CTDOT Delivers Major Infrastructure Upgrades, Safety Innovations Across State in 2025

A look back at an impactful 2025 in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is highlighting the progress made in 2025 to improve safety, accessibility, and reliability across the state’s transportation networks for drivers, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians. 

From upgraded bridges and repaved roadways to new bus shelter installations and advanced safety systems, CTDOT’s 2025 projects strengthened infrastructure, expanded mobility options, and made travel safer and more dependable for millions of residents and visitors. 

“2025 was a transformative year for Connecticut’s transportation systems,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “We completed key bridge rehabilitations, accelerated transit-oriented development, and expanded the nation’s largest wrong-way driving detection program. Supported by our federal, state, and local partners, these projects are helping make travel across Connecticut safer and more reliable for everyone.” 

Here’s a look back at 2025. 

CTDOT continued to improve state roads and bridges through planned projects, emergency response situations, and routine maintenance.

• CTDOT won three 2025 America’s Transportation Awards, including the Grand Prize for the rapid demolition and reconstruction of Norwalk’s Fairfield Avenue Bridge over I-95, completed in just seven months following a fiery crash.
• Completed emergency repairs on Route 113 in Stratford, reopening the roadway on an accelerated timeline after a sinkhole collapse, replacing failed drainage infrastructure, restoring tidal flow, and fully rebuilding the roadway to ensure long-term safety and resilience.
• During winter storms, CTDOT crews kept Connecticut moving by clearing more than 10,000 lane-miles of roadway.
• CTDOT improved driving conditions statewide by paving over 227 two-lane miles of roadway, upgrading 35 miles of roadside safety barriers, and installing 5,400 miles of new pavement markings.
• Through strategic planning, CTDOT has more than 200 projects under construction, and 400 projects in design.

CTDOT broke ground, cut ribbons, and continued making progress on major infrastructure projects throughout Connecticut.

• In January, CTDOT supported Torrington’s redesign of the Municipal Riverview Parking Lot and extension of the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway through a $375,000 Community Connectivity Grant, helping deliver new crosswalks, lighting, landscaping, and improved trail connections to enhance safety and access.
• In February, CTDOT launched public outreach for the I‑95 Fairfield/Bridgeport PEL Study, hosting community meetings to gather input from residents, businesses, and stakeholders on future traffic, mobility, and safety improvements along the corridor.
• In March, CTDOT broke ground on the $91.85 million rehabilitation of the Dutch Point Viaduct on I‑91 in Hartford. The work includes deck replacement, drainage upgrades, new barrier walls, and lighting.
• In April, CTDOT and Metro-North kicked off a $136.5 million project to replace two aging I‑95 bridges over First Avenue and the Metro‑North Railroad in West Haven, while also reconfiguring the interchange to improve traffic flow and safety.
• In May, CTDOT and the city of New Haven celebrated the ribbon‑cutting of Phase IV of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in New Haven, opening a 1.6‑mile downtown stretch with a below‑grade tunnel under Whitney Avenue and a new cycle‑track connection into the city.
• In June, CTDOT reopened the historic Route 82 East Haddam Swing Bridge after a multi-year rehabilitation, completing major structural, mechanical, and electrical upgrades and adding a new sidewalk to improve safety and pedestrian access.
• In July, CTDOT and Metro-North broke ground on a $33.2 million, state-of-the-art train station on the Waterbury Branch Line in Naugatuck. The new station, relocated closer to downtown, will include a high-level heated platform, electric vehicle charging, LED lighting, and ADA-compliant infrastructure.
• In August, CTDOT completed the first phase of its statewide truck parking expansion plan, opening new spaces at the Middletown rest area on I‑91 northbound as part of the $31 million project.
• In October, CTDOT and Metro-North broke ground on a $35.2 million renovation of Waterbury Union Station, which will include a new 350‑foot ADA-compliant high-level platform, modern waiting area, real‑time arrival displays, ticket kiosks, and upgraded safety features.
• In November, CTDOT began a $533,335 upgrade of the historic Rocky Hill–Glastonbury Ferry landings, enhancing accessibility, security, and visitor amenities while preserving the site’s historic character, with work scheduled to avoid disruption of ferry operations.
• In December, CTDOT and DEEP cut the ribbon on a major East Coast Greenway trail improvement, transforming a dark, curved tunnel into a safe, accessible, and welcoming passage that benefits more than 86,000 annual users.

In addition to major roadway projects, CTDOT continued investments in public transportation and planning for the future of transportation.

