About the Program
Overview
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) improved traffic operations along Interstate 95 in Greater New Haven. The CTDOT's I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing (NHHC) Corridor Improvement Program was a multi-modal transportation improvement program featuring public transit enhancements and roadway improvements along 7.2 miles of I-95, between Exit 46 (Sargent Drive) in New Haven and Exit 54 (Cedar Street) in Branford.
Constructed in the late 1950s, this stretch of roadway is part of the heavily traveled northeast corridor between New York and Boston. It is situated in a densely developed urban area with a mixture of commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential development. I-95 currently accommodates traffic volumes in excess of 140,000 vehicles per day in this area, more than three times the 40,000 vehicles per day it was designed for.
The CTDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) worked closely with the South Central Regional Council of Governments (COG) and other federal and local agencies to develop a strategy to address transit and transportation needs in the corridor.
The Program included a signature structure for Connecticut - the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. The Program replaced the existing six-lane I-95 crossing over New Haven Harbor, known as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (locally known as the "Q" Bridge) with a new ten-lane extradosed bridge.
The Program provided other transit enhancements, including a new Shore Line East commuter rail station at State Street in New Haven. Throughout the reconstructed corridor, an architectural theme featuring coordinated colors and other design elements were incorporated into construction.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released in March 1999 and was followed in August 1999 by the FHWA Record of Decision (ROD), which detailed the recommended alternatives.