Connecticut Department of Transportation

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03/24/2021

Congestion Reduction and Safety Improvements at I-91, I-691 and Route 15 Interchanges in Meriden and Middletown

The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (Department) Office of Engineering is developing plans to improve the interchanges to Interstate 91,  Interstate 691,  and Route 15 in Meriden and Middletown. The purpose of the proposed plans is to modify the existing interchange configurations to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety associated with crashes caused by congestion and weaving.  

Due to funding constraints, the Department is proposing to implement the improvements via three separate projects. 

1) State Project No. 79-240, Interchange Improvements to I-91 Southbound, I-691 and Route 15 Southbound in Meriden and Middletown: 

  • The project involves widening I-91 southbound to provide an auxiliary lane from the vicinity of the Middletown rest area to the I-691 westbound exit, widening the I-91 southbound off-ramp to I-691 westbound to two lanes, and widening the I-691 eastbound off-ramp to I-91 southbound to two lanes. It is also proposed to relocate the exit from I-91 southbound to Route 15 southbound approximately 0.5 miles south of its present location and provide a two-lane ramp from Route 15 southbound to I-91 southbound. Additional improvements include pavement rehabilitation of I-91 southbound to the Wallingford town line. The present schedule indicates that the design will be completed in the fall of 2024, with construction anticipated to start in the spring of 2025, assuming acceptance of the project, availability of funding, and receipt of any required right-of-way and environmental permits. This project will be undertaken with 90-percent federal funds and 10-percent state funds.
     

2) State Project No. 79-245, Interchange Improvements from I-691 Eastbound to I-91 Northbound in Meriden and Middletown: 

  • The project involves widening the existing ramp from I-691 eastbound to I-91 northbound to two lanes and widening I-91 northbound to accommodate an auxiliary lane from this interchange to the Middletown rest area. It is anticipated that the project will be advertised as a design-build project in the fall of 2021, assuming acceptance of the project and availability of funding. This project will be undertaken with 100-percent state funds. 

 

3) State Project No. 79-246, Interchange Improvements to I-91 Northbound, I-691 Westbound and Route 15 Northbound in Meriden: 

  • The project proposes to replace the existing ramp connection from I-91 northbound to Route 15 northbound (Exit 17) with a new two-lane off-ramp from the existing off-ramp to East Main Street (Exit 16). This will require widening the Exit 16 off-ramp to two lanes to accommodate the new I-91 northbound to Route 15 northbound connection and the exit to East Main Street. It is also proposed to relocate the connection from Route 15 northbound to I-91 northbound approximately 0.75 miles south of its present location and widening the existing off-ramp from Route 15 northbound to I-691 westbound to two lanes. Additional improvements include pavement rehabilitation of I-91 northbound to the Wallingford town line. The present schedule indicates that the design will be completed in the fall of 2024, with construction anticipated to start in the spring of 2025, assuming acceptance of the project, availability of funding, and receipt of any required right-of-way and environmental permits. This project is anticipated to be undertaken with 90-percent federal and 10-percent state funds. 

 

It is the Department's policy to keep the public informed and involved when such projects are undertaken. It is important that the community share its concerns with the Department to assist in the projects’ development. A virtual public informational meeting(s) for the projects will be conducted upon the completion of the preliminary design. At this time, it is not anticipated that a formal public hearing(s) will be necessary. 

If anyone has any questions or comments on these projects, please contact Susan M. Libatique, Principal Engineer, at (860) 594-3179 or by e-mail at Susan.Libatique@ct.gov. Please make reference to the project numbers noted above. 


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONE: 860-594-3003
WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CTDOTOfficial