Connecticut News

[bob7374]

Speaking of CT exit renumbering news. The CTDOT site still lists I-84 taking place in 2026. Wonder if this delay will move the others back a year, I-91 is listed still at 2027 and I-95 in 2028.

As for I-95, the exit renumbering map has been updated to include the proposed I-95 exit numbers (coded black on the map). The exit renumbering starts at the NY line, with Exit 2 becoming 1, and 2 becoming 3, though there, not unexpectedly, are many that stay the same south of New Haven. The first being Exit 5 the US 1 Old Greenwhich exit. The last exit before the RI border will be 111. The map is at:https://portal.ct.gov/dot/traffic-engineering/exit-renumbering?language=en_US

[The Ghostbuster]

Still no exit number changes for the US 5/CT 15 segment of the Wilbur Cross Hwy.?

[jp the roadgeek]

Still no exit number changes for the US 5/CT 15 segment of the Wilbur Cross Hwy.?

Or the addition of numbers to the Bradley Connector (CT 20)?  They've already installed enhanced mile markers.

[shadyjay]

Drove I-95 through the East Lyme project (Exits 74-75) this weekend.  Southbound, the roadway has been shifted onto the new southbound bridge and the 3rd lane is now open between Exit 75 and Exit 74, albeit as an operational lane. 

Work continues on the northbound side, as traffic is still shifted to the far right side of the bridge.  The new loop onramp at Exit 74 isn't paved yet.  I'm guessing the next step will be to shift the 2 lanes of thru traffic NB onto the "middle portion" of the bridge.  This will allow the crews to pave and put the finishing touches on the loop ramp.  Maybe we'll get 3 lanes between Exits 74 & 75 open sometime this fall.

I just wish the 3 lanes would extend to the I-95/I-395 junction.  Hopefully the new bridge at Exit 74 is wide enough to accomodate 3 thru lanes at some point in the future. 


Here's a couple pics southbound:

DSC08264 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr


DSC08265 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

[Mergingtraffic]

Drove I-95 through the East Lyme project (Exits 74-75) this weekend.  Southbound, the roadway has been shifted onto the new southbound bridge and the 3rd lane is now open between Exit 75 and Exit 74, albeit as an operational lane.

No project is ever a waste but it seems I could've thought of 1000 other interchanges to fix rather than this one.   Especially, since Costco kinda straightened out the SB ramps anyway. 

[Ted$8roadFan]

Connecticut desperately needs a third lane on I-95 from (at the minimum) CT-9 to I-395.

[Plutonic Panda]

Connecticut desperately needs a third lane on I-95 from (at the minimum) CT-9 to I-395.

Would it be fair to say that the Connecticut DOT is one of the slowest moving in the country?

[jp the roadgeek]

Connecticut desperately needs a third lane on I-95 from (at the minimum) CT-9 to I-395.

Would it be fair to say that the Connecticut DOT is one of the slowest moving in the country?

Ummm... 15 years to complete exit renumbering when MA and RI each did it in 3 months??? 

[shadyjay]

I wouldn't say the Exit 74 project was a waste.  They did need to replace the bridge and that made it a good time to tackle some operational improvements on the I-95 mainline.  I would've liked to have seen the project extend all the way to I-395 and give at least another lane to that point.  Granted, CTDOT probably wants to convert the I-395 exit to the right side.  You'd have to replace the US 1 overpass (again!) in order to accomodate a 3rd lane in each direction.  And then there was the idea that Route 11 would come into that interchange as well.  So, are we still waiting for Rt 11 before anything gets done at I-95/I-395? 

At least the visibility coming up and over the hill at the overpass is much improved and that right there will help. 

Yes, I-95 needs to be 3 lanes from Route 9/Baldwin Bridge out to at least I-395, if not the last few miles to New London (including straightening the Vauxhall curve).  But I do understand their priorities... there's heavy traffic but its mostly of a seasonal nature vs rush hour.  They are planning improvements at Exit 72-71 SB to eliminate the close proximity between the Exit 72 onramp and Exit 71 offramp. 

If I was with CTDOT and prioritizing I-95 widening east of New Haven, I'd vote first for widening the Branford section, from Exit 54 out to the Guilford line.  Then, as time and funding permits, you can work your way east. 

