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DeLauro Request for $20 Million for New Haven’s Downtown Crossing Included in Surface Transportation Legislation

June 7, 2021

Announcement of Funding for Phase 4 Comes Hours After Breaking Ground on Phase 3

NEW HAVEN, CT – Today, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure announced House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro's (D-CT-03) Member Designated Project request for $20 million to complete New Haven's Downtown Crossing is included in the INVEST American Act, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill.

"The City of New Haven's Downtown Crossing Project is one of Connecticut's largest, most essential infrastructure projects," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "This is a project that I have tirelessly worked on since my days as Chief of Staff for New Haven Mayor Frank Logue in the 1970s, and yet, decades later, I am still fighting for its completion. Today, we broke ground on Phase 3 to transform one of our critical expressways into urban boulevards designed for pedestrian and bicycle use, as well as low-speed motor vehicle traffic. With the dedicated funding stream included in the INVEST America Act, the Downtown Crossing project I have been fighting for will finally be complete."

This morning, Phase 3 of the Downtown Crossing Project began following a groundbreaking ceremony. With the inclusion of DeLauro's request, the INVEST Act would provide the federal funding needed for Phase 4, the last phase of the project. In this phase, a bridge will be constructed to extend Temple Street to Congress Avenue, which will provide another multi-modal connection between Downtown New Haven and the Hill neighborhood and reclaim more land for development. When completed, the Downtown Crossing Project will make it safer and easier for pedestrians and bicyclists to enjoy the City of New Haven, provide new opportunities for economic development, and restore the urban street environment that was removed decades ago to build the expressway.

"The Downtown Crossing project is about many things: reconnecting the roots of our city with its surrounding neighborhoods, creating good-paying jobs in our City, making our community more walkable and friendlier to cyclists, supporting the continued growth of the biomedical sector of our local economy," DeLauro continued. "I am thrilled that Chair Peter DeFazio recognized the national significance of this project and chose to include it in this transformative transportation legislation. I will continue to fight to ensure funding for this project makes it past the finish line."