Connecticut Department of Transportation project staff updated the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments on plans to replace the I‑84/Route 8 “Mixmaster” interchange in Waterbury, presenting two alternatives and next steps in the National Environmental Policy Act process.

The update came during the NVCOG meeting’s transportation segment, where DOT project manager John Dean said the agency is "wrapping up our planning and environmental linkage study" and will move into the NEPA (environmental impact statement) phase after public information meetings. Project engineer Ed Saboren summarized engineering goals, saying the study recommends rebuilding the interchange to "replace the interchange with a hundred year design life."

NVCOG staff and DOT described the problem as structural age, operational complexity and safety: the interchange was built in the 1960s for a shorter design life and has closely spaced ramps and left‑hand entrances that contribute to congestion and crashes. DOT said recent rehabilitation extended service life but does not eliminate the need for a long‑term replacement.

DOT staff presented a screening process that reduced a large set of concepts to two reasonable alternatives that will advance into NEPA. Both alternatives would reconstruct I‑84 and Route 8 with extended service life, remove most left‑hand ramps, add frontage roads to improve local connectivity and create opportunities for open space and river access. One alternative shifts Route 8 briefly across the Naugatuck River; the other keeps Route 8 on the river’s west side and shifts the river slightly. Renderings shown by DOT also identified potential bicycle and pedestrian improvements and gateway treatments on bridges.

DOT estimated the overall program cost at about $5.2 billion to $5.8 billion and said the work is intended to be compatible with planned rail and freight improvements in the area. John Dean said the project team will select a consultant to perform NEPA work and continue to refine alternatives as the environmental review proceeds.

Local officials and municipal representatives asked multiple operational and community‑impact questions: whether freight and passenger rail service would be permanently affected (DOT said no permanent impacts to freight service are expected and that coordination is ongoing), how local traffic would be managed during construction, whether bus rapid transit or dedicated transit lanes were being planned (DOT said BRT is not currently incorporated but the department is coordinating with its Bureau of Public Transportation to avoid precluding future transit initiatives), and how destacking elevated sections would affect lighting and underpass uses. DOT staff said urban design, lighting and open‑space programming under elevated sections will be studied as the alternatives are refined.

NVCOG staff said the agency will prepare a draft comment letter reflecting the discussion and staff observations and bring it to the next NVCOG meeting for the board’s endorsement. DOT said public information meetings are scheduled in the coming weeks and directed stakeholders to newmixwaterbury.com for materials and dates.

DOT listed next steps as public information meetings, selection of a NEPA consultant, continued refinement of interchange concepts, and advance of several separate but compatible "breakout" projects (smaller approach or local road improvements) on accelerated timelines where appropriate.

The presentation, public‑comment schedule and the range of alternatives conclude the planning and environmental linkage phase; a preferred alternative will be chosen during NEPA and refined in subsequent design, permitting and construction phases.