Traffic Shifts Begin: Downtown Crossing Construction News for December 2-13, 2019

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Phase 2 Construction Overview

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.

Construction News & Schedule

Monday, December 2 - Friday, December 13, 2019

Daytime Work

No construction work will occur on Thanksgiving Day. Daytime work occurs on weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Any 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 2-13, 2019.

South Frontage Road Entrance Ramp to Outbound Service Drive Closes

The South Frontage Road entrance ramp (near College Street) onto the outbound service drive (leading to I-91 and I-95 access) will be permanently closed. Motorists can access the I-91 and I-95 entrance ramps just half a mile east on South Frontage Road at South Orange Street.

Additional Lane Added on South Frontage Road

An additional lane will be added to South Frontage Road, increasing the total lanes from two to three. The additional lane is being added to accommodate the additional traffic traveling along South Frontage Road to access the highway at South Orange Street.

Traffic Shift & Two-Way Traffic on Service Drives

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 traffic will remain separated. See the graphic below for reference.

Lanes Closures

Between December 2-13, 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!

Construction Work Areas & Travel Lanes

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

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.

Avoid Delays: Alternate Driving Routes

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.

Enter or exit I-91 on State Street

Avoid Delays:

Transit options to, from, and within New Haven

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

Metro North : – New Haven Line Service between New Haven and shoreline towns to the west and NYC.

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

Free Downtown/Union Station Shuttle : Free shuttle runs between New Haven’s Union Station and seven Downtown New Haven locations, Monday-Friday 6 AM- 10 PM.

Bike New Haven : Rent, ride, and return at convenient locations across the city. Great option for the last mile!

CT transit Bus Service : Local bus service throughout New Haven and surrounding towns.

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