Connecticut Turnpike
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The Connecticut Turnpike, more currently known as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Byram to South Killingly. It is 128.47 miles (206.84 km) long (88.48 miles (142.45 km) on Interstate 95, 35.50 miles (57.15 km) on Interstate 395, and 4.49 miles (7.23 km) on State Road 695).[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The general route and construction of the Turnpike were both mandated by state law.[2] Intended to relieve congestion on U.S. Route 1 and Route 15 (the Merritt & Wilbur Cross parkways), design work began in 1954. The Connecticut Turnpike opened on January 2, 1958[3]; however, the westernmost portion of the highway (the three miles (5 km) connecting Stamford with the New England Thruway) opened ten months later. Tolls were originally collected through a series of eight toll booths along the route. The state stopped collecting tolls on all portions of the Turnpike by December 31, 1985.
[edit] Accidents
Several accidents prompted the state to eliminate tolls along the turnpike altogether. Arguably the most notorious of these was a serious incident in 1983 in which a truck collided with three cars at a toll plaza, killing seven people (including the truck driver) and injuring several others. The investigation following the crash determined that the truck driver had fallen asleep at the wheel just before the crash took place.
The turnpike was renamed for former Governor John Davis Lodge soon afterward.
In another infamous 1983 accident, a section of the turnpike's Mianus River Bridge in Greenwich collapsed due to corrosion of its substructure, killing three motorists crossing it at the time.
On March 25, 2004 a tanker truck carrying fuel swerved to avoid a car that cut the truck off and subsequently overturned, dumping 8,000 gallons of home heating oil onto the Howard Avenue overpass in Bridgeport. Passing vehicles kicked up the oil which ignited a towering inferno that subsequently melted the bridge structure and caused the southbound lanes to sag several feet. The northbound lanes, which received less damage from the fire, were opened five days later after being reinforced with temporary scaffolding. The southbound lanes opened on April 1, after a temporary bridge was erected.
Scores of motorists have perished in other fatal vehicle crashes on the Turnpike since its opening, giving the Turnpike the dubious distinction of being one of the most dangerous highways in America.
[edit] Today
Most of the signage identifying the route as a "unified road" has been taken down in recent years. The easternmost section of the turnpike (SR 695) is not signed at all, not even as its state route. Connecticut Turnpike trailblazers can still be found, although there are very few in existence today. One of the original Connecticut Turnpike trailblazers can be seen while driving along Center Street in Southport.
[edit] Relieving gridlock
[edit] Turnpike Upgrades Stalled by Budget Deficits, Lawsuits
The Connecticut Turnpike opened southwest Connecticut to a mass migration of New Yorkers, leading to substantial residential and economic growth in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. The Turnpike became a primary commuter route to New York City. With additional segments of I-95 opening in the 1960s connecting to Providence and Boston, the Turnpike became an essential route for transporting people and goods throughout the Northeast. As a result, much of the Turnpike had become functionally obsolete by 1965, with traffic exceeding its design capacity. There were dozens of plans discussed to alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety on the Turnpike for nearly 30 years, but most of these plans languished amid political infighting and lawsuits brought on by special-interest groups. Still, traffic and deadly accidents continued to increase each year on the Turnpike, and by the 1990s the Connecticut Turnpike had started to become known as "The Highway of Death."
[edit] Bridge Collapse Jumpstarts Turnpike Upgrades
A comprehensive plan to address safety and capacity issues on the Connecticut Turnpike did not progress beyond the initial planning stages until the collapse of the Mianus River Bridge on June 28, 1983. Following the collapse, governor William A. O'Neill initiated an $8 billion program to rehabilitate Connecticut's highways. Included in this program was the inspection and repair of the Turnpike's nearly 300 bridges and overpasses. Furthermore, Governor O'Neill directed the Connecticut Department of Transportation to develop a viable plan for addressing safety and congestion on the state's roads.
[edit] High-Priority Status for Connecticut Turnpike
Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s Connecticut Department of Transportation developed a comprehensive plan to improve the Turnpike through Fairfield and New Haven Counties. In 1993 CONNDOT embarked on a 25-year multibillion dollar program to upgrade the Connecticut Turnpike from the Connecticut River at Saybrook to the New York State line at Greenwich. The program included the complete reconstruction of several Turnpike segments, including replacing bridges, adding travel lanes, reconfiguring interchanges, upgrading lighting and signage, and implementing the Intelligent Transportation System with traffic cameras and variable message signs.
