[Thruway]

I-95 is way too narrow a road at 6 lanes from New Haven to the NY State border.
It was built pre-interstate, has too many interchanges, and is not sufficently large.

It really needs to be like the NJTP....12 lanes from New Haven to the NY State border.....divided with 3 in each direction for local and 3 for express.
This is not going to happen because there is not enough right of way.

The state does have the room to build a bridge over the LIS into Long Island.
This will detour traffic headed to NYC and LI from Fairfield County.

Let's stop the bickering....I-95 is only going to become more gridlocked because PEOPLE NEED A WAY TO GET FROM NEW ENGLAND TO NYC AND LI.
IT IS THAT SIMPLE.
This is long distance traffic, built it.

[JayCT]

Well I responded to this on another thread but I will do it again. The idea of a bridge or tunnel connecting Connecticut to Long Island has been looked at in the past. The cost of such a project would be very high and the environmental impacts significant. To give you an idea of how long something like this would take, ConnDOT has been working on widening I-95 and replacing the Q Bridge for more than 20 years and that is an existing facility. Plus many in Connecticut do not view a connection to LI as being very important to our state, so you can expect significant resistance to the idea from any of the coastal towns in the vicinity of a bridge or tunnel.

I am not saying this is impossible or that it is not needed or not a good idea. I am saying that it faces some very significant issues. Jay

[7 Wishes]

It was revived a couple of years ago when private developers were willing to do the idea. Unfortunately, the only place I can find it now is Wikipedia: Long Island Sound link - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

but I remember them saying they prefer a tunnel (as do I, more environmentally pleasing), but that it would take 15+ years to build, so unless they start in the next decade or so, it will be for our kids and grandkids. It would actually connect to Westchester County near the CT border to avoid inter-state issues (also a shorter crossing to build). Most past plans involved either extending I-287 (like this one) or extending I-91 from New Haven (a much longer crossing), I remember reading of one plan that would extend US 7 from Norwalk. But I imagine with the economy as it is it has been shelved.

That said, I think we do sorely need one, I-95 in CT is the closest thing on the east coast to an L.A. freeway, even with the Merritt as an alternate for cars and a train option. I remember a few years back the wild proposal (which I think would be ugly and never happen) to alleviate I-95 congestion by making it a double-decker highway. Although, I do think it would mainly reroute traffic going from New England to Long Island and Queens/Brooklyn, not to other parts of the NYC area, since anyone doing that would have to pay an extra toll (now you don't think this tunnel would be free, do you? )

[toddb]

I don't see the point - there's no reason to go to Long Island. I could see if LI was a connecting point to another bridge/tunnel to travel on to NJ and point south, but otherwise why spend billions on something that wouldn't benefit anyone? Last thing we need is more Strong Islanders using our state as a transit point to get to VT, Mass or NH.

If you want to cut down on commuting times, how about some improvements on mass transit? Better and faster trains would be a good first step. Adding a track or 2 couldn't hurt, especially since there's a good amount of land on both sides of the tracks. Expanding the train system outwards from the shoreline into the state would also be helpful - why create choke points of traffic?

Ferries are an extremely fast and comfortable method of transportation. I used to take the ferry into Manhattan from Hoboken and from the Jersey shore, and it was so much better than the trains. There are several different points where the ferries can land, and they usually have shuttle buses to bring you across town to the subways.

The costs of either would most likely be cheaper with less impact than just adding more lanes (which brings more people, more traffic, and more pollution).

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by Thruway

I-95 is only going to become more gridlocked because PEOPLE NEED A WAY TO GET FROM NEW ENGLAND TO NYC AND LI.
IT IS THAT SIMPLE.
This is long distance traffic, built it.

I kind of agree with that…much of the traffic to/from New England has to mostly funnel down the stretch from New Haven to the New York State line. I have always thought the I-95 corridor from New Haven to NYC is the worst section of highway in the Tri-State area. I think a bridge to LI would help much more than most realize. I see many NY & NJ plates on I-95: If those in northern NJ and the around NYC had another way to get south (like a bridge) they might use it.

But we’re dreaming…it took 30 years just get them to build another Q Bridge over New Haven Harbor (lol).

[JayCT]

People from New Jersey would not go to Long Island to get home. The connections to Jersey from Manhattan and Staten Island are not that good so most would avoid that route. Jay

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by JayCT

The connections to Jersey from Manhattan and Staten Island are not that good so most would avoid that route. Jay

Your probably right there…this would have to be a region wide project. They would have to improve travel between Staten Island and New Jersey greatly to take all the new flow from a Long Island Sound bridge. The Verrazano Bridge (I-278) is no bargain either. They would need to improve flow to Staten Island for a LIS Bridge to be feasible.

If they could ever swing something like that…a new LIS Bridge and a new bridge between the Island and Staten Island….maybe the I-95 route through SW Connecticut could serve the city and far north Jersey/GWB/I-80 West… while a new route over Long Island Sound near Milford, then across Staten Island, could serve those going to points in south Jersey or southward(I-95 or NJTP).

I do think something drastic has to be done soon however. Since they built the casions, in my area of I-95 ( east of New Haven) there seems like there is twice as many cars.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by wavehunter007

I kind of agree with that…much of the traffic to/from New England has to mostly funnel down the stretch from New Haven to the New York State line. I have always thought the I-95 corridor from New Haven to NYC is the worst section of highway in the Tri-State area. I think a bridge to LI would help much more than most realize. I see many NY & NJ plates on I-95: If those in northern NJ and the around NYC had another way to get south (like a bridge) they might use it.

But we’re dreaming…it took 30 years just get them to build another Q Bridge over New Haven Harbor (lol).

I disagree. Have you seen how gridlocked the LIE is?

[brattpowered]

Long Island is even more congested than Connecticut and you expect a bridge diverting more traffic there to help the situation?

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

Long Island is even more congested than Connecticut and you expect a bridge diverting more traffic there to help the situation?

Bingo. Makes no sense.