Latest news with #ConnecticutDepartmentofTransportation
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Upgrades planned on Interstate 84 in CT city. Project would include ramps, road surface, more.
There are plans in the works for an Interstate 84 improvement project that would break ground in 2029, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The work would resurface the roadway, rehabilitate bridges and upgrade roadside safety in both directions of Interstate 84 in Danbury from the New York state border to Exit 4, according to DOT. The Connecticut Department of Transportation shared the development plans, which will include rehabilitation of existing pavement to extend its service life, upgrading safety equipment and repairing the stormwater drainage system. In addition to restoring pavement, guardrails and median barriers are expected to be upgraded to meet current standards, according to the Connecticut Department Transportation. 'Pavement rehabilitation is required to restore it to a state of good repair. The existing guiderail, median barriers, and overall roadside safety conditions throughout the project limits are proposed to be upgraded to meet current standards as part of this project,' DOT notes in its 'FFY 2025 – FFY 2029 Transportation Infrastructure Capital Plan.' The report notes a total cost of $138.6 million for the project. The project will also replace Bridge Nos. 01181 and 01182 on I-84 east and I-84 west over the Housatonic Railroad, according to DOT. This project is still years away, but the design expected to be completed in the fall of 2028 and the project would start the following spring. The project will be paid 90% in federal money and 10% in state funds. The project would start at the New York state line on I-84 and extend 3.7 miles until the area of Exit 4. Work would also be done on the ramps of I-84, including the Exit 1 eastbound on-ramps and the westbound off-ramps; Exit 2 all east and westbound ramps, including the on-off ramps at Milestone Road and Old Ridgebury Road, as well as the ramps to and from the CT Welcome Center/Rest Area. No work is proposed at the CT Welcome Center facility or parking lot, according to DOT.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Load limit put in place for CT bridge by DOT. Here is why and where.
The Commodore Hull Bridge, which carries Route 8 over the Housatonic River between Shelton and Derby, will now have a posted load restriction of a 32 tons load for all vehicles using the span, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The bridge remains safe to use, according to DOT. The DOT said an emergency declaration has been signed for the bridge. A DOT spokesman said this declaration took place as, 'during a special inspection of the Commodore Hull Bridge in preparation for a future project, further deterioration on the gusset plates was noticed. 'These plates connect the truss members together to support the weight of the overall bridge structure and traffic load on the bridge. Due to the additional deterioration found, starting the week of June 2, CTDOT will begin milling off the bituminous wearing surface, posting a 32-ton weight restriction for all vehicles, and implementing lane shifts to keep traffic away from these areas,' the spokesperson said. 'The Emergency Declaration signed allows CTDOT and its contracting partners to move forward with permanent repairs more quickly,' the spokesperson said. 'The bridge remains safe for the traveling public. We urge motorists to slow down, move over, and use caution when traveling through this area to keep themselves and workers safe.' Construction will begin on Monday in the area. On Route 8 northbound, Howe Avenue and Kneen Street on-ramps may be closed to traffic and mainline traffic will be maintained for two lanes across the bridge in a lane shift configuration, according to DOT. During a 2022 DOT public meeting on the bridge, officials also said it is safe to use. Every two years the bridge undergoes a hands-on inspection of the superstructure and substructure and is given a rating, DOT officials said, according to records about the project and the meeting. 'The rating scale from best to worst condition goes: Good, Satisfactory, Fair, Poor, Serious, and Critical. This bridge is rated as Satisfactory. The bridge also undergoes an underwater inspection every two years,' the 2022 records say. 