Q&A talks with Congressman John Larson about his multibillion-dollar I-84/I-91 tunnel plan.
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Q&A talks with Congressman John Larson about his multibillion-dollar I-84/I-91 tunnel plan.
Q. It's been about two years since you first publicly discussed your idea of replacing a stretch of I-84 and I-91 through Hartford with two separate highway tunnels. How has your plan evolved since then and what progress has been made to get this plan closer to reality?
A. Since this proposal was put forth, we've held more than 50 meetings, public forums, and other events to engage with the community, explain the benefits of the proposal, and solicit feedback. The response has been tremendous — as demonstrated by the nearly 200 people who showed up on a recent Monday morning to hear from a group of Seattle stakeholders to learn about their tunnel project.
We've received letters of support from key community stakeholders, including MetroHartford Alliance, Travelers, the Connecticut Construction Industry Association, Riverfront Recapture, St. Francis Hospital, to name a few. The Connecticut General Assembly enacted legislation last year supporting the plan by authorizing the state Department of Transportation to construct tunnels for I-84/I-91 if funding becomes available.
Congressman Bill Shuster, the Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, and Congressman Peter DeFazio, the committee's leading Democrat, came to Hartford last year and came out in support of the tunnel proposal. I've briefed the current U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao on the project. We've built a lot of support and elevated this proposal as a serious alternative to be considered.
The tunnel proposal as currently conceived isn't cut in stone. This project will be refined as we continue to have robust community engagement, but it is imperative that we choose a plan that solves the infrastructure challenges of our region and creates a livable community around our Capital City.
Q. Why are you pushing so hard for this tunnel project? What are the benefits as you see it to the city of Hartford, East Hartford and the region as a whole?
A. Our region faces significant challenges: a divided city, a riverfront blocked by a multilane highway, a crumbling levee system and poor traffic flow. The I-84/I-91 tunnel proposal is a solution to these challenges. Not only that, this proposal frees up acres of land on both sides of the river for economic development, green space and recreation. The tunnels could be constructed with minimal disruption to the city.
When you talk to Andy Bessette (executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Travelers), they have 7,000 employees who commute into Hartford every day. If you look at some of the current plans to rebuild I-84, they would require shutting down the city for years during construction. That would be unacceptable for businesses like Travelers and others that employ so many of our citizens. A turnkey operation, like tunneling, is compelling because it would allow for traffic to flow on the existing surface highways during construction in addition to reconnecting neighborhoods, opening up the riverfront, fixing the levees, solving traffic issues and creating economic vitality.
Q. Costs have been a major part of the discussion. There are estimates that the tunnel project could cost anywhere from $10 billion to $50 billion. You say the federal government must foot that bill. How will you help secure that federal funding?
A. Any project involving reconstruction of the Aetna viaduct and the I-84/I-91 Interchange is going to cost in the billions of dollars. The current Aetna viaduct proposal being floated is around $5 billion. When you add on some of the interchange alternatives you get north of $10 billion. The key is choosing the right plan that has the greatest long-term benefit visa-a-vis the upfront capital costs.
Unlocking federal funding is going to be key to however we choose to shape the future of Hartford's region and I do think we have a good shot at a federal infrastructure bill. I serve on the House Ways & Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over the revenue to fund an infrastructure bill. I think there is a good chance that Democrats will have an opportunity to be in charge of the House next year and infrastructure will be a top priority.
Democrats are pushing for a large and innovative infrastructure investment, and I've introduced the America Wins Act that would institute a pollution tax — making our air and water cleaner to breath and drink — that would raise $1.8 trillion over 10 years with the majority dedicated to investing in infrastructure. It's an idea that has support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. That's my favored approach but it's not the only way to do it. You can use innovative finance and project delivery mechanisms like design-build.
Make no mistake about it, this is a federal issue and we will get federal funding.
Q. You recently had officials from Seattle visit Hartford to share their experiences with a recent tunneling project in their city. What lessons did you learn from them?
A. Seattle faced many of the same challenges as Hartford. They had an aging highway viaduct that divided the city and walled off the downtown from the waterfront of the Puget Sound. On top of that, they had a flood issue with a sea wall that had to be repaired. They opted for a bored tunnel that will open to traffic soon. Next, they will tear down the viaduct and create a 20-acre waterfront park in its place.
Most importantly, it took a concentrated effort that was led by the community. We learned that the bored tunnel wasn't the first alternative they considered. They debated replacing the viaduct, building a cut-and-cover tunnel, and simply removing the viaduct. Bob Donegan of Ivar's restaurants, who led the business community, told us that replacing the viaduct would have shut the city down for at least five years, which was unacceptable. The business community and the voters rejected the other alternatives and rallied in favor of a bored tunnel that allowed for a turnkey operation.
The benefits to Seattle will be enormous. They have already seen $1 billion in private investment in the area. Businesses were able to stay open during construction and will now be able to thrive and grow without the noise, pollution and the barrier of a viaduct in the way.