I-91 in Hartford

[drc72]

Here is a great source of information on Hartford Highways, past and present (and never built):

http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/hfd-fwy-60s.html

This too, under the "Connecticut" section:

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/

It's amazing how many of these highways were proposed, but never built. I think I84 going into Providence would of been great. At least Hartford and Providence would of had a direct route to each other.

[Captain59]

I drove through Providence coming home from Cape Cod Sunday to avoid the Patriots traffic on I-495, and it alway burns my behind that Rhode Island backed out of the I-84 project from Hartford to Providence. I read a few years ago they were considering starting to talk about it again, but nothing since.

Also, I always felt that Route 9 from I-91 to I-84 could be resigned at I-291. I wonder why that has never been considered.

[MadVlad]

Here is a great source of information on Hartford Highways, past and present (and never built):

http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/hfd-fwy-60s.html

This too, under the "Connecticut" section:

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/

There's a nice pic of downtown from the RT 2 approach in there....

[Yankee.Peddler]

I drove through Providence coming home from Cape Cod Sunday to avoid the Patriots traffic on I-495, and it alway burns my behind that Rhode Island backed out of the I-84 project from Hartford to Providence. I read a few years ago they were considering starting to talk about it again, but nothing since.

Also, I always felt that Route 9 from I-91 to I-84 could be resigned at I-291. I wonder why that has never been considered.

Perhaps someday RIDOT will figure out a way to route I-84 around the Scituate Reservoir without damaging Providence's water supply. In the 1970s, the Hartford reserviors near Talcott Mountain were the main reason why ConnDOT cancelled the planned northwest quadrant of I-291.

I second your views on Route 9! I started my daily high school trek between Newington and Middletown shortly after Route 9 opened to I-84. I always wondered why ConnDOT extended the state route designation especially since the expressway: a) serves the corridor originally intended to be served by I-291; and b) actually runs in the I-291 corridor between Cedar Street and I-84.

Since I-291 already exists, I would suggest signing Route 9 as I-491. I would also sign the Charter Oak Bridge as I-891 and truncate Route 15 to end at Route 5 in Meriden.

[Captain59]

When we hit the state line on Sunday, we went on that little stretch of highway between Route 6 in Rhode Island and I-395 in Connecticut. There was an exit, and I believe it was Exit 90. At first I was like, "HUH?...one exit on this small highway and it's numbered 90?" Then I wondered that perhaps...perhaps...it was numbered that way back when they thought that would be a piece of I-84 from Hartford to Providence. Is that true?

Also, the high exit numbers on 5/15 around the Charter Oak Bridge...does that somehow follow a numbering system that extends back to the Merrit Parkway?

[MadVlad]

When we hit the state line on Sunday, we went on that little stretch of highway between Route 6 in Rhode Island and I-395 in Connecticut. There was an exit, and I believe it was Exit 90. At first I was like, "HUH?...one exit on this small highway and it's numbered 90?" Then I wondered that perhaps...perhaps...it was numbered that way back when they thought that would be a piece of I-84 from Hartford to Providence. Is that true?

Also, the high exit numbers on 5/15 around the Charter Oak Bridge...does that somehow follow a numbering system that extends back to the Merrit Parkway?

Yes, but not the whole way, only spots where it is an expressway...

[blackstone]

When we hit the state line on Sunday, we went on that little stretch of highway between Route 6 in Rhode Island and I-395 in Connecticut. There was an exit, and I believe it was Exit 90. At first I was like, "HUH?...one exit on this small highway and it's numbered 90?" Then I wondered that perhaps...perhaps...it was numbered that way back when they thought that would be a piece of I-84 from Hartford to Providence. Is that true?

Also, the high exit numbers on 5/15 around the Charter Oak Bridge...does that somehow follow a numbering system that extends back to the Merrit Parkway?

the merritt parkway starts/ends in stratford at the housatonic river. the wilbur cross begins/ends across the housatonic in milford. i don't believe that the numbering at the charter oak bridge has anything to do with the merritt parkway.

