Every so often — like cicadas, and Bushes running for president — someone floats this idea: Widen our highways.
This time, the Connecticut Post reports, the plan comes courtesy of the state Department of Transportation. Adding lanes to I-95 — all the way from Greenwich to Stonington — as well as I-84, would “produce economic benefits of nearly $40 billion — more than 3 times the cost of both projects combined.”
According to Governor Malloy, most sectors of the state’s economy — especially manufacturing, retail and tourism — would benefit.
A familiar Connecticut scene.
The story notes:
Adding a lane in each direction on I-95 across southern Connecticut will produce $15.5 billion in new business sales, add $9 billion to Connecticut’s gross state product, and add $6.3 billion in new wage income to workers. The widening itself will cost $10.7 billion and support between 11,000 and 19,000 construction jobs over a 10-year ramp-up construction period….
“These numbers prove widening our interstates is the smart thing to do and demonstrate what we’d be losing if we don’t do it, in terms of our economy, jobs, and productivity,” James P. Redeker, commissioner of the transportation department, said. “We really can’t afford to wait.”
Sounds great!
I just have 2 questions:
- Given the glacial pace of the Merritt Parkway North Avenue bridge construction project, would it really take just 10 years to “ramp-up”?
- And, um, where exactly would we get this land in Westport to add a lane on each side?
(Hat tip: Billy Nistico)