Connecticut News

[PHLBOS]

The Legislative Committee on Transportation approved a bill on tolling the other day.  On to the General Assembly it goes.
http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-tolls-committee-vote-20170317-story.html

Even if such were to pass tomorrow; I believe that placing tolls along existing free-Interstates still requires Federal approval prior to implementing/erecting such.

[kurumi]

ConnDOT is planning tangible improvements at the I-95 / CT 161 interchange:
* NB exit ramp relocated southward along CT 161
* new SB 161 entrance ramp to I-95 NB (left turn no longer needed)
* existing I-95 NB entrance ramp retained for NB 161 use
* replace I-95 overpass because of poor condition (and widening of 161 to 6 lanes underneath)
* add operational lanes between 161 interchange (exit 74) and US 1 (exit 75)
* and this quote:

I-95 will be widened to accommodate three travel lanes in each direction (one of the three lanes is intended for future use)

Evidently someone hacked into the ConnDOT website. Forward-looking changes? Real improvements to capacity and convenience? This is a little unfamiliar :-)

The whole thing will cost $140 million + inflation and might start in 2021.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=591238

[Rothman]

2021? Might as well be never.

[cl94]

2021? Might as well be never.

Knowing ConnDOT? Certainly.

[Mergingtraffic]

ConnDOT is planning tangible improvements at the I-95 / CT 161 interchange:
* NB exit ramp relocated southward along CT 161
* new SB 161 entrance ramp to I-95 NB (left turn no longer needed)
* existing I-95 NB entrance ramp retained for NB 161 use
* replace I-95 overpass because of poor condition (and widening of 161 to 6 lanes underneath)
* add operational lanes between 161 interchange (exit 74) and US 1 (exit 75)
* and this quote:

I-95 will be widened to accommodate three travel lanes in each direction (one of the three lanes is intended for future use)

Evidently someone hacked into the ConnDOT website. Forward-looking changes? Real improvements to capacity and convenience? This is a little unfamiliar :-)

The whole thing will cost $140 million + inflation and might start in 2021.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=591238

It's like the studies and public meetings they have...don't people know after the study is done and the meetings are completed....the DOT will lag and everything comes obsolete and will have to repeat everything 10 years later (Like the US-7/CT-15 interchange)

As much as I hate to admit it, there are some cases where CTDOT actually planned ahead:

-I-84 in Danbury was originally built to accomadete 3-lanes in 1961.  In 1988 it became reality.

-I-84 in Newtown by Exit 13, the bridges there were built for 3-future lanes and recently with bridge work they widened the highway between the bridges for future use.

-The Saltonstall Bridge on I-95 was built for 3 and it became reality when I-95 was widened there in 2004.

-I-95 had an extra lane added for CT-9 in 1993, which could be absorbed into future widening.


And now a list of where they did NOT think ahead....
I won't have enough time.  (the median project between Exits 70-74 on I-95 comes to mind)

[RobbieL2415]

ConnDOT is planning tangible improvements at the I-95 / CT 161 interchange:
* NB exit ramp relocated southward along CT 161
* new SB 161 entrance ramp to I-95 NB (left turn no longer needed)
* existing I-95 NB entrance ramp retained for NB 161 use
* replace I-95 overpass because of poor condition (and widening of 161 to 6 lanes underneath)
* add operational lanes between 161 interchange (exit 74) and US 1 (exit 75)
* and this quote:

I-95 will be widened to accommodate three travel lanes in each direction (one of the three lanes is intended for future use)

Evidently someone hacked into the ConnDOT website. Forward-looking changes? Real improvements to capacity and convenience? This is a little unfamiliar :-)

The whole thing will cost $140 million + inflation and might start in 2021.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=591238

It's like the studies and public meetings they have...don't people know after the study is done and the meetings are completed....the DOT will lag and everything comes obsolete and will have to repeat everything 10 years later (Like the US-7/CT-15 interchange)

As much as I hate to admit it, there are some cases where CTDOT actually planned ahead:

-I-84 in Danbury was originally built to accomadete 3-lanes in 1961.  In 1988 it became reality.

-I-84 in Newtown by Exit 13, the bridges there were built for 3-future lanes and recently with bridge work they widened the highway between the bridges for future use.

-The Saltonstall Bridge on I-95 was built for 3 and it became reality when I-95 was widened there in 2004.

-I-95 had an extra lane added for CT-9 in 1993, which could be absorbed into future widening.


And now a list of where they did NOT think ahead....
I won't have enough time.  (the median project between Exits 70-74 on I-95 comes to mind)

They didn't really think ahead when building I-291.  It solely needs a third lane between exits 4 and 3.  Those damn school busses clog up rush hour for being stuck at 50mph max.

