Connecticut News

[shadyjay]

Looks like some significant progress is being made on the northern CT 82/CT 154 rotary in Tylerville.  I took this today...

CT154SB@CT82EB by Jay Hogan, on Flickr


Also, the new 2-lane offramp from I-691 East to I-91 North in Meriden has opened within the past few days.  It's been substantially complete for a few weeks now and just needed striping and cleanup.  Opened a few months ago, a 4th lane on I-91 North from the merge of I-691 East up to the Rest Area.  This helps with trucks climbing the hill as well.

691EB-Exit1A-2laneopen by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Hopefully that horrid "East Main St 1/2 mile" sign will go and get replaced with a sign saying "66 EAST/Middletown".  There is currently no signage marking the end of I-691 and the start of CT 66.  There are also no reassurance shields on CT 66 East until you get to the CT 147 intersection at Guida's in Middlefield, about 2 miles to the east of here.

[RobbieL2415]

I am seeing confusion on r/Connecticut about the ongoing exit renumbering on CT 15.

Apparently it's already started.

Also, new signs are now going in on I-384.

[vdeane]

I am seeing confusion on r/Connecticut about the ongoing exit renumbering on CT 15.

Apparently it's already started.

Also, new signs are now going in on I-384.

FYI, we have a separate thread for the renumbering.

[shadyjay]

Finally some new extruded signs are going up on I-384.  Saw some new ones for Exit 1-EB.  Didn't go any further as we were staying on I-84.  Maybe this weekend or next I'll check it out further. 

[MikeCL]

How many accidents a day does 15 to 91 happen?

[kernals12]

One thing that really bothers me about CT-9 is that the state couldn't even extend the road just a few feet to Tunxis road so that at least some use could be made of that elaborate stack interchange.

[The Ghostbuster]

I would have had CT 9 end at CT 4/Farmington Ave.

[abqtraveler]

I would have had CT 9 end at CT 4/Farmington Ave.

They have discussed extending Route 9 to Route 4. The residents in that area are absolutely opposed to building anything north of the I-84/Route 9 stack.

[shadyjay]

You know... it wouldn't take that much.  Its already built to Tunxis Rd, after all.  And the ROW beyond to Farmington Ave looks pretty much wide open.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7366263,-72.7792913,2081m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

And it would solve the problem of getting to Route 9 from Route 4, which today is a little roundabout.

Perhaps the residents fear that if Route 9 makes it to Farmington Ave, then it could go further.  But I guess that depends on how CTDOT would end it (a "T" intersection with a light or a legitimate partial interchange.

[vdeane]

Perhaps the residents fear that if Route 9 makes it to Farmington Ave, then it could go further.  But I guess that depends on how CTDOT would end it (a "T" intersection with a light or a legitimate partial interchange.

A T intersection didn't seem to be good enough for US 7.  Traffic lights at the I-84/CT 9 interchange might, though!

[DrSmith]

I would have had CT 9 end at CT 4/Farmington Ave.

They have discussed extending Route 9 to Route 4. The residents in that area are absolutely opposed to building anything north of the I-84/Route 9 stack.

If you made it a larger improvement, would that make a difference? It involves that square around I-84/Route4/Route 9. Remove the current Route 4 exit and make access via Route 9 along with improvements to Route 4. Also gets rid of an exit there on I-84. A left exit/entrance at that on the I-84 east (although that would have to overcome the crowd that demands more left exits/entrances.) You would also get back some land along that Route 4 ramp. Convert the ramp to a regular 2 lane road with access to Colt Hwy.

[MikeTheActuary]

If you made it a larger improvement, would that make a difference?

The construction would impact the headwaters of a brook that a popular linear park is built around, the headwaters of another brook that feeds into the reservoir system that killed I-291, and it would pass close to a posh nursing home in a very affluent neighborhood of a town that is gung-ho on road diets and the like.

Combine that with general NIMBYness....

[shadyjay]

New I-384 signs are finally starting to go up:

Exit 1, EB:
384EB-Exit01-> by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Exit 3, EB:
384EB-Exit03-1mile by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Exit 4, EB:
384EB-Exit04-1mile by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Rest of the shots can be found in my I-384 album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/albums/72157674127546462/with/51996387814


Also, drove the Wilbur Cross Parkway from I-91 in Meriden down to the Sikorsky Bridge, then the Merritt to Route 8 (SB direction only) and have pics of the new exit numbers on my Route 15 page...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/albums/72157671420002540/with/48734518521

Again, I only got SB shots this time around.  Exits in Meriden have not yet been renumbered, though the new exit gore signs are up and bagged, including the CTDOT maintenance garage exit.

Only sheet aluminum signs have been put up so far.  Some BGS foundations are in.  Also, a couple BGS overlays are up:

SB, Exit 52 (former Exit 62):
CT15SB-Exit52-> by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

SB, Exit 46 (former Exit 59):
CT15SB-Exit46-> by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

My guess is that the overlays were chosen as temporary solutions until a separate project tackles a larger project in the area.  This may result in changes to the interchange configuration at Whitney Ave for Exit 51-52 and the overlay at Exit 46 is just past the West Rock Tunnel, meaning a tunnel reconstruction would replace the BGS. 

I hope to snag all the northbound signage, in addition to the rest of the Merritt SB (Trumbull to NY state) most likely in September.

[The Ghostbuster]

Google Maps has been updated to show the new exit numbers on the main map. However, the Merritt Parkway's Street View images pre-date the exit renumbering conversion, and while Google Cars have utilized the Wilbur Cross Parkway in June and July of this year, the exits have yet to be converted.

