Untangling the massive I-91, I-691, Route 15 interchange construction project in Meriden
State Department of Transportation officials have described
the Interstate 91,
Interstate 691 and Route 15 project in Meriden as a
more than $712
million effort to untangle an outdated and congested interchange.
But for drivers who make their way through the construction
area now, it may be difficult to untangle the project itself in their
minds.
“It could definitely be confusing for the public,” Connecticut DOT construction
project manager Dave Ferraro said. “There’s a lot going on out here.”
The project consists of three overlapping phases — one of
which is complete — and has required drivers to navigate lane
and ramp closures, detours and traffic shifts for about three years.
Construction is expected to continue until 2030.
DOT Commissioner
Garrett Eucalitto has said the intersecting
highways weren’t designed to handle the amount of traffic they carry
today, and the project takes aim at one-lane ramps, short merge distances and
“constant weaving” that contribute to traffic jams and make crashes more likely
to occur.
In an interview with CT Insider, two of the project’s
managers said the work that is underway will ultimately provide drivers with
wider ramps and shoulders, give them more time to merge and reduce how much
they weave across lanes to take exits.
“We’re working at it, but it’s going to be four years before
everything is realized,” said Ferraro, the project manager for Phase 3. “But
there'll be improvements as we go. And then the final configuration is just to
provide the traveling public with a new, safe interchange that flows much
better and will get them to their destination much quicker.”
Mohamad Alramahi, the project manager for Phase 2, said,
“There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and we are trying to get to
that light.”
The first phase, which started in 2023 and wrapped up in
2025, included widening the ramp from I-691 eastbound to I-91 northbound to two
lanes and adding a lane to I-91 northbound.
The second and third phases are more
extensive.
Phase 2 has focused on widening Route 15 and I-91
northbound. The phase began in 2024 and is scheduled to be done by 2028.
It includes the construction of a new two-lane ramp from
Route 15 northbound to I-91 northbound and widening the ramp from Route 15
northbound to I-691 westbound to two lanes.
Another major change that is part of Phase 2 is the removal of Exit 17 from I-91 northbound to Route 15 northbound. The exit permanently closed earlier this month.
Now, drivers take Exit 16 and travel under a new bridge to
get onto Route 15 northbound, which allows them to merge from the right instead
of the left.
“This will hopefully eliminate the weaving from
I-91,” Alramahi said.
The third and final phase, which kicked off this spring, is
focused on the southbound side of I-91 and Route 15. New two-lane ramps between
Route 15 southbound and I-91 southbound will be built and ramps to and from
I-691 will be widened as part of the phase.
“Once we’re done … you'll have wider lanes, wider shoulders,
more ability for drivers to exit and enter the highway in two-lane
configurations with new ramps and with two-lane ramps instead of one, which
will reduce congestion,” Ferraro said. “That congestion leads to accidents, and
that's the bottom line.”
All of the ongoing work at the interchange makes it even
more important for drivers to “ditch the distractions in their car,” slow down,
follow signs and be courteous to others on the road, Ferraro said.
“We have to reduce the lane widths and make things a little
narrower as we're trying to do this construction,” he said. “Give your fellow
motorists the ability to merge in and merge in safely versus cutting them off.”
Night road work to close lanes on I-95 and I-84 for different projects. What to know.
Motorists can expect lane closures due to nighttime
milling and resurfacing on Interstate 95 from the Interstate 395 interchange to
Exit 82 in Waterford that will begin on Aug. 9, according to the Connecticut Department of
Transportation.
The project includes milling and resurfacing the 3.79-mile
segment of I-95 in Waterford from I-395 to 0.06 miles south of Exit 82
including ramps, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
The work is scheduled to be performed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
from Aug. 9 to Sept. 11, from Sunday evenings through Monday morning. The
agency noted that traffic control personnel, “crash attenuator vehicles” and
sign patterns will guide motorists through the work zone.
Work will end at 6 a.m. on Friday morning, Sept. 4, and will
resume at 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening, Sept. 8, 2026, due to Labor Day holiday.
Weather or unforeseen conditions may modify or extend the schedule.
The CTDOT said it also plans replacement of road lighting on
the Interstate 84 and Interstate 384 interchange in East Hartford and
Manchester, starting on Monday, July 27 and that will cause detours.
drivers should expect
lane closures on I-84 and I-384 in East Hartford and Manchester Monday through
Friday between the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., as well as Saturday and Sundays.
Motorists should be aware that modifications or extensions
to this schedule also may become necessary due to weather delays or other
unforeseen conditions.
Interstate 91 work zone speed cameras go live in Meriden
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Speed cameras are now active in the
construction zone along Interstate 91 in Meriden as part of Connecticut’s
effort to slow drivers and improve work zone safety.
The cameras, which went live Sunday, are part of the
Connecticut Department of Transportation’s “Know the Zone” program. They
capture images of vehicles entering and leaving the construction area and are
designed to identify drivers who exceed the posted speed limit.
According to the program, images collected by the cameras
are reviewed by personnel with the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services
and Public Protection before a citation is issued.
The speed limit through the work zone is 45 mph. Drivers
traveling 10 mph or more over the limit will initially receive a warning in the
mail. After that, violators face a $75 fine.
Some drivers support the cameras, saying they could help
curb speeding and racing in the area. Others have expressed concerns about
privacy and the use of license plate images.
Groundbreaking begins on $1.6B project to speed up Metro-North service
STRATFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — State officials are set to break
ground Monday on a major rail infrastructure project aimed at reducing travel
times on Metro-North’s New Haven Line.
Gov. Ned Lamont will join transportation leaders at the
Stratford train station to launch the TIME-1 project, the largest phase yet of
the state’s Track Improvement Mobility Enhancement for Connecticut, known as
TIME for Connecticut.
The three-phase project carries a price tag of $1.6 billion
and includes upgrades to multiple rail bridges in Stratford and Bridgeport.
Those improvements are designed to allow trains to travel at faster speeds
along one of the busiest commuter rail corridors in the country.
State leaders say the broader TIME for Connecticut
initiative is intended to reduce congestion, improve air quality and create
tens of thousands of jobs. The program is funded through a combination of
federal transportation dollars and Connecticut’s highway use fee on large
commercial trucks.
When completed sometime in the next decade, the project is
expected to reduce Metro-North travel times between New Haven and Grand Central
Terminal by about 25 minutes each way. Officials say the overall savings could
cut round-trip commutes by nearly 50 minutes, giving regular riders more than
four additional hours each week.
The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the
Stratford train station.