Connecticut News

[KEVIN_224]

I'm just wondering what the long shed-like buildings are near the bottom right? Near where I-91 is now.

[RobbieL2415]

I'm just wondering what the long shed-like buildings are near the bottom right? Near where I-91 is now.

. That looks like a freight depot for the NYNHH railroad.  Today it's a vacant parking lot.  But the connection to the CSO Valley Branch is still there.

[MikeTheActuary]

A 1945 topo puts a rail facility there: https://www.flickr.com/photos/uconnlibrariesmagic/4722682236/

Also, WNPR has aerial photos before/after the photo quoted earlier

[KEVIN_224]

The picture on the right looks to be from the 1980s, looking at the ramp from the Founders Bridge. Also, no flyover for I-84 East to I-91 north. That opened in October of 1990.

[MikeTheActuary]

The right-hand picture would be from the mid 60's to the early 70's.   The Phoenix Boat Building and Constitution Plaza are present (completed 1964), but the Civic Center (now XL Center) Arena is missing (completed 1975).

[DJStephens]

Found this on the r/Connecticut page...

Anyone have a rough idea when this image was taken?

This would be early 60's, maybe even late 50s.  I don't believe I-84 was completed through the city until '68 or 69.

Would venture 1964/65.  Remember driving through Connecticut/Hartford on family trips in the seventies and early eighties.  Most of the bridge abutments in greater Hartford on 84 had "1968" on them, this was before the guardrail extensions later covered them.   This picture shows no alignment yet cleared for 84.  West of Downtown.  It must have taken several years to get to the actual construction of the Interstate.   

[RobbieL2415]

Quick I-91 Exit 29 update:

-Grading has begun for the new CT 15 N Exit 89 ramp.
-Drain culverts are in place for the anticipated widening of I-91 NB
-Drain culverts have been replaced for I-91 N Exit 28
-A crane has been moved in close to the COBr.

[robby2161]

Minor improvements coming to Route 7 in Wilton - from Sept. 17th article on Patch.

"Roadway widening to accommodate northbound and southbound left-turn lanes and a minimum of 4-foot shoulders.

The widening will primarily be on the west side of Route 7 and will include new sidewalk from the termination at Westy Self Storage and continue to the main ASML driveway. Sidewalks will also be installed on the east side of Route 7 from the termination of the existing sidewalk through the entire length of the project. The roadway will also be widened on the east side of Route 7 to allow for vehicle bypass capability in front of 88 Danbury Road.

The traffic signals for the intersection of Route 7 at Grumman Hill Road and Route 7 at Wilton Corporate Park will be replaced to better accommodate the proposed left-turn lanes.

Short, left-turn slots will also be installed on Route 7, south of the Grumman Hill Road intersection, at Hollyhock Lane and the commercial driveway opposite to Hollyhock Lane."

https://patch.com/connecticut/wilton/wilton-updates-timeline-route-7-grumman-hill-road-upgrades

This intersection has needed dedicated left-turn lanes ever since ASML opened their headquarters - which I think was back in the 80s.  Really wish the entire length of Route 7 in Wilton had a TWCLTL, or at the very least LTLs at all signalized intersections.  The overhaul back in 2009 was typical short-sighted CT.

[jp the roadgeek]

More trouble at The Mixmaster.  Now, the ramp from CT 8 North to I-84 West is closed because of structural problems.  It means all traffic from CT 8 North trying to access I-84 has to use the U-Turn at the CT 73 exit.

[KEVIN_224]

Just when the big project east of there was being wrapped up...THIS! The project in Southington/Cheshire was practically done...then the issue with misaligned sewer grates or whatever cropped up.

[Mergingtraffic]

http://7-15norwalk.com/documents/Route%207-15%20Norwalk%20Fall%202019.pdf

How in the world did the traffic light option make the final two options?!?

This project is the poster child for NIMBYism and CT as a whole. WOW

[SectorZ]

http://7-15norwalk.com/documents/Route%207-15%20Norwalk%20Fall%202019.pdf

How in the world did the traffic light option make the final two options?!?

This project is the poster child for NIMBYism and CT as a whole. WOW

That second one looks like a non-starter for the Merritt Mental Midgets, so, yeah, traffic signals on an expressway. Smart.

[RobbieL2415]

http://7-15norwalk.com/documents/Route%207-15%20Norwalk%20Fall%202019.pdf

How in the world did the traffic light option make the final two options?!?

This project is the poster child for NIMBYism and CT as a whole. WOW

I'm guessing the thought amongst NIMBYs is that the traffic will get so bad people will stop driving.

[DJStephens]

http://7-15norwalk.com/documents/Route%207-15%20Norwalk%20Fall%202019.pdf

How in the world did the traffic light option make the final two options?!?

This project is the poster child for NIMBYism and CT as a whole. WOW

The average driver does not input their opinion.  The small bike/ped crowd shows up en masse.   So the design becomes tilted towards them, often in a regressive fashion.   Frankly support bike/ped facilities, but not at the expense of proper design.   Regressive design is all over the place in the rio grande valley.   

[abqtraveler]

http://7-15norwalk.com/documents/Route%207-15%20Norwalk%20Fall%202019.pdf

How in the world did the traffic light option make the final two options?!?

