There's way to much traffic traveling through there to have one straight lane. Especially with the turn for rt 183 being right there - it slows traffic that is travelling in the right lane.
On the other hand there are very few people who live up in the isolated neighborhood off old new hartford rd. leaving most people - probley over 90% that are traveling straight while using the left lane to clear the often busy intersection while keeping traffic still moving.
Even now there is often traffic backed up in the morning all the way to downtown winsted , i could not imagine if it were slowed any more.