CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: August 15, 2016

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

CTDOT Selects Firm to Recommend Options for I-84 Waterbury ‘Mixmaster’

                The Connecticut Department of Transportation has selected a design and engineering team led by HNTB Corporation to study and recommend options for replacing the Route 8 / I-84 interchange in Waterbury, popularly known as the “Mixmaster.”

                The complexities of the 50-year-old elevated, double-decked high-speed interchange, with left- and right-hand entrance and exit ramps over city streets and the Naugatuck River, make it unique in Connecticut. An estimated 150,000 vehicles travel through the interchange on an average day – triple the amount of traffic it first carried when it was constructed.

                “We have asked HNTB to take a fresh look at all options and to take fully into account how the interchange fits into the urban fabric of the city,” said CTDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker. “We want them to balance the requirements for improved traffic flow over the new structures, as well as look for enhanced economic development opportunities and a design that will be context sensitive and complement the urban landscape of our fifth-largest city.”

                “We are pleased the Department of Transportation selected HNTB as its partner for this vital project,” said Carrie Rocha, HNTB’s project manager.  “We look forward to working together with all stakeholders as we develop solutions that contribute to the improved safety and mobility of travelers through the region.”

                Construction on the I-84 Mixmaster began in 1965 and was completed in 1967. Under Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s 30-year, $100 billion “Let's Go CT” transportation initiative, preliminary replacement cost estimates for the Mixmaster range from approximately $3 billion for a partial replacement to $7 billion for a full replacement.  However, updates to these cost estimates will be re-evaluated by HNTB, taking into account all updates to the City’s and the State’s economic development plans.  The HNTB conceptual engineering study and preliminary design development will be a multi-year effort with public participation throughout the study.  Final design and construction would begin after that.

                  A new interchange will take several years to build and would support an estimated 5,000 to 11,000 construction jobs. The long-term impact of the Mixmaster replacement on jobs will be substantial.  For every year following the opening of the new interchange, the improved transportation efficiency and lower travel and shipping costs will save households time and money, and create a competitive advantage for the region’s businesses.  These transportation cost savings will support the creation of 2,000 – 3,000 jobs over the life of the new facility.

                HNTB is a 100-year-old design, engineering and construction management firm, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with offices in Connecticut. HNTB will be supported in this effort by a multidisciplinary team of major sub-consultants, all with offices in Connecticut: AECOM Technical Services and BL Companies Connecticut.