Even politicians get stuck in traffic.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal called Interstate 95 through Stamford a “gigantic pain in the butt.” But Friday, he helped break ground on a new project that could clear up a notorious choke point.

That stretch of I-95 is one of America’s busiest. Each day, 150,000 vehicles pass through Stamford, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

And most of them are stuck in traffic.

“It’s impossible,” said Paul Carrier, a Stamford driver. “It never changes. It’s always backed up.”

But relief is coming.

On Friday, state and federal leaders broke ground on a project to connect Exits 6 and 7 in both directions, preventing traffic from backing up on the interstate. More than 230 crashes have happened in the area over the past three years, according to CTDOT.

“Somebody thinks that they’ve got two miles to go to get to Exit 7, when they’ve got a quarter of a mile to go,” said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Greenwich). “So they go from 70 to 30 [miles per hour] right here. It’s a mess and it's dangerous and it's a huge bottleneck.”

The state is also adding new lightning, paving and sound barriers. The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is paying for 90% of the $76 million project.

“This ramp is a gigantic pain in the butt,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “Not only during commuting hours, but almost at any time.”

DOT expects the project to be finished within one year.

Relief isn’t just coming to Stamford. Over the next four years, CTDOT is planning 189 projects across the state – including new exit ramps at Route 7 and the Merritt Parkway in Norwalk and longer ramps on I-95 in Milford.

Instead of multiyear construction projects, state Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said they are targeting specific bottlenecks.

“What this allows us to do is, basically, undo a hose and let the water through and allow it to pass more freely,” he said. “A lot of the studies we've done over the past decade have shown where the hot spots are – where the bottlenecks occur. So what this is doing is, it’s a cost-saving measure to allow us to do more projects that are more impactful.”

It all adds up to $4 billion worth of projects – most of it, federally-funded. The infusion of cash has allowed Connecticut to avoid paying for road work with tolls.

“Six years ago, our transportation fund was running on fumes,” said Gov. Ned Lamont. “For now, the transportation fund is flush. And that means we’re at the front of the line getting these federal monies.”

With the promises of a faster commute, do drivers think Connecticut traffic will really get better?

“Not really,” said Carrier. “You try and do the Merritt Parkway – same thing. So you get off the Merritt, you get stuck on 95 or vice-versa. So get used to it, I guess.”

You can weigh-in on the future of I-95 in Fairfield County. Click HERE to participate in CTODT’s Mobility Study.