Connecticut's Expanding Incident Management System

Motorists traveling in Connecticut may have seen large 70-foot tall metal poles along side major highways and have seen large electronic signs but do not know what their purpose is.

The objective of this paper is to discuss the Incident Management Program's implementation into southeastern Connecticut specifically helping motorists on and near Interstate 395, Interstate 95, Route 9, Route 2, Route 1, Route 184, Route 82, Route 85, Route 161, Route 156, and Route 154.

Routes 2 and 9 are four-lane state expressways while Route 184, 82, 85, 161, 156, and 154 are two-lane roads.
Such incident management programs have already been used in Connecticut in the city and surrounding regions of Stamford-Bridgeport, Hartford region, and New Haven.

The entire Incident Management System with cameras, highway advisory radio, and electronic message boards will be extended four miles from I-91 to Exit 8 (Route 80) and 14 miles along I-95 from Exit 56 to the Clinton/Westbrook town line.

Southeast Connecticut Camera Project

Twenty three closed circuit television cameras have already been installed in locations on Interstate 95 and Interstate 395, the DOT reports, and they hope to have these cameras functional by November 26, 2006, subject to change depending on progress from the contractor.

The purpose of the cameras is to alert DOT and state police when problems arise.

The video is fed into communication boxes along the highway which are connected to a central monitoring system which has
video feeds at a Bridgeport office.

There, DOT employees watch conditions and can control the movement of each individual camera.

The DOT plans to have video from the cameras available to the public so they can take alternate routes during heavy traffic volume periods.

Television and radio stations in Connecticut will have the ability to hook into this network and watch these cameras while the footage will also be made available at the DOT website, www.ct.gov/dot.

State and local police departments will be able to view the footage real-time and respond to incidents as they happen.

History of Camera Installation in Connecticut

Connecticut drivers have the capability already of seeing footage of cameras installed on I-95 from Greenwich to Norwalk, I-95 Westport to Stratford, I-95 Milford to Branford, I-84 Tolland to Plainville, I-91 Windsor to Cromwell, and Route 2 East Hartford to Glastonbury.

Their implementation has led to emergency workers getting to accident scenes quicker, reduces traffic problems by alerting drivers to take alternate routes, or to delay unnecessary travel until an accident is cleared.

Camera Locations

In Old Saybrook, a camera was installed at I-95 Northbound south of exit 67 near Elm Street at mile marker 76.01.
Another camera was installed covering the I-95 Northbound exit 66 and 67 vicinity specifically placed at the exit 67 off ramp toward Route 154 at mile marker 76.62.

A Connecticut Welcome Center with tourist information is located on I-95 Northbound between exits 65 and 66.
The center is open daily during the summer season and between Thursdays thru Sundays during the rest of the year.

When the building is open, visitors can pick up literature about Connecticut, read plagues and information on the walls in the "literature" room about the state, ask staff member's questions about the area, and in building restrooms are available.
Vending machines are also available in the building.

Portable toilets, a picnic area, and parking is available 24 hours 7 days a week.

The center is built adjacent to the Tanger Outlet Center and movie theatre.

One of the few cameras installed showing a junction of two highways is one installed at I-95 exit 69, south of the Route 9 Northbound onramp at mile marker 78.10 which is at the Baldwin Bridge.

The Baldwin Bridge is an eight-lane highway bridge over the Connecticut River connecting the towns of Old Saybrook and Old Lyme together.

Three cameras were installed in Old Lyme with one at I-95 Southbound at the Route 156 Connector Ramp at Exit 70 at mile marker 78.89, one at I-95 Southbound at the Exit 70 off Ramp to Route 1 at mile marker 80.04 and one at I-95 Northbound at the Four Mile River Road, Exit 71 On ramp.

Cameras were also installed in East Lyme at I-95 Northbound at the Route 161 Connector, Exit 74, on ramp to I-95 Northbound at mile marker 87.35 and one on I-95 Southbound on ramp of Exit 75 at U.S. Route 1.