[PCGrad02]

When we hit the state line on Sunday, we went on that little stretch of highway between Route 6 in Rhode Island and I-395 in Connecticut. There was an exit, and I believe it was Exit 90. At first I was like, "HUH?...one exit on this small highway and it's numbered 90?" Then I wondered that perhaps...perhaps...it was numbered that way back when they thought that would be a piece of I-84 from Hartford to Providence. Is that true?

That section of highway is part of the original Conn. Turnpike, from Greenwich to Killingly. The road was built before the I-95/I-395 designation. It follows the order of the exits on 395. If you drive up 95 from the south, the exits stay in order on 395, not 95 from East Lyme to North Stonington. I-395 in Thompson has the highest exit number in the state, # 100.

[Captain59]

That section of highway is part of the original Conn. Turnpike, from Greenwich to Killingly. The road was built before the I-95/I-395 designation. It follows the order of the exits on 395. If you drive up 95 from the south, the exits stay in order on 395, not 95 from East Lyme to North Stonington. I-395 in Thompson has the highest exit number in the state, # 100.

That puts it all into the light, thank you!

Going back to my other question, if the high 80s and low 90s exit numbers around the Charter Oak Bridge do not have anything to do with the phantom contiuation of exit numbers of Route 15 when the Merrit ends, then why those numbers?

[Bill Mocarsky]

Also, I always felt that Route 9 from I-91 to I-84 could be resigned at I-291. I wonder why that has never been considered.

I second your views on Route 9! I started my daily high school trek between Newington and Middletown shortly after Route 9 opened to I-84. I always wondered why ConnDOT extended the state route designation especially since the expressway: a) serves the corridor originally intended to be served by I-291; and b) actually runs in the I-291 corridor between Cedar Street and I-84.

Since I-291 already exists, I would suggest signing Route 9 as I-491. I would also sign the Charter Oak Bridge as I-891 and truncate Route 15 to end at Route 5 in Meriden.

I-91 to Charter Oak ramp

Has anyone noticed the bottleneck on the ramp the connects I-91 to the Charter Oak Bridge? Motorists traveling north on I-91 who wish to use I-84 east have one lane that tends to back up. Entering the bridge into a lane that soon becomes an exit compounds the problem.

Meanwhile, route 15 which runs side by side with I-91 for at least a mile has 2 lanes carrying traffic onto the Charter Oak Bridge.

I would propose to create a transition from I-91N to 15 closer to the Wethersfield border. It would position motorists in the proper lanes much earlier. The current ramp from I-91 could then be optimized for those using the route 2 / East Hartford exit that comes up on the east side of the bridge.

Signage

With a few other fixes, I would resign I-84 to the Charter Oak Bridge - I-91 - I-691 route. The city route (through Hartford, West Hartford etc.) would be resigned as I-584. It would be optimized for those entering or leaving Hartford and its western environs.

Eventually, I-584 would terminate somewhere near Sigourney Street in Hartford. Street level arteries would connect downtown and the Bulkeley Bridge. The Bulkeley bridge would no longer be part of the interstate system.

[Captain59]

Signage

With a few other fixes, I would resign I-84 to the Charter Oak Bridge - I-91 - I-691 route. The city route (through Hartford, West Hartford etc.) would be resigned as I-584. It would be optimized for those entering or leaving Hartford and its western environs.

Eventually, I-584 would terminate somewhere near Sigourney Street in Hartford. Street level arteries would connect downtown and the Bulkeley Bridge. The Bulkeley bridge would no longer be part of the interstate system.

So I-84 and I-91 would share road from the Charter Oak Bridge to what is now I-691. Very interesting idea.

[MadVlad]

the merritt parkway starts/ends in stratford at the housatonic river. the wilbur cross begins/ends across the housatonic in milford. i don't believe that the numbering at the charter oak bridge has anything to do with the merritt parkway.

I think you are incorrect about the exit numbering. The exit numbering does in fact correspond with the numbering from the Merritt/Wilbur Cross because the Charter Oak Bridge is the same highway...

