Progress Continues on Reconstruction of I-95 Between New Haven and Branford

The I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program, intended to improve roadway conditions between New Haven and Branford, is making good progress.

I-95 Between Lake Saltonstall and Exit 54 in Branford

The reconstruction of I-95 between Lake Saltonstall and Exit 54 in Branford (Contract D) is substantially complete, with final work scheduled to be completed by summer of this year. This phase has reached the following milestones:

I-95 Between New Haven and Lake Saltonstall

Work is underway on the second phase of highway construction (Contract C1), which encompasses the reconstruction of I-95 between the East Haven/New Haven town line and the Lake Saltonstall Bridge.

This phase includes the widening of I-95 to three travel lanes in each direction with full inside and outside shoulders, the installation of median concrete barriers and improvements to interchanges between the eastern end of the Lake Saltonstall Bridge and the New Haven/East Haven town line. (Note: The Lake Saltonstall Bridge will be resurfaced and restriped; however, no construction will be performed on the Lake Saltonstall Bridge itself because it is wide enough to accommodate the additional lanes of traffic.)

In addition to the widening of I-95, five existing structures will be reconstructed and widened to facilitate the I-95 improvements. These structures are located at I-95 over Tuttle Brook, I-95 over Route 1/Amtrak, I-95 over Laurel Street, I-95 over North High Street, I-95 over Farm River and Saltonstall Avenue over I-95.

Existing traffic operations are being maintained during peak hours. Lanes will not be closed during morning and evening rush hours or on Friday and Sunday evenings on holiday weekends and during the summer.

Shore Line East Station Improvements

Construction of the new stations and platform areas began on May 24, 2004 and is expected to take approximately one year to complete. No service interruptions are anticipated at any of the stations.

The new parking facilities in Branford will be located at a new site; during construction, parking will continue to be located at the existing site. In order to accommodate the staging area in Guilford, additional temporary parking will be relocated near the existing site. To accommodate the staging area in Clinton, approximately 50% of the spaces will be eliminated during construction; parking signage will be strictly enforced to ensure that the maximum number of parking spaces is available for commuters. Parking is available at stations in Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Madison and Guilford.

All three stations will include south-side platforms. The Guilford station will also feature an “up and over” pedestrian bridge connecting to parking on the north side of tracks. The design and construction of all stations allows for the future expansion to “up and over” facilities.

The contract for the Shore Line East Stations in Branford, Guilford and Clinton, valued at $9.8 million, was awarded to Banton Construction Company of North Haven, Connecticut. The Shore Line East station and parking improvements are part of the Construction Traffic Management Plan being implemented for the I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program. In addition to work on stations in Branford, Guilford and Clinton, a future project will provide for station improvements at the Madison and Westbrook stations.

The I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program also includes construction of a new 10-lane Pearl Harbor Memorial (Q) Bridge and reconfiguration of the I-95/I-91/Route 34 Interchange. The entire project will occur in stages from east to west through 2012.

For a list of construction/traffic information resources, click here.
For information on transportation alternatives, including vanpooling and carpooling, contact Rideworks at 1-800-ALL-RIDE or www.rideworks.com. For information on Shore Line East Commuter Rail Service, contact Rideworks at 1-800-ALL-RIDE or visit www.ShoreLineEast.com. For information on CTTRANSIT bus services, contact CTTRANSIT customer service at (203) 624-0151 or visit www.cttransit.com.