Many road projects are WEATHER SENSITIVE; lane closures and other traffic restrictions may be CHANGED OR CANCELLED, without notice, in the event of INCLEMENT WEATHER.

The following information contains special announcements and a listing of lane closures for construction, maintenance and inspection activities from nighttime Friday, October 11, 2002, through daytime Monday, October 14,  2002.

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LONG-TERM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program

THE LOCATION OF THE CORPORATE SHUTTLE BUS PICKUPS AND DROP-OFFS AT THE STEWART B. MCKINNEY TRANSPORTATION CENTER HAS BEEN RELOCATED FROM THE TAXI LANE AT STATION PLACE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STATION TO THE GATEWAY, JUST OFF OF NORTH STATE STREET.  THE CHANGE IS BEING MADE IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN THE TAXI AREA AND TO ACCOMMODATE THE UPCOMING PARKING GARAGE CONSTRUCTION ON STATION PLACE.  ONCE THE STOP IS MOVED, SHUTTLE BUS RIDERS WILL NEED TO UTILIZE THE UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TO ACCESS THE TRAIN STATION AND THE NEW HAVEN AND NEW YORK BOUND TRAINS.

ROUTE 15 (Merritt Parkway) Interchange Improvement Project (Greenwich)

This two-year $19 million interchange improvement project is taking place in the vicinity of Exit 31 on the Merritt Parkway in Greenwich. New acceleration lanes from the on and off ramps are being upgraded, the roadway will be resurfaced along with other planned safety improvements.  Additionally, the existing landscape is also being rehabilitated in accordance with the "Merritt Parkway Landscape Master Plan."  Scheduled completion: June, 2004.  Note: Traffic maybe stopped for up to 15 minutes in each direction for rock blasting and clean-up operations, Monday through Thursday, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

I-95 Bridgeport Reconstruction Project:

A milling, paving and bridge deck repair project is underway, northbound and southbound on I-95, between Exits 26 and 23 and is scheduled to last until October, 2002.  Overnight lane closures and possible full ramp closures are scheduled to occur Monday through Thursday, and motorists should be aware of an expected rough road surface as a result of the milling and paving operations.

I-95 Rehabilitation Project /Norwalk-Darien:

Stage two of the project is underway with a continuation of the rehabilitation of the shoulder area on I-95 between Exits 11 and 13 and the milling and paving of I-95 between Exits 14 and 15.  This work will require overnight lane closures in each direction between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am southbound and 8:00 pm and 6:00 am northbound, Monday through Thursday. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in November, 2004.

Route 15/111 Interchange Enhancement

Motorists are reminded that the vertical clearance on Route 15 under the Route 111 bridge has been reduced to 10 feet.  The reduction is due to temporary scaffolding that has been erected under the bridge in conjunction with the $10 million interchange project.  It is expected that the reduced clearance will remain in effect through spring, 2003.  The entire project is scheduled to be completed in September, 2004.

Arch Street Construction Project

This four-year project includes the complete replacement of the existing bridge structures at Arch Street, Hamilton Avenue and North Water Street in Greenwich.  In addition, crews will replace the catenary wire system with a more modernized version; these wires are used to power the Metro-North Railroad trains.  Bridge plates have been installed at the Cos Cob, Riverside, Old Greenwich, Greenwich, Port Chester and Rye stations as this work progresses.  The bridge plates are designed to allow access to the train from the platform when the trains are on the center tracks.  Other improvements scheduled for the Greenwich station include a replacement of the Pedestrian Walkway, the addition of two new stairways and improvements to the existing stairs, easier accessibility to the station's ticket booth for handicapped riders and extension of the train platforms to accommodate longer trains.  Scheduled completion is May 2004.  

Sikorsky Bridge Replacement Project

This project calls for the complete replacement of the existing span, the construction of a new bicycle/pedestrian lane, separated from traffic and connecting to Route 110, replacement of the existing steel grid surface with concrete and blacktop, full shoulder capacity to provide refuge for breakdowns and minor accidents and a third operational lane in each direction. The project is expected to take 40 months to complete with the impact to daily traffic flow expected to be kept to a minimum, conducted during off-peak travel times and at night. Scheduled completion date: May,2004.

LOWER HUDSON VALLEY

Interchange 8 Reconstruction Project (Tarrytown, New York)

This project will ultimately  provide improved mobility, more reliable service and increased safety for motorists who travel along I-287, the New York State Thruway and the Tappan Zee Bridge.  Over the next  30 months, crews will be working to reconstruct the I-287/87 Interchange, and on improvements to the Tappan Zee Bridge toll plaza.  The work will include blasting efforts on Routes 9 and I-287 in Tarrytown Monday through Friday for 20-minute intervals from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  

This work will require traffic diversions along the I-287/87 Corridor and will result in traffic detours during the traffic stops and motorists are advised to follow the posted detour signs.  In addition, there will be occasional traffic stoppages at night between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM for the erection of temporary sign structures along the roadway.  Scheduled completion, Sept, 2003

OVERNIGHT LANE CLOSURES - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2002

.NO SCHEDULED LANE CLOSURES DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

DAYTIME LANE CLOSURES/-MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2002

ROUTE 15

-- IN NORWALK AND FAIRFIELD, VARIOUS LANE CLOSURES NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND BETWEEN EXITS 46 & 40, FROM 9:30 AM TO 2:30 PM.

-- IN TRUMBULL, THE RIGHT LANE WILL BE CLOSED NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND BETWEEN EXITS 47 & 46 AND 46 & 48, FROM 9:30 AM TO 2:30 PM.

ROUTE 25

-- IN TRUMBULL, THE LEFT AND CENTER LANES WILL BE CLOSED NORTHBOUND BETWEEN EXITS 7 & 8, FROM 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM.

ONGOING DIVERSIONS

Bridgeport/Port Jefferson Ferry Service

For information on the Bridgeport/Port Jefferson Ferry, which operates ferries between Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Port Jefferson, New York, 365 days a year, with daily departures from early morning to late evening, call 203 - 335-2040 for more information.

This report includes the most current information from the Connecticut Department of Transportation at the time it was prepared. However, it should be considered advisory in nature. Highway conditions listed may be postponed, canceled or otherwise changed without notice; lane closures and other highway conditions that could affect traffic may occur without being listed in this report. Use of public streets and highways in Connecticut is at the risk of the owner and/or operator of the vehicle. Neither the Connecticut Department of Transportation nor MetroPool may be held responsible in any way for any travel decisions based in whole or in part on information contained in this report, or for any consequences of such decisions.