Connecticut News

[shadyjay]

A couple items of note on today's trip around the state and heading back north to VT....

Progress is being made on the CT 8 signing project from Thomaston to Winsted.  I checked from Exit 38 up to Exit 41 and within that span, all regulatory, mile markers, exit signage, ramp signage, etc has been replaced.  This is everything that doesn't require a foundation... just posts stuck into the ground.  New sign posts to support new signs are installed for Exits 39, 40, and 41, and most likely all the way up to US 44 in Winsted (I saw no reason to drive all the way up that far if there is nothing but the posts in).  All of the new signs are being staged at the former weigh station (abandoned for years) north of Exit 40 in Thomaston.  Bridge construction just past Exit 41 (Route 8 spanning the Naugatuck RR/River) is nearing completion, though NB traffic still crosses over to the SB span. 

Drove through the I-84 Waterbury work zone... twice.  Looks like the new center median lighting being installed is of a slightly different design than that in place east of Exit 25A (and on parts of I-95 down in New Haven and Fairfield counties).  Lots of progress being made.  The large (and old) "69" shields WB are still in play.  Some new 4-chord cantilevers up between Exits 25 & 25A, but no signs on them yet.

A couple new signs on I-91, which I swear WERE NOT THERE ON MONDAY.... one for Exit 38 and one for Exit 45, both northbound, and both part of the state's random sign structure replacement project.

IMG_3175 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

IMG_3180 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Both of these sign installations replaced earlier button copy "Phase III" mounted on "yellow angled supports", along with most of I-91's signs in this area.

Despite issues which required leaving my truck in the state (and a subsequent trip down south to pick it up in a few weeks, fingers crossed), it was a good trip.  I didn't get to cover CT 8 South of Waterbury, but got a lot of other shots, all seen on my FLICKR page (see the link below). 

[Mergingtraffic]

A couple items of note on today's trip around the state and heading back north to VT....

Progress is being made on the CT 8 signing project from Thomaston to Winsted.  I checked from Exit 38 up to Exit 41 and within that span, all regulatory, mile markers, exit signage, ramp signage, etc has been replaced.  This is everything that doesn't require a foundation... just posts stuck into the ground.  New sign posts to support new signs are installed for Exits 39, 40, and 41, and most likely all the way up to US 44 in Winsted (I saw no reason to drive all the way up that far if there is nothing but the posts in).  All of the new signs are being staged at the former weigh station (abandoned for years) north of Exit 40 in Thomaston.  Bridge construction just past Exit 41 (Route 8 spanning the Naugatuck RR/River) is nearing completion, though NB traffic still crosses over to the SB span. 

Drove through the I-84 Waterbury work zone... twice.  Looks like the new center median lighting being installed is of a slightly different design than that in place east of Exit 25A (and on parts of I-95 down in New Haven and Fairfield counties).  Lots of progress being made.  The large (and old) "69" shields WB are still in play.  Some new 4-chord cantilevers up between Exits 25 & 25A, but no signs on them yet.

A couple new signs on I-91, which I swear WERE NOT THERE ON MONDAY.... one for Exit 38 and one for Exit 45, both northbound, and both part of the state's random sign structure replacement project.

IMG_3175 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

IMG_3180 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Both of these sign installations replaced earlier button copy "Phase III" mounted on "yellow angled supports", along with most of I-91's signs in this area.

I hate the angled supports.  The signs always seem crooked on them, it's like the "angling" throws off the crews when they put up the sign.  and as I said before, CT seemed to be in a rush to blanket the state in reflective button copy between 1985-1994.  Even non-reflective button copy signs that were only a few years old were replaced during that time.

[RobbieL2415]

I always thought CONNDOT cheaped out on signs.  These new one's look better IMO.

[shadyjay]

I'd like the know the official designation for the angled supports.  I know these new ones are called "4-chord cantilevers" by looking at sign plans, but there's no mention of a name for the old support, even in cases when a new sign panel is attached to an existing angled support.  I'd also like to know why they were painted different colors... yellow/cream for those on I-91, fluorescent green on CT 9, dark green on I-84 in Danbury, brown on US 7 in Danbury, green on I-95 west of New Haven, grey elsewhere. 

