First Two Turnpike Plazas to Reopen in March; Two More to Open in June

Travelers along and Interstate 395 in Plainfield have seen the ongoing construction of the service plazas and have wondered when the facilities will reopen. The wait will soon be over.

While the two cities are 80 miles apart, they will be the first to host newly renovated plazas on their respective interstates, which were originally part of the Connecticut Turnpike. 

The reopening of the , which closed in December 2010, have been delayed to March 2012, said Michael Modine, Director of Operations for Project Service LLC, the contractor who is renovating all 23 service plazas statewide

The , which closed in October 2011, are on target for reopening in mid-June 2012.  

The northbound and southbound Plainfield Service Plazas, near exit 90, will feature a Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway, Fast Freddie’s Convenience Store and a Mobil gasoline station.

The plazas are near Route 695, the former northeast leg of the Connecticut Turnpike. The five mile four-lane expressway connects I-395 to Route 6 near the Rhode Island border.  

After the Plainfield plazas reopen, the southbound Montville Service Plaza, between exits 79A and 79, is slated to close for renovations with a scheduled reopening in April 2013. 

Its vendors will be identical to Plainfield. 

The Montville plaza is the only one on the former Connecticut Turnpike without a twin sister on the other side of the highway. The former northbound service plaza was converted into a Connecticut State Police Troop E barracks many years ago. 

As for Milford, the northbound plaza is expected to reopen in mid-March while the southbound plaza is scheduled to reopen by the end of March.

Each Milford plaza will have its own soft reopening. 

A grand reopening ceremony, celebrating the renovations of both plazas in Milford, is slated to occur at the southbound plaza in April.  

Both renovated Milford plazas will feature new vendors including Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Sbarro, Statement Shop, and Fast Freddie’s Convenience Store. 

Returning vendors will include McDonald’s and Mobil gasoline.  

The Milford northbound service plaza will additionally include Roebeks Fruit Smoothies and while the southbound plaza will also feature Panda Express, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Carvel, and Cheeseboy: Grilled Cheese To Go.

The Milford Patch reported that , inside the largest shopping mall in Connecticut, and is hoping shoppers will come visit their new location during the week of March 26. 

The Wilbur Cross Parkway was the first highway in Connecticut to feature the newly renovated service plazas when the North Haven plazas reopened during the summer of 2011.