Connecticut made "far more progress than anyone ever expected" in 2015 on improving the state's transportation infrastructure, Governor Dannel Malloy said on Monday.
Malloy made the announcement to reporters at Hartford's Union Station alongside Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker.
Malloy said the state has pushed forward on its goals laid out in his 30-year plan unveiled in 2015, called "Let's Go CT." The plan targets repairs for aging infrastructure in a transportation system has been neglected for decades.
"We are moving aggressively to provide Connecticut’s residents and businesses with a best-in-class transportation system," Malloy said in a statement. "The future of our state depends on it – and 2015 was a success. We moved the ball down the field on this critical issue."
One project Malloy highlighted is the replacement of the I-84 elevated, two-mile portion of highway in Hartford. The project is being evaluated now and the state is considering design alternatives, with the lastest cost estimates ranging from $4.3 to $12.1 billion.
Malloy also noted track and bridge construction underway for the Hartford Line, set to begin enhanced service in early 2018. The line will increase train service between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield. Four train stations are under construction and a new signal system will be installed, including the automated safety mechanism known as Positive Train Control.
Malloy touted as well the early completion of the Q Bridge in New Haven, improvements to Metro-North's New Haven Line, and the launch of CTfastrak in the Hartford area.
Watch the press conference below, via CT-N:
One of the governor's top priorities for 2016 is the so-called transportation lockbox, a proposed constitutional amendment that would ensure any money earmarked for transportation projects is used solely for that purpose.
Ray Hardman contributed to this report.
