Connecticut News

[TravelingBethelite]

I would think that exits west of New Haven wouldn't be renumbered, since they're pretty close to the existing mileage as is. 

Some of those exits are as much as four miles off.  Should the people there have to put up with having no way to predict how far they are from their exit just because the numbers "catch up" later?  I don't get why some people are so intimidated by letters.

Most places get along just fine with letters. Ever live somewhere with mileage-based exits? Once you use them, it's hard to go back to sequential.

Its not the letters that's intimidating I think.... it's a subtle change of an exit number by 1 or 2 which could lead to confusion.  I can see the signs now.... "EXIT 1... FORMER EXIT 2".... "EXIT 2... FORMER EXIT 3".... and so on.  Since the signs were just replaced within the past few years, it doesn't make sense to change them. 

PA has signs like that on some of its 3DIs. Not much confusion. And in most places, just the exit tabs were replaced (or patched, in many cases). There are still quite a few signs out there with the "new" exit number patched on and the transition was 15 years ago.

Has any state/highway gone from sequential--->mileage-based--->sequential exits before? The Mid-South/Midwest seem to come to mind...

[mariethefoxy]

its wierd seeing those new signs in CT with the exit tabs that have the white border. Im used to that unique Connecticut quirk where the exit tabs didnt have a white border.

[PHLBOS]

its wierd seeing those new signs in CT with the exit tabs that have the white border. Im used to that unique Connecticut quirk where the exit tabs didnt have a white border.

Such has existed in CT for a few years now.

[TravelingBethelite]

its wierd seeing those new signs in CT with the exit tabs that have the white border. Im used to that unique Connecticut quirk where the exit tabs didnt have a white border.

Such has existed in CT for a few years now.

Man, I feel so stupid ( ) not knowing what you're talking about while living in CT. At least, I don't quite recall white-exit-tabs in the Danbury area recently. What areas have the kind of tabs you're talking about?

[machias]

I would think that exits west of New Haven wouldn't be renumbered, since they're pretty close to the existing mileage as is. 

Some of those exits are as much as four miles off.  Should the people there have to put up with having no way to predict how far they are from their exit just because the numbers "catch up" later?  I don't get why some people are so intimidated by letters.

Most places get along just fine with letters. Ever live somewhere with mileage-based exits? Once you use them, it's hard to go back to sequential.

Its not the letters that's intimidating I think.... it's a subtle change of an exit number by 1 or 2 which could lead to confusion.  I can see the signs now.... "EXIT 1... FORMER EXIT 2".... "EXIT 2... FORMER EXIT 3".... and so on.  Since the signs were just replaced within the past few years, it doesn't make sense to change them. 

PA has signs like that on some of its 3DIs. Not much confusion. And in most places, just the exit tabs were replaced (or patched, in many cases). There are still quite a few signs out there with the "new" exit number patched on and the transition was 15 years ago.

Has any state/highway gone from sequential--->mileage-based--->sequential exits before? The Mid-South/Midwest seem to come to mind...

I think I-79 in PA did that, nope it did the reverse - mileage, sequential, mileage. I remember the original button copy signs around Erie having the shadow of "EXIT 180" with a "41" slapped over it. This was in the mid to late 1980s. When PA switched to distance based numbers, it went to Exit 180 again.

[JakeFromNewEngland]

its wierd seeing those new signs in CT with the exit tabs that have the white border. Im used to that unique Connecticut quirk where the exit tabs didnt have a white border.

Such has existed in CT for a few years now.

Man, I feel so stupid ( ) not knowing what you're talking about while living in CT. At least, I don't quite recall white-exit-tabs in the Danbury area recently. What areas have the kind of tabs you're talking about?

I think he's referring to the exit tabs that didn't have borders like this one:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.120913,-73.32702,3a,15y,302.03h,93.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sa-QC0atTafYtAyFZD7hzjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[PHLBOS]

its wierd seeing those new signs in CT with the exit tabs that have the white border. Im used to that unique Connecticut quirk where the exit tabs didnt have a white border.

Such has existed in CT for a few years now.

Man, I feel so stupid ( ) not knowing what you're talking about while living in CT. At least, I don't quite recall white-exit-tabs in the Danbury area recently. What areas have the kind of tabs you're talking about?

This one in Danbury along I-84 has existed for a few years; note the new MUTCD standard for signing Left Lane exits.

A recent example of a more conventional right exit along I-84 in Danbury.

I think he's referring to the exit tabs that didn't have borders like this one:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.120913,-73.32702,3a,15y,302.03h,93.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sa-QC0atTafYtAyFZD7hzjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

That's an example of what ConnDOT used to do.  My earlier post (reposted above in this reply) was in reference to ConnDOT has already adopted using exit tabs with white borders years before the new BGS' now being erected along I-395.

