I-84 widening project in Connecticut set to open ahead of schedule
From Transport Topics. The Interstate 84 widening project in Waterbury, Conn., which has been going on since 2015, is on track to open one year ahead of schedule. The $300 million project involves the addition of a third travel lane and full-width shoulders in each direction to a 2.7-mile segment of the route, one of…
From Transport Topics.
The Interstate 84 widening project in Waterbury, Conn., which has been going on since 2015, is on track to open one year ahead of schedule.
The $300 million project involves the addition of a third travel lane and full-width shoulders in each direction to a 2.7-mile segment of the route, one of the major conduits in the state. At a news conference with other state government leaders Aug. 20, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced that completion is imminent.
The three eastbound lanes of I-84 through Waterbury are scheduled to open later this week, and the three westbound lanes are set to open by mid-September.
“The I-84 Waterbury widening project is transforming and revitalizing mobility in Waterbury and supports our goal to make Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure best-in-class,” Malloy said. “This project is exemplary and has exhibited fast-paced, high-quality efficiency from its inception in 2015, and it’s all being done one year ahead of schedule.”
Running across the state from the southwest to the northeast, I-84 bisects Waterbury and Hartford. According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s I-84 Corridor Congestion Relief study, some 141,000 vehicles travel down the route every day.
ConnDOT’s website dedicated to the I-84 Waterbury Widening project states that the goal of the project is to improve safety and capacity on the route and surrounding streets. The portion of I-84 that goes through Waterbury also traverses steep topography, and the project involved reconfiguring several tributaries, including the Mad River and Beaver Pond Brook.
Joseph Sculley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, said I-84 is one of the most important routes trucks use in the state. He said its completion will come as a relief to all motorists, not just truckers.
“That is a good project. That is a project that we would point to as one that eases congestion in the right way,” Sculley said. “We think that all road users will benefit from that.”
See full article from Transport Topics online.