Governor Dannel P. Malloy today held a press conference to mark the impressive progress and ongoing work at the I-84 widening project in Waterbury. The plan to expand the highway with an additional lane of travel in each direction in the area is currently 10 months ahead of schedule.
“Now 10 months ahead of schedule, the DOT – along with its contractors and construction crews – continue to make progress. When the project is finally completed, this will make a big difference to not just the Waterbury area, but to residents statewide. As we enter new phases of the project, we’re continuing to deliver results for residents,” Governor Malloy said. “We all agree that for too many decades, our state did not make the investments needed to ensure we maintained a modernized transportation system. Through projects like this one, we are finally taking bold steps towards making a best-in-class transportation system a reality. The growth of our economy depends on these kinds of major upgrades, and our residents deserve nothing less than an efficient, upgraded, and renewed infrastructure that advances progress, mitigates congestion, and creates jobs.”
To date, the I-84 Waterbury Project has created over 250 onsite and offsite jobs in the Waterbury area.
“While we continue to meet our construction milestones for the I-84 Waterbury Project, we’re definitely seeing real progress every day. And by sustaining this pace of work, and with the cooperation of the weather, we anticipate remaining ahead of schedule and on budget,” John S. Dunham, I-84 Waterbury District Engineer, said. “We appreciate the patience of residents, business owners, commuters and travelers, and thank the public for their support and positive feedback.”
The project involves the widening and addition of a third travel lane and full width shoulders in each direction and safety improvements from Washington Street, east to Pierpont Road in Waterbury. It also includes:
- Realignment of the interstate roadway to eliminate the existing “S” curve alignment;
- Interchange ramp reconfiguration;
- State and local road construction;
- Relocation of the Mad River and Beaver Pond Brook;
- Construction/replacement of eight highway bridges (four over watercourses);
- One pedestrian crossing over the Mad River;
- Seven culverts;
- 20 retaining walls;
- Sanitary sewer relocation; and
- The replacement and upgrade of traffic signals, new highway illumination, new signs and pavement markings and replacing or relocating, potable water and other public utilities.
Since March of this year, around 102,834 cubic yards of earth have been moved and 30,374 cubic yards of rock have been removed from the site. The rock alone would fill one football field almost 55 feet deep. Much of the rock blasted is being crushed and reused on the multiple sites around the project.
Traffic changes
On Thursday night (August 25, 2016), westbound traffic was shifted north to temporary, new lanes so that work can continue in the median between Pierpont Road and westbound Exit 25 off ramp. Such traffic shifts will occur over the duration of the project as traffic is shifted to new sections of roadway and over completed sections of bridges. These shifts allow for construction of the new travel lanes and bridges (currently six are under construction) while maintaining two continuous lanes of traffic in each direction during peak travel times.
Other upcoming work includes:
- I-84 median construction between Scott Road and Pierpont Road, starting in Fall 2016;
- I-84 eastbound off ramp to Harpers Ferry Road, starting in September 2016;
- Scott Road Bridge stage one abutment construction, starting in Fall 2016; and
- Shift Beaver Pond Brook into newly constructed alignment from westbound 25 off ramp through two new culverts, starting in November 2016.
For more information about the I-84 Waterbury Project and to receive weekly updates, visit www.i-84waterbury.com.