Route 8 highway signs! Photo courtesy of EastCoastRoads.com.
VALLEY – The state Department of Transportation will begin replacing traffic signs and renumbering exits along the entirety of Route 8, starting on July 8.
The DOT said the $9.9 million project will bring Connecticut closer to compliance with national uniformity standards. The project will include signage changes in Ansonia, Bridgeport, Derby, Shelton, Torrington, Waterbury, Beacon Falls, Harwinton, Litchfield, Naugatuck, Seymour, Thomaston, Trumbull, Watertown and Winchester.
In the Lower Naugatuck Valley, the existing numbers, both northbound and southbound, will be renumbered as follows:
In Shelton:
Huntington Road Exit 11 will become Exit 7
Old Stratford Road Exit 12 will become Exit 9
Constitution Boulevard/Bridgeport Avenue Exit 13 will become Exit 11
CT 110/Howe Avenue Exit 14 will become Exit 12A
In Derby:
CT 34 Derby/New Haven Exit 15 will become Exit 12B
Pershing Drive Exit 16 will become Exit 13A
Seymour Avenue Exit 17 will become Exit 13B Northbound and Exit 13 Southbound
In Ansonia:
Division Street Exit 18 will become Exit 14
CT 334/Wakelee Avenue Exit 19 will become Exit 15
In Seymour:
Derby Avenue Exit 21 will become Exit 17
CT 67/Bank Street Exit 22 will become Exit 18
In Beacon Falls:
CT 42/Beacon Falls/Oxford Exit 23 will become Exit 21
In Naugatuck:
Cross Street Exit 25 will become Exit 24
CT 63/South Main Street Exit 26 will become Exit 25A
Naugatuck Exit 27 will become Exit 25B
The new exit numbering system is designed so that the exit numbers match mile markers on the highway. Example – the newly numbered exit 18 at Bank Street in Seymour is named that because it is 18 miles from the start of Route 8 in Bridgeport.
The new exit signs will be accompanied by smaller, “old exit” signs beneath them, which will remain for a couple of years to help drivers adjust, the DOT said. Work is expected to be completed in November.
According to the DOT, mileage-based exit numbering systems allow drivers to quickly determine distances to destinations and calculate miles traveled. They also say these systems make it easier to report highway incidents and to add future exits.
Other signs that will be replaced include large overhead and side mounted guide signs, as well as smaller signs such as mile markers, speed limit signs, merge signs and route confirmation signs, according to DOT officials.
A DOT press release said that much of Route 8’s existing signage is in poor condition, having exceeded its intended service life.
DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan told the Valley Indy Tuesday (July 2) the changes come from the federal government, in the name of safety and uniformity.
“It’s a federal mandate, it’s not the DOT picking on the residents of Connecticut,” Morgan said. “It’s for national uniformity. So, if you’re driving in Connecticut, those exit signs should look just like those in Montana and Florida.”
Morgan said the new signage and new exit numbers will be communicated to GPS system providers so the updated information is relayed to drivers.
“These things do cause frustration and we understand that,” Morgan said. “Change is hard in the land of steady habits, and it will take some getting used to, but people will get used to it.”
The project was awarded to The Quaker Corporation of Southington and is scheduled to be complete at the end of November. Motorists can expect some lane closures Monday through Sunday at various times in the vicinity of Route 8.
Valley Leaders React
Valley leaders echoed comments from locals on social media: “Really?”
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti said renumbering the exits is a waste of time and money.
“It’s a big waste of money, you’ve got to go from Bridgeport to Winstead and you are going to put old numbers in a little sign so that people look confused. It’s madness, anything to confuse people and we already have a bunch of reckless drivers.”
Derby Mayor Joe DiMartino’s chief of staff Linda Fusco said the project is out of Derby’s government’s jurisdiction.
“I can only hope exit signs are well marked with the old and new numbers. It’s going to play havoc with peoples’ GPS systems for a while. I plan to keep the new and old numbers on the wall next to my desk for a long time.”
Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said the highway signs were redone a few years ago.
“It’s ridiculous that the State of Connecticut is changing the exit numbers now instead of before when they redid the signs a few years back, though I understand the need to update and increase the reflectiveness of the signs, as well.”
A link to frequently asked questions about the project can be found on the DOT’s website.
