Route 7 Safety Work Coming to Danbury, and I-84 Lane Work in Newtown

Safety improvements are coming to Route 7 in Danbury after a July crash that killed two people on Sugar Hollow Road. State Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan reports that after meeting with Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, the department committed to installing centerline rumble strips from the Wilton town line to Route 35 during this construction season, finishing rumble strips on the recently resurfaced stretch between Route 35 and Danbury, refreshing pavement markings, and installing a high-friction pavement surface in Danbury in 2027. Speed-feedback signs are also under evaluation.

The July 13 crash killed off-duty Bridgeport police officer Cooper Whiteside and his girlfriend, Brittany Islami. NBC Connecticut reports six fatal crashes occurred along the corridor in the three-year period ending June 30, not counting that crash, and the representative's newsletter notes eight fatal crashes on the stretch since 2001. Ridgefield has started a Route 7 road safety audit, and Danbury is working on a local safety action plan through the Western Connecticut Council of Governments. Brookfield drivers use Route 7 through Danbury every day, and the rumble strips and high-friction surface are aimed at the run-off-road and loss-of-control crashes that have marked the corridor.

Closer to home, the state transportation department has milling and resurfacing work scheduled on I-84 westbound in Newtown on Tuesday, November 10. Drivers should expect lane closures and slowdowns through the work zone that day.

The longer-running I-84 project in Newtown continues as well. The climbing-lane extension, which began in March and runs through October 2027, brings intermittent nightly lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., with two lanes of travel remaining. The $8.1 million project is being built by Richards Corporation.

Farther west, pavement rehabilitation on I-84 in Southbury and Middlebury runs through Monday, November 30, with nighttime lane closures between Exit 13 and Exit 16 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.