Interstate 91

Interstate 91
Route information
Length:	290.33 mi (467.24 km)
Major junctions
South end:	I-95/Conn Tpke in New Haven, CT
	I-84 in Hartford, CT I-90/Mass Pike near Springfield, MA I-89 in White River Junction, VT I-93 near St. Johnsbury, VT
North end:	A-55 at the Canadian Border at Derby Line, VT
Highway system
Main route of the Interstate Highway System Main • Auxiliary • Business

Interstate 91 (abbreviated I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England. The interstate's southern end is in New Haven, Connecticut^[1] at Interstate 95; its northern end is at Derby Line, Vermont, a village in the town of Derby, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Autoroute 55. I-91 is the longest of three Interstate highways whose entire route is located within the New England states, and is also the only primary (2-digit) Interstate highway in New England to intersect all five of the others that run through the region. The largest cities along its route are New Haven, Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts.

Interstate 91 is 290 miles (467 km) long and runs nearly straight north and south: 58 miles (93 km) in Connecticut; 55 miles (89 km) in Massachusetts; and 177 miles (285 km) in Vermont. (The net displacement is 259 miles (417 km), and the net direction is 9.0 degrees clockwise from north or south, i.e., northeast by north or southwest by south.) I-91 parallels U.S. Route 5 for most of its length, and many of the exits along I-91 provide direct or indirect access to the older route.

Much of the route of Interstate 91 follows the Connecticut River, running from Hartford, Connecticut northward to St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

Contents 1 Route description 1.1 Connecticut 1.2 Massachusetts 1.3 Vermont 2 History 3 Future enhancements 4 Exit list 4.1 Connecticut 4.2 Massachusetts 4.3 Vermont 5 Auxiliary routes 6 Notes 7 External links

Route description

Connecticut

Interstate 91 is the major north–south transportation corridor for the center of the state. It is the main route between the larger cities of New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, Massachusetts. As such, it is almost always heavily trafficked (especially during rush hour), and maintains at least three lanes in each direction through Connecticut except for a short portion in Hartford at the interchange with Interstate 84. The three cities also serve as Connecticut's control points along its length of the Interstate. Overhead signs in each direction consistently feature one or two of the cities, although very few (if any) conventional highway mileage signs are placed along the Interstate in Connecticut that indicate the remaining distance between the cities.

The highway begins just east of downtown New Haven at the intersection with the Connecticut Turnpike Interstate 95 and Connecticut Route 34. At the bottom of the ramp for Exit 5, U.S. Route 5 has its southern terminus and the first of its many interchanges with the freeway. Leaving New Haven, I-91 follows a northeastward trek through New Haven's suburbs of North Haven and Wallingford before entering the city of Meriden. In Meriden, about halfway between Hartford and New Haven, I-91 sees an interchange with its first spur route, Interstate 691. I-691 provides a westward link to Interstate 84 and the city of Waterbury. Leaving Meriden, I-91 travels briefly through Middletown before passing through Cromwell, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield, eventually entering the Hartford city limits. Just south of Hartford, the highway begins to directly parallel the Connecticut River. In Hartford, I-91 interchanges with I-84 before leaving the city limits. I-91 will maintain an urban character throughout its distance to Springfield. Halfway between the two cities, Exit 40 provides direct access (via Connecticut Route 20) to the Bradley International Airport. I-91 runs through Windsor, Windsor Locks, East Windsor and Enfield (with several exits in each town) before crossing into Massachusetts at milepost 58.

I-91's final exit in Connecticut is Exit 49, which offers northbound travelers access to Longmeadow, Massachusetts, after which I-91 enters Massachusetts.

Massachusetts

Interstate 91 travels 55 miles (89 km) through the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts paralleling the Connecticut River. I-91 serves as the major transportation corridor through three Massachusetts counties, linking the cities of Springfield, Northampton, and Greenfield. The three cities serve as the control cities listed on guide and mileage signs, along with Brattleboro, Vermont beginning with the first northbound conventional mileage sign (63 miles (101 km)) in Longmeadow.

