Connecticut News

[Alps]

I support continuing the discussion of whether or not to split it here for a few more pages.

[shadyjay]

I bet we set a new record in the number of pages/posts on a "CT EXIT RENUMBERING" thread. 
:-)

[The Ghostbuster]

From now on, all commentary for the conversion of Connecticut's exits to mileage-based should be posted at this new thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=33198.0.

[shadyjay]

I-95 Gold Star Bridge SB in New London is closed due to a massive fire that started on the bridge...

https://www.wfsb.com/2023/04/21/crash-vehicle-fire-closes-i-95-groton/

News reports were saying the bridge was rated in poor condition and that work was starting to rebuild it.  Well, that's the I-95NB span, as the I-95SB span was overhauled just a few years ago.  (And technically, I believe the I-95SB bridge is the Submarine Veterans Bridge now, but it'll always be the Gold Star Bridge!)

[Ted$8roadFan]

I-95 Gold Star Bridge SB in New London is closed due to a massive fire that started on the bridge...

https://www.wfsb.com/2023/04/21/crash-vehicle-fire-closes-i-95-groton/

News reports were saying the bridge was rated in poor condition and that work was starting to rebuild it.  Well, that's the I-95NB span, as the I-95SB span was overhauled just a few years ago.  (And technically, I believe the I-95SB bridge is the Submarine Veterans Bridge now, but it'll always be the Gold Star Bridge!)

I wonder what the alternate routes around the crash site will be. Perhaps CT-2A near Mohegan Sun?

[froggie]

Northbound has since fully reopened.  Southbound reopened to 2 lanes (the far left lanes) within the past hour...TV coverage at 6:20pm showed it as still closed, but a nearby ConnDOT traffic cam shows 2 lanes getting by.

RE Ted's post:  CT 2A is the next upstream river crossing...traffic could simply take I-395 on the west side, but it's a PITA to get to on the east side.

[zzyzx]

The I-95 Exit 74 Project Website is now online. They added a few more final rendering photos from ground level:







https://i-95eastlyme.com/construction-photos/final-project-renderings

[Duke87]

I'm not sure revenue is the primary motivation when the cameras won't ticket vehicles going less than 15 over the limit, and the first violation is a written warning.  If they ran the cameras 24/7 and gave out $40 tickets to any offender like Maryland, I would say otherwise.

Heh. I'm used to referring to them as "revenue generation cameras" simply by default since that is very much what they are for the majority of jurisdictions that employ them.

In CT's case you're correct that this is... less about revenue than typical. It's more about politics, specifically "traffic fatalities are up and we need to look like we're doing something about it". So they temporarily authorize a minimum program and place multiple restraints on it.

Still, it is worth noting that the regular flow of traffic in CT is frequently >15 mph over the posted limit (thanks to stupidly low northeastern speed limits), so that threshold isn't as generous as it sounds.

I have a question with CT 34, does it still go all the way to I-95 on the service roads they built when they took out the little freeway spur in New Haven or was it truncated since the signs from 95 and 91 dont have 34 shields anymore.

To add to what was already mentioned: signs were removed east of CT 10 at the city of New Haven's request, to route thru traffic around downtown instead of through it.

It's worth noting however that no pavement has actually changed hands: the surface alignment between the end of the Oak St Connector and CT 10 was one of three cases in CT where a state route had a locally maintained section.

What remains of the connector is still inventoried as CT 34 even though not signed as such. In the past one might expect this to be converted to an SR, but there's been a trend in the 21st century of DOTs being lazy allowing exceptions to their numbering rules to creep into existence (see for example Montana primary, formerly secondary but they didn't change the number, route 323). The connector stub could well end up being an unsigned section of CT 34 indefinitely rather than being renumbered to SR 7XX like the rules say it should.

[Ted$8roadFan]

A Connecticut icon has passed:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thehour/name/stew-leonard-obituary?id=51755958

A road-related nugget was that his dairy farm was taken by eminent domain for a highway; perhaps US 7?

[abqtraveler]

I'm not sure revenue is the primary motivation when the cameras won't ticket vehicles going less than 15 over the limit, and the first violation is a written warning.  If they ran the cameras 24/7 and gave out $40 tickets to any offender like Maryland, I would say otherwise.

Heh. I'm used to referring to them as "revenue generation cameras" simply by default since that is very much what they are for the majority of jurisdictions that employ them.

In CT's case you're correct that this is... less about revenue than typical. It's more about politics, specifically "traffic fatalities are up and we need to look like we're doing something about it". So they temporarily authorize a minimum program and place multiple restraints on it.

Still, it is worth noting that the regular flow of traffic in CT is frequently >15 mph over the posted limit (thanks to stupidly low northeastern speed limits), so that threshold isn't as generous as it sounds.

I have a question with CT 34, does it still go all the way to I-95 on the service roads they built when they took out the little freeway spur in New Haven or was it truncated since the signs from 95 and 91 dont have 34 shields anymore.

To add to what was already mentioned: signs were removed east of CT 10 at the city of New Haven's request, to route thru traffic around downtown instead of through it.

It's worth noting however that no pavement has actually changed hands: the surface alignment between the end of the Oak St Connector and CT 10 was one of three cases in CT where a state route had a locally maintained section.

What remains of the connector is still inventoried as CT 34 even though not signed as such. In the past one might expect this to be converted to an SR, but there's been a trend in the 21st century of DOTs being lazy allowing exceptions to their numbering rules to creep into existence (see for example Montana primary, formerly secondary but they didn't change the number, route 323). The connector stub could well end up being an unsigned section of CT 34 indefinitely rather than being renumbered to SR 7XX like the rules say it should.

