ConnDOT Sets up Website for Exit 9 Bridge Project; Highway to Almost Shut Down on June 1-2, 8-9 Weekends

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (Department) has launched a new website, I95Exit9.Com, marking the start of the public information campaign for the project to replace the Route 1 (East Main Street) Bridge over Interstate 95 at Exit 9, in Stamford.

— an announcement from the Connecticut Department of Transportation
—See also: Rt. 1 Bridge Over I-95 at Exit 9 To Be Replaced By November 2019 (June 20, 2018; the article has a video and numerous pictures)

Utilizing Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques, new bridge spans will be built in their entirety, adjacent to the existing bridge (with negligible traffic impacts) and then lifted and moved as one unit into place.

Photo by Jonathan Wu for ConnDOT

From the ConnDOT website for the project: “Construction of bridge Span 2 is well under way! The cross framing (the dark green structures) used to join the girders together have been delivered and are being moved into location.”

Photo by Jonathan Wu for ConnDOT

The cross frames in place for the I-95 span replacement at Exit 9. As passing drivers can see, the structure is being built in the area around the northbound entrance to the highway from Route 1.

The process of lifting and moving the spans, known as “bridge-moves” will necessitate the detour of I-95 and Route 1 over two weekends — June 1 to 2 and June 8 to 9 — in order to facilitate their installation over the highway and onto the existing bridge foundations.

From the ConnDOT website for the project

Calendar of Route 1 closures over I-95 at Exit 95. This is when massive structures will be moved from the construction site beside the highway into place over two separate weekends — weather permitting.

The new structure will be a two-span bridge, with the one span being replaced the first weekend, and the second span replaced on the following weekend.

During the scheduled weekend bridge-moves, I-95 will be reduced to two travel lanes for each direction, beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, and ending by 5 a.m. on Monday.

How highway traffic will be detoured when the bridge is out of service on the first two weekends of June 2019.

I-95 traffic will be detoured off the highway and back onto the highway utilizing modified Exit 9 on- and off-ramps, allowing the highway to remain open during the operations, with ramp speeds reduced to 20 mph for safety.

Additionally, with I-95 Exit 9 being used as a bypass/detour during the weekend bridge-moves,  motor vehicle traffic will not be allowed to enter or exit the highway using Exit 9 — it will be used only for carrying I-95 thru-traffic. And while I-95 will technically remain open during the bridge-moves,  motorists will be STRONGLY advised to seek alternate routes.

Local traffic will be detoured when the bridge is out of service. On this map, Holly Pond, between Darien and Stamford, is on the right.

Route 1 will be closed between Courtland Avenue and Seaside Avenue, and traffic will be detoured from Route 1 to Courtland Avenue and Hamilton Avenue during the bridge-moves.

As the project progresses, the Department will continue to inform and collaborate with all stakeholders, including the general public, towns, cities, businesses, law enforcement and other entities.