I-95 Widening Could Significantly Reduce Commute Time: Study

HARTFORD, CT — A new study found that widening I-95 in southwest Connecticut could reduce the travel time between the New York border and Bridgeport from 63 minutes to 41 minutes during weekday afternoon peak times.

It would take adding one northbound lane between exits 19 and 28 and could be done within land already owned by the state Department of Transportation.

Congestion during the morning and evening commutes accounts for 54 million hours of delay for drivers and costs $1.2 billion annually in lost time, according to the study.

“Anyone who has traveled on I-95 during rush hour understands the urgency of addressing our congestion problems,” said Governor Dannel Malloy said. “It hurts our economy. Every day, commuters spend hours in traffic and businesses face unnecessary burdens in getting products to market."

A similar project could be done to reduce congestion between New Haven and Rhode Island, said CT DOT Commissioner James Redeker.

"These findings indicate that we can achieve congestion relief through strategic and much less costly investments far sooner than previously thought," he said. In addition, the return on these investments would far exceed the cost of the projects.

The I-95 widening project was among $4.3 billion in projects that Malloy suspended due to lack of funding.

Malloy used the study's findings as another call for action to stabilize the state's Special Transportation Fund. He has proposed a seven-cent hike in the state's gas tax and the addition of tolls to the state's highways.

Image via CT DOT