Highway to Hell: A New Look For I-84?

Photo: The Hartford Courant

Experts are proposing changes made to I-84, more specifically the viaduct that goes past Sisson Ave and the Capitol Area. Citizens say the highway has separated the North End and Asylum Hill from the Capitol Area, and changing the structure of the highway can help resolve this problem. The highway was built in 1965 and has was given a 40 year life expectancy which has already passed in 2005 with no major improvements by the DOT. Goody Clancy bid on the project, a Massachusetts developer and has mentioned a tunnel, another viaduct, or a surface boulevard. Now all that has to be done is the railroad tracks have to be moved north of the highway which is simpler now then in the past since it does not have as much traffic to factories as it once had. 

The Courant mentions: "The city will get to reclaim 15-20 acres of prime land close to Union Station, including developable land along the western edge of Bushnell Park, where the report recommends a new street be built, plus more land in the Sisson Avenue area. There is the chance to reconnect streets severed by the highway and connect Asylum Hill to downtown with a bike/ped path." 

Original article: http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-op-condon-aetna-viaduct-i84-1024-20101024,0,5019528.column