Regarding CTDOT being "slow"... are we referring to project duration, or how long it takes to get a project started?  I have to say it seems work goes pretty good once it gets started.  As far as actual construction time goes, these projects take time.  Crews have to work around a highway that still has to fully function, 24/7, year-round.  It's the old "putting on a new suit while you're still wearing the old one" analogy.  The trick is to get the project from the concept stage to the construction stage, and that seems like it takes forever, including decades of studies.  Any of us who drive in CT can tell you that I-84 from Danbury to Waterbury and I-95 needs to be widened.  Why we need study upon study is beyond me... and then those studies expire for some reason when no work has been done, so we need yet another study.  Back in the 50s, these roads were built in a year or two.  Granted, you didn't have the regulations that you have today (environmental, OSHA, etc) and you were building a brand new highway in a new location. 

Regarding exit renumbering, yes, they're slow in that regards.  They could've renumbered the whole state in a few months and been done with it.  But here we are.  At least we're moving faster in that regard than NY, NH, and VT. 

[Mergingtraffic]

Would it be fair to say that the Connecticut DOT is one of the slowest moving in the country?

YES! Look at I-84 between Danbury and Waterbury. Nothings been done yet. The expansion was first proposed in 2000. Then a failed EIS and now a project that's scaled back to only exits 3-8. They're still studying which alternative to pick.

All the while the traffic has increased 10 fold since Covid.

And speaking of exits:
https://portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-press-releases/2026/ctdot-to-replace-and-overlay-highway-sign-panels-along-i-95?language=en_US

[RobbieL2415]

I wouldn't say the Exit 74 project was a waste.  They did need to replace the bridge and that made it a good time to tackle some operational improvements on the I-95 mainline.  I would've liked to have seen the project extend all the way to I-395 and give at least another lane to that point.  Granted, CTDOT probably wants to convert the I-395 exit to the right side.  You'd have to replace the US 1 overpass (again!) in order to accomodate a 3rd lane in each direction.  And then there was the idea that Route 11 would come into that interchange as well.  So, are we still waiting for Rt 11 before anything gets done at I-95/I-395? 

At least the visibility coming up and over the hill at the overpass is much improved and that right there will help. 

Yes, I-95 needs to be 3 lanes from Route 9/Baldwin Bridge out to at least I-395, if not the last few miles to New London (including straightening the Vauxhall curve).  But I do understand their priorities... there's heavy traffic but its mostly of a seasonal nature vs rush hour.  They are planning improvements at Exit 72-71 SB to eliminate the close proximity between the Exit 72 onramp and Exit 71 offramp. 

If I was with CTDOT and prioritizing I-95 widening east of New Haven, I'd vote first for widening the Branford section, from Exit 54 out to the Guilford line.  Then, as time and funding permits, you can work your way east. 

Regarding CTDOT being "slow"... are we referring to project duration, or how long it takes to get a project started?  I have to say it seems work goes pretty good once it gets started.  As far as actual construction time goes, these projects take time.  Crews have to work around a highway that still has to fully function, 24/7, year-round.  It's the old "putting on a new suit while you're still wearing the old one" analogy.  The trick is to get the project from the concept stage to the construction stage, and that seems like it takes forever, including decades of studies.  Any of us who drive in CT can tell you that I-84 from Danbury to Waterbury and I-95 needs to be widened.  Why we need study upon study is beyond me... and then those studies expire for some reason when no work has been done, so we need yet another study.  Back in the 50s, these roads were built in a year or two.  Granted, you didn't have the regulations that you have today (environmental, OSHA, etc) and you were building a brand new highway in a new location. 

Regarding exit renumbering, yes, they're slow in that regards.  They could've renumbered the whole state in a few months and been done with it.  But here we are.  At least we're moving faster in that regard than NY, NH, and VT. 

A lot of it is bureaucracy. Sure, they have projects in their capital planning, but then it has to go through preliminary design, public comment, EIS, final design approval, and bidding.

[Plutonic Panda]

CTDOT has funding to help replace 13 bridges around the state:

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/ctdot-announces-state-grants-for-reconstruction-of-13-local-bridges/71919

[shadyjay]

Would it be fair to say that the Connecticut DOT is one of the slowest moving in the country?

