AASHTO Journal, 18 April 2014
Connecticut Governor Dannell Malloy joined Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker and other state officials this week to announce several new transportation projects made possible through CT DOT’s 2014-2018 Transportation Capital Infrastructure Program.
Redeker and Malloy highlighted highway, bridge, and rail projects that would receive some attention as part of the plan, including replacement of the I-84 Hartford viaduct as well as the Q Bridge in New Haven, rehabilitation of the Merritt Parkway in Stamford, and several operational improvements on I-95 in Norwalk. From the plan, CT DOT officials say they believe $1.8 billion should be available for the year for all transportation modes—$345 million for bus and rail and $1.4 billion for highway and bridge projects. CT DOT committed about $1.6 billion in 2013 through its Capital Program.
“We have invested millions in our roads, bridges and railways over the last three years and have an ambitious five-year plan in place to continue upgrading and strengthening our transportation infrastructure well into the future,” Malloy said in a statement. “These projects will facilitate commerce, stimulate economic development, improve the daily commutes of countless residents and create thousands of immediate construction jobs.”
Malloy earlier this year proposed a 2015 transportation budget that “represents a 165 percent increase in funding compared to 2010 levels and includes about $1.4 billion to fund the largest transportation capital program in Connecticut’s history,” according to a news release from Malloy’s office. That same proposal also restores dedication of the State Transportation Fund only for transportation purposes and seeks to hire 75 more CT DOT engineers to move projects more quickly through the design and bid process.
CT DOT’s 2014-2018 Transportation Capital Infrastructure Program is available here.