[shadyjay]

When the I-95 overpass over Route 85 in Waterford was replaced several years ago, it appears they left enough room for a 3rd lane.   My guess is when the bridge over Route 161 gets replaced, it'll be striped for 2 lanes with a very wide shoulder, and the operational lane will come in from the realigned NB 161 ramp.  And from there to Exit 75, 3 lanes with a very wide shoulder. 

I still haven't seen the new Society Road overpass to see if that's wide enough for 3 lanes.  The Flat Rock Road overpass (1 1/4 miles west of Exit 71) wasn't built with any extra space.  I don't believe the Cross Road overpass has any extra space for more lanes either. 

ConnDOT... one step forward, two steps back. 

[jp the roadgeek]

ConnDOT is planning tangible improvements at the I-95 / CT 161 interchange:
* NB exit ramp relocated southward along CT 161
* new SB 161 entrance ramp to I-95 NB (left turn no longer needed)
* existing I-95 NB entrance ramp retained for NB 161 use
* replace I-95 overpass because of poor condition (and widening of 161 to 6 lanes underneath)
* add operational lanes between 161 interchange (exit 74) and US 1 (exit 75)
* and this quote:

I-95 will be widened to accommodate three travel lanes in each direction (one of the three lanes is intended for future use)

Evidently someone hacked into the ConnDOT website. Forward-looking changes? Real improvements to capacity and convenience? This is a little unfamiliar :-)

The whole thing will cost $140 million + inflation and might start in 2021.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=591238

It's like the studies and public meetings they have...don't people know after the study is done and the meetings are completed....the DOT will lag and everything comes obsolete and will have to repeat everything 10 years later (Like the US-7/CT-15 interchange)

As much as I hate to admit it, there are some cases where CTDOT actually planned ahead:

-I-84 in Danbury was originally built to accomadete 3-lanes in 1961.  In 1988 it became reality.

-I-84 in Newtown by Exit 13, the bridges there were built for 3-future lanes and recently with bridge work they widened the highway between the bridges for future use.

-The Saltonstall Bridge on I-95 was built for 3 and it became reality when I-95 was widened there in 2004.

-I-95 had an extra lane added for CT-9 in 1993, which could be absorbed into future widening.


And now a list of where they did NOT think ahead....
I won't have enough time.  (the median project between Exits 70-74 on I-95 comes to mind)

They didn't really think ahead when building I-291.  It solely needs a third lane between exits 4 and 3.  Those damn school busses clog up rush hour for being stuck at 50mph max.

That stretch was actually built in the late 1950's and was part of CT 291 for years.   Seems ConnDOT left that part untouched, and only rebuilt the I-91/CT 218 interchange, and the extension east of US 5.

[shadyjay]

They didn't really think ahead when building I-291.  It solely needs a third lane between exits 4 and 3.

No, they didn't think ahead with I-291 at all... heck, it solely needs a right of way west/southwest of I-91 to meet up with I-84 again  

Then again, maybe they thought TOO FAR ahead when the Stack was built.

[kurumi]

Not really Connecticut News, but some interesting paragraphs from the 2008 Litchfield Hills Regional Transportation Plan (Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials):

Specific state road improvement needs are discussed by town in Section IV of this report and listed in Table 5.1. A major inter-regional improvement issue is the westerly extension of the Route 72 expressway to Route 8 in Thomaston. Extension of the Route 72 expressway is currently proposed from Plainville to Route 229 in Bristol.

This Regional Transportation Plan supports the extension of Route 72 to Route 8, or the development of an alternate route in this vicinity, in order to enhance access to the Hartford area from the southern part of the regional area provided congestion impacts on Thomaston center and other potential impacts are fully addressed and suitably mitigated. Routes 202 and 4 currently serve as the major corridors to the Hartford area for the southerly part of the Region. These two highways are prone to increasing traffic congestion and are topographically and physically unfit for major expansion. The Route 72 extension would provide a significant opportunity to enhance access from the southern part of the Litchfield Hills Region to the Hartford area.

Another inter-regional improvement issue is the extension of a new Route 8 expressway from its present interchange at Route 44 in Winchester to the Massachusetts line. Serious consideration of this roadway improvement is not merited, however, until such time as Massachusetts expresses interest in continuing such a roadway to the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Neither of these ideas are new; I'm just surprised that even in 2008 they were still around.

[zzyzx]

When the I-95 overpass over Route 85 in Waterford was replaced several years ago, it appears they left enough room for a 3rd lane.   My guess is when the bridge over Route 161 gets replaced, it'll be striped for 2 lanes with a very wide shoulder, and the operational lane will come in from the realigned NB 161 ramp.  And from there to Exit 75, 3 lanes with a very wide shoulder. 

