House
Republican Press Release
February
26, 2008
Press
Office: 860-240-8700
Calls on State to Prioritize Interchange
Rehabilitation Project
When
falling concrete from the ‘Mixmaster’ interchange in Waterbury today resulted
in the closing of the off-ramp at Exit 19 on Interstate 84 westbound
onto Route 8, it underscored the urgent need for
the state to expedite a study on the rehabilitation of the interchange and make
long-overdue safety improvements to it, said state Representative Selim Noujaim.
“I
was shocked but not surprised to hear about the incident today on the
I-84-Route 8 interchange in Waterbury,” said Representative Noujaim,
R-Waterbury, who, along with other Waterbury and Greater Waterbury lawmakers,
has been calling on the state Department of Transportation to expedite a study
on the rehabilitation of the interchange that would lead to long-overdue safety
improvements.
“We
have been warning about possible safety problems involving the Mixmaster for
some time now,” he said.
“The
falling concrete that resulted in the closing of the off-ramp from I-84
westbound onto Route 8 clearly demonstrates that the deterioration of the
interchange has gone further than we suspected. Thankfully, no one was killed
or seriously injured in today’s incident – but it should serve as a wake up
call to the Department of Transportation and the State Bond Commission to take
whatever action is necessary to make the Mixmaster safe for motorists once
again,” Representative Noujaim said.
“We
have waited long enough. This incident shows our concern about potential safety
hazards on the Mixmaster were well-founded. The state needs to make upgrading
the interchange a top priority this year – not next year or the year after,”
Representative Noujaim said.
