Interstate 95 in East Lyme was closed for blasting Wednesday afternoon and has reopened.
Crews are closing both sides of the highway twice a day, four days a week, for the next six to eight weeks, while crews blast along the highway.
It was closed Wednesday morning for blasting between 9:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and again before 1 p.m.
Where and when will the I-95 closures happen
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The state Department of Transportation said the highway closures will happen for around 15 minutes each day between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. from Monday through Thursday.
According to the website for the project, drivers heading north should take exit 74 and continue on Route 161 North, turn left onto Cross Road, turn left onto Waterford Parkway, and take the entrance ramp back onto I-95 northbound.
People traveling on I-95 South should take exit 75, follow Route 1 to Route 161 South, and then access the I-95 South entrance ramp.
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How long the project is expected to take
The project is expected to last six to eight weeks.
How to get notifications
In addition to the traffic impact, the blasting operation will be loud. The state wants to ensure people are aware that it is going on and that it is not an emergency situation.
The exact times of the blasts are not scheduled.
Drivers are encouraged to sign up for daily text messages that will be sent 30 minutes before each highway closure. During the temporary 15-minute highway closures, there will be detours.
To sign up for notifications, click here.
About the project
Crews will be working to remove a large rock ledge adjacent to the highway.
DOT does not expect debris to make its way onto the highway, but if it does the closures could last longer than 15 minutes.
In all, crews have to remove about 30,000 yards of rock from a ledge that is just feet away from the road, which makes it an even more challenging job. They said they are closing the highway to protect public safety.
“We are looking for patience," Robert Obey, the resident engineer for the I-95 East Lyme project, said.
"We know it is a significant disruption to traffic, especially in the summertime. If there was a better way to do it, we would be doing it. This is the best way to do it and the best time to do it," he said.
Department of Transportation officials said the rock blasting cannot be done during nighttime hours.
The state studied traffic data to determine the best time to conduct the blasting during the day.
"By doing two blasts, two controlled removals of the rock that is here, instead of one, we are going to be able to do this project in six to eight weeks instead of something that was more nine to 12 weeks," said Josh Morgan, a DOT spokesperson.
"Removing rock and blasting next to the highway is incredibly unsafe for traveling public," Obey said. "We are merely being proactive and making sure we don’t have vehicles or people within 500 feet of the blast is our goal.”
The rock blasting is part of a larger highway safety improvement project happening at exit 74 in East Lyme. The four-year project recently broke ground and, among other goals, will widen the highway.
The giant rock ledge is directly in the way, which is why it needs to be removed.
“We need to make room for that third lane, a new on-ramp, and wider shoulders,” Obey said.
East Lyme police will also have additional officers out during the detours to help facilitate traffic and keep traffic moving, according to the DOT.
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