New details on project to reduce I‑84 delays in Danbury
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) shared new details about a proposed “flex lane” on Interstate 84 that they say could dramatically reduce congestion for drivers.
The project, now in the design phase, would repurpose the left shoulder between Exits 3 and 7 in Danbury and allow it to open as a travel lane during the busiest periods on the highway.
CTDOT said the goal is to ease mounting traffic pressure on the interstate, which now carries about 110,000 vehicles daily. That’s roughly 20 times more than when the road first opened in the 1960s.
Residents say the backups have become a routine frustration.
“There’s too many cars, not enough lanes,” said Shane Connolly, who works at BUDR, a local dispensary in Danbury.
CTDOT engineers Neil Patel and Kevin Burnham are leading the project.
“We’re repurposing that median shoulder as a travel lane during the congested times,” Patel said.
Under the plan, overhead signs would control whether the flex lane is open or closed, and the speed limit would drop from 55 mph to 45 mph when the shoulder is activated.
Patel said the modeling shows dramatic time savings for drivers.
In the morning, forecasts show a 22% reduction in westbound drive times headed toward New York. That takes the drive from 9 minutes to 7 minutes.
In the evening, the department projects a 74% reduction in eastbound travel, from the current 31 minutes to just 8 minutes.
“You’re going to mitigate that congestion, you’re not going to eliminate that congestion,” Burnham said.
CTDOT says reconfiguring the existing highway is cheaper and faster than building a traditional widening project, though the proposal is still expected to cost $250 million. About half of that total represents routine roadway maintenance that was needed regardless.
Patel said his team has consulted with other states that already use similar systems.
In an interview, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson Kathleen Fuller said their state’s two “SmartLanes” are “working very well.”
Data provided by ODOT shows Columbus’ SmartLane, which opened six years ago, has cut drive times in half and reduced crashes by 63%.
On Cincinnati’s beltway, I-275, data show traffic delay hours have dropped by more than half during the first year and a half of operation.
“If there’s a crash, we can use that lane, open it up during that time to try and get traffic through there as well,” Fuller said.
CTDOT is also planning changes to the busy approach from Route 7 south, where the split to I‑84 east and west is a persistent trouble spot for drivers in Danbury.
“We have enough pavement to reconfigure that to two lanes. And that’s going to help improve some of the bottleneck there,” Patel said.
Some drivers say the idea makes sense as congestion worsens.
“I think a flex lane is great. I think it provides just better mobility for everyone, especially during rush hour,” said Connolly.
CTDOT has scheduled two public meetings for residents who want to learn more or give feedback. The first meeting is scheduled for next week. (Click here for details.)
The agency is targeting construction in 2028. Work could take about three years and will likely bring some traffic impacts, but officials say the long‑term payoff will be worth it.
For more information on the project, click here: https://www.i84danbury.com/flexlane/
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