This particular area at the junction of I-95 and Route 1 is quite troublesome since it immediately precedes a left exit of Exit 75 onto I-395 which takes traffic toward Norwich and Plainfield as well as the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos.

Waterford will be the only town along the I-95 southeastern Connecticut corridor to receive four cameras.

One was installed at I-95 Northbound near Exit 76 south of the I-395 on ramp at mile marker 88.44.

Three I-95 Southbound cameras which were installed in Waterford include one north of Oil Mill Road between exits 76-80 (there are no exits 77-79 on I-95) at mile marker 88.80, one south of Exit 82 at the Route 85 Connector near Exit 82 at mile marker 91.93, and one at the Vauxhall Street Exit 1 of the I-95 access road off of exit 82A at mile marker 92.27.

I-95 Southbound near exit 81 is the site of a former Weigh Station.

New London received two cameras, one on I-95 Southbound at the Briggs St. Overpass at Exit 83 at mile marker 92.27 and the other south of Williams St. at the Gold Star Bridge near exit 82 at mile marker 93.51.

Groton received a camera I-95 southbound south of Route 184 near mile marker 95.08.

Two cameras were installed in Stonington, both I-95 Southbound with one south of Greenmanville Rd at interchange 90 at mile marker 101.23 and the other north of interchange 90 on ramp south at mile marker 101.38.

Between I-95 Northbound exits 89 and 90 is a Scenic Overlook Area with parking allowing tourists a spectacular view of the Mystic River.

The Scenic Overlook Area does not have facilities.

On I-95 Southbound between exits 93 and 92 in North Stonington is a Connecticut Welcome Center open year round with restrooms, tourist information, picnic area, vending machines, RV dump station, and pay phones and parking.
A number of cameras were also installed on I-395.

In Montville, a camera was installed at I-395 Southbound at the Montville Rest Area, mile marker 8.47 while another camera was installed on I-395 Northbound near exit 79A south of Fitch Hill Road at mile marker 9.79.

The Montville Rest Area is located between exits 79A and 79 of Interstate 395 and acts as a service plaza with a Mobil gas station with gasoline and diesel fuel, Mobil Mart convenience store, pay phones, restrooms, a picnic area, and tourist information.

Services are provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Exit 79A is the exit most drivers use to access Route 2A which provides access to Mohegan Sun Casino and connects to Route 2 in Preston to provide access to Foxwoods Casino.

While Montville has two cameras, the DOT has installed four cameras in Norwich.

One is installed on I-395 Northbound south of the off ramp to the exit going to Route 82 east at mile marker 10.85 while another will be installed at I-395 Southbound at exit 80 north of Route 82 at mile marker 11.31.

Route 82 is a major road in the southern end of Norwich leading to a number of shopping centers which generate high traffic counts such as Wal-Mart, Big Y, Staples, Shop Rite, and T.J. Maxx.

The northern end of Norwich is served by Route 2, a four-lane expressway beginning between the Backus Hospital and Norwichtown Mall with incomplete intersections with Interstate 395.

A camera is installed at exit 81 south of Route 2 at mile marker 13.53 and another will be installed north of Route 2 at mile marker 13.70.

Potential Abuse of Cameras

According to the DOT, per state law, footage from the cameras cannot be used in a criminal prosecution.

However, it remains to be seen whether this law might be changed in the future which would have taxpayers pay for a program that could have long term implications not yet fully studied or known.

In 2004, Public Safety Commissioner Arthur Spada proposed using the cameras to mail tickets to motorists caught speeding after five serious accidents involving tractor-trailers on I-95 between New Haven and New York occurred in a six month period.

Spada is proposing a traffic court to deal with the increased number of infractions on Connecticut's highways specifically stating that 30 percent of motorists caught speeding plead not guilty and most of those cases have been dismissed since prosecutors don't have time to deal with them.

