$125M Grant Awarded For Phase 3 Of Highway Reconfiguration in Meriden

$125M Grant Awarded For Phase 3 Of Highway Reconfiguration in Meriden A $125M federal grant has been awarded for Phase 3 of the reconfiguration of the interchange that connects I-91, I-691 & Route 15 in Meriden

MERIDEN, CT — The Connecticut Department of Transportation has been awarded a $125 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation through President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support Phase 3 of the construction project reconfiguring the highway interchange that connects Interstate 91, Interstate 691, and Route 15 in Meriden, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday.

The interchange is "one of the most congested, outdated, and crash prone highway corridors in Connecticut, and the state leaders have been unified in working to secure federal funding that will enable the state to complete a major reconfiguration of this area," according to a news release from Lamont's office.

The state DOT is currently constructing the second of the project's three phases. The project's overall goal is to "reduce congestion and improve safety by eliminating dangerous weaving points, correcting roadway geometry, and adding multi-lane exits," according to the news release.

Upon completion of Phase 3 in 2030, the project will see the replacement and rehabilitation of several bridges and the addition and extension of auxiliary lanes to reduce crashes and improve traffic flow.

"This area of highway is one of the most heavily congested in Connecticut and our administration has made its reconfiguration a priority because it's about time that we do something about the backups, crashes, and delays that this oddly designed section of roadway causes nearly every day," Lamont said in a statement. "This is a major reconfiguration of a very heavily traveled area and it's going to take some time to complete, but ultimately central Connecticut will benefit from finally easing the congestion on these highways. We're able to execute this project thanks to the funding released by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I applaud Connecticut's outstanding Congressional delegation for not only helping to get this law passed but also working to ensure that our state benefits from it in a major way. I thank the Biden-Harris administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation for working with our administration to secure the funding for this important project."

Read more from the news release below:

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said, "I am proud that a historic $125 million in federal funding will support the reconfiguration of one of Connecticut's most congested interchanges. This redesign will provide relief to the countless motorists who pass through every day and provide much-needed infrastructure upgrades. I will continue fighting to deliver federal investments to Connecticut that make our roads and highways more safe and secure."

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said, "Getting through the congestion on I-91, I-691, and Route 15 has become a daily headache for Connecticut drivers. This $125 million in federal dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help realign ramps, replace aging bridges, improve drainage, and support other long-needed infrastructure upgrades that streamline the flow of traffic, create good-paying jobs, and ensure a safer, smoother commute for thousands of people."

U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said, "This is another victory for Connecticut. When my fellow Congressional members and I worked on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, we understood the law's potential to benefit communities throughout the state. With funding now in place for Phase 3 of the reconfiguration of Interstate 91, Interstate 691, and Route 15, we are generating well-paying jobs, fixing bridges, expanding traffic lanes on I-91, making our roads safer, and enhancing road conditions."

U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes said, "Reconfiguring the I-91, I-691, Route 15 interchange will reduce traffic and increase safety for drivers. I am delighted to see another federal investment awarded to move this project forward. Investing in modernizing infrastructure benefits communities, and I will continue to work with my Congressional colleagues to prioritize more projects that deliver for Connecticut."

U.S. Congressman John B. Larson said, "Connecticut has some of the most congested and dangerous highways and interchanges in America. I worked with the entire Connecticut Congressional delegation to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law so we can cut down on traffic congestion, repair aging roads and bridges, and support good-paying union jobs. I applaud Governor Lamont and Commissioner Eucalitto for their ongoing commitment to improving our infrastructure and revitalizing our communities, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to support projects across the state, including the Greater Hartford area, that accomplish those goals."

Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, "Improving safety is our number one priority at CTDOT and it is the number one goal of this project. Without federal support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, projects like this can sit idle for decades while Connecticut pays the price. We are thankful to Governor Lamont and the state legislature for ensuring we had matching funds to secure this grant, appreciative of our Congressional delegation for its steadfast advocacy, and grateful to our partners at USDOT who allow us to dream big once again."

The cost of the project's first phase totaled $80 million and was entirely funded by the state. The second phase is supported by a combination of $50 million in state funding and $200 million federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The third phase will be supported by the $125 million federal grant announced today, as well as additional state funding. Combined, the expenditure for all three phases is anticipated to be more than $500 million.

This project includes a project labor agreement with the building trades, providing good-paying jobs and workforce development training for the next generation of workers.

The first phase began in early 2023 and is aimed at repairing bridges, adding a lane of traffic to I-91, and making related road improvements. This includes:

Realigning and reconfiguring the ramp from I-691 eastbound to I-91 northbound (Exit 1A old Exit 11) to two lanes to meet traffic demand.

Bridge replacement due to the proposed ramp realignment.

Adding an auxiliary lane on I-91 northbound to relieve congestion and improve safety caused by a steep uphill grade.

This second phase began in June and includes:

Adding a new two-lane exit ramp from Route 15 northbound to I-91 northbound to reduce traffic congestion on the Exit 68 N-E ramp.

Closing the existing Exit 17 ramp from I-91 northbound to Route 15 northbound and re-routing traffic to Exit 16 to provide a two-lane exit ramp with a right-side traffic merge onto Route 15 northbound.

Reconfiguring the existing Exit 68W ramp from Route 15 northbound to I-691 westbound to two lanes.

Reconfiguring the acceleration and deceleration lanes to provide adequate traffic weaving distances to improve safety.

The third phase will include:

A new two-lane exit ramp from Route 15 southbound to I-91 southbound to reduce traffic congestion on the existing Exit 67 ramp.

A new two-lane I-91 southbound ramp to Route 15 southbound to reduce traffic congestion on the existing Exit 17 ramp.

Reconfiguring the ramp from I-691 eastbound to Route 15 southbound (Exit 10) to two lanes.

Reconfiguring the ramp from I-91 southbound to I-691 westbound (Exit 18) to two lanes.

Members of the public are encouraged to learn more about the project, get the latest updates, and subscribe to construction alerts by visiting the project's website here .