Governor Dan Malloy and Transportation Commissioner James Redeker touted $5 million in total investments that will benefit the two highways that see hundreds of thousands of cars every day.
The more drastic project will be building a new tunnel to allow for repairs on the existing Heroes (West Rock) Tunnel on the Wilbur Cross Parkway. The tunnel is the only one in the entire state. The project will cost $2 million.
In West Hartford, there will be a new lane added between exits 39A and 43. The additional lane will ease congestion between those exits. It will not add to the footprint of the highway.
Gov. Malloy also renewed his push for a constitutional lockbox to protect transportation funds.
Lawmakers failed to garner enough votes during last week's Special Session to send the ballot question to voters next November. It fell 14 votes in the Connecticut House after receiving unanimous support in the Connecticut Senate.
"I want no one, ever, to grab money specifically meant for transportation, designated that way, sold that way to voters and then spend that money on anything but transportation."
Malloy said he will try during the 2016 legislative session that starts in February to secure supermajorities in both chambers to get the question to voters in November.