YES! Look at I-84 between Danbury and Waterbury. Nothings been done yet. The expansion was first proposed in 2000. Then a failed EIS and now a project that's scaled back to only exits 3-8. They're still studying which alternative to pick.

All the while the traffic has increased 10 fold since Covid.

And speaking of exits:
https://portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-press-releases/2026/ctdot-to-replace-and-overlay-highway-sign-panels-along-i-95?language=en_US

Aren't they pretty well spent on going with shoulder lane usage between Exits 3 & 7 in Danbury? 

That idea WILL NOT solve any problem.  The problem is at the Exit 7 split NB where eastbound traffic reduces to 2 lanes and all those people in the left lane for US 7 cutting over to I-84 at the last minute.  And now, at rush hour, they want to open the left shoulder to traffic so that's another lane's worth of vehicles trying to cut over to the right.  Not a good idea. 

If we want a "cheap" solution, extend the acceleration lane entering EB from Exit 6, right up to Exit 8.  Not the most ideal, but it would give I-84 the intention of 3 lanes, and allowing a better traffic flow for those exiting at Exit 8.  That could last the years (decades?) until CTDOT does a proper I-84 improvement in the area, converting Exit 7 to a right hand exit, moving the Exit 7 onramp on the right, have Exit 8 leave the mainline before the Exit 7 merge, etc. 

I-84 EB is a parking lot, not just weekday afternoons, but on weekends too.  It should've been widened about the time the Waterbury-Southington section was done.  But yet, here we are.  And most of it could be done in the wide median, so you wouldn't even have to modify the intermediate interchanges.  Sure, replace a few bridges, but otherwise, clear some trees and some median ledge, slap down some pavement, and bam!

Another "quick solution" which would help the I-84 EB to I-691 EB backup... extend the "slow vehicle lane" which ends at Exit 26 another 1.5 miles to I-691 and make it a 2 lane ramp.  There's one overpass standing in the way.  Or at the very least, create an acceleration lane at Exit 27/I-691 of more than 100'.  If you're not going to do big projects, address the choke points and this is one of them!

[Mergingtraffic]

Would it be fair to say that the Connecticut DOT is one of the slowest moving in the country?

YES! Look at I-84 between Danbury and Waterbury. Nothings been done yet. The expansion was first proposed in 2000. Then a failed EIS and now a project that's scaled back to only exits 3-8. They're still studying which alternative to pick.

All the while the traffic has increased 10 fold since Covid.

And speaking of exits:
https://portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-press-releases/2026/ctdot-to-replace-and-overlay-highway-sign-panels-along-i-95?language=en_US

Aren't they pretty well spent on going with shoulder lane usage between Exits 3 & 7 in Danbury? 

That idea WILL NOT solve any problem.  The problem is at the Exit 7 split NB where eastbound traffic reduces to 2 lanes and all those people in the left lane for US 7 cutting over to I-84 at the last minute.  And now, at rush hour, they want to open the left shoulder to traffic so that's another lane's worth of vehicles trying to cut over to the right.  Not a good idea. 

If we want a "cheap" solution, extend the acceleration lane entering EB from Exit 6, right up to Exit 8.  Not the most ideal, but it would give I-84 the intention of 3 lanes, and allowing a better traffic flow for those exiting at Exit 8.  That could last the years (decades?) until CTDOT does a proper I-84 improvement in the area, converting Exit 7 to a right hand exit, moving the Exit 7 onramp on the right, have Exit 8 leave the mainline before the Exit 7 merge, etc. 

I-84 EB is a parking lot, not just weekday afternoons, but on weekends too.  It should've been widened about the time the Waterbury-Southington section was done.  But yet, here we are.  And most of it could be done in the wide median, so you wouldn't even have to modify the intermediate interchanges.  Sure, replace a few bridges, but otherwise, clear some trees and some median ledge, slap down some pavement, and bam!

Another "quick solution" which would help the I-84 EB to I-691 EB backup... extend the "slow vehicle lane" which ends at Exit 26 another 1.5 miles to I-691 and make it a 2 lane ramp.  There's one overpass standing in the way.  Or at the very least, create an acceleration lane at Exit 27/I-691 of more than 100'.  If you're not going to do big projects, address the choke points and this is one of them!

