ConnDOT has a new web site for the replacement of the Moses Wheeler Bridge on I-95 between Stratford and Milford....
http://www.moseswheelerbridge.com/
Looks like the present amount of lanes will be maintained with a brand new bridge, but with full width shoulders.
Completion? 2017... or two years after the "Q" Bridge project.
Does anyone think its a little ridiculous to not be adding an additional lane in each direction? If anything, just for "operational" (Exit Only) purposes, because of course 1/4-1/2 mile on either side of the bridge, there's an entrance or an exit ramp!
With I-95 in New Haven and Fairfield Counties, ConnDOT should add capacity where it can when it can. It makes no since to me why they would spend all this money on a bridge, that will be eventually packed like the rest of 95 when they had the option of adding additional lanes.
The classic exit-only right lanes over the bridge setup wouldn't entirely work in this case, as exit 33, the next interchange south of the bridge, is NB off/SB on.
Still, with four full-width shoulders, there will be plenty of room to fit 8 lanes of traffic on the new bridge should any widening in that area ever occur.
Not under standard guidelines. 6 lanes might be doable, but FHWA will want ConnDOT to keep at least one full shoulder in each direction on the bridge.
It seems like it's kinda silly not do at least provide provisions for an extra lane. I mean, they are taking a loooong time to build it.
I have a feeling if this were Texas or even MA, there would at least provisions for it.
Actually if this were TX, I-95 would be 10-lanes!