A long-awaited $17.7-million state Department of Transportation (DOT) project, which will reconfigure Interstate 84’s two existing ramps at Exit 11, add a new on-ramp, and widen and generally improve adjacent state roadways to alleviate chronic traffic congestion in that area, has been delayed.

The projected start of the project is now Spring 2021, one year later than had been planned, according to DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick.

The roadway improvement project has been in the planning stages since 1996. Planning for the current version of the project started in 2015, after it became clear that the state would not be widening the main line of I-84 between Waterbury and the New York State border, as had been earlier proposed.

Near Exit 11 during the morning and evening commuter rush periods, sections of Berkshire Road and Wasserman Way become congested because they are too narrow to handle the volume of traffic that they carry. Berkshire Road also is known as State Route 34. Wasserman Way is a state road, but it is not posted with route markers.

Last May, in connection with the planned Exit 11 improvement project, the town completed a $2.9-million construction project, which replaced an obsolete culvert crossing on Toddy Hill Road with a modern arch-style bridge, just south of Toddy Hill Road’s intersection with Berkshire Road. State funding covered a large majority of that project’s costs.

Mr Nursick said that DOT planners recently realized that the start date for the Exit 11 project would need to be delayed based on two factors — stormwater drainage and public utility relocations.

“On this project specifically, there was an assumption made that we would be able to add [stormwater] capacity to a drainage trunk line running down Wasserman Way. After we completed our analysis of the drainage system, we realized that not only could we not add capacity, but we needed to divert some of the existing drainage from this trunk line. This led to a redesign of the drainage system that cost us a few months,” Mr Nursick said.

“There are also significant utility relocations associated with this project that are taking longer to get finalized than anticipated. At this point, I feel relatively confident in the schedule, assuming the affected utility companies are able to deliver their relocation plans somewhat on schedule,” he said.

Asked to comment on the delayed start of work, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said, “I am disappointed about the delay, especially as the project is already way overdue, given the major traffic issues in and around that interchange.

“It doesn’t appear to have been delayed due to funding, which is most critical, and I will continue to engage with DOT to make sure the project doesn’t slip further behind. I also would like them to proceed with some of the demolition work on the vacated homes, as they will continue to deteriorate.”

As part of the Exit 11 project, the DOT has acquired several houses situated on the east side of Berkshire Road, south of the Exit 11 ramps that cross above Berkshire Road. Those vacant houses will be demolished to make way for Berkshire Road’s widening and the placement of a new on-ramp, which will allow motorists on westbound Berkshire Road to directly enter the existing combined Exit 11 on-ramp at a point before that on-ramp forks into individual on-ramps for eastbound and for westbound I-84.

The new on-ramp extending from Berkshire Road will allow motorists to travel in either direction on I-84, eliminating the need for those motorists to pass through two signalized intersections to enter I-84.

Also, I-84’s existing sharply-curved on-ramp and off-ramp, which intersect with Wasserman Way, will continue in service, but that road curvature will be reduced. The off-ramp there has been the site of many rollover accidents.

Improvements

In the Exit 11 project, major improvements are planned for three intersections — Wasserman Way/Exit 11 ramps, Berkshire Road/Wasserman Way, and Berkshire Road/Toddy Hill Road. The purpose of the project is to improve traffic capacity, reduce travel delays, and improve traffic flow at those three major intersections. The improvements also are intended to provide safe pedestrian and bicycle access in the vicinity of Newtown High School.

The length of the work area is approximately 2,600 feet along Berkshire Road, about 3,700 feet along the Exit 11 ramps, approximately 1,500 feet along Wasserman Way, and about 100 feet along Toddy Hill Road.

The planned improvements to address traffic congestion and improve traffic operations include providing auxiliary turning lanes and improving the geometry at the affected intersections.

Improvements include widening Berkshire Road and Wasserman Way, adding turning lanes at the intersections, improving the sight lines at the Berkshire Road and Toddy Hill Road intersection by lowering the roadway profile, upgrading existing stormwater drainage, and constructing retaining walls below the I-84 overpasses to accommodate the road widening, according to DOT.

The off-ramp from I-84 at Exit 11 will be reconfigured to accommodate an additional turning lane and realigned to normalize its intersection with Wasserman Way. The eastbound I-84 on-ramp will be moved slightly to the north to accommodate a minimum weave length for the planned new on-ramp at Berkshire Road.

Westbound Berkshire Road would be widened to provide a left-turn lane for the Newtown High School driveway. The existing commuter lot located on Wasserman Way will be partially reconstructed. Illumination will be upgraded on the I-84 ramps

New traffic signals will replace the existing signals at the Berkshire Road/Wasserman Way intersection, and at the Wasserman Way/Exit 11 intersection. A major upgrade to the traffic signal at the Berkshire Road/Toddy Hill Road Toddy Hill Road intersection also is planned.

Improvements to bicycle, pedestrian, and commuter accommodations will be incorporated where possible, according to DOT. Five-foot-wide shoulders will be included along Berkshire Road in the project area.

Sidewalks are planned along the south side of Berkshire Road from Newtown High School to Toddy Hill Road and along the north side of Berkshire Road from Toddy Hill Road to Pole Bridge Road. Sidewalks will also be included along Wasserman Way from the Wasserman Way/Berkshire Road intersection to Oakview Road, and along Wasserman Way from the Wasserman Way/Berkshire Road intersection to the commuter parking lot.