Plans to upgrade the Turnpike received a boost in 2005 when federal legislation known as SAFETEA-LU designated the I-95 portion of the Connecticut Turnpike from the New York State Line to Waterford as High Priority Corridor 65. Corridor 65 also includes the 22-mile section of I-95 from Waterford to the Rhode Island state line that was built in 1964, and which is not part of the Turnpike.
[edit] Plans for the I-395/CT-695 Section
Traffic is relatively light on the rural I-395 section and the northeast leg (Connecticut Route 695) in Killingly; this section is largely unchanged from its original 1958 profile. Aside from minor spot improvements, no major projects are anticipated for this portion of the Turnpike.
[edit] Improvement projects
- Raymond Baldwin Bridge Replacement (Connecticut River), Saybrook: $460 million, completed in 1994
- Saugatuck River Bridge Replacement, Westport: $65 million, completed in 1996
- Lake Saltonstall Bridge Widening, East Haven: $50 million, completed in 1997
- Widening/reconstruction Exits 8-10, Stamford: $80 million, completed in 2000
- Reconstruction of Interchange 40, Milford: $30 million, completed in 2002
- Reconstruction of Interchange 41, Orange: $60 million, completed in 2000
- Reconstruction/widening Exits 23-30, Bridgeport: $570 million, completed in 2006 (two years behind schedule and $170 million over budget)‡
- Widening between Exits 51 to 54, East Haven/Branford: $86 million, completed in 2006
- Widening between Exits 51 and 49†, East Haven/New Haven: $70 million, started in 2005, anticipated completion in 2009
- Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge Replacement, New Haven: $363 million, to start in 2007, expected completion in 2014
- I-91/Route 34 Interchange Reconstruction, New Haven: $270 million, started in 2004, expected completion in 2014
- Interchange 42 reconstruction, West Haven: $36 million, started in 2003, anticipated completion in 2007
- Housatonic River Bridge replacement, Milford/Stratford: $126 million, expected start in 2008, expected completion in 2012
- West River Bridge replacement (including reconstructing Exit 44 and removing Exit 45), New Haven: $100 million, expected start in 2008, expected completion in 2013
- Widening between Exits 10 and 13, Darien: $35 million, expected start in 2008, expected completion in 2010
- Widening between Exits 13 and 16 (including replacement of Norwalk River Bridge), Norwalk: Cost TBD, start time TBD, expected completion TBD
- Widening/reconstruction Exits 44 to 47 (Long Wharf Section), New Haven: $200-500 million, expected start in 2009, expected completion in 2015
- Reconfigure the I-95/I-395/US 1 interchange to accommodate the future Route 11 expressway, Waterford: Cost TBD, start time TBD, expected completion TBD.
- Add a travel lane in each direction from Branford to Waterford: $1.0 billion, start time TBD, expected completion TBD.
- Reconstruction and widening Exits 6-8, Stamford: Cost TBD, expected start TBD, expected completion TBD.
- In addition CONNDOT has been reconstructing the median of the Turnpike in stages, replacing the pre-existing steel guiderail and grass divider with a 6-foot wide, 48-inch tall Jersey Barrier along the highway's length from the Baldwin Bridge to the New York State line.
†Exit 49 was permanently closed in October 2006 as part of this project.
‡The southbound offramp and northbound onramp for Exit 28 were removed in 2000 during reconstruction of the Connecticut Turnpike in Bridgeport.
[edit] Too Many Exits?
The close spacing of interchanges (more than 90 along the Turnpike's 129-mile length) has been cited as a major cause of the problems that plague the Turnpike today. Chronic congestion and the highway's high accident rate results from the high frequency of weaving and sudden acceleration and deceleration of vehicles entering and leaving the Turnpike. The state Transportation Strategy Board has proposed removing several interchanges and revising most of the remaining to mitigate these conditions. The proposal for removing interchanges has been met with opposition, as no city or town through which the Turnpike wants to lose access to the highway. Nonetheless, CONNDOT has been proceeding with some of the Strategy Board's recommendations. In 1999 the southbound off-ramp and northbound on-ramp at Interchange 28 in Bridgeport were removed. Seven years later, in October 2006 CONNDOT permanently closed Exit 49 with the opening of a new connector road at Exit 50. Current plans call for Exit 45 to be removed in 2009, while Exit 20 in Fairfield and Exits 35 and 37 in Milford are also proposed to be closed permanently.
[edit] Reinstatement of tolls?