• In March, CTDOT celebrated the 10th anniversary of CTfastrak, which has carried approximately 30 million passengers and spurred over $550 million in transit-oriented development. The system, recognized as the nation’s top bus rapid transit network, is also transitioning to 100% battery-electric buses by 2027.
• In June, CTDOT announced the selection of Gilbane Development Company and Mural Real Estate Partners to lead a privately developed, transit-oriented mixed-use project at New Haven Union Station, transforming underused state-owned land into a vibrant community with new housing, retail, and jobs.
• In October, CTDOT launched the statewide Bus Stop Enhancement Program, starting in Hamden, installing modern shelters, benches, lighting, and real-time displays at high-use stops. The upgrades meet ADA standards, improve safety and comfort, and aim to boost ridership and overall transit experience.
• In November, CTDOT unveiled a prototype of the new CTrail rail car, part of a $315 million investment in 60 next-generation coaches featuring modern amenities, faster service, and improved accessibility, set to enter passenger service in 2027.
• In December, CTDOT began evaluating redevelopment proposals for the Stewart B. McKinney Stamford Transportation Center, moving forward with plans to transform it into a modern, multi-modal transit hub.

The safety of all roadway users and roadway workers remained a top priority for CTDOT.

• CTDOT approved new automated traffic‑enforcement technology plans for multiple municipalities, enabling the installation of speed and red‑light cameras to enhance roadway safety.
• CTDOT resumed the Automated Work Zone Speed Control Program by testing and calibrating equipment in several work zones ahead of its full enforcement launch in early 2026.
• CTDOT reached a major safety milestone by installing over 200 wrong-way detection systems at high-risk highway ramps, creating the largest program of its kind in the nation.
• CTDOT expanded Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training in 2025 to boost responder safety and efficiency, offering more than 350 sessions since 2022 and training over 8,000 crash responders statewide. These efforts account for 10% of all TIM trainings nationwide.

Federal and state funds helped improve safety, accessibility, and mobility throughout the state.

• In January, CTDOT received $11.6 million from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Restoration & Enhancement Grant Program for the CTrail Hartford Line, adding a weekday New Haven–Hartford round trip, extending select trains to Springfield and Windsor Locks, and expanding customer service at Hartford Union Station.
• Also in January, CTDOT was awarded $400,000 through the FRA Railroad Crossing Elimination Program to study closing the at-grade Toelles Road crossing and constructing a new bridge over the Hartford Line and U.S. Route 5.
• In January, CTDOT received $2.4 million from the FRA Railroad Crossing Elimination Program for the Danbury Branch Grade Crossing Consolidation Program, advancing planning, preliminary engineering, and environmental review for crossings in Norwalk and Danbury.
• In January, CTDOT was awarded $2 million through the USDOT Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program to support the City Link – Reconnecting North Hartford planning study, advancing feasibility, stakeholder engagement, and long-term redevelopment planning.
• In February, CTDOT announced over $56 million in federal Transportation Alternatives Program funding to 14 municipalities for bicycle, pedestrian, and vulnerable road user safety projects, enhancing connectivity and accessibility across the state.
• In June, CTDOT awarded $10 million through the Transportation Rural Improvement Program (TRIP) to eight rural communities, funding safety and infrastructure projects that might otherwise be ineligible for federal programs.
• In July, CTDOT awarded $57.3 million through the LOTCIP (Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program) to 17 municipalities for local road, sidewalk, trail, bridge, and streetscape projects.
• In September, CTDOT announced a 33% increase in Town Aid Road (TAR) funding, which raises the grant from $60 million to $80 million for FY 2026–2027, to help all 169 towns and 4 boroughs improve local paving and maintenance operations.
• In September, CTDOT received Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approval for its National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan, unlocking $52.5 million to expand Connecticut’s electric vehicle charging network and ensure reliable, statewide access.
• In October, CTDOT received $25 million in federal emergency relief funding from the FHWA to reimburse costs for road and bridge repairs following the August 2024 floods, bringing total federal support for the event to $28 million.
• In November, CTDOT announced a $35.7 million federal grant to modernize and expand the Windham Region Transit District bus facility in Mansfield, doubling its size to support up to 50 low- and zero-emission buses and adding new chargers, indoor storage, and administrative space to improve regional transit service.
• In November, CTDOT awarded $12 million through the Community Connectivity Grant Program (CCGP) to 17 municipalities, bringing total program investments to more than $74 million.

For more information on the work of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, including a map of all active projects in the state, visit ct.gov/dot.