Thomas Breen file photo
Slow down, whether you like it or not.
WASHINGTON — A word of advice to motorists trying to travel between Interstates 91 and 95 during the evening rush hour.
Don’t.
The average speed at the interchange drops below 25 miles per hour between 5 and 6 p.m., and the traffic makes it the 93rd worst truck bottleneck in the country, according to an annual study by the American Transportation Research Institute using GPS data from 1 million trucks at 328 locations in 2024.
“It is pretty well known that traffic on our roads increased dramatically over the last two years,” said John Blair, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut. “When you have an increase in the amount we’ve seen and you have big trucks and cars, it just makes it harder to move things.”
But if you wait until after 7 p.m., the average speed rises to 50 mph.
“It looks like it’s fairly navigable until the afternoon rush hour. That’s challenging,” said Rebecca Brewster, president and COO of the institute, the trucking industry’s research arm.
The intersection of I‑91, I‑95 and Route 34 was rebuilt in recent years, and it’s reflected in ATRI’s annual rankings. The interchange dropped from 76th in 2023 to 89th in 2024 to 93rd this year.
But traffic times are getting worse. The average speed on that stretch of roadway in 2024 was 46.6 miles per hour, down from 48.1 mph the year before. During peak travel times, the average speed dropped to 37.2 mph from 38.3 mph.
“While the renovations may have improved traffic flows, there’s always going to be some level of congestion,” said Lauren Fabrizi, a spokeswoman for AAA Northeast. “You’re dealing with two major highways and thousands of cars that pass through on a daily basis.”
Average truck speeds nationally during rush hours were 34.2 mph last year, down from 34.4 mph the year before.
The interchange with I‑91 isn’t the only congested stretch of I‑95. Two other sections of the Connecticut Turnpike, in Norwalk and Stamford, also are on the top 100 list of truck bottlenecks, as is I‑84 at I‑91 in Hartford.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden increased funding to Connecticut and the other states for roads and bridges.
“There’s catching up going on now,” Blair said, “It’s going to take a little bit of time.”
ATRI snapshot.