Officials Break Ground on $76 Million Auxiliary Lane & Safety Project at I-95 Exits 6 and 7

On Friday several officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for an auxiliary lane and safety improvement project at I95 exits 6 and 7 in Stamford.

The $76+ million project is primarily funded by a National Highway Performance Program grant awarded by the Federal Highway Administration.

The idea is to alleviate congestion between those two exits, in both directions, as well as rehabilitate the pavement, address roadside safety, and rehabilitate the bridge to extend its service life.

The elected officials included Governor Ned Lamont and US Senator Blumenthal who live in Greenwich and had their own stories of frustration with this particular stretch of I95.

Governor Ned Lamont said he had been driving through this part of I-95 for 50 years.

“I’ve been cursing the traffic. I’ve been howling at the moon,” he said. “And, finally, at long last, we’re doing something about it.”

The Governor said having the on- and off-ramps so close together created both congestion and aggravation, but also impacted economic growth and development.

“Everyone I talk to says I want to be in Connecticut, but ‘Will I be able to get to Connecticut and go back and forth?” Lamont said.

The governor said he had been impressed by heat maps shared by DOT Commissioner Eucalitto that indicated the pile ups at the exit 6 and 7.

Lastly, he said, “And I want to say one thing to the folks driving here: be patient. We have guys working their hearts out here. It’s incredibly dangerous.”

Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons said 90% of the $76 million for the project was being funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.

“We are in a historic moment right now to be able to take advantage of these dollars and invest in sustainable, safe infrastructure for our kids and future generations,” she said. “And especially the DOT workers, contractors and construction workers.”

DOT commissioner Garrett Eucalitto described the project as a “quick win,” because it is anticipated to take only about one year to complete.

Beyond that, he said there was a multi-decade vision of how to improve travel on I95 from Greenwich and Stamford through Fairfield and Bridgeport.

He said 150,000 vehicles passed through Stamford’s exits 6 and 7 daily, and the situation is dangerous with so many exits close to each other.

He explained that the short distances between the exits caused congestion and crashes – over 230 crashes over a three year period just in the section between exits 6 and 7.

“This auxiliary lane we’re going to build between the two exits is going to allow vehicles more time to get up to speed, to get over and reduce the weaving that occurs. That’s what leads to a lot of the bottleneck,” commission Eucalitto said.

He explained the challenge was not a shortage of lanes, but rather the fact that the exits were not designed for the number and type of vehicles on I95 today.

In addition to the auxiliary lane, there are plans to improve lighting and camera systems for incident management, and sound walls on the north side of the highway where a lane was being added near a residential area.

Jim Himes said residents frequently shard their concerns about infrastructure.

“We’re not far away from an election, and we are seeing an awful lot of ceremonies like these, where people are celebrating projects that they voted against,” Himes said. “People need to pay attention. The Senator, the Governor, the Mayor didn’t just vote for it, but they came to Washington to say this is critical for our communities – and now it’s happening.”

He gestured up the exit 6 northbound entry ramp and noted that he passed it daily.

“I see it every single morning. I’m jumping on the brakes right here because somebody is getting on this ramp right here at 20 mph as the traffic comes up at 60 mph, and somebody thinks they have two miles to go before exit 7 when they only have a quarter mile, so they go from 70 mph to 30 mph right here,” Congressman Himes said. “It’s a mess. It’s dangerous.  And it’s a huge bottleneck, really impacting the quality of life and safety.”

Lastly, he said, he’d spoken to DOT commissioner Eucalitto about the state entering into project labor agreements.

“Without exception, the projects get done faster, are of higher quality and more under budget than when we don’t do that. That’s just one example of cooperation between the unions, the companies that do the work, and the government,” Himes said.

State Rep Rachel Khanna (D-149) said so far this year, 224 people had been killed on Connecticut’s roads, including drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians.

“Breaking ground today on these auxiliary lanes will play a critical role in preventing accidents, easing congestion and ultimately saving lives, something we can all celebrate,” she said. “We all rely on these roads every day.”

Richard Blumenthal said the project was an investment not only in public safety, but also environmental justice and economic development.

“This ramp here is a giant pain in the butt, not only during commuting hours, but at almost any time you’ll find congestion here. That’s a matter not just of convenience, but of safety,” Senator Blumenthal said. “There are a lot of crashes and it is also a matter of environmental justice because cars stalled here in the course of congestion are sending air contamination and pollution in that direction,” he said pointing to adjacent affordable residential apartments.

Further he said good construction jobs and careers were being created for operating engineers, Teamsters, electricians, iron workers and laborers.

Don Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, said of all government spending, transportation investments yielded one of the highest return on investments.

“Those investments improve mobility. They provide safer travel. They create and sustain jobs. They provide short and long term economic growth. And basically improve the quality of life for everyone around,” he said.