ORANGE -- The Wilbur Cross Parkway was not designed to carry the volume of traffic it does today. So, some changes are being suggested by the State Department Of Transportation, especially at one of the states most dangerous interchanges.
This interchange, at exit 58 and 57 in Orange, has been the site of the many accidents.
Exit 58 southbound is a big trouble spot as the traffic tends to back up onto the highway during rush hour.
"Providing that additional deceleration lane will provide them with space where they can be stopped but outside of the main travel lanes of the Wilbur Cross Parkway," said Will Britnell, Principal Engineer for the CT DOT
The way the DOT envisions achieving this, while also creating a longer onramp on the northbound side of the interchange is to cut into the center median, which keeps the flowing traffic to the left
"I've had a couple of times where I had jump over just to keep from hitting somebody," said Dale Wortham of Hartford. "You know and I don't like it. If they can make it better that would be good."
There are actually two northbound on ramps at this interchange. One intersects a northbound exit lane, creating another problem.
"It's really not possible for us to fix that without having to replace the entire bridge," said Britnell.
"Sometimes you just have to kind of go and hope for the best I think and you have to be careful of cars entering there's not like a leeway to kind a get up to speed," said Maura Delaney, from Hamden, who travels the Wilbur Cross Parkway every day.
The DOT says they're trying to carry out this project as much on the cheap as possible, "but with that and with additional clearing work, we're going to greatly improve some of the safety at the interchange," said Britnell.
The design of this prospective project is just beginning. A public hearing is I will be a year away. If the plan moves forward ground will break in the fall of 2019.
The DOT says over 4,000 cars a day utilize this interchange at the Wilbur Cross Parkway and Route 34.