In short, the new I-395 BGS' aren't the only signs in CT sporting white-bordered exit tabs.

[shadyjay]

Has any state/highway gone from sequential--->mileage-based--->sequential exits before? The Mid-South/Midwest seem to come to mind...

Yes, but they went mile-based -> sequential -> mile based.  In NYC, I-95 exits on the Cross Bronx Expy were roughly mile-based, then some signs at either end were replaced and sequential exit numbers were used.  Then the signs at the east end had their exit numbers changed back to the original mile-based numbers, while those on the west end (the section in Manhattan) were not changed.  So to this day, NB (EB) exits go 1-2-3-2A-etc.  Heading SB (WB), the signs were more recently replaced and there's fewer Manhattan exits, so there are no dual numbers in that direction.

[Mergingtraffic]

The AUX LANES on I-95 by US-7 are now open.  But the new BGS signs still aren't.  I'm still not convinced this will solve the problem, maybe take the edge off congestion at times.  The problem is people still try to weave when the lane first starts causing the slow down.

Where I-95 really opens up (although briefly...very briefly) between exits 10-8 and the 4th lane SB I see a difference but once that lane ends at exit 8 it backs up again.  A 4th lane throughout lower Fairfield County would be the only solution.

[noelbotevera]

I've been on all of I-95 in CT back in 2009, and saw the TERRIBLE traffic. Jeez. I-95's lane set up could be this:

10-12 lanes between NY State Line and Housatonic River
12 lanes between Housatonic River and I-91
10 lanes between I-91 and CT 77
8 lanes between CT 77 and CT 9
6 lanes between CT 9 and CT 85
10 lanes between CT 85 and Clarence B Sharp Highway (CT 349)
4 lanes between CT 349 and RI State Line

[TravelingBethelite]

It's gotten worse. We have relatives in Milford and our route is US 7 > I-95 North. It was Wednesday at about 10 AM and and it was backed up the entire way. We left at about 9:30 AM and still didn't get there until 2 PM.   

[JakeFromNewEngland]

its wierd seeing those new signs in CT with the exit tabs that have the white border. Im used to that unique Connecticut quirk where the exit tabs didnt have a white border.

Such has existed in CT for a few years now.

Man, I feel so stupid ( ) not knowing what you're talking about while living in CT. At least, I don't quite recall white-exit-tabs in the Danbury area recently. What areas have the kind of tabs you're talking about?

This one in Danbury along I-84 has existed for a few years; note the new MUTCD standard for signing Left Lane exits.

A recent example of a more conventional right exit along I-84 in Danbury.

I think he's referring to the exit tabs that didn't have borders like this one:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.120913,-73.32702,3a,15y,302.03h,93.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sa-QC0atTafYtAyFZD7hzjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

That's an example of what ConnDOT used to do.  My earlier post (reposted above in this reply) was in reference to ConnDOT has already adopted using exit tabs with white borders years before the new BGS' now being erected along I-395.

In short, the new I-395 BGS' aren't the only signs in CT sporting white-bordered exit tabs.

Oops, I misunderstood that.   

[JakeFromNewEngland]

I've been on all of I-95 in CT back in 2009, and saw the TERRIBLE traffic. Jeez. I-95's lane set up could be this:

10-12 lanes between NY State Line and Housatonic River
12 lanes between Housatonic River and I-91
10 lanes between I-91 and CT 77
8 lanes between CT 77 and CT 9
6 lanes between CT 9 and CT 85
10 lanes between CT 85 and Clarence B Sharp Highway (CT 349)
4 lanes between CT 349 and RI State Line

The problem with that is that SW CT is too densely populated/filled with NIMBYs. They could POSSIBLY widen I-95 to 8 lanes, but 10 or 12? Never. Plus, it's really only SW CT that has all the bad traffic. East of New Haven would probably be fine at 6 lanes with auxiliary lanes in between.

[shadyjay]

There's really no easy solution with I-95 in Fairfield County.  Sure, another lane could (in theory) be added, but after the millions of $$$$ spent (at a minimum) and a decade of construction, that 4th lane would be full and we'd be right back to square one.  The operational lanes I think are helping a bit, but the problem at rush hour is too much traffic entering the roadway.  Could closing some off ramps be a solution?  I like to think it would. 

East of New Haven definitely needs an upgrade.  Among the worst "east of New Haven" sections is from the Baldwin Bridge out to I-395.  Add another lane and that would help tremendously.