In Springfield, I-91 intersects with Interstate 291 at Exit 6, a 5.44 miles (8.75 km) spur going eastbound connecting with the Massachusetts Turnpike, primarily for travelers going on the Turnpike eastbound to Worcester and Boston.

North of Springfield, I-91 briefly enters Chicopee itself where there is an interchange with the spur of Interstate 391 before turning westward to cross the Connecticut River into West Springfield. I-391 provides direct access to Holyoke center, while I-91 continues on the western side of the river.

Just after the river crossing, Exit 14 is a major interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) before entering the city of Holyoke where Exit 15 is located. Just after Exit 16 U.S. 202, I-91 goes from three lanes to two lanes in each direction to the Vermont state line.

After a short exit-less stretch, I-91 enters Northampton, passing the Northampton Airport and an oxbow lake. The towns of Hadley and Amherst, home to the main campus of the University of Massachusetts, are accessible from I-91 exits in Northampton via Route 9.

Continuing north, I-91 enters Hatfield, and where it begins its straightest section — nearly 6 miles (9.7 km) without a bend in the road. Several exits provide access to U.S. Route 5 and Massachusetts Route 10 in Hatfield and Whately before entering Deerfield.

I-91 has two exits in Greenfield. At Exit 26, there is a rest area/visitor information center for Franklin County. Exit 28 in Bernardston is the last exit in Massachusetts. Beyond exit 28, I-91 continues for about 5 miles (8.0 km) more before crossing into Vermont.

The 55 miles (89 km) stretch of I-91 in Massachusetts is the only section to feature motorist-aid call boxes. The call boxes are still important, as a good part of I-91 in Massachusetts is rural, unlike many other freeways in the state. Massachusetts is the only state traversed by Interstate 91 where another numbered highway is co-signed onto the Interstate (in this case, U.S. 5, for a .5 miles (0.80 km) spur near the Springfield-Longmeadow town line and MA 2, for approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) in Greenfield).

Vermont

Interstate 91 runs along the eastern border of Vermont and serves as a major transportation corridor for both Vermont and western New Hampshire. Many exits along Vermont's length of I-91 feature New Hampshire towns on the guide signs (for example, Exit 3, which lists Brattleboro and Keene, NH, as the points of access). Interstate 91 is 177 miles (285 km) long in Vermont and has two lanes in each direction the entire way from the Massachusetts state line at Guilford to Derby Line, nearly two-thirds of the Interstate's total length, with 29 interchanges. The highway's rural character and long distances between exits in Vermont are in stark contrast to that of its length in Connecticut and the greater Springfield area in Massachusetts, where exits are more frequent and the road carries four lanes of traffic in each direction at some points. The major control "cities" in Vermont are Brattleboro, White River Junction, St. Johnsbury, and Newport. When re-entering I-91 North at Exit 28 in Derby, Vermont the control sign is for Canada. Of these, only Newport is a city, although the others are fairly sizable towns. The road generally parallels its predecessor, US 5.

I-91 enters Vermont in the town of Guilford. Just before Exit 1 in Brattleboro is the Vermont Welcome Center & Rest Area, which has a staffed Tourist Information Center.

The first 3 exits are all located in the town of Brattleboro. Rt 5 North from Exit 1 provides access to a number of stores and a small industrial area before reaching the south end of the town's center, where a bridge crosses the Connecticut River to Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Exit 2/Route 9 provides access to the western village of the town (West Brattleboro), then continues west to Marlboro and Bennington.

Exit 3 is considered to be one of the busiest exits along I-91 in Vermont. Brattleboro's main retail strip is located here. Following Vermont Route 9 eastward, one can reach Keene, New Hampshire in 15 miles (24 km).

