Connecticut Considers Underground I-95 Tunnel for Fairfield-Bridgeport Corridor

State transportation study weighs underground I-95 tunnel through Fairfield and Bridgeport

Drivers traversing Interstate 95 between Fairfield and Bridgeport encounter daily gridlock carrying between 120,000 and 130,000 vehicles a day, prompting state transportation officials to study radical infrastructure overhauls, NBC Connecticut reported.

The corridor study examines multiple engineering interventions to address relentless congestion and chronic collisions along the route. Project proposals range from redesigned highway ramps and additional lanes to lowering or completely capping sections of the interstate.

“We wanted to leave really no stone unturned when we were developing concepts like this,” said JJ Samus of GM2, an engineering and construction company that has worked on other projects in the state, as reported by NBC Connecticut.

Daily congestion and collision patterns driving the infrastructure review

“It will be totally wall-to-wall cars. It’s getting really bad,” said Ken Henninger of Milford, according to NBC Connecticut.

Matthew Vail, a project manager for the initiative, noted that the corridor experiences a high frequency of rear-end collisions alongside dangerous sideswipes caused by weaving vehicles attempting to use closely spaced entrances and exits.

Lowering the highway heals divided neighborhoods

Beyond vehicle throughput, the planning initiative evaluates non-motorized mobility across municipal boundaries historically bisected by the elevated or surface-level interstate. Proposed pedestrian and bicyclist enhancements include curb extensions, high-visibility crosswalks, and structurally safer connections spanning the highway corridor.

Burying sections of the roadway could yield civic benefits beyond traffic mitigation by healing urban scars. Samus noted that lowering or covering segments of I-95 could reconnect divided neighborhoods and strengthen local roadway networks.

“You just got to drive with caution,” Henninger said, as reported by NBC Connecticut. “But, you know, I’m only one person.”

The corridor transformation proposals remain strictly in the conceptual study phase, leaving long-term implementation timelines and funding mechanisms undetermined as local civil engineering firms monitor the state’s next steps.