The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Route 9 changes proposed
2 rotaries, new off-ramp could increase traffic flow
MIDDLETOWN — Officials presented their latest draft proposal to remove the traffic signals from Route 9 in downtown Middletown this week, a plan intended to improve safety, reduce the high number of crashes and provide smooth access to Main Street and over the Arrigoni Bridge.
Two roundabouts — at Exit 22 to Silver Street and Exit 25 to Main Street in Cromwell — would be constructed, as well as a new, right-hand off-ramp south of the Route 17 interchange and north of Walnut Street.
The lights are the only ones located on a state highway in Connecticut, according to Connecticut Department of Transportation Highway Design Unit Project Manager Stephen Hall.
In that area, 505 crashes and 161 injuries have occurred over the past three years, Hall said at City Hall Wednesday, where designs were on display for public view along with simulation videos and related data.
The two signals are situated so close to one another on a short stretch of Route 9 that they lead to a high number of accidents, according to a DOT video. On average, that area experiences crashes every other day with related injuries once a week, it said.
A new off-ramp northbound would allow Route 9 travelers to access downtown and cross the Connecticut River via the Arrigoni Bridge to Portland, the DOT said.
The agency uses GPS pings from cell phones to determine how many cars are destined for the bridge, however, no personal information is taken, Hall said. “We can tell if a car is going through the downtown network and avoiding the ramp.”
A single-lane traffic circle would be installed at River Road to help reduce speeds, im
prove safety, reduce the possibility of wrong-way entrances, and create a “gateway feature” for the riverfront, the DOT said.
“Roundabouts are one tool in the box for traffic management,” Christine Marques, director of Economic and Community Development, said. “I would like to see more design information on the proposed River Road roundabout before deciding if it’s the right decision for that area.”
Reconnecting the city to the river via a new highway configuration and proposed pedestrian bridge over Route 9 is the main thrust of the city’s Return to the Riverbend master plan for redevelopment.
Route 9 North at Exit 25 in Cromwell, leading to Route 99, where there is awkward access to Route 9 South, would also be reconfigured, Hall said.
It would provide a more viable option for cars to flow uninterrupted, Hall said, “cleaning up” the configuration. That way, motorists traveling north and then south wouldn’t have to stop and could instead make a gradual U-turn, he noted.
Congestion leading to the Portland Bridge also causes motorists to seek alternate routes through the North End, a densely populated neighborhood.
A new turn lane on Rapallo Avenue at Main Street would accommodate additional traffic going northbound, which will necessitate the removal of seven parking spaces, Hall said.
Rapallo will be widened about 2 feet on both sides.
The proposal would help alleviate traffic tie-ups in the North End as well as reduce the noise and pollution from idling engines, Hall said: “It’s not about moving cars faster. It’s about moving them more efficiently and more steadily.
“The major concern with the public … is movement north on Route 9 over the bridge,” the project manager said. As such, a 200-foot turn lane will be created on Rapallo Avenue, he added.
More simulated elements have been included in this iteration, Hall said, such as videos that show traffic patterns under the new proposal.
The DOT has been working on the project to remove the signals since the early 2000s, Hall said. This latest iteration has been underway for the past two years, he said.
Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim also attended the workshop and met with DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto and officials from Cromwell, Portland and East Hampton and others to discuss the proposal’s impact on the downtown and neighboring communities.
“I believe those concerns are being heard and that the traffic analysis presented at the workshop makes a compelling case for the safety and travel-time benefits that can be accomplished with this approach, in addition to improving pedestrian access to the riverfront and within the downtown,” Florsheim said.
“There is still a lot of new information for our team at the city to digest, and we intend to debrief this week’s workshops with top DOT staff as a followup to our meeting this week,” the mayor said.
“But while there is more work to be done, I believe this proposal brings us closer than ever before to a workable plan for removing the signals on Route 9,” Florsheim said.
Common Council President Gene Nocera said he is pleased at the way the information was presented. “People can go right up and look at something and ask questions. I think that’s important so specific questions are answered quickly,” he said.
The needs of downtown businesses have been taken into large consideration, Hall said. “That is our No. 1 concern right now. The perceived congestion from this movement is not what we’re finding with a tremendous level of engineering behind it.”
Trucks will be encouraged to find alternative routes instead of Main Street, he added.
Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce President Johanna Bond said the organization is working with the city and surrounding towns to gauge effects on the region.
“Although safety is of the utmost concern, we need to make sure that the communities that Route 9 serves aren’t impacted in a negative way,” Bond explained.
The separate Route 17 stop sign removal project, which involves reconfiguring the onramp to Route 9 North and removing the stop sign, is moving along well, said Hall, also the project manager for this construction.