East Lyme — The state Department of Transportation will unveil plans next month to redesign the Interstate 95 Exit 74 interchange with Route 161, with construction anticipated to begin in four years.

The project is designed to ease congestion and improve safety and traffic operations in the area, where the DOT found there has been an "above average" number of crashes in several locations, said Susan M. Libatique, principal engineer for the DOT's Division of Highway Design.

The project will also address the condition of the I-95 bridge over Route 161 (Flanders Road).

The public information meeting to present the plans is scheduled for April 18 at Nett Hall at Camp Niantic on Smith Street. The event will include a forum with DOT officials at 6:30 p.m. and a presentation of the plans at 7 p.m.

Under the proposal, the I-95 bridge over Route 161, identified as being in "poor condition," will be replaced with a new structure that will allow the widening of Route 161 below with turning lanes, Libatique said. The project includes sidewalks and wider shoulders to accommodate bicyclists on part of Route 161.

The project will also entail widening I-95 in the area to allow for a potential third travel lane in the future, if the state widens the highway, she said.

As part of the current project, the DOT plans to add an auxiliary lane between Exits 74 and 75 on northbound and southbound I-95 that will allow cars merging in and out of the main line a longer distance to change lanes, she said.

There have been an "above average" number of crashes on the I-95 northbound Exit 74 exit ramp, I-95 southbound Exit 74 between the exit and entrance ramps, and Route 161 between Starbucks and Burger King, according to Libatique.

A recent analysis by The Day found that the area of I-95 between Exits 74 and 75 had the highest number of accidents on I-95 in Connecticut north of New Haven, with 350 accidents, between 2010 and 2016. The stretch had the second highest accident rate of 2.27 accidents per 1 million vehicles on I-95 north of New Haven.

[naviga:h3 class="article-head"]Accident rates 2010-2016[/naviga:h3]

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Rate per one million vehicles calculated by mile marker where traffic data was available.

The project will also address the tight curvature of the I-95 southbound ramps at Exit 74, which can currently only handle slow speeds, said Libatique. The southbound ramps will be relocated and will connect to Frontage Road, a new access road north of the Eversource substation, which will bring cars to and from Route 161.

The I-95 northbound exit ramp will be relocated about 300 to 400 feet south of the existing location to increase the length of the ramp, said Libatique. There will be a three-lane approach — with two left turn lanes and one right turn lane — to the intersection of Route 161, opposite Burger King.

Cars traveling south on Route 161 will be able to get onto I-95 north through a new ramp, 500 feet south of the existing location, according to a DOT news release. Cars heading north on Route 161 can reach I-95 northbound through a slightly realigned ramp.

Construction is estimated to cost $140 million, with 80 percent expected to be federally funded and the remaining 20 percent state funded, according to the news release.

The DOT has been studying alternatives to address the issues in the area and will show its preferred alternative to the public at the April 18 meeting, said Libatique. The DOT will then begin the preliminary design phase and estimates completing the design of the project in October 2020.

The DOT plans to begin construction in the spring of 2021 and complete construction in the fall of 2024, said Libatique. She added that the time frame is contingent on securing funding, rights of way and permits. 

East Lyme Zoning Official Bill Mulholland said the town asked for sidewalks and bike lanes early on in the project. He said the request is both a quality of life and a safety issue as bicycle and foot traffic have increased on Route 161.

First Selectman Mark Nickerson said he plans to listen to the DOT's proposal.

He said that while it's an "aggressive" project for the small town, the town has a major interstate highway running through it. The plan will bring safety improvements the town has been seeking, including preparations for the widening of I-95 and infrastructure investments in Flanders Road which has been the site of multiple accidents and doesn't have turning lanes.

Nickerson added that the character of the town will not change, but safety will be improved for both people who live in town and people who visit it.

He said improvements to the area were proposed even before the Costco development.

The developers of Gateway Commons, a residential and commercial village along the highway, said they are planning interim roadway infrastructure improvements in preparation of the opening of a Costco for the development's commercial phase. They are pursuing interim improvements to I-95 southbound's Exit 74 on and off ramps and an interim Frontage Road, south of the Eversource substation. 

Newton Brainard, vice president of Simon Konover, said the developers are continuing to work on getting approvals from the state Office of the State Traffic Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.

They anticipate having all the approvals in place by the end of September. Once they have the approvals in place, they will be able to develop a schedule for the project, he said. 

Carlos Virgen contributed to this report.

k.drelich@theday.com