Advocacy groups protest I-95 widening

On Mon., Feb. 22, the Connectictut Council of Governors is expected to approve a $800 million project to widen the Quinnipiac Bridge to decrease traffic. But not everyone is pleased.

The strongest opposition comes from the Intermodal Concept Development Commission (ICDC), a group founded five years ago in response to the Connecticut Department of Transportation's (DOT) initial decision to rebuild the highway and widen the bridge. According to ICDC member Nancy Baquie, the group met with the DOT nearly 50 times and thought there was a consensus to build an eight lane, not 10 lane, bridge.

Dick Martinez, DOT bureau chief of policy and planning, believes the DOT was "committed to working with the community through the ICDC," but the understanding was that the DOT would make the final decision.

But ICDC members continue to insist that the plan went through without their cooperation and are upset by the effect they believe the highway widenening will have. "The historical, cultural, and daily life impacts will widen along with the highway," Baquie said. She promised that the residents will continue to protest the plan.

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. supports the Q-bridge expansion, but he emphasizes there are other ways to improve transportation."Widening the bridge won't alleviate [the traffic] problem, but the DOT and the mayor's office are working on a comprehensive program to alleviate some of the congestion," he said.

To address these broader traffic concerns, the DOT approved plans for a new downtown train station for the Shoreline East service, a bus depot, and an expanded bus system. DeStefano agrees with ICDC that these measures could make transportation more efficient.

The Q-bridge plan needs approval from the Council of Governors, and the DOT's environmental impact assessment must be reviewed by the federal highway department. If approved, the bridge will take about 12 years to build.

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