Connecticut News

[zzyzx]

This would be a first for the state if this ever gets completed: ConnDOT is proposing to rebuild Exit 16 in Norwalk as a diverging diamond interchange

Who else thinks the idea will get shot down by the public because driving temporality on the opposite side of the road will be "confusing" "cause a lot of accidents" and/or the interchange "will look ugly?"

The last time I spoke to ConnDOT engineers about DDIs in the state was about 2 years ago during the I-95 Exit 74 meeting, and they told me that they look at DDIs as possible alternatives when rebuilding interchanges, but the topography and ROW required make it challenging for most areas of the state.  I'm curious to see how they will pull this off in Fairfield County.

I'd never thought I'd see a DDI built in CT in the near future...so I really hope this moves forward.

[Mergingtraffic]

This would be a first for the state if this ever gets completed: ConnDOT is proposing to rebuild Exit 16 in Norwalk as a diverging diamond interchange

Who else thinks the idea will get shot down by the public because driving temporality on the opposite side of the road will be "confusing" "cause a lot of accidents" and/or the interchange "will look ugly?"

The last time I spoke to ConnDOT engineers about DDIs in the state was about 2 years ago during the I-95 Exit 74 meeting, and they told me that they look at DDIs as possible alternatives when rebuilding interchanges, but the topography and ROW required make it challenging for most areas of the state.  I'm curious to see how they will pull this off in Fairfield County.

I'd never thought I'd see a DDI built in CT in the near future...so I really hope this moves forward.

Read the comments at the bottom of the article...one idiot wrote "stop looking to the midwest to solve our northeast traffic problems" and that right there is why we don't have anything nice in CT when it comes to roads.  Um the midwest is where all the wide roads with lots of capacity are due to good traffic engineering!

[MikeCL]

I'm trying to figure out how a DDI is going to fit in at exit 16 is it going to be elevated?

[vdeane]

Some DDIs are fairly compact, like this one that fit in the footprint of the original diamond.

[jon daly]

^ Both signs look excellent!  A mix of "new" and "classic". 

RIP Clarence B. Sharp.

[jp the roadgeek]

I didn't get a shot because I was travelling the wrong direction, but I did notice at some point recently, new Exit 85 tabs were put up on the CT 99 South signs in Wethersfield on CT 15 North.  Previously, only southbound signage denoted this exit as 85, while northbound signage had no tabs.

Those tabs had to have gone up in the last week or so.  Don't remember seeing them last Monday when I traveled in that direction, but I saw the new numbered gore sign and the center tab exit numbers.  From a quick glance, it looks like a larger 85 was slapped on an old Exit tab that was laying around the CTDOT sign shop.

Also see the piers are up EB on I-84 between Fienemann Rd and Route 4 for the gantry for the 3/4 mile Route 4 and 1 1/2 mile Route 9 signage that will replace the gantry 1/4 mile ahead.

Interesting article about and a nice pictorial history about the No Exit Zone and the Sherwood Island Parkway.
https://m.ctpost.com/news/article/Why-is-there-no-Exit-43-on-the-Merritt-Parkway-13717306.php

[MikeCL]

Some DDIs are fairly compact, like this one that fit in the footprint of the original diamond.

Thanks!

[KEVIN_224]

Slight update to images I posted back in February:




To refresh...this is from the Christian Lane overpass of CT Route 9 in Berlin. The concrete pour in picture #2 appears to be for a future light post installation. There are at least 4 more like it going a few hundred feet south of it on that side. They seem to be recessed more than this one is. Also, the nearby on ramp from Christian Lane to CT Route 9 North looks to have a few now also.

[PHLBOS]

While driving back to PA from a weekend visit w/family from MA; I noticed (I couldn't really stop & take pictures) some new BGS' laid out on the ground in the wide I-84 median at the CT 72 West (Exit 33) interchange.  Such can be seen just along I-84 westbound just after one passes the Exit 33 ramp while going through that left curve.  I saw at least four BGS panels including one for Left-Exit 39/CT 4/Farmington intended for I-84 eastbound.

[shadyjay]

While driving back to PA from a weekend visit w/family from MA; I noticed (I couldn't really stop & take pictures) some new BGS' laid out on the ground in the wide I-84 median at the CT 72 West (Exit 33) interchange.  Such can be seen just along I-84 westbound just after one passes the Exit 33 ramp while going through that left curve.  I saw at least four BGS panels including one for Left-Exit 39/CT 4/Farmington intended for I-84 eastbound.

Yup, that's the staging area for the Exits 30-39A signing project.  Observations from my drive through the area over the weekend showed new foundations up for the Exit 39 3/4 mile/Exit 39A 1 1/4? mile assembly, still awaiting the support structure to be put up.  (I got some pics of the signs in the area at my FLICKR page linked below).

