The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has unveiled a $15.7 billion five-year Capital Plan (CP), charting an ambitious effort to rebuild infrastructure and modernize public transportation between Fiscal Years (FY) 2026 through 2030. In 2026 alone, the department anticipates spending $3.8 billion on various transportation modes.
For FY 2026, CTDOT has divided investments across three primary transportation categories:
- Bus and rail.
- Roadway and bridge infrastructure.
- Transportation facility renovations.
The CP outlines a total investment of $2.2 billion for bus and rail projects in the coming year. Among the projects featured in the plan, large-scale initiatives include the MOVE New Haven Bus Rapid Transit System, upgrading and building train stations along rail lines and replacing the Devon Railroad Bridge.
An additional $1.6 billion will directly support roadway and bridge infrastructure projects across the state. Notable projects receiving financial support from the state include improving the Interstate-91/I-691/Route 115 Interchange in Meriden and Middletown, rehabilitating and improving multimodal mobility for the I-95 Gold Star Memorial Bridge and rehabilitating the Putnam Bridge.
The remaining $23.4 million will enable the department to renovate transportation facilities across the state. Some of these projects include expanding truck parking in Southington and building a maintenance facility in Simsbury.
The largest projects in the design phase include:
CTDOT will spend $287.6 million to improve interchanges along I-91/I-691/Route 15 Interchange. Plans including building an additional operational lane between Interchanges 20 and 21 and widening multiple off- and on-ramps to provide additional travel lanes.
Another $105.5 million will support the rehabilitation of Putnam Bridge in Glastonbury and Wethersfield. The project will strengthen the bridge’s steel infrastructure, patch the deck, install waterproofing membrane and pavement and repair substructure concrete and drainage.
The department will invest $32.3 million to rehabilitate bridges 03160A and 03160B in Hartford. The project vision calls for extensive repairs for the bridges’ concrete deck, structural steel, deck joints and other critical structural components.
The rehabilitation of Bulkeley Bridge in Hartford will cost $23.9 million to complete. The project will repair the structure’s concrete arches, stone masonry repointing, parapet and bridge railing among other rehabilitation work.
CTDOT plans to use $22.6 million to rehabilitate Founders Bridge in Hartford. Similar to the other projects, the department will repair the bridge deck, install deck joints and pavement, and implement various structural improvements to rehabilitate and preserve the bridge in a “State of Good Repair.”
Photo by Beth Fitzpatrick from Pexels
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