'The underwater inspection reports show a history of scouring, but today it is still far from the critical scour depth. The purpose of this project is to add scour countermeasures around the piers as a preventative measure to prevent the riverbed from scouring further during future major storm events.' The records show that meeting was held on the rehabilitation of (Bridge No. 00571A) the Commodore Hull Bridge, noting 'specifically, the project' for 'installing scour countermeasures at Piers 9 and 10 within the Housatonic River.' It was not clear if the work to be done now on the bridge is part of Project 0126-0176, or a separately named project. Scour is erosion of streambed or bank material due to flowing water, a DOT official said during that meeting. That project was said to be funded with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds, with no municipal funding. The bridge was constructed in 1951 and widened in 1990, according to DOT. For the new work, on Route 8 southbound, two-lane traffic will remain in the area across the bridge. The off-ramp to Wharf Street will remain open. Work will be performed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to DOT. CT road work projects getting underway in coming days. Here's what to know. In separate other upcoming work, milling and resurfacing will begin on Route 816 in Newtown on June 9 with a scheduled completion of the project on June 26. The CTDOT said the project, being performed by state workers, will be done in Newtown, Shelton and Derby 0.20 miles east of Washington Street to the Southbury Town Line. Delays and one-lane traffic alternating traffic are said to be expected. The project will have the time frame of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weather or unforeseen conditions may modify the schedule. The CTDOT asks that motorist maintain a safe speed in the area.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
CT state police: 165 crashes this Memorial Day weekend, 16 charged with DUI
State troopers have been busy on state roads and highways this Memorial Day weekend and have made 611 traffic stops that have netted 16 arrests for alleged driving under the influence, according to Connecticut State Police. Connecticut State Police have responded to 2,548 calls for service during the time period beginning at midnight Friday May 23, and ending at 11:59 pm, on Saturday, May 24, according to the agency. During that span there have been 165 total motor vehicle crashes, 13 with injuries, two with serious injuries, but with no fatalities in that time period, according to state police. Connecticut State Police have also responded to 190 calls for traffic services through Saturday. Those type of services include debris removal, assisting with disabled or hazardous motor vehicles. AAA Club Alliance anticipated a 3% increase in travel throughout the state during the holiday five-day period from Thursday, May 22 through Monday, May 26. More than 485,000 state residents were expected to travel 50 miles or longer this weekend and more than two million people are expected to travel throughout New England, according to AAA Club Alliance. There were 83 fatalities on state roads for the year as of last week, down nearly 20 percent from this point last year, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the UConn Crash Data Repository. The numbers show the state is seeing its biggest reduction in fatal crashes in the past five years. Despite a recent fatal of fatal crashes, the 83 fatalities represent a big drop from the 108 fatalities reported at this point last year and the 109 deaths in the same time period in 2023 and 2022. Authorities remind motorists that each of those fatalities is a tragedy and has far-reaching consequences for friends and families of the victims. They urge motorists to follow traffic laws. 'They're not just stats on a paper,' a DOT spokesman has said. 'They represent human life. And people are grieving those lives. So we need to spread some of that empathy and some of that awareness that, if we all did our part we can save lives and reduce some of the tragedies that people are feeling on a daily basis in our state.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Traffic backed up on Connecticut highways as Memorial Day travel kicks off
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Traffic is backed up in all directions on highways in the state as people get ahead of their holiday travel. Experts predict record travel on Memorial Day weekend Friday marks the beginning of the 100 most dangerous days on Connecticut highways. Connecticut Department of Transportation and state police teamed up with AAA to talk about the dangers of driving impaired, distracted or driving drowsy. 'When I see someone in my rearview mirror speeding through, I let him go by and get out of the way, and I keep it moving,' Dawn Williams, a Plainville resident, said. The earlier you start your day, the better. Hitting the road at around 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. means you'll hit the least amount of traffic. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Not One More' campaign to combat impaired driving taps local health care heroes
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The roadways will be crowded this Memorial Day weekend. Something to think about is this sobering stat from the Connecticut Department of Transportation: 113 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in our state in 2023. Hartford HealthCare surgeon Dr. Alejandro Betancourt is chief of trauma at St. Vincent's Medical Center. He's one of the faces in this year's 'Not One More' video, which was a move to prevent impaired driving in Connecticut. Watch the video above and visit the Not One More website for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