[blackstone]

I think you are incorrect about the exit numbering. The exit numbering does in fact correspond with the numbering from the Merritt/Wilbur Cross because the Charter Oak Bridge is the same highway...

i agree that the numbering corresponds with the wilbur cross parkway.

[blackstone]

I think you are incorrect about the exit numbering. The exit numbering does in fact correspond with the numbering from the Merritt/Wilbur Cross because the Charter Oak Bridge is the same highway...

This might be interesting to you:

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/wilbur-cross/

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/merritt/

[MadVlad]

This might be interesting to you:

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/wilbur-cross/

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/merritt/

Ok, so they call it the Wilbur Cross Highway beyond Meriden as opposed to the Wilbur Cross Parkway, it's the same thing....

[Yankee.Peddler]

When we hit the state line on Sunday, we went on that little stretch of highway between Route 6 in Rhode Island and I-395 in Connecticut. There was an exit, and I believe it was Exit 90. At first I was like, "HUH?...one exit on this small highway and it's numbered 90?" Then I wondered that perhaps...perhaps...it was numbered that way back when they thought that would be a piece of I-84 from Hartford to Providence. Is that true?

Also, the high exit numbers on 5/15 around the Charter Oak Bridge...does that somehow follow a numbering system that extends back to the Merrit Parkway?

Just to add a little information I know about the Charter Oak Bridge area...

The exit numbers on Route 15 near the Charter Oak Bridge are related to the Merritt/Cross Parkways' exit numbering sequence. And the Merritt/Cross Parkways' exit numbering sequence is a continuation of the Hutchinson River Parkway's sequence in New York.

Back in the days before I-91, the state had planned to make the Berlin Turnpike into a parkway like the Merritt and Wilbur Cross because it the was part of the main route (Route 15) between New York and Boston. Since the Charter Oak Bridge and the South Meadows Expressway were already built (circa 1940s), the exits in Wethersfield and Hartford received sequential numbers that took the planned exits along the Berlin Turnpike into account. Of course, I-91 was built and the Berlin Turnpike Expressway plan was shelved.

When I was growing up, the Charter Oak bridge exits (at least west of the river) were not numbered. The numbers appeared after I-91 was widened and the new Charter Oak Bridge opened in the early 1990s. Also, when I-84 was I-86 (and Route 15), I-86's exit numbering sequence followed the Route 15 sequence from the Charter Oak Bridge. There were several exits numbered above #100 in northeastern Connecticut.

[Yankee.Peddler]

I-91 to Charter Oak ramp

Has anyone noticed the bottleneck on the ramp the connects I-91 to the Charter Oak Bridge? Motorists traveling north on I-91 who wish to use I-84 east have one lane that tends to back up. Entering the bridge into a lane that soon becomes an exit compounds the problem.

Meanwhile, route 15 which runs side by side with I-91 for at least a mile has 2 lanes carrying traffic onto the Charter Oak Bridge.

I would propose to create a transition from I-91N to 15 closer to the Wethersfield border. It would position motorists in the proper lanes much earlier. The current ramp from I-91 could then be optimized for those using the route 2 / East Hartford exit that comes up on the east side of the bridge.

Signage

With a few other fixes, I would resign I-84 to the Charter Oak Bridge - I-91 - I-691 route. The city route (through Hartford, West Hartford etc.) would be resigned as I-584. It would be optimized for those entering or leaving Hartford and its western environs.

Eventually, I-584 would terminate somewhere near Sigourney Street in Hartford. Street level arteries would connect downtown and the Bulkeley Bridge. The Bulkeley bridge would no longer be part of the interstate system.

Bill, I think you'd hear major protests from economic development officials between Southington and Hartford. Nobody would want to lose the "two-digit" Interstate (I-84) in their town.

Also, I think the Exit 29 bottlenecks could be rectified by making the exit ramps to and from I-91 two lanes each instead of one. I think there's enough room.

[Yankee.Peddler]

Ok, so they call it the Wilbur Cross Highway beyond Meriden as opposed to the Wilbur Cross Parkway, it's the same thing....

