WATERBURY — Starting this week, the DOT has closed off one southbound lane on Route 8 in Waterbury. The closure will last for 2 years and is part of a project to rehab the Mixmaster Interchange.
The DOT says heavy delays are expected during the morning and afternoon rush hour.
Raymundo Conceica from Waterbury says,” In the afternoon at 3 o’clock it’s very crowded. So very bad experience for us.
“Normally it would have been 10 minutes to get here to go over 84 and down 8… and now it adds another 10-15 minutes,” says Ed Brady, the Owner of Top O’ The Mornin’ Restaurant.
Brady says the ongoing construction and closures have also been bad for his business. He says nowadays people tend to avoid certain parts in Waterbury due to the traffic, meaning less foot traffic inside his diner.
“It’s ridiculous that it takes that long to do a highway project. There is no convenient way to get here anymore it’s really hurting business,” says Brady.
Brady hopes the project stays on track to avoid any further impact to his business. The DOT says the entire Mixmaster project will be completed by September of 2022.
