The Connecticut Department of Transportation is warning drivers about a planned shift in traffic patterns on I-95 in New Haven this coming weekend.
Crews will move traffic onto a new Exit 47 offramp from 95 onto Route 34. The shift is planned to take place between 10 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday. There will be lane closures during those hours on I-95 South and Exits 47 and 48, according to the DOT.
"If you can, follow Exit 46 or 45 if you're coming from the south, Exit 3 of I-91 if you're coming from the north, and try to find an alternative route that can help you get around downtown and get you into work safe,"said Doug Hausladen, New Haven's director of transportation.
The city has three changes in just this month to traffic patterns nearby. Wednesday, it will turn George Street into a two-way street near the Knights of Columbus building. Later in the month, the city will close the hairpin turn at Exit 1 of Route 34 forcing drivers headed for the train station to go up Orange Street to George Street to State Street.
Also it will close Exit 2 at Church Street entirely, swamping Exit 1 with traffic.
The Department of Transportation urges drivers used to following their GPS to not rely on those devices during the changes.
"We've contacted the services that supply information to the GPS companies and they don't react fast enough," said Brian Mercure, of the DOT. "The best they do is update every six months. We can change traffic patterns three times in six months."