I still haven't seen the new Society Road overpass to see if that's wide enough for 3 lanes.  The Flat Rock Road overpass (1 1/4 miles west of Exit 71) wasn't built with any extra space.  I don't believe the Cross Road overpass has any extra space for more lanes either. 

ConnDOT... one step forward, two steps back.

The Society Rd. overpass span is 242 ft, according to CTDOT, which should be enough room for 3+ lanes in either direction.  The reason why 161 is being widened is because they're building a Costco in East Lyme.  There were plans for the Exit 74 SB ramps to be realigned entering the new shopping center, but this is the first I've heard about CTDOT relocating the NB ramps and adding auxiliary lanes.  There's a rundown motel where the new offramp and loop ramp would be placed.  I'm planning on going to the meeting in April to get pictures of the plans.

Also, another bridge to add to the list: The ABC bridge replacements over Oil Mill Rd. (exit 80) that they finished last fall are 2 lanes each.

[KEVIN_224]

WAIT...ABC bridge replacement? 2 lanes each, as in the room under these new bridges is still only 2 lanes for each side of I-95? (Sorry for the confusion!)

[shadyjay]

I-95 spans Oil Mill Road, and the new spans are only 2 lanes wide (in each direction).  Underneath, the spans are wide enough to span the 2-lane country road that is Oil Mill Road, which somehow deserved a southbound exit/northbound entrance.  In reality, the exit should go.  There's literally nothing off the exit, and the Cross Road ramps are only a mile or so east. 

[zzyzx]

The Day published an article about the Exit 74 improvements, along with an interactive map showing the proposed design.  A frontage road would be built to handle SB traffic and connect to Route 161 in anticipation for the future construction of Costco.  NB ramps would see the most changes, with the old motel and Mobile station being demolished to make room for a new intersection across from the Burger King.  The loop ramp for traffic heading south on 161 to 95 North will connect with the current northbound ramp to form an auxiliary lane to exit 75. A commuter parking lot will be built where the current NB exit ramp is now. Design should be completed by the end of 2020 with construction starting in Spring 2021.

http://www.theday.com/local/20170326/state-plans-improvements-for-i-95-interchange-in-east-lyme

[shadyjay]

The Day published an article about the Exit 74 improvements, along with an interactive map showing the proposed design.  A frontage road would be built to handle SB traffic and connect to Route 161 in anticipation for the future construction of Costco.  NB ramps would see the most changes, with the old motel and Mobile station being demolished to make room for a new intersection across from the Burger King.  The loop ramp for traffic heading south on 161 to 95 North will connect with the current northbound ramp to form an auxiliary lane to exit 75. A commuter parking lot will be built where the current NB exit ramp is now. Design should be completed by the end of 2020 with construction starting in Spring 2021.

http://www.theday.com/local/20170326/state-plans-improvements-for-i-95-interchange-in-east-lyme

Paywall.  Any way you can post the map?

[zzyzx]

Here's another from NBC CT that shows the auxiliary lanes to Exit 75:


I'll go to the meeting in April and get better quality pics

[Mergingtraffic]

I asked the DOT contact on their press release.  I got the plans within an hour of me e-mailing them.  It's a good project! 

[Mergingtraffic]

On a different topic:  anybody notice CT DOT no longer puts up "Route XX Next Left/Right" BGSs ahead of on-ramps anymore with recent signing contracts?
Instead they'll just put up stand alone shields.

non-reflective button copy dating to around 1978.  Waterbury, CT. by mergingtraffic, on Flickr

[jp the roadgeek]

The only other one I know of is at I-84 Exit 29

https://goo.gl/maps/4ydHaCwuTSQ2

[kurumi]

Advance BGS for a freeway on a surface street (sorry for California lingo) was pretty rare from what I remember. I can only remember one on Main St in Glastonbury, bridge-mounted overhead, for CT 3: https://goo.gl/maps/cUabWzofBnu

[kurumi]

Check this out: a "3-way street" in Meriden: https://goo.gl/maps/UN2xuA6Szx62

At Hanover St (one-way EB), Colony St (two-way) and W. Main St (one-way WB) is kind of a Texas U-turn without the freeway. The 3 channelized roads are: Hanover to W. Main "U-turn"; Colony SB; Colony NB.

US routes 5A and 6A used to intersect here.

[kurumi]

A DOT engineer (nickname "Cichlidae") has been posting to a long-running thread on SomethingAwful. Sometimes SA cuts off read access to non-members, but currently the thread is available.