Tolls on the Turnpike have been a source of controversy from the Turnpike's opening in 1958 to the removal of tolls in 1985, and the debate continues today. The Connecticut Turnpike originally opened with a barrier toll system (or open system), unlike toll roads in neighboring states, which used a ticket system (closed system) for collecting tolls. Tolls on the Connecticut Turnpike were located in Greenwich, Norwalk, Stratford, West Haven, East Haven, Clinton, Norwich, and Plainfield. Additionally, unlike other toll roads which featured widely-spaced interchanges, the Connecticut Turnpike has over 90 interchanges along its 129-mile length--50 of which are along the 50-mile stretch between the New York State line and New Haven.
[edit] Connecticut abolishes tolls
After the 1983 truck crash that killed 7 people at the Stratford toll plaza, toll opponents pressured the State of Connecticut to remove tolls from the Turnpike in 1985. Three years later, these same opponents successfully lobbied the Connecticut General Assembly to pass legislation abolishing tolls on all of Connecticut's highways (with the exception of two car ferries across the Connecticut River in Haddam and Glastonbury). While the 1983 Stratford accident was cited as the main reason for abolishing tolls in Connecticut, the underlying reason was the fact that federal legislation forbade states with toll roads from using federal funds for road projects.
The debate over tolls on the Turnpike did not end in 1988 with the abolition of tolls in Connecticut. Prior to their removal in 1985, tolls on the Connecticut Turnpike generated over $65 million annually. Since their removal in the late 1980s, Connecticut lawmakers have continuously discussed reinstating tolls, but have balked at bringing tolls back out of fear of having to repay $2.6 billion in federal highway funds that Connecticut received following the abolition of tolls.
During the economic recession of the early 1990s, legislators studied reinstating tolls on parts of the Connecticut Turnpike and portions of highways around Hartford to make up for huge budget deficits. Proposals for reinstating tolls were scrapped in lieu of implementing an income tax and increasing the state gasoline tax and sales tax, and imposing a new tax on corporate windfall profits. All of these measures proved to be as unpopular as tolls and resulted in a mass exodus of residents and businesses from Connecticut during the 1990s.
[edit] Toll Debate Continues
The debate over tolls in Connecticut resurfaced once again during the 2006 gubernatorial election. Incumbent Governor M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, opposes reinstating tolls on Connecticut's highways and favors other means for financing major highway projects, while her opponent, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, a Democrat, indicated he was "neither for or against" tolls. With Governor Rell elected for another term, it appears tolls in Connecticut are off the table for the foreseeable future. [4]
[edit] Electronic tolling and adjustable toll rates discussed
The evolution of electronic toll collection and automated toll collection technologies throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, combined with the skyrocketing cost of upgrading the Connecticut Turnpike, continued to fuel the debate over reinstating tolls on the Turnpike. Additionally, federal legislation known as SAFETEA-LU, enacted in 2005, afforded states greater flexibility in allowing them to operate toll roads and still receive federal funds for transportation projects, and some states have even turned to the private sector to fund maintenance of highways.
Studies have also suggested re-tolling the Turnpike as a means of congestion management, where toll fares can be increased during rush hour periods and discounts for carpools and off-peak travel. The objective is to encourage motorists to carpool and use mass transit to reduce congestion on the Turnpike. Some of these strategies are being discussed as possible solutions to funding several billion dollars worth of upgrades to the Turnpike.
[edit] Exit list
