Among City's Busiest Roads, $13.2M State, City Whitney Ave. Improvement Project Launches

NEW HAVEN, CT — Thursday, local and state officials announced the beginning of the Whitney Avenue Major Corridors Improvement Project, a $13.2 million comprehensive upgrade to the entire 1.5-mile stretch of one of New Haven’s busiest roads.

On hand for the news briefing were Mayor Justin Elicker and state Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Laoise King, among other city, state, and community leaders.

Construction for phase one of the project is set to begin the week of Sept. 22, and is expected to be completed by mid-2026. The second phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2027.

The project is funded through CTDOT’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program and is part of New Haven’s and CTDOT’s "ongoing efforts to improve road safety and commuting options for all users," according to the Mayor's office.

The final design plan for the project is available here.

According to officials, the project will reduce the number of lanes for motor vehicle traffic from four lanes to three lanes, and add a protected two-way cycle track for bicyclists and a "permanent 24-7 parking lane for vehicles on the east side of the street."

Pedestrian safety improvements will include raised crosswalks, raised intersections, and shortened crossing distances, it's noted in a news release from Elicker's office. Travel efficiency upgrades will include the replacement of and updated timing for all traffic signals to help with the flow of the approximately 10,000 vehicles that use the road daily, and the street will also be completely repaved, the City noted.