BTW, these two signs are sites 8 and 10 of the 2015-released spot overhead support replacement project.  The other sites include replacement of two supports on I-84 EB Exit 11, one sign replacement on existing cantilever arch on I-84 WB Exit 26 (confirmed as not done yet), and various other locations statewide (Norwich, Hartford, Meriden, Windham, etc).  The plans for the I-91 NB Exit 38 support replacement show it as a "1/4 mile" sign, which obviously got changed to 1/2 mile (the first sign for Exit 38, NB, is 3/4 mile and a bridge-mount).

[Pete from Boston]

A couple items of note on today's trip around the state and heading back north to VT....

Progress is being made on the CT 8 signing project from Thomaston to Winsted.  I checked from Exit 38 up to Exit 41 and within that span, all regulatory, mile markers, exit signage, ramp signage, etc has been replaced.  This is everything that doesn't require a foundation... just posts stuck into the ground.  New sign posts to support new signs are installed for Exits 39, 40, and 41, and most likely all the way up to US 44 in Winsted (I saw no reason to drive all the way up that far if there is nothing but the posts in).  All of the new signs are being staged at the former weigh station (abandoned for years) north of Exit 40 in Thomaston.  Bridge construction just past Exit 41 (Route 8 spanning the Naugatuck RR/River) is nearing completion, though NB traffic still crosses over to the SB span. 

Drove through the I-84 Waterbury work zone... twice.  Looks like the new center median lighting being installed is of a slightly different design than that in place east of Exit 25A (and on parts of I-95 down in New Haven and Fairfield counties).  Lots of progress being made.  The large (and old) "69" shields WB are still in play.  Some new 4-chord cantilevers up between Exits 25 & 25A, but no signs on them yet.

A couple new signs on I-91, which I swear WERE NOT THERE ON MONDAY.... one for Exit 38 and one for Exit 45, both northbound, and both part of the state's random sign structure replacement project.

IMG_3175 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

IMG_3180 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Both of these sign installations replaced earlier button copy "Phase III" mounted on "yellow angled supports", along with most of I-91's signs in this area.

I hate the angled supports.  The signs always seem crooked on them, it's like the "angling" throws off the crews when they put up the sign.  and as I said before, CT seemed to be in a rush to blanket the state in reflective button copy between 1985-1994.  Even non-reflective button copy signs that were only a few years old were replaced during that time.

Throws off the crews?  Nobody should be in construction that can't work a level.

[Mergingtraffic]

Looking at the new I-95/I-91 interchange via google maps and I don't get why on I-95 SB, the second to left lane is not an option lane, when there is room to do it.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3051575,-72.9142961,3a,75y,203.54h,85.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm63CV6fRJfvSEVPYooVQXQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The signage also isn't as well marked as it could be either.
Just before Exit 4 on I-91 SB, they have I-95 SB signed with one downward arrow and one downward arrow for I-95 NB.  At exit 3, I-95 SB is finally signed as 2-lanes with 2 downward arrows.  It's finally 2-lanes thru why not sign it that way from the get go!?

The same on I-95 NB at Exit 46.  The first sign bridge points to only the left 2 lanes as I-95 NB, when it's actually 3.  It's not until the I-91 NB off ramp do they finally acknowledge it's 3-lanes thru NB. I don't get why they "hide" the lanes on the signage.

[zzyzx]

This just showed up on my Twitter newsfeed...it looks like one of the options is to replace the I-84/I-91 interchange in Hartford and bury it underground, freeing up space for future riverfront developments:


http://imgur.com/a/r122Y

[Mergingtraffic]

This just showed up on my Twitter newsfeed...it looks like one of the options is to replace the I-84/I-91 interchange in Hartford and bury it underground, freeing up space for future riverfront developments:


http://imgur.com/a/r122Y

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-i-84-interchange-20170503-story.html

[The Ghostbuster]

Which plan would make the most sense traffic-wise?

[Alps]

Looking at the new I-95/I-91 interchange via google maps and I don't get why on I-95 SB, the second to left lane is not an option lane, when there is room to do it.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3051575,-72.9142961,3a,75y,203.54h,85.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm63CV6fRJfvSEVPYooVQXQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

There really isn't. If you had an option lane here, then the former right through lane (4th lane back across the bridge) would be dropped at the first exit on I-91. This way, all four through lanes remain through lanes through the interchange, and the third lane on I-91 is added as a decel lane.

[RobbieL2415]

Then there's this.  I'm assuming the north option doesn't apply in this case.


The smart thing with this plan would be to still keep the existing freeway and create a new Interstate designation, probably either I-284 or I-484.

