The Connecticut Department of Transportation (Department) will conduct a virtual public scoping meeting concerning proposed Interchange Improvements to I-91, I-691 and Route 15 in Meriden and Middletown, on Thursday, October 8, 2020. The formal presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
The meeting will be live streamed via Microsoft Teams Live Event and YouTube Live. A question and answer session will immediately follow the presentation. The presentation will be recorded. Instructions on how to access the meeting and on how to provide comments or ask questions can be found at the project webpage: https://portal.ct.gov/DOT79-240.
The live stream of the formal presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m.
The projects are identified as State Project Nos. 79-240, 79-245, and 79-246.
The purpose of these projects is to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety associated with crashes caused by congestion and weaving. Three separate projects are proposed for this purpose as follows:
State Project No. 79-240: Interchange Improvements to I-91 Southbound, I-691 Eastbound, and Route 15 Southbound in the cities of Meriden and Middletown (Estimated construction cost is $145 million). The proposed improvements include the following:
I-91 Southbound
· Provide operational lanes from Exit 19 (Baldwin/Preston Avenue) to Exit 18 (I-691 WB) and from the Route 66/I-691 WB On-ramp to the East Main Street Off-ramp (Exit 17)
· Provide a two-lane exit ramp to I-691 WB
· Relocate the access to Route 15 SB and realign the exit ramp to East Main Street
· Resurfacing of the highway pavement to the Wallingford town line
Route 15 Southbound
· Provide a two-lane exit ramp from I-691 EB
· Relocate the ramps to and from East Main Street
· Relocate the exit ramp to I-91 SB
· Widen highway to accommodate the new two-lane ramp from I-91 SB
State Project No. 79-245: Improvements to the I-691 Eastbound Off-ramp to I-91 Northbound in the cities of Meriden and Middletown (estimated construction cost is $45 million). The proposed improvements consist of providing a two-lane exit ramp from I-691 EB to I-91 NB, and an operational lane on I-91 NB from the On-ramp from I-691 EB to the Middletown rest area.
State Project No. 79-246: Interchange Improvements to I-91 Northbound, I-691 Westbound, and Route 15 Northbound in the city of Meriden (estimated construction cost is $110 million). The proposed improvements include the following:
Route 15 Northbound
· Provide a new two-lane ramp to I-91 NB
· Provide an additional lane on the exit ramp to I-691 WB
· Reconfigure the ramp to East Main Street
I-91 Northbound
· Reconfigure the ramp to Route 15 NB
· Widen highway to accommodate the new two-lane ramp from Route 15 NB
· Resurfacing of the highway pavement from the Wallingford town line
Right-of-way impacts associated with the proposed improvements are anticipated. Additionally, there will be impacts to existing wetlands and watercourses within the project limits.
Construction of these projects will be scheduled based on completion of the design, acquisition of rights of way, approval of permits, and availability of funding.
The public scoping meeting is being held in accordance with the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act to provide the public and local community the opportunity to offer comments or ask questions regarding the proposed projects. Persons with limited internet access may request that project information be mailed to them by contacting Sebastian A. Cannamela by email at Sebastian.Cannamela@ct.gov or by telephone at (860) 594-2698 by September 29, 2020.
Individuals with limited internet access can listen to the meeting by calling (888) 989-9724 and entering the Participant Code 5891744 when prompted. Persons with hearing and/or speech disabilities may dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). The MS Teams Live Event offers closed-captioning for the hearing impaired and non-English translation options. A recording of the formal presentation will be posted to YouTube following the event, and closed-captioning (including non-English translation options) will be available at that time. The recording will also be available in the list of DOT virtual public meetings here: https://portal.ct.gov/dot/general/CTDOT-VPIM-Library
Visit the project webpage for options for Apple users. During the Q&A session and the 14-day comment period that follows the meeting, individuals may leave a question or comment via email (preferred) at DOTProject0079-0240@ct.gov. Individuals may also leave a voicemail question or comment by calling (860) 944-1111 and referencing State Project No. 79-240.
Language assistance may be requested by contacting the Department’s Language Assistance Call Line at (860) 594-2109. Requests should be made at least 5 business days prior to the meeting.
Language assistance is provided at no cost to the public and efforts will be made to respond to timely requests for assistance.