After Exit 3, I-91 heads north to pass through the towns of Dummerston, Putney, Westminster, Rockingham, Springfield, Weathersfield, Windsor, Hartland, and Hartford, home of the village of White River Junction. White River Junction, listed as a control city on mileage signs as far south as Greenfield, Massachusetts, is where I-91 and I-89 meet and provide access to many points in Vermont and New Hampshire.

North of the interchange with I-89, I-91 continues towards St. Johnsbury and passes through the towns of Norwich, Thetford, Fairlee, Bradford, Newbury (with access to the village of Wells River), and Barnet, before coming to its next major intersection. Towns in New Hampshire on the other side of the river can also be easily accessed in this stretch. At Exit 19 is the northern terminus of Interstate 93, a major interstate highway in New England, which provides a direct route south through the White Mountains and to almost all major cities in New Hampshire. Just after Exit 19, there are three exits for St. Johnsbury, including a major intersection with U.S. Route 2. Along westbound U.S. 2, the capital of Vermont, Montpelier, is eventually reached from I-91, although I-89 provides Montpelier with immediate Interstate access.

Interstate 91 continues northward, now following the Passumpsic River valley. It passes through Vermont's Northeast Kingdom region and the town of Lyndon. Two exits in Lyndon serve the village of Lyndonville and Lyndon State College. After Exit 24, I-91 departs Route 5, which it had been closely paralleling since the Massachusetts border. I-91 follows the valley of Miller Run,^[2][3] and there are no convenient services until Barton at exit 25.

The interstate proceeds through Sheffield. Here it reaches the highest point on the road, just north of mile marker 150 on Sheffield Heights, 1,856 feet (566 m).

After leaving the Heights, it enters Orleans County and follows the Barton River valley north through Barton, Orleans and Derby. Exit 29 is the final U.S. exit on I-91 just after mile marker 177 at Derby Line. Beyond the exit ramp, northbound motorists enter Canadian customs at Stanstead, Quebec and continue into Canada on Autoroute 55 through the Eastern Townships. To reverse direction without crossing the border, motorists must use Exit 29 to re-enter I-91 southbound. Caswell Avenue, if followed westward for a mile, intersects with U.S. Route 5 at its northern terminus.

As with Connecticut and Massachusetts, U.S. 5 closely parallels Interstate 91 for their entire lengths in Vermont. Indeed, most of the large exit signs on I-91 list U.S. 5 as one of the roads (if not the only road) that can be accessed from the exit, as seen in the exit list below. While paralleling I-91 in Vermont, U.S. 5 is never co-signed onto the freeway, but remains its own two-lane road.

Traffic (and the population of each successive town) tend to diminish as the road proceeds northwards. Average daily traffic count for 2002 were — Brattleboro (25,600), White River Junction (28,900), St. Johnsbury (10,800), and Derby Line (2,500).^[4]

History

A limited-access highway replacement for U.S. Route 5 was planned at the federal level starting in 1944. A 1953 Massachusetts plan was funded by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, along with spur Interstate 291 (but not Interstate 391). From Bernardston to Northampton, I-91 follows an abandoned right-of-way of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. To support plans for urban renewal along the "low value" waterfront, the highway crossed the Connecticut River to parallel active NYNHH railroad tracks on the Springfield side of the river, bypassing West Springfield, Massachusetts and Agawam, Massachusetts. Later, this path was perceived by many as unfortunately cutting off the city from the river. By 1960, a few miles in Massachusetts were completed, starting from the Connecticut and Vermont borders. Massachusetts construction was completed from 1964 to 1970.^[5]

In the 1970s there were plans to extend I-91 across the Long Island Sound from New Haven, Connecticut to Long Island in New York. The extension would continue south to the southern shore of the island perhaps along the route of the current William Floyd Parkway in central Suffolk County. It would also provide easier access to New York City via the Long Island Expressway, as well as to The Hamptons via Sunrise Highway (New York State Route 27).

