Interstate 691

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Interstate 691
Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
Length: 8.92 mi[1] (14.36 km)
Formed: 1987
West end: I-84 at the Southington-Cheshire line
East end: I-91 in Meriden
(continues as Route 66)
Routes in Connecticut
< I-684 Route 1 >
MinorService RoadsState Roads

Interstate 691 (abbreviated I-691) is a portion of the Interstate Highway System in Connecticut beginning at Interstate 91 in Meriden and ending at Interstate 84 near the Cheshire-Southington town line. It is 8.92 miles in length, including 0.54 miles of the exit ramp to the merge with westbound I-84.

Contents

[edit] Route description

I-691 is the main east-west highway of the city of Meriden. The freeway actually begins in Middlefield as Route 66, technically becoming I-691 at the junction with I-91 (Exit 11). However, westbound signage indicates I-691 begins at the start of the freeway (just west of Exit 13), while eastbound signage shows I-691 ending at the Route 15 interchange (at eastbound Exit 10 about 0.5 miles west of the interchange with I-91). To go from I-91 northbound to I-691 westbound (or from I-691 eastbound to I-91 southbound), one must actually use Route 15.

[edit] Special designations

I-691 is also known as the Henry D. Altobello Highway for its entire length.

[edit] History

In the 1940s, the I-691 routing was part of a planned US 6A Expressway from Southington to Willimantic. A section of the expressway (from its Middlefield terminus west to Exit 8) first opened in 1966. By 1968, the US 6A designation was dropped in favor of Route 66. The highway was extended west to Exit 4 by 1971. The connection to I-84 was eventually completed in 1987, with the renumbering to I-691 done at the same time. The portion east of I-91 remained as Route 66.

[edit] Exit list

Town Exit # Mile Destinations Notes
Southington/Cheshire 1 8.4 I-84 West — To Waterbury, Danbury Westbound junction only.
Exit ramp as main line.
2 7.9 I-84 East — To Hartford Westbound junction only.
Milepost at exit ramp.
Cheshire 3 7.0 Route 10 — Cheshire, Milldale
Southington/Meriden 4 4.8 Route 322, West Main Street — Southington
Meriden 5 2.9 Route 71 (Chamberlain Highway) — Kensington Eastbound exit and westbound entrance.
6 2.4 Lewis Avenue To Route 71 Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
7 2.0 Downtown Meriden Milepost at Colony Street overpass.
8 1.3 US 5 (Broad Street)
To Route 15 North
9 0.5 Route 15 North (Berlin Turnpike) Westbound junction only.
10 0.5 Route 15 South (Wilbur Cross Parkway) To I-91 South — To New Haven Eastbound junction only.
10 0.0 I-91 South To Route 15 South (Wilbur Cross Parkway) — To New Haven Westbound junction only.
11 0.0 I-91 North — To Hartford, Springfield Exit numbering continues onto freeway portion of Route 66.
Note that westbound Exit 11 is technically on Route 66.
Freeway continues as Route 66

[edit] References

  1. ^ Connecticut Department of Transportation Route Log


Auxiliary routes of Interstate 91
Current and Future (F) Former
I-291 Connecticut - Massachusetts
I-391 Massachusetts
I-691 Connecticut