A report on the future of mobility in Greater Hartford, including the relocation of the Interstate 84 and Interstate 91 interchange, will be released in November, according to an announcement from Gov. Ned Lamont Friday.
The state Department of Transportation is working on the study, which aims to reconnect neighborhoods between Hartford and East Hartford, among other goals.
“For too long, our national highway system has ripped cities in half, displacing communities and resources from one another,” Lamont said. “Through the Greater Hartford Mobility Study, the state – along with local, regional, and community partners – have taken a holistic look at how pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit users move through the city and in and out of the region, as well as how drivers navigate through the region.”
Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said the project team has involved more than 10,000 people in the study, which began in 2020.
The final report will outline next steps to plan and design longer-term projects.
The study includes four main components:
- Improving safety, reducing the number of ramps, and adding connectivity between neighborhoods and green spaces/parks.
- Mitigating highway congestion in downtown Hartford by relocating the Interstate 84 and Interstate 91 interchange, and creating a new bridge connecting I-84 and Route 2 in East Hartford. This redesign would separate local and highway traffic, moving local traffic onto the Bulkeley Bridge.
- Connecting Hartford’s central business district with the Connecticut River. A new bridge would connect the Sheldon/Charter Oak neighborhood with a new, river-oriented, mid-rise neighborhood in East Hartford.
- Consolidating the I-84/Route 2 interchange ramps in East Hartford, opening significant acres of land to potential development.
