Interstate 95 in Connecticut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Interstate 95 Main route of the Interstate Highway System |
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Length: | 111.57 mi[1] (179.55 km) | ||||||||||||
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South end: | I-95 in Port Chester, NY | ||||||||||||
Major junctions: |
Route 8 in Bridgeport I-91 in New Haven Route 9 in Old Saybrook I-395 in East Lyme |
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North end: | I-95 in Hopkinton, RI | ||||||||||||
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Interstate 95, the main north-south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east-west compass direction for 111.57 miles (179.55 km) in Connecticut. The majority of the road, west (south) of the New London area, is part of the Connecticut Turnpike, connecting to the New England Thruway in New York state. I-95 leaves the Turnpike in East Lyme west of New London, and continues east through that city towards Westerly, Rhode Island as the Jewish War Veterans Memorial Highway, while the Turnpike turns north designated Interstate 395.
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[edit] Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.
[edit] Spur routes
- Interstate 395 is I-95's only spur in Connecticut. It runs from I-95 west (south) of New London north along the Connecticut Turnpike to a split south of Danielson, where it continues north on a newer freeway to Interstate 90 and Interstate 290 south of Worcester, Massachusetts. At the split in Danielson, the Turnpike again turns east, merging with U.S. Route 6 near the Rhode Island state line; that short spur is unsigned Route 695, but the inclusion of 95 in its number is coincidental.
[edit] Disasters
In January 1983, a truck with a brake failure slammed into a line of cars waiting to pay a toll on I-95 in Stratford, Connecticut. Seven people were killed. This accident is what partially led to the removal of toll barriers throughout Connecticut, which was completed six years after.
On the morning of June 28, 1983, a 100 foot (30 m) section of the Mianus River Bridge in Cos Cob collapsed, plunging northbound I-95 traffic into the Mianus River below, killing three. The collapse was blamed on the failure of the steel pins to hold the horizontal beams together and inadequate inspection prior to the collapse. Northbound traffic was diverted on this section of I-95 for 25 days. Southbound traffic was unaffected.
On March 26, 2004, a bridge on I-95 in Bridgeport, Connecticut was partly melted by the explosion of a tanker truck carrying over 11,900 gallons (45,000 L) of fuel oil. Repairs were estimated to take at least two weeks, but the highway was opened to northbound traffic in only a few days. Southbound traffic resumed about a week later.
[edit] History
While most of I-95 was built as the Connecticut Turnpike, the Connecticut Turnpike incorporated several pieces of already-built relocations, some to freeway standards, of U.S. Route 1 (the Turnpike split from the US 1 relocation in East Lyme, along the Old Lyme-New London section):
- Darien bypass, opened ca. 1952
- New Haven east of the Quinnipiac River, opened ca. 1951
- Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge over the Connecticut River and approaches, opened 1948
- Old Lyme-New London, opened by 1950 as a two-lane road
- New London-Groton Gold Star Bridge over the Thames River and approaches, opened 1943
Other improvements in the corridor included the New York-Meriden Merritt Parkway/Wilbur Cross Parkway, New Haven-Old Saybrook Route 80, and Groton-Rhode Island Route 184, the latter connecting in Rhode Island to Route 3, a shortcut to Providence.
The majority of the Turnpike opened January 2, 1958, and was designated I-95 south/west of the split with the relocated US 1 by 1959. The rest of I-95 to Rhode Island opened December 12, 1964. The Gold Star Bridge was twinned ca. 1975, along with a reconstruction of its approaches, and in 1993 the Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge was widened.
