The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has announced installation of Wrong Way Driver Countermeasure Systems will take place on I-84 East and West at Exits 10 and 11 next week.

The work for Exit 10 is scheduled to begin Wednesday, March 13, at 7 pm, and be completed on Thursday, March 14, at 5 am. Work for Exit 11 is scheduled to begin Thursday, March 14, at 7 pm, and be completed on Friday, March 15, by 5 am.

Motorists can expect lane closures during the work. Detours will be in place. Traffic control personnel and signing patterns will also be utilized to guide motorists through the work zone.

Motorists should also be aware that modifications or extensions to the schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving in this vicinity.

Governor Ned Lamont last year signed legislation (Public Act 23-51) into law directing CTDOT to install wrong-way driving alert systems on at least 120 additional highway exit ramps statewide that the agency has identified as high-risk.

The technology uses cameras to detect a driver entering a highway from the wrong direction and rapidly flashes bright red LED lights to notify them that they are driving the wrong way. CTDOT began installing the technology on exit ramps in 2020 and continues to expand its use statewide.

Future installations will add the ability to notify Connecticut State Police in real time.

Additionally, the legislation directed UConn to begin testing the use of directional rumble strips that alert drivers through vibration and sound when driving the wrong way, and directs CTDOT to pilot the use of variable electronic message signs along the highway to alert motorists of a potential wrong-way driver.

The legislation was approved in the House of Representatives and the Senate by unanimous votes.

“It is shocking how quickly the number of wrong-way driving incidents has accelerated over these last couple of years, and we need to do more to prevent them,” Lamont said in June 2023. “Reversing this trend requires a comprehensive approach that not only involves infrastructure upgrades using advanced technology, but also requires a heightened awareness by drivers every single time they are entering a highway. This is an issue that we cannot take lightly, and we must continue researching new and emerging methods of preventing wrong-way driving incidents.”

CTDOT conducted an analysis of more than 700 ramp locations statewide. Those where on-ramps and off-ramps are located on the same side of the roadway, near establishments that serve alcohol, or lack highway illumination are included in a list of 236 high-risk locations.

Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said last year CTDOT works “every day to prevent these crashes from happening. We’re adding more wrong-way detection systems to exit ramps, continuing public education campaigns, and piloting new technology.

“But we are counting on the public to do their part as well,” the commissioner continued. “Nearly all of these crashes are caused by impaired drivers. We need travelers to always plan for a safe ride home if they plan to drink, and for motorists to drive sober each and every time they get behind the wheel.”

When wrong-way crashes happen, according to CTDOT, they are often fatal. Studies have shown that wrong-way driving crashes are 100 times more likely to be fatal than other types of crashes.

Wrong-way driving crashes in Connecticut tripled in 2022. This includes 13 wrong-way crashes that resulted in 23 deaths, compared to four wrong-way crashes in 2021 and two in 2020. In Connecticut in 2022, more than 80% of wrong-way drivers were found to be impaired.

Preliminary CTDOT data shows there were five wrong-way crashes in 2023 that resulted in seven fatalities. More recently, according to the Office of the Governor, there have been three wrong-way crashes in the state, with seven fatalities.

The state’s countermeasures include upgraded signage at approximately 700 off-ramps including signs that say Wrong Way, Do Not Enter and One Way that are oversized and go above federal signage standards; pavement markings including directional pavement arrows, double-wide stop lines, and edge lines; where possible, traffic light green signals are replaced with directional arrows to clearly indicate a direction a driver should head; and the placement of over 500 Wrong Way signs on the back of speed limit signs, approximately one every mile so a driver will see this sign every minute of travel time.