Spada estimates the state loses $20 million a year from cases being dismissed.

Transportation Commissioner Stephen Korta said the idea is to catch speeders without having police pull them over on dangerous spots on the highway.

However, former Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano cautioned that there are legal concerns and civil rights that must be addressed.

The Connecticut State Legislature has repeatedly defeated bills to create traffic cameras that would mail tickets to drivers failing to stop at traffic lights.

Variable Message Boards

Drivers are alerted through variable message boards, many of which will be installed, replaced, or relocated on I-395, I-95, Route 2, and Route 9.

A variable message board is an electronic board often able to display between three to four lines of text usually using the colors yellow or orange.

Sometimes these boards use solar power while other boards are hooked into the electrical system alongside exterior highway lighting.

Most travelers have seen these boards at construction sites since these boards usually have attached keyboards, can flash text, and roll through two to three screens of text.

The project will place over the next two years, but in the meantime, the DOT has installed temporary message boards.

The DOT says these temporary message boards are like those found at construction sites and have been installed on I-95 northbound in Old Lyme, north of exit 70, Route 2 Eastbound in Norwich, east of Exit 27, I-95 southbound in Stonington south of exit 92, and I-395 southbound in Montville south of exit 79A.

These boards will be removed as soon as the new boards, discussed later in this article are installed and are online.

The overhead changeable message sign on I-95 Northbound south of exit 67 in the vicinity of the School House Road underpass is planned to be upgraded to modern standards.

Those traveling Route 9 Southbound in Essex will see a relocated overhead changeable message sign moving from its location immediately prior to the I-95 intersection to exit 3 in the vicinity of Cedar Grove Terrace.

An overhead changeable message board will be relocated on I-95 southbound in East Lyme to just south of Exit 71 at the vicinity of the North Bridge Brook Road underpass.

The existing variable message sign on I-95 Northbound in New London north of exit 83 in the vicinity of Williams Street will be upgraded.

The existing overhead changeable message sign in on I-95 southbound in Groton, west of Exit 86 in the vicinity of Riverview Ave will be upgraded.

An overhead changeable message sign was recently installed on I-95 southbound in North Stonington south of exit 93 in the vicinity of Boom Bridge Road.

Motorists traveling I-395 southbound in Montville will see a new changeable message sign in the vicinity of the Montville Rest Area.

Route 2 will receive a new overhead changeable message sign east of Exit 23 of Route 2 Eastbound in the vicinity of the Norwich/Colchester Turnpike.

An overhead changeable message sign will be installed on I-395 southbound in Norwich north of exit 82 in the vicinity of the Scotland Road Overpass.

Highway Advisory Radio

Another component of the system is the highway advisory radio, HAR, planned to be installed at the I-95/Route 9 interchange in Old Saybrook and the I-95/I-395 interchange in Waterford.

Highway advisory radio in both towns is expected to be broadcasted on 1670 AM starting November 26, 2006 subject to change depending on progress from the contractor.

The radio operates off low-power AM radio transmitters and new signs along the highway will be installed with flashing lights alerting drivers to turn their radios to the station for traffic alerts.

The station has the capability of broadcasting up to five miles circular miles from the transmitter in any direction but terrain and weather conditions can limit its broadcast to three miles.

While the radio is used primarily to let motorists know of issues of concern such as lane closures, congestion and delays, and construction work, it also has the capacity to let motorists know of emergency closure of service plazas and rest areas.

During times no emergency message is on the station, the station continues to broadcast with messages from the DOT regarding Connecticut State Law.

Whether there is an emergency or not, messages on the station repeat and an updated date and time are given.
Already, the DOT operates seven HAR stations and plans to extend the program on I-95 near the Branford/Guilford town line and on I-91 in North Haven.

HAR was updated from 530 AM to 1670 AM to provide a clearer audio signal and currently covers the I-95 corridor from Exit 40 to 52 and up to exit 8 on I-91.