[Mergingtraffic]

CT-8 signing project update....poles are up for most signs.  Except the original non-reflective button copy on the SB side by Exits 25-24 where it's just the foundations so far.  I think the sign in this pic is from 1980 or before as in 1981 they used date stamps on signs and used demountable copy.  That's based on signs I saw for CT-25 back in the day.

[/url]

off topic now....But the reflective signs in the area are from 1990 according to their stamps.  So I'm guessing some signs were only up for 10 years or so?

[MikeCL]

Wow I'm wondering how the bridge is going to be moved in place.. remote control crawler? They tore the center jersey barrier up.

[sharkyfour]

Looks like the sign project on I-95 in the Groton area hit a snag...  Literally.

https://www.wfsb.com/news/crews-to-shut-down-i--in-groton-tuesday-evening/article_81c99060-552e-11e9-9147-672095a6d804.html

That contractor is in for quite the repair bill...

[KEVIN_224]

How convenient that they got in two plugs for the precious app during that traffic report. They go way overboard with that. Trust me!

[jp the roadgeek]

Couple of shout outs to CTDOT.  First one is that those roadside assistance trucks are a godsend.  Blew a tire this morning and not even 3 minutes after pulling over an orange truck pulled up and changed my tire.  Saved me a major headache(can't say the same about the cost of the tires).  The second shout out is that the CT 6 error signs on I-84 East in West Hartford have finally been replaced with corrected US 6 shields. 

[RobbieL2415]

Do we have a definite construction start date for the I-91 resurfacing and Exit 29 redesign?  DOT site says it was 4/1 but IDK.

[jp the roadgeek]

How convenient that they got in two plugs for the precious app during that traffic report. They go way overboard with that. Trust me!

Now they're pushing their new Alexa flash briefings ad nauseum.


Managed to get a couple of shots of the now numbered exit signage for Exit 85 NB on CT 15

[Alps]

How convenient that they got in two plugs for the precious app during that traffic report. They go way overboard with that. Trust me!

Now they're pushing their new Alexa flash briefings ad nauseum.


Managed to get a couple of shots of the now numbered exit signage for Exit 85 NB on CT 15

Is this going to number back onto the parkways or is it only the easternmost freeway?

[ipeters61]

How convenient that they got in two plugs for the precious app during that traffic report. They go way overboard with that. Trust me!

Now they're pushing their new Alexa flash briefings ad nauseum.


Managed to get a couple of shots of the now numbered exit signage for Exit 85 NB on CT 15

Interesting that they didn't right align the exit tabs.

[Mergingtraffic]

How convenient that they got in two plugs for the precious app during that traffic report. They go way overboard with that. Trust me!

Now they're pushing their new Alexa flash briefings ad nauseum.


Managed to get a couple of shots of the now numbered exit signage for Exit 85 NB on CT 15

Interesting that they didn't right align the exit tabs.

CT The Land of Steady Habits

[jp the roadgeek]

I'm assuming they were replaced in-kind based on the older specs, so it explains the center tabs.  There have been a couple of spot sign replacements on the northern part of 15 with right aligned tabs, but they'll probably wait till the full sign is replaced to right align the tabs  (and convert to mileage based numbers; Exit 85 would then be Exit 79).

[PHLBOS]

Managed to get a couple of shots of the now numbered exit signage for Exit 85 NB on CT 15

Interesting that they didn't right align the exit tabs.

Such is not the first time I've seen retrofitted centered Exit tabs & not just in CT.  When I-95 north of MA 128 first received its current exit numbers circa 1988; only newly installed signs had right-mounted Exit tabs.  All existing, 70s-vintage signs were retrofitted with centered Exit tabs.

[Mergingtraffic]

New BGSs are starting to make their appearances on CT-8 between Derby and Waterbury. 

SB SO FAR:

Exit 22 1/2 mile BGS SB is up with blue service symbol panels at the bottom with a green background of course.


NB SO FAR:
Beacon Falls Town Line/Exit 23

Exit 23 Bethany

Exit 25 Cross St 1 Mile

Saw the truck with the new signs on the NB side.  I just saw an Exit 30 exit tab sticking out of it.  IDK where the staging area is though.

[RobbieL2415]

How convenient that they got in two plugs for the precious app during that traffic report. They go way overboard with that. Trust me!

Now they're pushing their new Alexa flash briefings ad nauseum.


Managed to get a couple of shots of the now numbered exit signage for Exit 85 NB on CT 15

Interesting that they didn't right align the exit tabs.

That might be temporary, I think those signs are up for replacement during the construction.

[PHLBOS]

I meant to chime on this earlier.  Is it me or does those 85s on the Exit tabs look to be Series F?