The north option seems very indirect to me and I'm hesitant to support it.  Why can't they put the tunnel just north and parallel to the Bulkley?

[PHLBOS]

The smart thing with this plan would be to still keep the existing freeway and create a new Interstate designation, probably either I-284 or I-484.

Are you saying that the existing freeway would get the new designation or the new corridor?  Either way, I-84 would still need to go through this region.

[RobbieL2415]

The smart thing with this plan would be to still keep the existing freeway and create a new Interstate designation, probably either I-284 or I-484.

Are you saying that the existing freeway would get the new designation or the new corridor?  Either way, I-84 would still need to go through this region.

I mean that whatever solution is chosen to re-locate I-84 they should keep the existing freeway and give it an aux designation.

[Beeper1]

Not to be too pessimistic, but this is Connecticut we're talking about.  This should all be filed under "fictional highways" because we all know none of this, despite how badly it's needed, will be built in our lifetimes. 

They'll do endless studies on it, but the best we can hope for is a half-assed attempted rehab or replace-in-kind of the existing viaduct.

[jp the roadgeek]

Only a roadgeek would find the error in this story:

http://www.wfsb.com/story/35355982/merritt-parkway-in-wallingford-closed-due-to-downed-tree-branches

[dgolub]

Only a roadgeek would find the error in this story:

http://www.wfsb.com/story/35355982/merritt-parkway-in-wallingford-closed-due-to-downed-tree-branches

I assume you mean that the Merritt doesn't go to Wallingford?

[MikeTheActuary]

Only a roadgeek would find the error in this story:

http://www.wfsb.com/story/35355982/merritt-parkway-in-wallingford-closed-due-to-downed-tree-branches

At least they fixed it in the actual broadcast.

[mariethefoxy]

my friends from Connecticut tend to just call the whole thing Route 15 or 15

[Alps]

Only a roadgeek would find the error in this story:

http://www.wfsb.com/story/35355982/merritt-parkway-in-wallingford-closed-due-to-downed-tree-branches

I assume you mean that the Merritt doesn't go to Wallingford?

Not that far.

[SectorZ]

Only a roadgeek would find the error in this story:

http://www.wfsb.com/story/35355982/merritt-parkway-in-wallingford-closed-due-to-downed-tree-branches

It's sad the state police don't know what it's called. It's their job to patrol the thing daily, you would think they would learn its name by accident after a while.

[AMLNet49]

Only a roadgeek would find the error in this story:

http://www.wfsb.com/story/35355982/merritt-parkway-in-wallingford-closed-due-to-downed-tree-branches

It's sad the state police don't know what it's called. It's their job to patrol the thing daily, you would think they would learn its name by accident after a while.

To be fair, the Merritt is a regionally famous road, WCP/H is not well known outside of locals. Long distance travelers probably don't even know that the Merritt name ends after the Milford Pkwy interchange

[Roadsguy]

Why even does it end at the Milford Parkway?

[Duke87]

Why even does it end at the Milford Parkway?

It doesn't. The changeover from Merritt to Wilbur Cross is at the Fairfield/New Haven county line in the middle of the Housatonic River.

As for why two different names well, the parkway was originally not planned to extend past Stratford. The extension was named after the governor of Connecticut who championed it (just as the original parkway is named after the congressman who played a similar role in getting it built).

[Route123forMe]

Why even does it end at the Milford Parkway?

It doesn't. The changeover from Merritt to Wilbur Cross is at the Fairfield/New Haven county line in the middle of the Housatonic River.

As for why two different names well, the parkway was originally not planned to extend past Stratford. The extension was named after the governor of Connecticut who championed it (just as the original parkway is named after the congressman who played a similar role in getting it built).

As I remember it from past decades, the separation was at the Stratford toll booths, just on the east side of the Housatonic.  I don't know when those were dismantled, though I can remember it in progress.  How I used to hate driving over that metal grid bridge!

[AMLNet49]

Why even does it end at the Milford Parkway?

It doesn't. The changeover from Merritt to Wilbur Cross is at the Fairfield/New Haven county line in the middle of the Housatonic River.

As for why two different names well, the parkway was originally not planned to extend past Stratford. The extension was named after the governor of Connecticut who championed it (just as the original parkway is named after the congressman who played a similar role in getting it built).

I meant de facto, in practice it ends at the Milford. I know the actual end point is on the Sikorsky bridge.