Connecticut's Expanding Incident Management System

Motorists traveling in Connecticut may have seen large 70-foot tall metal poles along side major highways and have seen large electronic signs but do not know what their purpose is. 

The objective of this paper is to discuss the Incident Management Program’s implementation into southeastern Connecticut specifically helping motorists on and near Interstate 395, Interstate 95, Route 9, Route 2, Route 1, Route 184, Route 82, Route 85, Route 161, Route 156, and Route 154. 

Routes 2 and 9 are four-lane state expressways while Route 184, 82, 85, 161, 156, and 154 are two-lane roads.
Such incident management programs have already been used in Connecticut in the city and surrounding regions of Stamford-Bridgeport, Hartford region, and New Haven. 

The entire Incident Management System with cameras, highway advisory radio, and electronic message boards will be extended four miles from I-91 to Exit 8 (Route 80) and 14 miles along I-95 from Exit 56 to the Clinton/Westbrook town line.

Southeast Connecticut Camera Project

Twenty three closed circuit television cameras have already been installed in locations on Interstate 95 and Interstate 395, the DOT reports, and they hope to have these cameras functional by November 26, 2006, subject to change depending on progress from the contractor. 

The purpose of the cameras is to alert DOT and state police when problems arise. 

The video is fed into communication boxes along the highway which are connected to a central monitoring system which has 
video feeds at a Bridgeport office. 

There, DOT employees watch conditions and can control the movement of each individual camera. 

The DOT plans to have video from the cameras available to the public so they can take alternate routes during heavy traffic volume periods. 

Television and radio stations in Connecticut will have the ability to hook into this network and watch these cameras while the footage will also be made available at the DOT website, www.ct.gov/dot.