Actually, I think the Wilbur Cross Parkway officially ends at Route 5 where Routes 5 and 15 merge in northern Meriden. The road then becomes North Broad Street until the Berlin line, where it becomes the Berlin Turnpike.

I bought gas a few months ago at a station in Meriden on Routes 5 and 15. The address on my receipt said North Broad Street.

To top off the confusion, Berlin used to officially call its section of the Berlin Turnpike the Wilbur Cross Highway until only a few years ago...

Only in the Nutmeg State...

[MadVlad]

Actually, I think the Wilbur Cross Parkway officially ends at Route 5 where Routes 5 and 15 merge in northern Meriden. The road then becomes North Broad Street until the Berlin line, where it becomes the Berlin Turnpike.

I bought gas a few months ago at a station in Meriden on Routes 5 and 15. The address on my receipt said North Broad Street.

To top off the confusion, Berlin used to officially call its section of the Berlin Turnpike the Wilbur Cross Highway until only a few years ago...

Only in the Nutmeg State...

Yep, we are lucky, that stretch probably has 3 "official" names....

[Captain59]

Also, when I-84 was I-86 (and Route 15), I-86's exit numbering sequence followed the Route 15 sequence from the Charter Oak Bridge. There were several exits numbered above #100 in northeastern Connecticut.

I believe the last exit was #104. I can't believe I remember that. I also remember the small sign on the side of the road in East Hartford that used Interstate logos that said I-84 is now I-86.

I read somewhere recently that there's a sign for I-86 that's still up somewhere in Manchester, but it's covered with trees or something. Does anyone know about that?

[blackstone]

Ok, so they call it the Wilbur Cross Highway beyond Meriden as opposed to the Wilbur Cross Parkway, it's the same thing....

i only said it might be interesting to you. i wasn't trying to make a point.

[MadVlad]

Gotcha, I misunderstood, my fault...

[JimSawhill]

I-91 to Charter Oak ramp

Has anyone noticed the bottleneck on the ramp the connects I-91 to the Charter Oak Bridge? Motorists traveling north on I-91 who wish to use I-84 east have one lane that tends to back up. Entering the bridge into a lane that soon becomes an exit compounds the problem.

Meanwhile, route 15 which runs side by side with I-91 for at least a mile has 2 lanes carrying traffic onto the Charter Oak Bridge.

I would propose to create a transition from I-91N to 15 closer to the Wethersfield border. It would position motorists in the proper lanes much earlier. The current ramp from I-91 could then be optimized for those using the route 2 / East Hartford exit that comes up on the east side of the bridge.

Signage

With a few other fixes, I would resign I-84 to the Charter Oak Bridge - I-91 - I-691 route. The city route (through Hartford, West Hartford etc.) would be resigned as I-584. It would be optimized for those entering or leaving Hartford and its western environs.

Eventually, I-584 would terminate somewhere near Sigourney Street in Hartford. Street level arteries would connect downtown and the Bulkeley Bridge. The Bulkeley bridge would no longer be part of the interstate system.

If you are going to redo highway signs in Connecticut I think you should renumber the exits - to mileage most states are going with mileage so you may start with Exit 1 and the exit 9 miles up the road could be Exit 10.

More states are changing to Mileage.

JimS

[JimSawhill]

I believe the last exit was #104. I can't believe I remember that. I also remember the small sign on the side of the road in East Hartford that used Interstate logos that said I-84 is now I-86.

I read somewhere recently that there's a sign for I-86 that's still up somewhere in Manchester, but it's covered with trees or something. Does anyone know about that?

It could be in East Hartford's Veteran Park. I know a friend took an I 86 sign and put it in a swampy area. It could still be there. I'm glad 384 didn't happened, but they took my motorcycling area for the 384/84 interchange.

JimS

[Hiramicus]

I really like the idea of doing the 484 tunnel under bushnell to the whitehead highway. i think it would alleviate a lot of the congestion on 84 in that area, especially during rush hour. Ideally I'd like to see 84 buried from broad to 91.