Downtown Crossing News: Monday, November 23- Friday, December 4, 2020

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Downtown Crossing Phase 2: Construction News & Schedule

for the two-week period of

Monday, November 23 - Friday, December 4, 2020

OVERVIEW: Orange Street Detour to End!

The half-block of Orange Street between MLK Jr. Boulevard and George Street (near the Coliseum development site) that was closed in the early summer will be reopened and drivers will be able to turn right onto Orange Street from MLK Jr. Boulevard once again.

The reopening of this portion of Orange Street was originally scheduled to occur by November 20 but was delayed due to weather and other issues. The reopening is now anticipated to be completed by Friday, December 4, 2020.

To prepare for the reopening of this portion of Orange Street, a minor lane shift will occur on MLK Boulevard. This lane shift is simply a repainting of the lane markers for the existing driving lanes to include a right turn onto Orange Street. The lane shift impact of drivers will be minimal.

Aside from these changes, there will be no other changes to the existing traffic patterns over the next two weeks. Just as over the past few months, various single lane closures may occur in the construction area. Existing pedestrian detours also remain in place.

Please see below for additional detail, including a renderings of the existing traffic pattern as well as what will be in place when Orange Street reopens.

LANE CLOSURES

Throughout the two-week of period of Monday, November 23 - Friday, December 4, 2020 various single lane closures may occur on the following roads to accommodate construction:

Inbound & Outbound Service Drives: roads that provide access to parking under 100 College Street and go on to provide access to the Air Rights Garage
State Street at North Frontage Road: near the intersection of Union Avenue and Water Street
South Frontage Road: between South Orange Street and College Street
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: between Orange Street and Church Street

WORK HOURS

All Downtown Crossing related work for the two-week period of Monday, November 23 - Friday, December 4, 2020 is scheduled to occur during daytime work hours. Daytime work hours are weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Any construction work that may impact traffic flow will not occur between 7 and 9 a.m. or between 3 and 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday.

Road signage will alert drivers and pedestrians to work areas and lane closures.

Please pay attention to this signage, slow down, and stay safe!

Current Construction Work Areas & Travel Lanes

Construction Work Areas & Travel Lanes

*Anticipated to Begin by Monday, December 7, 2020*

Pedestrian Detours

Pedestrian Detour at the Union Avenue Underpass

A minor pedestrian detour went into effect on Monday, March 9, 2020 and was originally expected to last until mid-May. However, this detour will now remain in place through the fall of 2020 to accommodate the installation of a public art project on the west side of the Union Avenue underpass, where Union Avenue meets North Frontage Road, State Street, and Water Street. Pedestrians will be able to access the area simply by using the sidewalk at the east side of the bridge, which is located just across the street.

Below:

Photo of the vicinity of the Union Avenue underpass pedestrian detour
Rendering of "Lighting Your Way" be Sheila Levrant de Bretteville of Site Projects New Haven.

Pedestrian Detour around South Frontage Road

A pedestrian detour is in place to accommodate construction on South Frontage Road near Church Street. The detour went into effect on Tuesday, August 13, 2019 and was originally scheduled to last for approximately one year, until the summer of 2020. However, the detour will now remain in place until the summer of 2021 to accommodate construction. Signage directs pedestrians to a safe route around construction; a map of the pedestrian detour is included below. Pedestrians are urged to follow the detour to stay safe as construction is in progress.

Below: South Frontage Road Pedestrian Detour . Red area is construction zone, green shows pedestrian detour around construction.

Avoid Delays:

Transit options to, from, and within New Haven

Avoid the stress of driving and travel delays due to highway congestion — explore transit options to, from, and within New Haven!

Transit to/from New Haven

Metro North: – New Haven Line Service between New Haven and shoreline towns to the west and NYC.

Shore Line East: Service between New Haven and shore line towns east to New London.

Hartford Line: Service between New Haven and Springfield, with stops in Meriden, Wallingford, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

Transit within New Haven

Free Downtown/Union Station Shuttle: Free shuttle runs between New Haven’s Union Station and seven Downtown New Haven locations, Monday-Friday 6 AM- 10 PM.

CT transit Bus Service: Local bus service throughout New Haven and surrounding towns.

Go New Haven Go: Go New Haven Go promotes health and well-being across the region by advancing safe, cost effective, and convenient transportation for getting into and around New Haven.

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Avoid Delays: Alternate Driving Routes

Alternate Driving Routes

To avoid delays due to construction, consider entering or exiting the highway outside of the project area. There are many options that avoid Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Frontage Road, yet still provide easy access to Downtown New Haven. Consider experimenting with these travel options. Try them out and let us know what you think!

Some options to explore:

Enter or exit I-95 on Long Wharf/Sargent Drive, utilizing Sargent Drive and Brewery Street to Water Street to access Downtown.

Enter or exit I-95 on Long Wharf/Sargent Drive, utilizing the Church Street Bridge to access Downtown.

Enter or exit I-91 on State Street

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