They do plan to overhaul the whole thing, the shoulder use is an interim project until the big dig gets started. In that short term project will be making the exit 7 WB on-ramp from US-7 two lanes.

[Mergingtraffic]

Would it be fair to say that the Connecticut DOT is one of the slowest moving in the country?

YES! Look at I-84 between Danbury and Waterbury. Nothings been done yet. The expansion was first proposed in 2000. Then a failed EIS and now a project that's scaled back to only exits 3-8. They're still studying which alternative to pick.

All the while the traffic has increased 10 fold since Covid.

And speaking of exits:
https://portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-press-releases/2026/ctdot-to-replace-and-overlay-highway-sign-panels-along-i-95?language=en_US

Aren't they pretty well spent on going with shoulder lane usage between Exits 3 & 7 in Danbury? 

That idea WILL NOT solve any problem.  The problem is at the Exit 7 split NB where eastbound traffic reduces to 2 lanes and all those people in the left lane for US 7 cutting over to I-84 at the last minute.  And now, at rush hour, they want to open the left shoulder to traffic so that's another lane's worth of vehicles trying to cut over to the right.  Not a good idea. 

If we want a "cheap" solution, extend the acceleration lane entering EB from Exit 6, right up to Exit 8.  Not the most ideal, but it would give I-84 the intention of 3 lanes, and allowing a better traffic flow for those exiting at Exit 8.  That could last the years (decades?) until CTDOT does a proper I-84 improvement in the area, converting Exit 7 to a right hand exit, moving the Exit 7 onramp on the right, have Exit 8 leave the mainline before the Exit 7 merge, etc. 

I-84 EB is a parking lot, not just weekday afternoons, but on weekends too.  It should've been widened about the time the Waterbury-Southington section was done.  But yet, here we are.  And most of it could be done in the wide median, so you wouldn't even have to modify the intermediate interchanges.  Sure, replace a few bridges, but otherwise, clear some trees and some median ledge, slap down some pavement, and bam!

Another "quick solution" which would help the I-84 EB to I-691 EB backup... extend the "slow vehicle lane" which ends at Exit 26 another 1.5 miles to I-691 and make it a 2 lane ramp.  There's one overpass standing in the way.  Or at the very least, create an acceleration lane at Exit 27/I-691 of more than 100'.  If you're not going to do big projects, address the choke points and this is one of them!

They do plan to overhaul the whole thing, the shoulder use is an interim project until the big dig gets started. In that short term project will be making the exit 7 WB on-ramp from US-7 two lanes.

I also don't understand why I-84 EB backs up at I-691. It's basically straight ramp but people tend to slow down for some reason.

[MikeTheActuary]

I also don't understand why I-84 EB backs up at I-691. It's basically straight ramp but people tend to slow down for some reason.

Volume.  It only takes one slower-moving vehicle (e.g. a semi unfamiliar with the upcoming road geometry) to slow down the conga-line of traffic.

And when there is a long line of exiting traffic, you have the folks who try to cut in line close to the actual exit aggravating the congestion.

If there were two dedicated exit lanes, it'd be less of a problem.

[shadyjay]

I also don't understand why I-84 EB backs up at I-691. It's basically straight ramp but people tend to slow down for some reason.

True, but its got almost no decelleration lane until you're almost on top of the gore, coming down the hill, and the overpass just before the exit partially obscures it as well.  So you got lots of things going against you. 
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5571998,-72.923892,3a,75y,59.79h,91.39t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sTVt1wi061IGp-DoWEr71ng!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-1.3870048637103878%26panoid%3DTVt1wi061IGp-DoWEr71ng%26yaw%3D59.79303305363915!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDgwMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

A "poor man's solution" would be to widen back about 1/4-1/2 mile with a dedicated "exit only" lane, or to solve the cutting in at the last minute problem make that new "4th lane" an option lane and restripe/minor widen the ramp.  Ideally, have I-691 be 3 lanes up to old Exit 3/Route 10. 

There's been a massive new residential development in the past year or 2 off Route 10 at I-691 which I'm sure adds to the traffic.  These new developments are going in everywhere like crazy, with next-to-nothing for infrastructure improvements.  You're adding hundreds of cars to an already busy area and not giving them any space to move around.  A turn lane here or there at an intersection is all you're getting.  The interstates need some improvements as well.