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The What

The What: The Future of I-95; Budget Season Is Back, and more

The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of December 15.

The What: The Future of I-95; Budget Season Is Back, and more
We'll be back in 2026! Hope you all have a great holiday season. (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, December 15

Happy Monday! This is going to be our last newsletter for the year as things get a little quieter around the region and so we can enjoy some holiday family time. We hope you all get to do the same and wish you all an amazing holiday season and happy 2026! We’ll be back in your inboxes on Monday, January 5. 

But before that, we have a jampacked newsletter for you, so let’s dive in.  

Highlights 

This section gives a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.

  • What does the future of I-95 look like in southwest Connecticut? We explore some of the plans for this major roadway in our area.
  • Norwalk’s Board of Education will be reviewing the superintendent’s proposed budget this week.
  • Stamford’s Planning Board will review the plans for the new Roxbury Elementary School.

Spotlight

This section features our main reporting each week.

An additional travel lane, new bridges, fewer exits. These are just a few proposals for how to improve one of the most congested highways in the country, which runs through the heart of southwest Connecticut. 

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is looking at three parts of I-95 in our region through three separate studies, called PEL studies (which stands for Planning and Environmental Linkages Studies). The studies aim to evaluate the environmental, community, and economic goals and impacts as a part of the transportation planning process and ideally speed up the approval process once a project is selected. 

The areas they cover include: 

  • I-95 Greenwich, which covers from the New York State Line up to Exit 7 in Stamford, and along Route 1.
  • I-95 Stamford, which is focused on Exit 7 to Exit 9, and the surrounding major roadways in the city
  • I-95 Fairfield/Bridgeport, which covers I-95 from Exit 19 in Fairfield through Exit 30; Route 8 and Route 25 from I-95 up to Exit 2, and nearby major roads including Post Road, Route 1, State Street, and Fairfield Avenue.

While each is focused on a particular area, state officials say they are working in coordination to make sure an improvement made in one section wouldn’t cause a negative impact further away. 

“Our teams are working hand in hand on those studies,” said Jonathan Dean, the project manager of the I-95 Stamford PEL study. “We’ll keep talking between those studies [to] work together and understand the impacts of each.”

Check out our full piece to explore each of these studies, particularly what the common themes—and differences—are and how they could affect you. You can also watch our video, highlighting some of the key themes of these studies. 

This Week at a Glance

This section aims to highlight the most important meetings and news taking place each week.

  • In Bridgeport, the City Council will meet on Monday, December 15 at 7 p.m. to review numerous items and receive updates on a few grant submissions including a Thriving Communities grant from the Department of Transportation and a Healthy and Sustainable Communities grant.
  • In Stamford, the Zoning Board will meet on Monday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m. and continue reviewing an application to construct 44 two-story carriage homes and 58 three-story townhomes with associated improvements and amenities at 120 Long Ridge Road. The board will also review an application to convert a vacant office building at 1241 E. Main Street to 84 housing units. 
  • Also in Stamford, the Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, December 16 at 6:30 p.m. and review the plans for the new Roxbury Elementary School.
  • In Norwalk, the Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, December 16 at 7 p.m. and review and vote on the superintendent’s proposed budget—the first step in the budget process.
  • In Fairfield, the Flood and Erosion Control Board will meet on Tuesday, December 16 at 7 p.m. and receive an update on the town’s Master Flood Mitigation and Resilience Plan and the work to address the violations at Penfield Pavilion. Learn more about the history of the pavilion. 
  • In Darien, the  Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, December 15 at 7 p.m. and review a few items related to Great Island, including an appropriation of $27,000 for a survey and a discussion of a Great Island shuttle.

Plan Your Week

This section includes a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.

Bridgeport

Stamford

Norwalk

Fairfield

Greenwich

Darien

Westport

Stay in touch!

As we continue to grow and evolve, please join us! You can do that by:

Please note: All of these agendas and information here are current as of Sunday night. Meeting times and agendas may get adjusted throughout the week.

Have a great week,

Kelly Prinz

Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times

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