The state Department of Transportation is proposing to redesign the Route 44 intersection at Main, High and Ely streets in Hartford, located one block north of Dunkin’ Park.
The project would improve the poorly aligned intersection and replace an antiquated traffic signal, which has reached the end of its service life and lacks the ability to detect vehicles.
The intersection has four crosswalks and sidewalks on all sides, which have deteriorated. Some of the crosswalks are not compliant with the American with Disabilities Act, according to the DOT.
The redesign would bring the intersection into compliance.
About 44,000 vehicles pass through the intersection each day.
The intersection is prone to crashes. Between 2020 and 2022, there were 150 crashes at the intersection, 56% of which involved injuries, along with two fatalities, according to the DOT.
Designs for the new intersection will be finalized over the next three to four years. The DOT is also studying the possibility of converting the intersection into a roundabout.
Construction would take another one to two years after the design is finished. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $9 million, using state and federal funding.
Preliminary plans show shorter pedestrian crossings, reconstructed sidewalks and parking spaces on either side of Route 44.
The intersection at Route 44 and Pleasant Street, which runs along the side of Dunkin’ Park, may also be improved as part of the project, with a formalized loading and unloading area in front of the stadium.
The DOT is accepting public comments until Oct. 8. For more information about the project or to submit comments, visit portal.ct.gov/DOTHartfordPP063-0015 or email info@hartfordmobility.com.
