Connecticut News

[Rothman]

Having grown up in western MA, there was no confusion between the two I-291s whatsoever (of course, the CT one come along a later on, especially with the new intersection with I-91...I liked seeing the tall overpasses being built).  The two highways are short and serve very distinct purposes.

That said, my brother-in-law took his first road trip between New England and DC and got off on I-695 thinking it was THE Beltway (BGSes on I-95 did indeed mark I-695 as "Beltway" back then...can't remember if they changed that when they updated the interchanges or not).

[KEVIN_224]

I will assume near Baltimore and was heading south?

[KEVIN_224]

https://www.wtnh.com/news/traffic/construction-project-to-shut-down-interstate-95-in-stamford-may-31june-3-june-7june-10/2038579551

I-95 in Stamford, right at WWE's front door at Exit 9. A two-weekend bridge replacement project. I remember when they did a different accelerated bridge replacement a few years ago. That was at Exit 30 of I-84 in Southington.

[ipeters61]

I'm home in Connecticut this weekend for a wedding.  I came across this interesting assembly on CT-372 at CT-3.  Has CT used series E(?) in standalone state shields before?

[Alps]

I'm home in Connecticut this weekend for a wedding.  I came across this interesting assembly on CT-372 at CT-3.  Has CT used series E(?) in standalone state shields before?

How did they manage not to replace those shields? I better go check that out. No, they're not an E state at all. There could be an E-series US 1 somewhere, but who'd know?

[DrSmith]

At least one other is on 91 in the Route 20 interchange
https://goo.gl/maps/pagtjTECRMDkxHFTA

[Alps]

At least one other is on 91 in the Route 20 interchange
https://goo.gl/maps/pagtjTECRMDkxHFTA

That's not the only one of those - I think 691 has or had one. Not sure how those came about.

[ipeters61]

At least one other is on 91 in the Route 20 interchange
https://goo.gl/maps/pagtjTECRMDkxHFTA

That's not the only one of those - I think 691 has or had one. Not sure how those came about.

I also saw some series E I-91 shields heading northbound in the area of the CT-9 interchange.

[wanderer2575]

Does that actually occur anywhere? A sequence of shield numbers like that? Such as 291, 491 and 691 when traveling in the same direction?

Michigan I-75 northbound (275, 475, 675)

Also in Michigan is I-96 eastbound:  I-196 and then I-296 (unsigned) in Grand Rapids, I-496 in Lansing, and I-696 in Detroit northern suburbs.

[mrsman]

Does that actually occur anywhere? A sequence of shield numbers like that? Such as 291, 491 and 691 when traveling in the same direction?

Michigan I-75 northbound (275, 475, 675)

Also in Michigan is I-96 eastbound:  I-196 and then I-296 (unsigned) in Grand Rapids, I-496 in Lansing, and I-696 in Detroit northern suburbs.

You get that luxury when all the 3dis are planned in advance.  Obviously if a new interstate freeway were built it would be I-891 and it may not necessarily fit in the pattern.

[PHLBOS]

With regards to E-style numerals on route shields in CT, and there are a fair amount of them out there:

The ones on the Interstate shields, E-Modified BTW, were likely mimicking the old-school button-copy design/style.

The ones on the black-and-white US and/or state shields were likely independent installs and/or fabrication errors.

[RobbieL2415]

Exit 28 on I-91 N is now closed for the next two years.  Other updates to the project:

-Grading and utility relocation has started where the new flyover ramp will be located
-Temporary traffic cams are set up. Clearly forward thinking for when the backups start
-An excavator is at the end of CT 15 N, I presume to begin clearing for the widening there.

[jp the roadgeek]

At least one other is on 91 in the Route 20 interchange
https://goo.gl/maps/pagtjTECRMDkxHFTA

That's not the only one of those - I think 691 has or had one. Not sure how those came about.

There's an overhead one on I-691 West just prior to Exit 4, then there's this one as you approach I-691 on CT 322

[roadman]

I-95 Closure in Stamford this weekend   https://www.i95exit9.com/

[connroadgeek]

I-95 Closure in Stamford this weekend   https://www.i95exit9.com/

Second and final weekend of it. You can watch the action live on the DOT camera. With this process none of the concrete is being replaced. The bridge is something like 60 years old, so I guess this means the concrete supports will live on to be at least 100? I figured when you replace a bridge you should replace all of it. Also wish the DOT would lengthen the bridges when they replace them in case they ever want to add lanes without having to demolish bridges to do it.

[KEVIN_224]

https://www.courant.com/community/rocky-hill/hc-news-rocky-hill-elm-street-bridge-20190610-tifrjknyaff4pdfxexafq5akx4-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3f9aGyatNBgg0nPWGOUHAaNbrj2ce5su56A2dh0ANV4gb0I24vkXaE9Fk

Major bridge work this summer for where Elm Street passes over I-91 in Rocky Hill.