Speaking of the east end, last weekend I drove through the latest "safety improvement project" taking place between Exits 70 and 72 in Old Lyme.  Looks like this project is being constructed with similar results as the project a couple years ago from Exits 72 to 82A.  Sure, the median barrier is being replaced with a standard jersey barrier, but they're still not doing it the right way... the new barrier is not centered and the median area isn't being paved.  I don't understand why the new barrier isn't centered and the entire median area paved, like how it was done west of Old Saybrook, all the way to the NY line (except in east Norwalk).   

[TravelingBethelite]

I've been on all of I-95 in CT back in 2009, and saw the TERRIBLE traffic. Jeez. I-95's lane set up could be this:

10-12 lanes between NY State Line and Housatonic River
12 lanes between Housatonic River and I-91
10 lanes between I-91 and CT 77
8 lanes between CT 77 and CT 9
6 lanes between CT 9 and CT 85
10 lanes between CT 85 and Clarence B Sharp Highway (CT 349)
4 lanes between CT 349 and RI State Line

The problem with that is that SW CT is too densely populated/filled with NIMBYs. They could POSSIBLY widen I-95 to 8 lanes, but 10 or 12? Never. Plus, it's really only SW CT that has all the bad traffic. East of New Haven would probably be fine at 6 lanes with auxiliary lanes in between.

Between Guilford and the RI state border, I-95 and the Boston Post Road (aka US 1) have got it handled. Anyway, the state just finished a huge project on the bridge that carries 95 and the Northeast Corridor and wouldn't want to rip up what they just finished. Yes, I-95 needs more lanes in Fairfield County, but it's not happening. NIMBYism is worse on the Fairfield County shoreline than Trenton/Princeton pre-95/doomed Somerset Freeway.  It'll just end like 

[Duke87]

We have relatives in Milford and our route is US 7 > I-95 North.

Out of curiosity, why? If you need to get from Danbury to Milford it is faster to take I-84 to CT 25.

[ctsignguy]

There's really no easy solution with I-95 in Fairfield County.  Sure, another lane could (in theory) be added, but after the millions of $$$$ spent (at a minimum) and a decade of construction, that 4th lane would be full and we'd be right back to square one.  The operational lanes I think are helping a bit, but the problem at rush hour is too much traffic entering the roadway.  Could closing some off ramps be a solution?  I like to think it would. 

That idea is probably a non-starter...you have local politicians who would fight to the death to preserve their town/district's 'Exits on the Turnpike...."

[Pete from Boston]

There's really no easy solution with I-95 in Fairfield County.  Sure, another lane could (in theory) be added, but after the millions of $$$$ spent (at a minimum) and a decade of construction, that 4th lane would be full and we'd be right back to square one.  The operational lanes I think are helping a bit, but the problem at rush hour is too much traffic entering the roadway.  Could closing some off ramps be a solution?  I like to think it would. 

That idea is probably a non-starter...you have local politicians who would fight to the death to preserve their town/district's 'Exits on the Turnpike...."

As long as those same politicians don't simultaneously rail on that no one's fixing the congestion on the Turnpike...

[connroadgeek]

I've been on all of I-95 in CT back in 2009, and saw the TERRIBLE traffic. Jeez. I-95's lane set up could be this:

10-12 lanes between NY State Line and Housatonic River
12 lanes between Housatonic River and I-91
10 lanes between I-91 and CT 77
8 lanes between CT 77 and CT 9
6 lanes between CT 9 and CT 85
10 lanes between CT 85 and Clarence B Sharp Highway (CT 349)
4 lanes between CT 349 and RI State Line

The problem with that is that SW CT is too densely populated/filled with NIMBYs. They could POSSIBLY widen I-95 to 8 lanes, but 10 or 12? Never. Plus, it's really only SW CT that has all the bad traffic. East of New Haven would probably be fine at 6 lanes with auxiliary lanes in between.

Forget the NIMBY aspect - the right of way acquisition is cost prohibitive. Never mind all the bridges that would have to be replaced. The state has already done the estimate for widening I-95 and it was in the billions and that doesn't even count the legal battles that would be waged by the NIMBYs. Also closing exits as someone else suggested isn't going to work. The state proposed that about a decade ago (exit 4 in Greenwich was one of the exits that would close from 4-7 PM) and everyone complained, so that idea was DOA. Even if you could close exits, where does one propose all that traffic go? The last thing the Post Rd needs is more cars or traffic lights. If people don't like sitting in traffic, they are just going to have to learn to like the train because the state will never be able to afford fixing I-95 the way it needs to be fixed.

[Pete from Boston]

If people don't like sitting in traffic they need to leave Metro NY.  This is the reality of a 20-million-plus mass of population.

[Zeffy]

If people don't like sitting in traffic they need to leave Metro NY.  This is the reality of a 20-million-plus mass of population.