After the September 11 attacks there has been a seldom-manned temporary border patrol checkpoint near White River Junction, VT that is about 100 miles (160 km) from the US-Canada border.^[6]

Starting in the 1990s, several rest areas were downgraded in Vermont, increasing distances between facilities. In 2008, Vermont closed the Springfield-Rockingham rest areas because of suspected use by drug abusers. In 2009, the northbound rest area in Hartford was closed, creating a 90 mile gap in on-highway facilities. At the present time, there exist 2 intermediate rest areas with facilities in each direction, in addition to a welcome center at each end of the state. Several parking areas remain open.^[7]

In 2005, the Massachusetts Highway Department completed a rebuild of on and off ramps in Springfield, to reduce accidents caused by weaving near the tightly spaced exits.^[5]

Future enhancements

A major rebuild of the interchange with Route 9 in Northampton is in the planning phases, as of 2010.^[8]

Exit list

Connecticut

Town	Exit #	Mile	Destinations	Notes
New Haven		0.0	I-95 South – To N.Y. City	Southbound junction only
	1	0.2	Route 34 – Downtown New Haven	Southbound junction only
		0.4	I-95 North – To New London	Southbound junction only
	2	0.6	Hamilton Street	The northbound exit is accessible only from the southbound lanes of I-95.
	3	1.0	Trumbull Street	Yale University
	4	1.3	State Street	Southbound exit only (via Humphrey Street)
	5	1.4	US 5 (State Street) – Fair Haven	Northbound exit only
	6	1.7	Willow Street to Blatchley Avenue, US 5 (SB)
	7	2.1	Ferry Street – Fair Haven	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	8	2.8	Route 17 (Middletown Avenue), Route 80 – North Branford
North Haven	9	4.8	Montowese Avenue	SR 715 to Route 103
	10	6.6	Route 40 – Hamden, Mt. Carmel (SB), Cheshire (NB)	Quinnipiac University
	11	7.6	Route 22 – North Haven	Northbound exit and southbound entrance To US 5
	12	8.6	US 5 (Washington Avenue)
Wallingford	13	10.9	US 5 – Wallingford, North Haven	SR 702 to Wharton Brook State Park
	14	12.3 (NB) 13.2 (SB)	Route 150 (Woodhouse Avenue) (NB), East Center Street (SB) – Wallingford	East Center Street is SR 738 to Route 150
	15	16.0	Route 68 – Yalesville, Durham
Meriden	16	18.7	East Main Street	Northbound junction only
	17	18.9 (NB) 19.7 (SB)	NB: Route 15 North (Berlin Turnpike) To I-691, Route 66 SB: Route 15 South (Wilbur Cross Parkway), East Main Street
	18	20.1	NB: Route 66 – Middlefield, Middletown SB: I-691 – Meriden, Waterbury
	19	21.0	Baldwin Avenue, Preston Avenue	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Middletown	20	23.2	Country Club Road, Middle Street
Cromwell	21	25.7	Route 372 – Cromwell, Berlin
	22	27.4	Route 9 – New Britain, Middletown, Old Saybrook (SB)	Split southbound into 22N and 22S
Rocky Hill	23	29.4	West Street to Route 3 – Rocky Hill	SSR 411 to Dinosaur State Park
	24	31.7	Route 99 – Rocky Hill, Wethersfield
East Hartford	19	30,3	Champlonsville	Northbound exit must use Exit 25 ramp.
	Wethersfield	25	33.7	Route 3 – Glastonbury, Wethersfield (SB), Old Wethersfield (NB)	Partial interchange Split southbound into 25N and 25S Access to northbound Exit 26
26		34.3	Old Wethersfield	Northbound exit must use Exit 25 ramp.
Hartford	27	35.6	Brainard Road to Airport Road – Brainard Airport	Northbound and southbound entrance Airport Road is SR 530
	28	35.9	US 5/Route 15 South (Berlin Turnpike) – Newington, Wethersfield
	27	36.5	Airport Road to Brainard Road – Brainard Airport	Southbound exit only Airport Road is SR 530
	29	36.8	US 5/Route 15 North to I-84 East – East Hartford, Boston	Northbound junction only
	29A	37.6 (NB) 38.0 (SB)	Capitol Area	Whitehead Highway
	32AB	37.8	A: I-84 West – Waterbury B: Trumbull Street	Northbound ramps
	30	38.4	I-84 East to Route 2 East – East Hartford, New London	Southbound junction only
	31	38.4	State Street	Southbound junction only Route 2 West
	32AB	38.8	A: I-84 West – Waterbury B: Trumbull Street	Southbound ramps
	33	39.9	Jennings Road
Windsor	34	41.1	Route 159 (Windsor Avenue) (NB), North Main Street (SB)
	35AB	42.2	A: I-291 – Manchester B: Route 218 – Windsor, Bloomfield
	36	43.5	Route 178 (Park Avenue) – Bloomfield
	37	44.5	Route 305 (Bloomfield Avenue) – Windsor Center
	38	46.0	Route 75 – Poquonock, Windsor	split southbound into 38A and 38B
	39 & 41	47.2	Kennedy Road to Center Street	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	40	48.2	Route 20 – Bradley International Airport
Windsor Locks	39 & 41	48.9	Center Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	42	49.6	Route 159 – Windsor Locks
Connecticut River crossing on the Dexter Coffin Bridge
East Windsor	44	50.3	US 5 – East Windsor
	45	51.1	Route 140 – Warehouse Point, Ellington
Enfield	46	52.7	US 5 (King Street)
	47EW	55.6	E: Route 190 East – Hazardville, Somers W: Route 190 West – Suffield
	48	56.1	Route 220 (Elm Street) – Thompsonville
	49	57.7	US 5 (Enfield Street) – Longmeadow MA
		58.00[9]	CT-MA state line