[RobbieL2415]

I have to say, I'm 25 years old and I've never seen such a larger proliferation of road work over the summer than I have this one.

[MikeTheActuary]

I have to say, I'm 25 years old and I've never seen such a larger proliferation of road work over the summer than I have this one.

You need to visit Montréal, just to put things in perspective. 

[shadyjay]

Looks like, effective 1-July-2019, the state will once again have its non-commercial rest areas open 24 hours a day.  These include I-84 East/Danbury, I-84 East/Southington, I-84 E/W/Willington, I-91 South/Wallingford, I-91 North/Middletown, and I-95 South/N Stonington.  For now, the dept of economic and community development will keep the I-95 NB Westbrook info center closed.  No word on the restaffing of welcome center portions of the Danbury, N. Stonington, Darien, and Greenwich facilities. 

With the reopening of the rest areas 24 hours a day, this will most likely mean the removal of portable toilets in place since 2016 when the buildings were only open during a single 8-hour shift. 

If it was my decision, I'd have the buildings open an extra shift (7am-11pm, on par with most of the rest of New England), and restore the welcome center staffing.  But, you can't win 'em all, and having them open 24/7 is a step in the right direction.

[KEVIN_224]

https://ctmirror.org/2019/06/28/highway-bathrooms-to-reopen-heres-why-they-really-closed/

A Connecticut Mirror story on the above subject. Connecticut's fiscal year starts on Monday, July 1st.

[Mergingtraffic]

Sign replacement updates:

I-84 WB, there was a "Southbury Training School, State Police, Tourist Info" BGS for Exit 14 that was knocked down by a storm a year ago and it was replaced recently.  I have never seen that sign in a spot improvement sign contract.  Usually CT DOT will just put up temp signs until the next spot improvement signing contract comes up.  Not in this case tho.

CT-8 has had some logo service signs knocked down and they've never been replaced.  FOOD for exit 12 SB and GAS for Exit 29 SB. 

on CT-15 some button copy for US-7 have been replaced NB.  The Main Ave signs still remain for now NB.  Others have been replaced if I'm not mistaken but they didn't replace the hideous 1980's gantries that aren't level and are ugly.  New signs are not highway gothic, just extruded aluminum.

CT-8 at CT-34 there's a truck detour for trucks over 7 tons over the Stevenson Dam Bridge.  Not really signed that well except for small warning signs saying to use Exit 14 CT-110.  You'd think those signs would be bigger or maybe extruded aluminum considering the importance.

CT-8 SB:

[DJStephens]

Saw that pic yesterday on the Courant website.  Would love to see a pic of the old ramp from 91 South to the bridge NB.

Love how they spend $900k of taxpayer money on something that 90% of said taxpayers oppose

Got a shot of the new gantry I mentioned last week, along with the new EB 1/2 mile Exit 33 / 3/4 mile Exit 34 gantry.

in a state with such high costs, and a budget shortfall, why replace the overhead gantries at all?  Just place the new extruded signs on the old gantries.  Eliminates the expense of replacing the whole thing.   Obviously, in rare cases of widening, or a new installation, a new gantry could be required.   But don't old gantries get saved at the sign shop??   Don't know whole story, and haven't lived in New England in twenty five years, but there just seems to be a cost savings being missed here.   

[shadyjay]

in a state with such high costs, and a budget shortfall, why replace the overhead gantries at all?

I'm guessing the gantries are being replaced since they are at the end of their usable life, don't meet current standards for wind/weather/etc, etc.  You don't want a poorly maintained gantry crashing down on some unsuspecting motorist(s).  Many of the gantries date back to the 1980s.  Some gantries are even being replaced with ground-mounted signage. 

[jp the roadgeek]

The ones in those pics that I took replaced the lattice gantries that dated back to the 1980's.  However, some of the gantries that are being replaced, surprisingly, are the tube gantries that date back to the early 2000's.  The 84 WB single overhead tube gantry for the 72 EB sign at exit was replaced by a chord gantry.    The cement piers have already been poured for the 2 Exit 35 EB tube gantries (the 1/2 mile and the one right at the 84/72 split); it's just a matter of the signs being fabricated, and then the install will take place.  Haven't seen any new signage go up since May on the Southington-Farmington stretch, plus the old signage behind the new signage for Slater Rd on 84 EB is still there on the overpass of the 84 WB ramp to 72 EB more than a year after the replacement sign install.  I've looked in the storage area on the ghost ramp from Woodford Ave in Plainville, and no new signage is on the ground.

[RobbieL2415]

It will be interesting to see what gets replaced when they do Exit 59-74. The gantries in Manchester and Vernon are quite deteriorated. The signs from 59 to 66 I think are now the oldest on the whole highway now that the Waterbury project is done.