It's just New York either - Los Angeles and Chicago (among others) have bad traffic problems as well. New York has viable mass transit options, but for some places you have to be willing to sit in traffic if you want to live in a major metro area.

That idea is probably a non-starter...you have local politicians who would fight to the death to preserve their town/district's 'Exits on the Turnpike...."

I thought New Jersey was the only state where people cared enough what exit their town was off the Turnpike. 

[shadyjay]

Well now we know a little about what ConnDOT is thinking about doing to the I-91/I-691/CT 15 interchange in Meriden:

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=1373&Q=569386

Reconfiguring the travel lanes and ramps between I-91 and Route 15 northbound

Guess this would mean something to eliminate the lane drop at the Rt 15 NB onramp. 

Adding a new lane to I-91 and a second southbound off-ramp lane from I-91 to Route 15 southbound

Yup, I think this would solve a lot of the problem right there.

Eliminating the southbound I-91 "weave"  of vehicle lane changes to Route 15 southbound

Combining the entrances to I-91 southbound from I-691 and Route 15

I think these two are directly connected.  If the I-691 WB exit to I-91 SB is eliminated, it would eliminate the "weave" required on I-91 to get to Rt 15 SB while traffic from I-691 WB is trying to continue on I-91 SB.

Adding a new lane to I-91 northbound between Exits 15 and 20

IMHO, widening I-91 for a stretch like this isn't necessary.  Perhaps maybe something simplier like operational lanes between Exits 15 & 16, or just extending the onramp from I-691/CT 66 further (so it crosses over Baldwin Ave at the Exit 19 merge), or something like that.

[connroadgeek]

I've been on all of I-95 in CT back in 2009, and saw the TERRIBLE traffic. Jeez. I-95's lane set up could be this:

10-12 lanes between NY State Line and Housatonic River
12 lanes between Housatonic River and I-91
10 lanes between I-91 and CT 77
8 lanes between CT 77 and CT 9
6 lanes between CT 9 and CT 85
10 lanes between CT 85 and Clarence B Sharp Highway (CT 349)
4 lanes between CT 349 and RI State Line

The problem with that is that SW CT is too densely populated/filled with NIMBYs. They could POSSIBLY widen I-95 to 8 lanes, but 10 or 12? Never. Plus, it's really only SW CT that has all the bad traffic. East of New Haven would probably be fine at 6 lanes with auxiliary lanes in between.

Between Guilford and the RI state border, I-95 and the Boston Post Road (aka US 1) have got it handled. Anyway, the state just finished a huge project on the bridge that carries 95 and the Northeast Corridor and wouldn't want to rip up what they just finished. Yes, I-95 needs more lanes in Fairfield County, but it's not happening. NIMBYism is worse on the Fairfield County shoreline than Trenton/Princeton pre-95/doomed Somerset Freeway.  It'll just end like 

I-95 needs to be a minimum of 3 lanes from Branford to the RI line which is the state plan that was supposed to be complete by 2025 but I'm guessing that has slipped big time. 2 lanes isn't cutting it, and no one is hopping onto the two lane Post Rd as an alternative, not if they're sane anyway. In the summer traffic is terrible through those little beach towns and having a lot of traffic destined for the casinos, RI beaches, and the Cape exacerbates things. It's not uncommon to have traffic suck as it usually does from exit 4 through 48, then have it stop and go after that until about the exit 62 area only to come to a dead stop again at exit 70 as Route 9 traffic merges on and tries to get out of the exit only lane over the Baldwin Bridge while 95 itself is narrowing from 4 to 2 lanes. They should do something with the 9 SB to 95 NB ramp since traffic for that ramp is always backed up several miles in the summer, but options there are really limited and presents another reason why Route 11 should be completed to 95 so there's some other direct way to 95 from the Hartford area besides 9.

[connroadgeek]

its wierd seeing those new signs in CT with the exit tabs that have the white border. Im used to that unique Connecticut quirk where the exit tabs didnt have a white border.

Connecticut sign crowns went from centered no border to right aligned no border to right aligned with border all in the course of a few years. I think it had to do with the requirement of borders on the exit tabs beginning in 2012 or thereabout. The right alignment was a requirement from earlier, so in the late 2000s you had some sign replacement projects replacing signs and right aligning the exit tabs with no border (these are all over SW CT on I-95), and then new signs put up a year or two later had the border and right alignment. We have a mix of both on I-95 now as various sign replacement projects overlapped.

[Mergingtraffic]

Now that the aux lane from US-7 to Exit 14 on I-95 SB is open, the backup is mostly gone but not it backs up at the Exit 13 on-ramp which never really backed up unless there was major major traffic.