An alder announced that New Haven received a $2,000,000 planning grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities program to study parts of Interstate 91 and Interstate 95.

The announcement, made during the Board of Alders meeting, said the funds will pay for planning work intended to increase traffic safety, explore new housing opportunities, and reconnect neighborhoods that were divided when the highways were built in the 20th century. The speaker thanked city staff members and several alderpersons for their roles in applying for and supporting the proposal.

The alder said the grant will fund planning rather than construction and that “there’s a lot of communication, a lot of discussions to come.” No timeline, staff assignments, or specific consultant agreements were listed in the remarks recorded in the meeting transcript.

The announcement did not specify which city department will administer the grant, whether matching funds are required, nor whether the planning work will require subsequent board approvals for implementation steps.

City officials present said follow-up conversations and coordination with transportation and planning staff are expected as the grant-funded planning proceeds.