My suspicion is they will retain Route 34's designation in CTDOT's route logs for the section between Route 10 and the I-91/I-95 interchange, but it will be unsigned. Seems like the City of New Haven doesn't want through-traffic (particularly semis) going through downtown, but they also don't want to take over maintenance of the frontage roads either.

[kernals12]

A Connecticut icon has passed:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thehour/name/stew-leonard-obituary?id=51755958

A road-related nugget was that his dairy farm was taken by eminent domain for a highway; perhaps US 7?

That would be ironic since Stew's has a location on US 7 in Brookfield.

[jp the roadgeek]

A Connecticut icon has passed:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thehour/name/stew-leonard-obituary?id=51755958

A road-related nugget was that his dairy farm was taken by eminent domain for a highway; perhaps US 7?

That would be ironic since Stew's has a location on US 7 in Brookfield.

It's actually in Danbury just south of the Brookfield line.  And it's the old Route 7 (SR 805) as US 7 is on the expressway.  The road becomes US 202 just north of there. 

[Mergingtraffic]

They moved the traffic work zone cams to I-84 EB at Exit 13.

Should the photo enforced signs be yellow as they're essentially warning you of the speed cameras ahead?

[Mergingtraffic]

I-84 Signage
https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/CTDOT-Press-Releases/2023/Replacing-Highway-Signs-and-Supports-Along-I84-from-Manchester-to-Mass-State-Line

Also, the new on-ramp to the "CT-25 Expressway" has opened in Newtown.  lol  The I-84 Exit 11 revamp is almost complete.  Looks like the off-ramp will stay two-lanes to the Wasserman Way traffic light.  The on-ramp to the long ramps that were to be partof the CT-25 Expressway from CT-34 West is now open.

[The Ghostbuster]

Will the new signs on Interstate 84 have the current sequential numbers, or will they have mileage-based numbers? I am betting on the former, even though they should really do the latter.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Will the new signs on Interstate 84 have the current sequential numbers, or will they have mileage-based numbers? I am betting on the former, even though they should really do the latter.

They will still be sequential until 2028 when I-84's exit numbers will be converted into mile-based...

[abqtraveler]

They moved the traffic work zone cams to I-84 EB at Exit 13.

Should the photo enforced signs be yellow as they're essentially warning you of the speed cameras ahead?

I'm curious as to how much tolerance the new workzone speed cameras give you before they snap your picture.

[sharkyfour]

They moved the traffic work zone cams to I-84 EB at Exit 13.

Should the photo enforced signs be yellow as they're essentially warning you of the speed cameras ahead?

I'm curious as to how much tolerance the new workzone speed cameras give you before they snap your picture.

According to the press release, you'd have to be going 15mph over the posted work zone speed limit (of at least 45mph).  https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/CTDOT-Press-Releases/2023/CTDOT-Launches-Work-Zone-Speed-Safety-Camera-Pilot-Program

[Rothman]

They moved the traffic work zone cams to I-84 EB at Exit 13.

Should the photo enforced signs be yellow as they're essentially warning you of the speed cameras ahead?

I'm curious as to how much tolerance the new workzone speed cameras give you before they snap your picture.

According to the press release, you'd have to be going 15mph over the posted work zone speed limit (of at least 45mph).  https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/CTDOT-Press-Releases/2023/CTDOT-Launches-Work-Zone-Speed-Safety-Camera-Pilot-Program

In NY, the tolerance for the new photo enforcement program is 9 mph, so be careful...one pilot camera downstate sent out some absurd number of tickets (tens of thousands)...

[Mergingtraffic]

A new combo-exit advance signage popped up on CT-8 NB in Waterbury.
Downtown Waterbury Exit 32 isn't open at the moment.

[shadyjay]

My guess is that this one replaces the one for I-84 only mounted on the overpass just ahead. 

Just checked the contract plans for the CT 8 exit renumbering & sign modification... this one is not included (but a similar one will be placed SB), so the NB one is probably part of the Mixmaster rehab project.

[DJStephens]

A Connecticut icon has passed:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thehour/name/stew-leonard-obituary?id=51755958

A road-related nugget was that his dairy farm was taken by eminent domain for a highway; perhaps US 7?

That would be ironic since Stew's has a location on US 7 in Brookfield.

The obituary mentions that the Diary Farm taken was "Clover Farms" in Norwalk.  Must have been for that short US 7 freeway grade section that extends northwards out of Norwalk.   

[kernals12]

A Connecticut icon has passed:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thehour/name/stew-leonard-obituary?id=51755958

A road-related nugget was that his dairy farm was taken by eminent domain for a highway; perhaps US 7?

That would be ironic since Stew's has a location on US 7 in Brookfield.

It's actually in Danbury just south of the Brookfield line.  And it's the old Route 7 (SR 805) as US 7 is on the expressway.  The road becomes US 202 just north of there.

I meant that you can see the store from Route 7

[kernals12]

A Connecticut icon has passed:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thehour/name/stew-leonard-obituary?id=51755958

A road-related nugget was that his dairy farm was taken by eminent domain for a highway; perhaps US 7?

Stew Leonard's is the Northeast's answer to Buc-ee's

[abqtraveler]

A Connecticut icon has passed:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thehour/name/stew-leonard-obituary?id=51755958

A road-related nugget was that his dairy farm was taken by eminent domain for a highway; perhaps US 7?

Stew Leonard's is the Northeast's answer to Buc-ee's

Comparing Stew Leonards to Buc-ee's is like comparing apples to oranges. Buc-ee's is more of a truck/travel stop on steriods that provides fuel, goods, and services for travelers, whereas Stew Leonards is more of giant farmers market.