HARTFORD–Many know that the I-84 viaduct in Hartford is aging and needs to be replaced in the near future.
Replacing the 50-year-old structure, which costs millions annually to maintain, is part of Gov. Dan Malloy’s 30-year, $100 billion transportation plan that he announced earlier this year.
A new report from the governor’s office says that replacing the 2.5-mile stretch of highway would generate billions in economic activity and business–$9.2 billion, to be exact–making up for the expected $3.4 billion cost of the project.
“We need to spend the money to have a first class transportation system,” Malloy said Tuesday. “Other states have done it and they’ve benefited. We have not done it and we have suffered mightily because of it.”
The project is also expected to generate 3,000 to 7,000 construction jobs, and about 3,000 jobs every year after the new road opens due to improved transportation efficiency and lower travel and shipping costs.
“We know that for decades Connecticut underinvested, and we know that our failure to do so curbed our ability to attract businesses and grow our economy,” Malloy said. “Today, we’re saying that the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action–that making a down payment on a project that we must replace will generate billions in economic activity and grow thousands of jobs.”
The viaduct, which was built in the 1960s, had a 50-year service life with an expected 55,000 vehicles traveling it each day. We’ve passed the 50-year mark, and 170,000 vehicles travel on the road daily.
