(Newington, CT) - The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has earned a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for the I-91 Charter Oak Bridge Project. 

The National Recognition Award is a prestigious distinction honoring infrastructure projects demonstrating exceptional engineering excellence at the national level.

The Relocation of I-91 Northbound Interchange 29 and Widening of I-91 Northbound and Route 5/15 Northbound to I-84 Eastbound Project began in April 2019 and was completed in November 2022 for approximately $245 million. The project has improved safety and mobility, and extended the service life of I-91 Northbound and Southbound in Hartford, East Hartford, and Wethersfield.   

“The CTDOT project team, consultants, and contractors were able to successfully complete the major interchange reconfiguration and bridge improvements on time, even in the face of all the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Since completion last year, we’ve seen that the project has improved the safety of drivers, increased mobility, and has extended the life of the iconic Charter Oak Bridge connecting both sides of our state across the Connecticut River.” 

In 2018, Interchange 29 was ranked 100 on the American Transportation Research Institute’s Top 100 Truck Bottleneck List. The original ramp was a steep, narrow, single-lane ramp that created weaving issues with Route 5/15 Northbound at its intersection on the Charter Oak Bridge over the Connecticut River. The existing configuration resulted in reduced speeds and 1 ½ mile back-ups on I-91 Northbound, which led to numerous crashes and delays.

The reconfiguration of the interchange resulted in a new two-lane diverge ramp with flatter grades to allow for a smoother transition as it aligns with the left side of Route 5/15 Northbound and reduced weaving and queuing on the Charter Oak Bridge.  

The project team will be recognized at an American Council of Engineering Companies awards ceremony in June in Washington, D.C.