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The state Department of Transportation is looking at rearranging the interstate network in Connecticut’s capital region to help reconnect downtowns in Hartford and East Hartford with their waterfronts.
The CTDOT’s Greater Hartford Mobility Study will be released in full next month, Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said Friday. According to the project website, four major projects are being evaluated.
First, planners are investigating whether the Interstate 84/Interstate 91 interchange can be moved north of downtown and a new I-84 bridge constructed through what’s currently open space, freeing the Bulkeley Bridge for lower-speed local traffic and a more usable pedestrian and bike connection between East Hartford and downtown Hartford.
Second, I-84 could be lowered west of downtown Hartford, helping link neighborhoods severed decades ago when the highway was built and creating opportunities for better public transit in the area.
Third, I-91 could be sent underground and capped with an “urban boulevard” for part of its length along the Connecticut River, eliminating a wall that’s cut downtown and the Colt complex off from the waterfront for years and adding a new bridge across the river to link up with a massive, planned redevelopment of East Hartford’s commercial core.
Lastly, the state is considering rearranging the Route 15/I-84 connection, potentially opening up many acres of land for commercial development.
“For too long, our national highway system has ripped cities in half, displacing communities and resources from one another,” Lamont said in a statement. “Through the Greater Hartford Mobility Study, the state – along with local, regional, and community partners – have taken a holistic look at how pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit users move through the city and in and out of the region, as well as how drivers navigate through the region. The future infrastructure and transportation projects coming out of the study will make our capital city economically vibrant and better connected within itself, to surrounding towns, and across the Connecticut River.”
The plan comes as developers are working on an $850 million, 1,000-apartment redevelopment of the Founders Plaza complex in East Hartford and as Hartford civic and business leaders look to continue compensate for the staggering decline in downtown Hartford’s office market with more downtown residents and activities.