[edit] Exit list
Town | Number | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
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Interstate 95 continues into New York as the New England Thruway | ||||
Begin Connecticut Turnpike section | ||||
Greenwich | 2 | 0.8 | Delavan Avenue - Byram | |
former Greenwich barrier toll | ||||
3 | 2.5 | Arch Street - Greenwich | ||
4 | 3.7 | Indian Field Road - Cos Cob | ||
5 | 5.5 | U.S. Route 1 - Riverside, Old Greenwich | ||
Stamford | 6 | 6.5 | Harvard Avenue (NB) West Avenue(SB) |
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7 | 7.3 | Route 137 North, Greenwich Avenue (NB)/Atlantic Street (SB) | ||
8 | 7.7 | Atlantic Street (NB) Elm Street (SB) |
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9 | 9.3 | U.S. Route 1, Route 106 - Glenbrook | ||
Darien | 10 | 10.8 | Noroton | |
11 | 11.6 | U.S. Route 1 - Darien | ||
12 | 12.2 | Route 136 (Tokeneke Road) - Rowayton | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
13 | 13.1 | U.S. Route 1 (Post Road) | ||
Norwalk | 14 | 14.8 | U.S. Route 1 (Connecticut Avenue) | southbound exit and northbound entrance |
14 | 15.0 | South Norwalk | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
15 | 15.5 | U.S. Route 7 - Norwalk, Danbury | ||
16 | 16.2 | East Norwalk | ||
former Norwalk barrier toll | ||||
Westport | 17 | 18.1 | Route 33/Route 136 (Saugatuck Avenue) - Westport | |
18 | 20.4 | Sherwood Island State Park | ||
Fairfield | 19 | 22.9 | U.S. Route 1, Center Street - Southport | |
20 | 23.7 | Bronson Road | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
21 | 24.4 | Round Hill Road | ||
22 | 25.2 | Route 135 (North Benson Road) | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
23 | 25.7 | U.S. Route 1 (Kings Highway) | ||
24 | 26.6 | Black Rock Turnpike | ||
Bridgeport | 25 | 27.4 | State Street, Commerce Drive (NB) Route 130 (Fairfield Avenue) (SB) |
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26 | 28.3 | Wordin Avenue | ||
27 | 28.9 | Lafayette Boulevard - Downtown Bridgeport | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
27A | 29.0 | Route 25/Route 8 - Trumbull, Waterbury | ||
27 | 29.1 | Lafayette Boulevard - Downtown Bridgeport | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
28 | 29.9 | Route 127 (East Main Street) | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
29 | 30.4 | Route 130 (Stratford Avenue), Seaview Avenue | ||
Stratford | 30 | 31.1 | Route 113 (Lordship Boulevard), Surf Avenue | |
31 | 32.1 | Honeyspot Road (NB) South Avenue (SB) |
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32 | 32.9 | West Broad Street - Stratford | ||
former Stratford barrier toll | ||||
33 | 34.1 | U.S. Route 1, Route 110, Ferry Boulevard - Devon | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
Housatonic River crossing | ||||
Milford | 34 | 35.4 | U.S. Route 1 - Milford | |
35 | 35.8 | School House Road/Bic Drive | ||
36 | 36.7 | Plains Road | ||
37 | 37.4 | High Street | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
38 | 37.6 | Route 15 - Merritt Parkway/Wilbur Cross Parkway | ||
39 | 39.1 | U.S. Route 1 | split into 39A and 39B | |
40 | 40.2 | Old Gate Lane/Woodmont Road | ||
Orange | 41 | 41.8 | Marsh Hill Road - Orange | |
West Haven | 42 | 43.9 | Route 162 - Saw Mill Road | |
former West Haven barrier toll | ||||
43 | 44.9 | Downtown West Haven | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
43 | 45.2 | Route 122 - First Avenue | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
New Haven | 44 | 45.9 | Route 10 - Kimberly Avenue | northbound exit and southbound entrance |
44 | 45.9 | Downtown West Haven | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
45 | 46.0 | Route 10 - Boulevard | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
46 | 46.8 | Long Wharf Drive/Sargent Drive | ||
47 | 47.7 | Route 34 - Downtown New Haven | ||
48 | 47.8 | Interstate 91 north - Hartford | ||
50 | 49.2 | Woodward Avenue - Lighthouse Point | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
East Haven | 51 | 49.8 | U.S. Route 1 - East Haven/Frontage Road | northbound exit and southbound entrance |
