Connecticut Route 74
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Route 74 |
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| Length: | 22.21 mi (35.74 km) | ||||||||||||
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| Formed: | 1932 | ||||||||||||
| West end: |  Route 194 in South Windsor |
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| Major junctions: |
 I-84 in Tolland |
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| East end: |  US 44 in Ashford |
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Route 74 is a state highway in Connecticut in the eastern part of the Greater Hartford area. It runs from Route 194 in South Windsor to U.S. Route 44 in Ashford, going through the towns of Ellington, Vernon, Tolland, and Willington. East of its junction with I-84, it becomes a rural collector road.
[edit] Route description
Ellington Avenue in South Windsor begins as Route 30 and proceeds northwest until it reaches the village of Wapping which is the geographic center of South Windsor. There is a small gap in the street at Wapping because of a previous realignment of the intersections of Route 74, Route 30, Buckland Street, and Route 194. Ellington Avenue continues along Route 74 from its western terminus until the Ellington town line.
Route 74 becomes Wapping Wood Road in Ellington until it crosses through Five Corners and becomes the continuation of Windsorville Road.
Windsorville Road continues into Vernon until Route 74 runs concurrent with Route 83 through the west end of the village of Rockville as Windsor Avenue. When Route 83 turns to the north as West Street, Route 74 continues eastward, first as Union Street, then West Main Street and East Main Street before becoming Tolland Avenue just prior to the Tolland town line.
In Tolland, Route 74 is known as Tolland Stage Road. It has a brief concurrency with Route 30 and continues on to Tolland Green where it crosses Route 195 and continues on as Old Post Road.
Route 74 crosses Interstate 84 at exit 69 just prior to the Willington town line, where it is known as Tolland Turnpike. In Willington center, there is a brief concurrency with Route 320 between two traffic lights where Route 320 makes a dogleg. It continues into Ashford as Nott Highway prior to terminating at US 44.
[edit] History
Prior to the connection of Interstate 84 with Interstate 384, US 44 ran concurrent with I-84 to Tolland and then ran over the historic Route 74 routing to Ashford as the fastest way from Hartford to Providence. For several years, Route 74 was truncated at its interchange with I-84. After I-384 was connected to I-84, the state moved the preferred routing from Hartford to Providence back to I-384 and US 6, and the Route 74 designation returned to the road east of I-84.
US 44 then returned to its previous routing, leaving I-84 at exit 60 in East Hartford concurrent with US 6 until the split at Bolton Notch where US 44 heads slightly northward to the intersection with Route 74. During the time US 44 was routed over I-84 and Route 74, this road was designated US 44 alternate.
