Route 2 Improvements in Ledyard and North Stonington, Connecticut

Easing traffic congestion, advancing tourism and reducing emissions are all expected to happen after the $67 million Route 2 highway is expected to officially open in both directions in late July 2009.

In a recent ceremony, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) leaders, owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino, joined with state and local officials to cut a red ribbon to a highway whose westbound lanes opened weeks ago and eastbound lanes are expected to soon open.

"The road's built entirely on state property, on 28 acres the tribe gave the state, and it will remain state property," Robert Birmingham, Director of the MPTN Department of Planning and Community Development told The Day.

"This is an example of people coming together to create things that benefit us all," MPTN Chairman Michael Thomas said at the ceremony, after Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Spiritual Leader "Laughing Woman" prayed over an eastbound highway overpass.

The 64-foot wide, 2.1-mile-long section of elevated road has two lanes for traffic in each direction and will separate through traffic travelling to the beaches, such as nearby Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly, from casino traffic.

A double yellow line separates traffic in each direction, jersey barriers have been placed along all of the shoulders, and street lighting on either side of the highway provides sufficient light for nighttime drivers.

A map of the new roadway shows that the road runs north and adjacent to the original Route 2 through the towns of Ledyard and North Stonington.

It allows casino traffic to access Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods through a series of ramps.

Westbound traffic can use the first exit to access Route 214 and Foxwoods Boulevard, the former section of Route 2 that will be used as a frontage road for casino traffic.

The Day reported that the frontage road will also be maintained by the state.

Route 214 provides access to Ledyard Center, Trolley Line Boulevard, Two Trees Inn, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Museum.

Foxwoods Boulevard provides access to Rainmaker Drive, Grand Pequot Avenue, Lake of Isles Drive, and MGM Grand Drive.

New decorative street signs have already been installed at each intersection.

Drivers also can use the second exit to access MGM Grand Drive and Lake of Isles Drive.

Eastbound traffic will be directed to use the first exit for access to MGM Grand Drive and Foxwoods Boulevard and the second exit to access Route 214.

Through traffic will bypass four stoplights directly in front of Foxwoods and MGM.

The project improves Route 2 from Wintechog Hill Road in North Stonington to the Preston town line near the Route 2 and Route 164 intersection.

According to The Day, Keith Gove, project administrator for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe said, "The plan all along was to separate Foxwoods traffic from through traffic. It stands to reason that if you get half the traffic away from old Route 2, it makes things flow better. It used to be that if you hit all the lights, it could take you 10 minutes (to bypass Foxwoods). Now, it's two minutes...Another benefit is that without all those cards idling at lights, you've reduced emissions.

Fox 61 WTIC-TV reported that Gove said the project is expected to eliminate traffic tie-ups that used to plague the area on weekends especially during the summer when casino, beach, and local traffic mixed.

"This will enable people who have no desire to visit Foxwoods to go ahead in an unimpeded fashion and most importantly in a fashion that is safe," Thomas said, at the ceremony, adding that "the volumes of traffic on Route 2 are simply too large to be safely contained on a two lane winding New England country road."

While Thomas talked standing on an overpass currently not open to traffic, cars and trucks whizzed by the westbound lanes underneath him.

Thomas and other speakers talked on the new roadway which provides beautiful vistas of Foxwoods especially the Grand Pequot Tower and the MGM Grand.

The project, once completed, is expected to ease congestion on a very busy stretch of roadway.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation reports that in August 2008, an average of 19,800 vehicles a day travelled Route 2 at Wintechog Hill Road.

At the ceremony, Michael Lonergan, acting chief of the DOT's Bureau of Engineering and Highway Operations said the project would "improve safety in this area and also allow traffic to exit and enter Foxwoods in a better way."

The Norwich Bulletin reported that Lonergan added that "this is the time of year when you have the beach traffic and the casino traffic. It's doubly important to keep people moving."

At the ceremony, Lonergan said the project is "a shot in the arm for economic development of southeastern Connecticut," and that "if this was a normal DOT project, we'd have taken a lot longer."

The Day reported that Stephen A. Cardi, Sr., secretary and treasurer of Warwick-R.I.-based Cardi Corp, agreed, stating, "This project is quite a risk-taking. I am truly proud of this massive economic development project."

According to the Norwich Bulletin, Norwich City Manager Alan Bergen said that "any transportation improvements benefit all our communities" and State Rep. Tom Reynolds, D-Ledyard, said that making traffic flow smoother will help regional tourism.

At the ceremony, Gove said that the project was conceived in 1998, eleven years ago, and hopefully will be complete in "three to four weeks."

Gove told The Day that, "I'm glad it's done. I've had my shar eof sleepless nights. Nobody wants this done more than me."

The Day reported that the actual construction of the project did not begin until 2006 with a portion of the bypass open to traffic in May 2008.

Nearly 200,000 cubic yards of rock were blasted, according to The Day, and workers paved 4.9 miles of roadway with 80,000 tons of asphalt and a retaining wall with pre-cast carvings of wildlife covers 185,000 square feet.

The Norwich Bulletin reported that Carl Nelson, district engineer for the Connecticut DOT, said the carvings are "unique to anything I've seen in this end of the state."

Gove told The Day that the project also includes two vernal pools and a critter crossing for salamanders.

Five bridges were built and piping was installed allowing the tribe's water system to be hooked into the Preston Plains system to service the local school and surrounding community, according to The Day.

At the ceremony, Thomas said he sees the project as "something that represents the regional transportation solution that would connect I-95 to I-395."

WTIC reported that Thomas additionally said that the project "provides a safer and more convenient piece of Route 2 as it runs through Mashantucket."

Others attending the ceremony included Jeff Nelson, a representative of Gov. M. Jodi Rell's office, tribal planning director Robert Birmingham, and Anthony Sebasatian, secretary-treasurer of the Elders Council.

In the end, Gove told WTIC that, "I would hope people will find it easier to get here and come more often and spend more money."

Sources Cited:
Hallenback, Brian. "Mashantucket Pequots Dedicate Route 2 Improvements." The Day. Published on 06/23/09. http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=b80a4862-df40-4967-b646-6f744ce3c574
Mosher, James. "Route 2 Bypass Eases Access to Foxwoods." Norwich Bulletin. Posted on 06/23/09. http://www.norwichbulletin.com/casinos/x737340730/Route-2-bypass-eases-access-to-Foxwoods
Hallenback, Brian. "Bypass Nearly Ready for Beaches, Foxwoods." The Day. Published on 06/22/09. http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=6643bbdc-2900-4fcf-9038-00cb94fa4a17
Mosher, James. "Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun's roadwork nears completion." Norwich Bulletin. Posted on 06/21/09. http://www.norwichbulletin.com/casinos/x998779335/Foxwoods-and-Mohegan-Suns-roadwork-nears-completion
Altman, Jim and Dethlesfen, Nick. "Route 2 Bypass Road Opens." WTIC Fox 61. http://www.fox61.com/news/wtic-route-2-bypass-road-0623,0,879736,print.story
Hallenback, Brian. "Tribe Dedicates Route 2 Bypass Project." The Day. Puublished on 06/24/09. http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=5118ee12-9340-4c9a-beba-19851a865cda