that it's been the way it is for 40 some years without any change, but plenty of talk, is so quintessentially Connecticut. Political gridlock is everywhere, but this is one unique intersection.

[shadyjay]

Don't forget the intersection just north of the lights! It looks like they've finally closed off left turns, but back when I was there in 2006, you had an unsignalized at-grade... https://goo.gl/maps/P9q5Dt4JVeM1PMXH6

Currently on the bid list for 4/2021:

[0082-0322 MIDDLETOWN Upgrade Portland St. RR Xing & Close Access b/t CT 9 & Miller St., B/O of 82-318]

Basically the road is intact and so is the crossing, but some fencing is in the way, and Bridge St looks pretty narrow north of the crossing.  Would've made sense to do this years ago, and block off access to/from CT 9. 

At one point, the city of Middletown wanted to just rid themselves of the whole neighborhood.  This article is interesting:
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/10/nyregion/there-goes-the-neighborhood.html

[TravelingBethelite]

Don't forget the intersection just north of the lights! It looks like they've finally closed off left turns, but back when I was there in 2006, you had an unsignalized at-grade... https://goo.gl/maps/P9q5Dt4JVeM1PMXH6

Currently on the bid list for 4/2021:

[0082-0322 MIDDLETOWN Upgrade Portland St. RR Xing & Close Access b/t CT 9 & Miller St., B/O of 82-318]

Basically the road is intact and so is the crossing, but some fencing is in the way, and Bridge St looks pretty narrow north of the crossing.  Would've made sense to do this years ago, and block off access to/from CT 9. 

At one point, the city of Middletown wanted to just rid themselves of the whole neighborhood.  This article is interesting:
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/10/nyregion/there-goes-the-neighborhood.html

Is that railroad still in use? I'm pretty sure there are cars on it that haven't moved in 10 or 20 years.

[shadyjay]

The railroad is used regularly, several times a week, if not daily.  Some cars are stored along Route 9 just south of Washington St/Exit 15 until they're ready to be taken to their destination the next day or so.  Providence & Worcester has a refueling station in Middletown at the diamond, which is just south of Hartford Ave (at CT 9 "Exit" 16) so they may come up from North Haven daily but only go north or east a few days a week. 

[doogie1303]

 

[...] Middletown has been afraid that any proposal would block convenient access to their city, and that traffic instead would just zoom by to other destinations[...]

Gee, I wonder why. It's not like it's another slowly dying post-industrial city in the Northeast with little to offer or interest the wider world. The same could be said of Connecticut, I suppose. At least we have ESPN.

Middletown is home to Wesleyan University and other colleges.  It's a college town.

Don't worry, I'm plenty familiar with them. But without them, I wonder what Middletown would be... I suspect it would look a lot like its counterpart on the other side of the river.

But I have to say something about the Route 9 and Route 66 intersection. The fact that it's been the way it is for 40 some years without any change, but plenty of talk, is so quintessentially Connecticut. Political gridlock is everywhere, but this is one unique intersection.

Considering I grew up in Connecticut, I totally agree with your statement. They've been talking about fixing the Route 9 mess thru Middletown for decades, just about as long as they been saying they'll finish Route 11 all the way to I-95.