Color Legend:
- Blue — Service Area/Rest Area/Weigh Station & Police Station
- Brown — State Park (Exits 18, 62 & 72)
- Gray — No trucks/commercial vehicles (Exits 38 & 43)
| Exit | Route(s) | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| CT-NY State Line | ||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk Area | ||
| Greenwich Town | ||
| 2 | Delavan Avenue | Byram |
| MP 2 | Weigh Station | |
| Former Greenwich Toll Barrier | ||
| 3 | Arch Street | Greenwich |
| 4 | Indian Field Road | Cos Cob |
| 5 |  US 1 |
Riverside, Old Greenwich |
| City of Stamford | ||
| 6 | Harvard Avenue (NB) | |
| West Avenue (SB) | ||
| 7 |  Route 137, Greenwich Ave (NB) |
|
| Route 137, Atlantic Street (SB) |
||
| 8 | Atlantic Street (NB) | |
| Elm Street (SB) | ||
| 9 | US 1 and  Route 106 |
Glenbrook |
| Darien Town | ||
| MP 9 | Darien Service Area (SB) | |
| 10 | Noroton | |
| 11 | US 1 |
Darien |
| 12 |  Route 136, Tokeneke Road (NB) |
Rowayton |
| MP 12 | Darien Service Area (NB) | |
| 13 | US 1, Post Road |
|
| City of Norwalk | ||
| 14 | (NB) | South Norwalk |
| US 1, Connecticut Avenue (SB) |
||
| 15 |  US 7 |
Norwalk, Danbury |
| 16 | East Norwalk | |
| Former Norwalk Toll Barrier | ||
| Westport Town | ||
| 17 |  Route 33, Route 136, Saugatuck Avenue |
Westport |
| 18 | Sherwood Island State Park | PUBLIC BEACH |
| Fairfield Town | ||
| 19 | Center Street (NB) | Southport |
| US 1 (WB) |
Southport | |
| 20 | Bronson Road (SB) | |
| 21 | Round Hill Road | |
| MP 25 | Fairfield Service Area | |
| 22 |  Route 135, North Benson Road (SB) |
|
| 23 | US 1, Kings Highway |
|
| 24 | Black Rock Turnpike | |
| City of Bridgeport | ||
| 25 | State Street, Commerce Drive (NB) | |
 Route 130, Fairfield Avenue (SB) |
||
| 26 | Wordin Avenue | |
| 27 | Laffayette Boulevard (NB) | Downtown Bridgeport |
| 27A |   Route 25, Route 8 |
Trumbull, Waterbury |
| 27 | Laffayette Boulevard (SB) | Downtown Bridgeport |
| 28 |  Route 127, East Main Street (NB) |
|
| 29 | Route 130, Stratford Avenue |
|
| Stratford Town | ||
| 30 |  Route 113, Lordship Boulevard (NB) |
|
| Surf Avenue (SB) | ||
| 31 | Honeyspot Road (NB) | |
| 32 | West Broad Street | Stratford |
| Former Stratford Toll Barrier | ||
| 33 |  US 1, Route 110, Ferry Boulevard (NB) |
Devon |
| City of Milford | ||
| 34 | US 1 |
Milford |
| 35 | Schoolhouse Road, Bic Drive | |
| 36 | Plains Road | |
| 37 | High Street (NB) | |
| 38 |  Route 15 |
Merritt & Wilbur Cross Parkways |
| 39A | US 1 South |
|
| 39B | US 1 North |
|
| 40 | Woodmont Road, Old Gate Lane | |
| MP 41 | Milford Service Area | |
| New Haven Area | ||
| Orange Town | ||
| 41 | Marsh Hill Road | Orange |
| City of West Haven | ||
| 42 |  Route 162, Saw Mill Road |
|
| Former West Haven Toll Barrier | ||
| 43 | (NB) | Downtown West Haven |
 Route 122, First Avenue (SB) |
||
| City of New Haven | ||
| 44 | (SB) | Downtown West Haven |
 Route 10, Kimberly Avenue (NB) |
||
| 45 | Route 10, Boulevard (SB--Scheduled to be permanently closed in 2010) |
|
| 46 | Long Wharf Drive, Sargent Drive | |
| 47 |  Route 34 |
Downtown New Haven (Left Exit NB) |
| 48 |  I-91 |
Hartford (Left Exit NB) |
| 50 | Woodward Avenue (NB) | Lighthouse Point |
| East Haven Town | ||
| 51 | US 1, Frontage Road |
East Haven (NB) / Lighthouse Point (SB) |
| 52 |  Route 100, North High Street (SB) |
East Haven |
| Branford Town | ||
| Former Branford Toll Barrier | ||
| 53 |   US 1, Route 142, Route 146 (NB) |
Short Beach |
| MP 52 | Branford Service Area | |
| 54 | Cedar Street | Branford |
| 55 | US 1, North Main Street |
North Branford (NB) |
| 56 | Leetes Island Road | Stony Creek |
| Guilford Town | ||
| 57 | US 1, Boston Post Road |
North Branford (SB) |
| 58 |  Route 77 |
Guilford, North Guilford |
| 59 | Goose Lane | |
| Madison Town | ||
| Former Madison Toll Barrier | ||
| 60 | Mungertown Road (SB) | |
| 61 |  Route 79 |
Madison, North Madison |
| MP 65 | Madison Service Area | |
| 62 | Hammonaset State Park | PUBLIC BEACH |
| Clinton Town | ||
| 63 |  Route 81 |
Clinton, Killingworth |
| Westbrook Town | ||
| 64 |  Route 145, Horse Hill Road |
Clinton (SB) |
| 65 |  Route 153 |
Westbrook |
