Malloy: Fix Needed for Meriden Highway Interchange

Gov. Dannel Malloy announced a plan to redesign the highway interchange in Meriden.

“It’s about time the state stepped up to fix this situation. For too long, we underinvested on transportation and ignored our major infrastructure problems. That time is over,” he said. “Every year, Connecticut commuters waste over 40 hours sitting in traffic, losing over $4 billion in productivity.”

The State Bond Commission approved a $1 million to begin design work of the interchange in Meriden, which connects I-91, I-691 and Route 15.

It is estimated that 195,000 vehicle travel through the vicinity every day. There are frequent backups during rush hours and there have been 963 accidents in the area between 2012 and 2014.

Options that will be evaluated during the design phase of this project include:

• Reconfiguring the travel lanes and ramps between I-91 and Route 15 northbound
• Adding a new lane to I-91 and a second southbound off-ramp lane from I-91 to Route 15 southbound
• Eliminating the southbound I-91 “weave” of vehicle lane changes to Route 15 southbound
• Combining the entrances to I-91 southbound from I-691 and Route 15
• Adding a new lane to I-91 northbound between Exits 15 and 20