The Connecticut Department of Transportation has released findings from a study that found one of the remedies for the state's increasing highway congestion blamed on truck traffic might be found in the water.

The state-funded study suggested State Pier in New London, which is currently being renovated, could offer a cost-efficient alternative to commercial vehicles for goods leaving New York harbor for eastern Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The study found a container barge service could save more than $36 million a year, according to The (New London) Day. The figure was based on the current volume with some 230,000 truckloads moving into the region during 1999.

The New London port reportedly offers many advantages with its access to deep water, rail lines and to highways, which would give shippers three options for moving goods in and out of the city. The only thing lacking at this time is more land for warehousing and storage.

The development would be up to the state, which owns the pier. The state also has looked at New Haven and Bridgeport for cargo operations.