| Old Saybrook Town | ||
| MP 74 | Rest Area (NB)/ Police Station (SB) | |
| 66 |  Route 166, Spencer Plain Road |
|
| 67 |  Route 154 (NB) |
Old Saybrook |
| Elm Street (SB) | ||
| 68 | US 1 South (SB) |
Old Saybrook |
| 69 |  Route 9 |
Essex, Hartford |
| Former Baldwin Bridge Toll Barrier | ||
| Norwich-New London Area | ||
| Old Lyme Town | ||
| 70 |  US 1 (NB only), Route 156 |
Old Lyme |
| East Lyme Town | ||
| 71 | Four Mile River Road | |
| 72 | Rocky Neck State Park | PUBLIC BEACH |
| 73 | Society Road | |
| 74 |  Route 161 |
Flanders (NB only), Niantic |
| 75 | US 1 |
Flanders (SB only), Waterford |
| 76 |  I-95 North (NB) |
New London, Providence |
| For the continuation of I-95 see Interstate 95 in Connecticut | ||
| Begin I-395 section | ||
| Waterford Town | ||
| 77 |  Route 85 |
Waterford, Colchester (NB only), Chesterfield (SB only) |
| Montville Town | ||
| 78 |  Route 32 (SB) |
New London (Left Exit) |
| 79 |  Route 163 |
Montville, Bozrah |
| Former Montville Toll Barrier | ||
| MP 96 | State Police (NB)/ Montville Service Area (SB) | |
| 79A |  Route 2A |
Preston, Ledyard |
| City of Norwich | ||
| 80 |  Route 82 |
Downtown Norwich, Salem |
| 81 |  Route 2, Route 32 |
Norwich; Hartford (CT) (NB only) |
| 82 | To Route 2, Route 32 (signed SB only) |
Yantic, Norwichtown; Hartford (SB only), Colchester (SB only) |
| 83 |  Route 97 |
Sprague, Occum, Taftville |
| Lisbon Town | ||
| 83A |  Route 169 (NB only) |
Lisbon, Canterbury |
| 84 |  Route 12 |
Lisbon; Jewett City (NB only) |
| Griswold Town | ||
| 85 |   Route 164, Route 138 |
Pachaug, Preston City (NB), Jewett City (SB) |
| 86 |  Route 201 |
Hopeville |
| Danielson Area | ||
| Plainfield Town | ||
| 87 | Lathrop Road | |
| 88 |  Route 14A |
Plainfield, Oneco |
| 89 |  Route 14 |
Central Village, Moosup, Sterling |
| Former Plainfield Toll Barrier | ||
| MP 123 | Plainfield Service Area | |
| 90 |  I-395 North to  US 6 West (NB) |
Danielson, Putnam |
| Killingly Town | ||
| 90 | Squaw Rock Road (SB) | |
| 91 | Ross Road {unsigned}(NB) | South Killingly |
| Turnpike ends at US 6 just before the CT-RI State Line |
||
[edit] Service plazas and rest areas
The turnpike has 13 service plazas. All are open 24 hours and have fuel service. Most have fast food service (sit-down dining, originally featured in some plazas, has been replaced in those facilites by food-court set-ups). Some have small gift shops. The 3 easternmost plazas do not have food service, only gas stations and convenience stores. All plazas have pay phones and restrooms.
- Darien westbound - MP 9 between Exits 10 and 9 - Food and Fuel
- Darien eastbound - MP 12 between Exits 12 and 13 - Food and Fuel - Connecticut Welcome Center
- Fairfield eastbound and westbound - MP 25 between Exits 21 ans 22 - Food and Fuel
- Milford eastbound and westbound - MP 41 between Exits 40 and 41 - Food and Fuel
- Branford eastbound and westbound - MP 52 between Exits 53 and 54 - Food and Fuel
- Madison eastbound and westbound - MP 65 between Exits 61 and 62 - Food and Fuel
- Montville westbound only - MP 96 between Exits 79A and 79 - Fuel and Convinience Store
- Plainfield eastbound and westbound - MP 123 between exits 89 and 90 - Fuel and Convinience Store
The former eastbound Montville service area has been turned into a State Police barracks.
In addition to the Service Areas listed above, there is also a Rest Area, with restrooms, phone, picnic area, and seasonal tourist info located eastbound at MP 74 between exits 65 and 66.
There are two State Police stations located on the turnpike: Troop F - Westbrook at MP 74 on westbound side of turnpike. Troop E - Montville at MP 96 on eastbound side of turnpike (at former service plaza).
There is one Weigh Station located eastbound at MP 2 in Greenwich.
[edit] References
- ^ Connecticut Department of Transportation Highway Log
- ^ Section 13a-21 of the General Statutes of Connecticut
- ^ Connecticut Department of Transportation History
- ^ Will Connecticut's Drivers Have to Endure Tolls Again? Associated Content October 27, 2006
[edit] External links
- nycroads.com -- Connecticut Turnpike
- Unofficial Connecticut Turnpike page
