Safety improvements at Montville’s Route 85 intersections are expected to begin in 2028, The Day reported October 16, citing the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
The report by Jack Lakowsky describes recurring crashes and congestion near Chesterfield Fire Company, including the Route 85 intersections with Chesterfield Road and Route 161. Fire-company CEO Steve Frischling told the newspaper that crashes are his principal concern; he did not describe a significant effect on emergency response times.
The project has changed since its original public presentation. The state’s post-scoping notice explicitly removed the proposed Route 161 realignment, the new roundabout at Route 85/Route 161/Deer Run and new climbing lanes because of impacts to the quarry and rock-crushing facility. That notice instead calls for upgrading the existing Route 85/Route 161 signalized intersection within its footprint.
DOT’s March 2022 announcement described four work segments along more than five miles of Route 85 in Salem and Montville, including improvements to shoulders, drainage and turning movements and replacement of the Fraser Brook and Latimer Brook bridges.
The same 2022 announcement anticipated a summer 2024 start and estimated construction at about $38 million. Those are historical planning figures, not a newly confirmed price or current start date. The Day said it was seeking updated cost and design information from DOT.
The 2028 timetable is a planning expectation, not notice of work beginning now. Drivers should not infer a current closure or detour from this report. DOT’s project webpage links the original meeting report and project description for residents reviewing the proposal.