[RobbieL2415]

How is ConnDOT determining which extruded aluminum signs to replace and which ones to repair with sheet aluminum covers?

[shadyjay]

My interpretation on it is the ones getting sheet aluminum overlays are meant to be holdovers until a larger interchange or similar project gets underway that would affect the signs. 

Regarding the Wilbur Cross Parkway, this is probably the reason why Exit 46 SB got sheet overlays, as that is in the middle of the West Rock...err... Heroes Tunnel reconstruction project.  Regarding Whitney Ave in Hamden, I'm guessing there's some future project there to improve the tight ramps at that semi-cloverleaf interchange. 

On I-95 SB for Exit 72-71, the sheets are proposed to go over existing extruded signs, as there is a plan to combine Exits 72 & 71 in that direction (very badly needed). 

On I-84 at the east end of the Bulkley Bridge, I have no idea what the reasoning behind the sheets there was for.  That gantry was supposed to be replaced entirely, but never was (nor was one a little further east between the East Hartford Mixmaster and Rt 15). 

On I-91 North, they put up a sheet over an extruded for the Exit 44-NB ramp in East Windsor.  That sign is now to be replaced as part of the I-91 resigning from Windsor Locks to the state line. 

[RobbieL2415]

On I-84 at the east end of the Bulkley Bridge, I have no idea what the reasoning behind the sheets there was for.  That gantry was supposed to be replaced entirely, but never was (nor was one a little further east between the East Hartford Mixmaster and Rt 15). 

There's two things that I can see on the active projects map in the vicinity of that gantry. One is 0042-0330, upgrading the ATMS from Hartford to Tolland. There's a CCTV camera near the gantry and wiring for some loop detectors that go through the gantry itself. Could be they're waiting for all that to get done/relocated.

The second project is 0063-0734, which is for rehab of the Bulkley Bridge, but that's still in the planning stages and I'm not sure what it'll entail.

As for the signs and gantries further east, those are probably coming down when the East Hartford to Vernon sign replacement project (and full exit number conversion for I-84!) starts.

[shadyjay]

I believe the I-84 renumbering project will include East Hartford-Vernon, plus any spot signs/gantries needing replacement.  This may include the Exits 13-18 stretch that was replaced in the early 2000s and the Exits 25A-28 stretch which got replaced during the I-84 widening in that section.  Both stretches still feature center-mounted exit tabs and blue service bars. 

[kurumi]

On August 26, CTDOT announced it has narrowed down the long-range alternatives for the I-84/CT-8 interchange to the final two:

After reviewing and analyzing multiple potential options, the two advancing alternatives are the Modern Crossover Interchange and Naugatuck River Shift. Both alternatives aim to improve safety and mobility on I-84 and Route 8, as well as improve multimodal connections within the surrounding roadway network. In both alternatives, the I-84 and Route 8 structures would be unstacked and reconstructed with an expected lifespan of over 75 years.

https://portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-press-releases/2025/ctdot-announces-the-long-term-vision-for-the-replacement-of-the-waterbury-mixmaster?language=en_US

Details on the alternatives: https://www.newmixwaterbury.com/project-alternatives/

(I thought I had seen this earlier in this forum (before Aug 26) but couldn't find the post)

[kurumi]

The 2024 highway log is online (https://portal.ct.gov/dot/-/media/dot/policy/hwylog/highwaylog_final.pdf), and there's one change I found: SSR 495, the 0.4-mile Highway Garage Road, from Miller Avenue to CT 15 SB in Meriden. (new exit 62)

Extremely fictional highway thought: they should put that number aside, since it's an x95! You never know when you might use it!

Rational highway thought: no, that will never be a problem

(here's the list of all SRs and SSRs that I know of: https://kurumi.com/roads/ct/secretlist.html)

[The Ghostbuster]

I wonder why those exits were never numbered before. Were they too minor of exits to warrant exit numbers?

[MikeTheActuary]

In normal states, highway maintenance facilities, state police outposts, and the like wouldn't be exits and thus wouldn't get exit numbers.

The interchange design away from the Merritt certainly suggests it wasn't supposed to be a real exit.

[dgolub]

The 2024 highway log is online (https://portal.ct.gov/dot/-/media/dot/policy/hwylog/highwaylog_final.pdf), and there's one change I found: SSR 495, the 0.4-mile Highway Garage Road, from Miller Avenue to CT 15 SB in Meriden. (new exit 62)

Extremely fictional highway thought: they should put that number aside, since it's an x95! You never know when you might use it!

Rational highway thought: no, that will never be a problem

(here's the list of all SRs and SSRs that I know of: https://kurumi.com/roads/ct/secretlist.html)

CT 34 has finally been officially truncated to end at CT 10...but there are still some reassurances shields for it on Legion Avenue in New Haven!

[Magical Trevor]

On August 26, CTDOT announced it has narrowed down the long-range alternatives for the I-84/CT-8 interchange to the final two:

After reviewing and analyzing multiple potential options, the two advancing alternatives are the Modern Crossover Interchange and Naugatuck River Shift. Both alternatives aim to improve safety and mobility on I-84 and Route 8, as well as improve multimodal connections within the surrounding roadway network. In both alternatives, the I-84 and Route 8 structures would be unstacked and reconstructed with an expected lifespan of over 75 years.

https://portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-press-releases/2025/ctdot-announces-the-long-term-vision-for-the-replacement-of-the-waterbury-mixmaster?language=en_US

Details on the alternatives: https://www.newmixwaterbury.com/project-alternatives/

(I thought I had seen this earlier in this forum (before Aug 26) but couldn't find the post)

I think somebody screwed up; Figures 5-5 and 5-6 in the report appear to be the same image (of the Modern Crossover).