A Message from the Project Team
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We acknowledge that this week’s traffic shift caused backups that frustrated and inconvenienced commuters. The Downtown Crossing project team has taken measures to alleviate these backups.
The traffic
signal on South Frontage Road at Church Street has had an additional 10 seconds added to the green-light phase to allow traffic to clear out of South Frontage Road and reduce backups.
This occurred at 7 p.m. yesterday, on the evening of Thursday, December 5th.
Signage, including electronic signs, has been added to the area to better communicate the new traffic patterns and to announce future changes.
The Downtown Crossing project team will continue to monitor the flow of traffic, making additional traffic signal timing adjustments as needed.
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Phase 2 Construction Overview
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Construction of Downtown Crossing Phase 2, the reconnection of Orange Street, will last for approximately two years, from summer 2019 through summer 2021.
The first year of construction will feature many small work areas and is not expected to impact traffic significantly. The second year of construction will feature larger, more intensive work areas as the new intersection is built, and there will be increased impacts to commuters.
In addition to the latest construction and project news, we have provided information on underutilized driving routes into Downtown New Haven as well public transit options for travel to, from, and within New Haven.
It's the perfect time to experiment with alternate driving routes and/or public transit options that may ease your daily commute, now and in the future!
Please see the articles at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Construction News & Schedule
Monday, December 9 - Friday, December 13, 2019
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Daytime Work
Daytime work occurs on weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Any construction work that may impact traffic flow will
not
occur between 7 and 9 a.m. or between 3 and 6 p.m.
Overnight Work
No nighttime work is scheduled for the period of December 9-13, 2019.
Traffic Shift & Two-Way Traffic on Service Drives
The closure of the
South Frontage Road on-ramp (near College Street) took longer than anticipated this past Wednesday, December, 4
th. As a result, the service drive traffic shift to two-way traffic did not occur on Wednesday as originally planned. It will instead occur on Monday, December, 9
th, weather permitting. If rain or snow occur on Monday, December 9th, the traffic shift will be delayed until later in the week when the pavement has dried.
This traffic shift is occurring because a large portion of the outbound service drive will be closed for winter construction.
As a result, the inbound service drive will become a
two-way road carrying
both
inbound and outbound traffic.
There will be one lane in each direction.
The entrance and exit tunnels to the 100 College Street garage will remain fully operational. Just o
utside the entrance and exit tunnels inbound and outbound service drive traffic will remain separated. See the graphic below for reference.
Lanes Closures
Between
December 9-13, 2019
, various single lane closures will occur on the following roads to accommodate construction:
- South Frontage Road: between South Orange Street and College Street
- Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: between Orange Street and Church Street
Road signage will alert drivers and pedestrians to work areas and lane closures.
Please pay attention to this signage, slow down, and stay safe!
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Construction Work Areas & Travel Lanes
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1 - South Frontage Rd entrance ramp to outbound service drive (and access to I-91 & I-95) closes
2 - Access I-91 and I-95 at South Orange Street
3 - Additional lane added to South Frontage Road
4 - Traffic shift & two-way traffic on Service Drives
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Pedestrian Detour
A pedestrian detour is in place to accommodate construction on South Frontage Road near Church Street. The detour went into effect on Tuesday, August 13, 2019 and will last for approximately one year, until the summer of 2020. Signage directs pedestrians to a safe route around construction; a map of the pedestrian detour is included below. Pedestrians are urged to follow the detour to stay safe as construction is in progress.
Below: Pedestrian Detour . Red area is construction zone, green shows pedestrian detour around construction.
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Avoid Delays: Alternate Driving Routes
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Alternate Driving Routes
To avoid delays due to construction, consider entering or exiting the highway outside of the project area. There are many options that avoid Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Frontage Road, yet still provide easy access to Downtown New Haven.
Consider experimenting with these travel options. Try them out and let us know what you think!
Some options to explore:
- Enter or exit I-95 on Long Wharf/Sargent Drive, utilizing Sargent Drive and Brewery Street to Water Street to access Downtown.
- Enter or exit I-95 on Long Wharf/Sargent Drive, utilizing the Church Street Bridge to access Downtown.
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Avoid Delays:
Transit options to, from, and within New Haven
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Avoid the stress of driving and travel delays due to highway congestion — explore transit options to, from, and within New Haven!
Transit to/from New Haven
Shore Line East
:
Service between New Haven and shore line towns east to New London.
Hartford Line
:
Service between New Haven and Springfield, with stops in Meriden, Wallingford, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.
Transit within New Haven
Bike New Haven
:
Rent, ride, and return at convenient locations across the city. Great option for the last mile!
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