The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) recently announced its New Mix Program to plan for the long-term future of the I-84 and Route 8 interchange in Waterbury.
Known locally as “the Mixmaster,” the interchange opened in 1968 and was designed to handle approximately 100,000 vehicles daily. It currently carries nearly 200,000 daily.
Under the program, CTDOT will analyze various rehabilitation and replacement options and then develop a plan to modernize and improve the safety and functionality of the interchange.
The interchange is complex, and reconstruction will probably occur in phases over many years.
The New Mix program will begin by identifying the needs and deficiencies of the existing interchange. The first public meeting regarding the program will be held in the spring. The date and time have yet to be announced.
CTDOT will use input from the public and stakeholders to create a Preliminary Purpose and Need statement and Program Goals and Objectives document and to evaluate various design concepts.
The agency also will use the Planning and Environmental Linkage process to identify breakout projects that complement and advance the overall program and are more manageable in terms of funding and traffic impacts during construction.
A separate project will extend the intersection’s lifespan by approximately 25 years.