51 | 50.2 | U.S. Route 1 - Frontage Road/Lighthouse Point | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
52 | 50.5 | Route 100 - East Haven/North High Street | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
Branford | former Branford barrier toll | |||
53 | 52.3 | U.S. Route 1/Route 142/Route 146 - Short Beach | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
54 | 53.2 | Branford/Cedar Street | ||
55 | 55.2 | U.S. Route 1 - North Branford/East Main Street | ||
56 | 56.2 | Leetes Island Road - Stony Creek | ||
Guilford | 57 | 59.3 | U.S. Route 1 - Boston Post Road/North Branford | |
58 | 60.2 | Route 77 - Guilford/North Guilford | ||
59 | 61.5 | Goose Lane | ||
Madison | former Madison barrier toll | |||
60 | 63.5 | Mungertown Road | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
61 | 64.7 | Route 79 - Madison/North Madison | ||
62 | 66.4 | Hammonasset State Park | ||
Clinton | 63 | 68.6 | Route 81 - Clinton/Killingworth | |
Westbrook | 64 | 70.8 | Route 145 - Horse Hill Road/Clinton | |
65 | 73.1 | Route 153 - Westbrook | ||
Old Saybrook | 66 | 74.4 | Route 166 - Spencer Plain Road | |
67 | 75.9 | Elm Street | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
67 | 76.7 | Route 154 - Old Saybrook | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
68 | 77.7 | U.S. Route 1 - Old Saybrook | southbound exit and northbound entrance; US 1 joins northbound and leaves southbound | |
69 | 78.1 | Route 9 north - Essex/Hartford | ||
former Baldwin Bridge barrier toll | ||||
Connecticut River crossing on the Baldwin Bridge | ||||
Old Lyme | 70 | 79.2 | U.S. Route 1/Route 156 - Old Lyme | northbound exit and southbound entrance; US 1 joins southbound and leaves northbound |
70 | 79.8 | Old Lyme | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
East Lyme | 71 | 83.5 | Four Mile River Road | |
72 | 84.0 | Rocky Neck State Park | ||
73 | 85.8 | Society Road | ||
74 | 87.3 | Route 161 - Flanders/Niantic | ||
75 | 88.0 | U.S. Route 1 - Flanders/Waterford | ||
76 | 88.6 | Interstate 395 north - Norwich/Plainfield | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
I-95 leaves the Connecticut Turnpike Begin Jewish War Veterans Memorial Highway section |
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Waterford | 80 | 88.9 | Oil Mill Road | southbound exit and northbound entrance |
81 | 90.1 | Cross Road | ||
82 | 91.8 | Route 85 - Waterford/Broad Street/Shopping Mall | ||
82A | 92.3 | New London - Frontage Road/Shopping Malls | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
New London | 83 | 92.8 | U.S. Route 1 - New London/Frontage Roads/Shopping Malls | southbound exit and northbound entrance; US 1 joins northbound and leaves southbound |
83 | 93.2 | Route 32 north - Norwich/Downtown New London | northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
84S-N-E | 93.6 | Route 32 - Norwich/Downtown New London | southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
Thames River crossing on the Gold Star Bridge | ||||
Groton | 85 | 94.6 | U.S. Route 1 north - Thames Street/Downtown Groton | northbound exit and southbound entrance; US 1 joins southbound and leaves northbound |
86 | 95.2 | Route 12/Route 184 - U.S. Sub Base/Gales Ferry | ||
87 | 96.2 | Route 349 to U.S. Route 1 north - Clarence B. Sharp Highway | ||
88 | 97.5 | Route 117 - Noank/Downtown Groton/Groton Long Point | ||
89 | 100.1 | Allyn Street - Noank/Groton Long Point | ||
Stonington | 90 | 101.3 | Route 27 - Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration/Mystic Seaport | |
91 | 104.2 | Route 234 - North Main Street/Stonington Borough | ||
North Stonington | 92 | 107.8 | Route 2/Route 49 - North Stonington/Pawcatuck | |
93 | 111.3 | Route 216/Route 184 - Clarks Falls/Ashaway, Rhode Island | ||
Interstate 95 continues into Rhode Island |
[edit] Scenic Overlooks
Between Exits 89 and 90 heading eastbound, you will find the Jerome Hoxie Scenic Overlook. This overlooks Mystic Cove.
[edit] References
- ^ Route Log - Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1
Interstate 95 | ||
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Previous state: New York |
Connecticut | Next state: Rhode Island |