There's an interesting post (link) from 2013 about the projected effects of a new I-84 EB exit to Forbes Street that the city of East Hartford wanted. Surprisingly, adding that single exit ramp would decrease the LOS at the I-84/384 split downstream. Average speed there would decrease from 45 mph to 33 mph.

But why?

His analysis showed that weaving decisions between the CT 15 / I-84 merge and the I-84/384 diverge would be affected by the new exit ramp (which would introduce its own weaving); the 84/384 people would end up postponing their weaving until they were past Forbes Street, causing more conflicts at the 384 exit.

So adding an exit ramp -- theoretically decreasing traffic volume on the freeway -- would increase congestion, after that traffic had exited.

[jp the roadgeek]

There was an exit there prior to the I-384 interchange being built.  It was I-86/CT 15 Exit 91.  Just drove by there this morning and there is a little paved path and a hole in the sound barrier where the ramp would be.  The exit traffic there is already dangerous enough, as many a car will cut from the I-84 to the less congested I-384 lanes, gun it up to 85 to pass a line of traffic, then cut back over into the I-84 lanes.

[02 Park Ave]

It has been reported that repairs on the Golden bridge in New London will start on the 17th of this month.

[Mergingtraffic]

In addition to the Aetna Viaduct is the possible relocation of the I-84/I-91 interchange.

CTDOT to Host Public Forums in April for the I-84 Hartford Project and the I-84/I-91 Interchange Study


The Connecticut Department of Transportation will host two open planning studios in April. These events will be held in Hartford and East Hartford on:

- Thursday, April 20th, 2017 from 4 to 8 PM at the Hartford Public Library, Downtown Branch, 500 Main Street, Hartford, and
- Tuesday, April 25th, 2017 from 4 to 8 PM at the Raymond Library, 840 Main Street, East Hartford

The open planning studios will include an open house, presentations, and public workshops in which the public can learn about the latest happenings of the I-84 Hartford Project and participate in the planning process for the I-84 / I-91 Interchange Study and the multimodal station area.  Both events will have the same format, and the public is invited to attend either event at any time.

There will be two public workshops during each event: One for the I-84 / I-91 Interchange Study and one for the potential new multimodal station near Hartford's Union Station The purpose of the I-84/I-91 study is to determine the feasibility of reconfiguring or relocating the interchange to improve mobility and reduce congestion. Alternatives could also affect I-91 and highways in East Hartford including I-84, Routes 2 and Routes5/15.  The study will broadly assess the benefits and impacts to residents, businesses, travelers, properties, neighborhoods, and the natural environment.  A new multimodal station will be included in the I-84 Hartford Project under the design alternative that relocates the railroad to allow the interstate to be brought down to ground or below ground level.  The new station would provide a unified connection for rail, bus, vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian use. At this stage in the process, the project team is reaching out to the public to receive input and ideas on how best to design a facility that will work for them.

Open planning studios are a way for local residents, commuters, business owners, and other interested parties to learn about and receive updates on the I-84 Hartford Project and its related work. They are an opportunity to interact with the project team's engineers and planners, and to give input on possible solutions for I-84.  As the end users, it is imperative that the public have the opportunity to share their thoughts in the design development of I-84 and its related projects in Hartford.  Visit http://www.i84hartford.com/get-involved.html for event details.

CTDOT is continuing to evaluate various highway design alternatives and options to reconfigure I-84 and its ramps in Hartford.  At this time, many aspects of the designs are coming together, and public input is critical to ensuring that the redesigned highway corridor benefits all. The purpose of the I-84 Hartford Project is to address structural deficiencies, as well as improve traffic operations, safety, and mobility on the I-84 mainline and its interchanges between Flatbush Avenue and I-91 in Hartford.   The I-84 Hartford Project strives to reduce the highway's negative impact on the city, while creating efficient connections to other modes of transportation.

CTDOT is evaluating the I-84 Hartford Project corridor in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, the Capitol Region Council of Governments, the City of Hartford, the Town of East Hartford, the Town of West Hartford, as well as other local agencies and stakeholder groups.  A Public Advisory Committee, comprised of a wide range of stakeholders has been, and will continue to be, instrumental in guiding each of the alternatives.

The meeting facilities are ADA accessible.  Language assistance may be requested by contacting the Department of Transportation's Office of Communications (voice only) at (860) 594-3062 at least five working days prior to the meeting.  Language assistance is provided at no cost to the public, and efforts will be made to respond to requests for assistance.

Schedule of Events for Thursday, April 20th, 2017 and Tuesday, April 25th, 2017
4 — 8 PM: Open house
5:30 PM: Presentation
6:15 PM: I-84 / I-91 Interchange Study and multimodal station planning workshops