This project is the poster child for NIMBYism and CT as a whole. WOW

The average driver does not input their opinion.  The small bike/ped crowd shows up en masse.   So the design becomes tilted towards them, often in a regressive fashion.   Frankly support bike/ped facilities, but not at the expense of proper design.   Regressive design is all over the place in the rio grande valley.

That's not surprising for Connecticut.  They don't do anything that makes sense, so to install a traffic light on what is currently a freeway, I'm not surprised.

[RobbieL2415]

http://7-15norwalk.com/documents/Route%207-15%20Norwalk%20Fall%202019.pdf

How in the world did the traffic light option make the final two options?!?

This project is the poster child for NIMBYism and CT as a whole. WOW

The average driver does not input their opinion.  The small bike/ped crowd shows up en masse.   So the design becomes tilted towards them, often in a regressive fashion.   Frankly support bike/ped facilities, but not at the expense of proper design.   Regressive design is all over the place in the rio grande valley.

That's not surprising for Connecticut.  They don't do anything that makes sense, so to install a traffic light on what is currently a freeway, I'm not surprised.

Im going to disagree with that.  If it were always the case, you wouldnt see them redoing the approaches to the Charter Oak Bridge.

[Mergingtraffic]

Im going to disagree with that.  If it were always the case, you wouldnt see them redoing the approaches to the Charter Oak Bridge.

With a left hand exit.  It's going to create the same problems currently experienced on I-84 EB at the US-7 split at Exit 7 in Danbury.  Traffic will be changing lanes and putting exiting/slower traffic in the left hand portion of I-91.  Even if it's a high speed exit.

[RobbieL2415]

Im going to disagree with that.  If it were always the case, you wouldnt see them redoing the approaches to the Charter Oak Bridge.

With a left hand exit.  It's going to create the same problems currently experienced on I-84 EB at the US-7 split at Exit 7 in Danbury.  Traffic will be changing lanes and putting exiting/slower traffic in the left hand portion of I-91.  Even if it's a high speed exit.

Eh.  I'm not so sure about that.  There won't be a need to shift lanes once on the bridge and the grade won't be as steep.  Part of the congestion problem stems from trucks downshifting to climb the ramp.

But, this project won't address any of the congestion problems on the southbound side of the bridge.

[KEVIN_224]

For what it's worth, the last 2 mile segment of today's CT Route 9 opened on this day in 1992. That would be from Exit 29 (CT 175 / Cedar Street - Newington) to the stack at I-84/US Route 6 in Farmington. It would've been nice to have the northwest segment of the beltway built. We've only got this section, CT Route 9 in Berlin/Cromwell (between the Berlin Turnpike and I-91) and I-291 from Windsor to Manchester. Damn West Hartford reservoirs!

[connroadgeek]

Does anyone know why the state is cutting down so many trees along the interstates? Even some medians are being clear cut.

[RobbieL2415]

For what it's worth, the last 2 mile segment of today's CT Route 9 opened on this day in 1992. That would be from Exit 29 (CT 175 / Cedar Street - Newington) to the stack at I-84/US Route 6 in Farmington. It would've been nice to have the northwest segment of the beltway built. We've only got this section, CT Route 9 in Berlin/Cromwell (between the Berlin Turnpike and I-91) and I-291 from Windsor to Manchester. Damn West Hartford reservoirs!

I'm surprised they haven't considered extending CT 9 over the Stack to end at CT 4.

Does anyone know why the state is cutting down so many trees along the interstates? Even some medians are being clear cut.

Since 2011, there has been a push to improve sightlines.  We had a bad snowstorm that October and fallen trees kept some highways closed, especially the Parkways.

[MikeTheActuary]

Does anyone know why the state is cutting down so many trees along the interstates? Even some medians are being clear cut.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-dot-tree-clearing-campaign-20190522-pyxoy6njdraahfmibnvt7djlfe-story.html

Too many trees impacted by moths, beetles, and weather.

[jp the roadgeek]

Does anyone know why the state is cutting down so many trees along the interstates? Even some medians are being clear cut.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-dot-tree-clearing-campaign-20190522-pyxoy6njdraahfmibnvt7djlfe-story.html

Too many trees impacted by moths, beetles, and weather.

Didn't even recognize I-84 in the area of Slater Rd in New Britain when I drove it the other day.  Everything between the ramp overpass and the Farmington town line has been cleared out. 

[DrSmith]

The state cut way back on mowing too, which allowed trees to grow very close to the roadway. I know plenty of the trees being removed were older; however, there were a bunch of new trees and brush that was encroaching right to the shoulders in many places.

Mass has been doing similar tree work along the Pike at least.  I was up in Maine a few days ago and it was different to see the wide clear regions along the sides of the highways.

[KEVIN_224]

THANK YOU! I saw a lot of this myself and wondered about it, too. One area I noticed was the area of Exit 24 northbound from CT Route 9 in Berlin (S.R. 571, a.k.a. "Willow Brook Connector"). They also cut down a big portion of overgrowth north of there in the summer. It was a slope next to the southbound roadway and the auto dealership below by the Berlin town line.