New Haven Interstate 95-91 interchange to head in new direction for first time in 60 years Exit to I-91 shifting to right for first time in 60 years

NEW HAVEN >> The Interstate 95-Interstate 91 interchange is about to take a big turn.

On Saturday, leaving I-95 northbound to get onto I-91 will require taking a right-hand exit.

I-95 northbound traffic on that day will shift to a new section of highway, built to the left of the existing road, creating a right-hand Exit 48 to I-91.

“During this traffic shift, we will put I-95 north in a new alignment, new position, and as a result of that traffic shift two lanes of I-95 north and two lanes of I-91 north in the vicinity of Long Wharf Drive will be flipped,” said Vladislav Kaminsky, the state Department of Transportation’s supervising engineer for the interchange project.

It will be the last major traffic shift in the mammoth project, which completely rebuilt the connections between I-95, I-91 and Route 34. All that’s left to do is to make each merge two lanes wide, which will be finished by September, said Jeffrey Knapp, project engineer for the DOT.

“We understand that it’s going to cause some confusion, because for the last 60 years we have always used left-hand exits,” Kaminsky said.

The first left-side exit to be eliminated was Exit 47 from I-95 north to Route 34, which was moved in 2011 to the flyover bridge.

Connecticut Department of Transportation Project Engineer Jeffrey Knapp, left, and Supervising Engineer Vladislav Kaminsky on the soon-to-be-opened northbound section of I-95 at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven. less Connecticut Department of Transportation Project Engineer Jeffrey Knapp, left, and Supervising Engineer Vladislav Kaminsky on the soon-to-be-opened northbound section of I-95 at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge ... more Photo: Arnold Gold — New Haven Register Photo: Arnold Gold — New Haven Register Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close New Haven Interstate 95-91 interchange to head in new direction for first time in 60 years 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

This next shift will do away with the temporary roadway on I-95 north that included a fairly steep dip. An embankment will replace that stretch.

“It will be more convenient and people who travel from I-95 in a north direction will be uninterrupted” by drivers weaving from right to left to exit onto I-91, Kaminsky said.

Another part of the change will result in a safer move from I-91 southbound to I-95 northbound. Cars headed in that direction will enter I-95 from the right side rather than the current left-lane merge before the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge.

Kaminsky said it has been a challenge during the last six years to build a new interchange in an area where 160,000 vehicles a day pass through. “We built the new interchange within the footprint of the old one and at the same time, we were able to maintain the same traffic flow,” Kaminsky said.

Once the traffic shift is complete, drivers will be warned well beforehand.

“To avoid any confusion, we are utilizing all overhead message boards from New York to New Haven,” Kaminsky said.

Ten additional portable boards will also be installed, starting at Exit 41 in Orange, Knapp said. And, just to be sure people get the message, the signs pointing to the new roadways will be orange for the first few weeks, he said.

The DOT is warning travelers that there will be delays on I-95 north through the Long Wharf area. There will also be 20-minute-long stoppages between midnight and 7 a.m. Saturday between Exits 44 and 46.

Kaminsky gave another warning for driving through the area starting Saturday : Do not use GPS devices to find your way.

“We are talking to GPS companies” but updates will take time, Kaminsky said.

The $2 billion New Haven Harbor Crossing Improvement Program began with the State Street railroad station and has included widened highways between New Haven and Branford, as well as a new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge.

The next obvious change will be the opening of a fifth lane on the northbound side of the Q bridge, scheduled for Aug. 22.

Work on the interchange project will wrap up in 2017. For more information, go to www.i95newhaven.com.

Call Ed Stannard at 203-680-9382.