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New I-95 Widening Plan Introduced

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Thursday released another plan to widen I-95 to relieve Fairfield County congestion and issued a plea to lawmakers to adopt new funding sources to pay for it.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy

Photo Credit: CT-N

Malloy joined Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker in releasing a study on the impact of widening and improving both the western and eastern portions of Interstate 95 in Connecticut, and outlined the consequences of failing to act.

Currently, peak morning and evening congestion on the highway accounts for 54 million hours of delay and costs $1.2 billion in lost time annually. The study finds that limited, strategic widening will yield major benefits and can be constructed within existing CTDOT property. The Governor’s revenue proposal – which includes a seven-cent increase in the gas tax over four years and the implementation of electronic tolling – would allow for these investments to go forward.

“Anyone who has traveled on I-95 during rush hour understands the urgency of addressing our congestion problems,” Governor Malloy said. “It hurts our economy. Every day, commuters spend hours in traffic and businesses face unnecessary burdens in getting products to market. The report released today outlines a commonsense path toward reducing congestion and improving safety on one of our busiest and most important roads.”

“CTDOT is excited to announce that after a detailed study of options for relieving congestion on I-95, we are able to report a stunning set of findings,” Commissioner Redeker said. "Connecticut deserves this rational, sensible and cost-effective investment to support our economic growth.”

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