The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced the long-term vision for the replacement of the Interstate 84 (I-84) and Route 8 Interchange in Waterbury, also known as the “Mixmaster.”
After reviewing and analyzing multiple potential options, the two advancing alternatives are the Modern Crossover Interchange and Naugatuck River Shift. Both alternatives aim to improve safety and mobility on I-84 and Route 8, as well as improve multimodal connections within the surrounding roadway network. In both alternatives, the I-84 and Route 8 structures would be unstacked and reconstructed with an expected lifespan of over 75 years.
“The Mixmaster was once a modern engineering marvel but today, it no longer meets the needs of travelers and the greater-Waterbury community. We’re excited to move this plan forward, which was based on what we heard directly from residents and businesses. This transformative initiative will change how people safely and conveniently travel through and around Waterbury,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Progress takes patience, and while this work will take decades to fully complete, we are committed to improving lives through transportation by implementing, and completing, certain projects within the next five years.”
This plan originated through the New Mix Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study. Over the last several years, strategies for improving transportation for all users were identified in alignment with the City’s economic and developmental goals. These analyses, along with extensive public outreach and input, identified the two alternatives which are advancing for further study.
The public can learn more about these alternatives by visiting the Project Alternatives page on the study website.
In addition to the two alternatives for the future replacement of the Mixmaster, the PEL Study also identified breakout projects, including some that have been constructed and several that are in various stages of conceptual development and design. These breakouts are independent projects improving safety and mobility for the surrounding transportation network, while the state and federal environmental review and design of the interchange advance.
Through the PEL process, CTDOT was charged with developing a vision for the future of the interchange and surrounding transportation network to address the transportation needs and goals of the community. As projects continue to be designed and implemented, additional public outreach will be conducted.
For more information, to sign up for project updates, and newsletters, visit NewMixWaterbury.com