Massachusetts

County	Town	Exit #	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Hampden	Longmeadow		0.0	CT-MA state line
	Springfield	1	3.6	US 5 South – Forest Park, Longmeadow	Southbound exit only US 5 joins northbound and leaves southbound
		2	3.9	Route 83 – Forest Park, East Longmeadow	northbound exit only
		3	4.2	US 5 North To Route 57, Columbus Avenue (NB) – West Springfield (NB), Agawam (SB)	US 5 leaves northbound and joins southbound
		4	4.6	Route 83, Main Street – East Longmeadow	southbound only
		5	4.9	Broad Street	northbound only Formerly northbound Exit 4
		6	5.3	Springfield Center (NB) Union Street (SB)	Old Exit 5 merged with Exit 6
		7	5.9	Hall of Fame Avenue – Springfield Center	southbound only
		8	6.6	I-291/US 20 East to I-90 (Mass Pike) East
		9	7.0	US 20 West, Route 20A East – West Springfield, Westfield	northbound only
		10	7.2	Main Street – Chicopee, North Springfield	northbound only
		11	7.5	US 20 West, Birnie Avenue – West Springfield	southbound only
	Chicopee	12	8.3	I-391 – Chicopee, Holyoke (NB)
	Connecticut River crossing
	West Springfield	13	9.2	US 5 (Riverdale Street) – West Springfield	split into 13A and 13B
		14	11.5	Mass Pike (I-90)  – Boston, Albany
	Holyoke	15	12.7	Lower Westfield Road – Ingleside
		16	14.5	US 202 – Holyoke, South Hadley, Westfield (SB)
		17	15.2	Route 141 – Holyoke, Easthampton	split into 17A and 17B northbound
Hampshire	Northampton	18	22.8	US 5 – Northampton, Easthampton (SB)
		19	24.7	Route 9 – Northampton, Amherst	northbound only
		20	25.7	US 5, Route 9, Route 10 – Northampton, Hadley	southbound only
		21	27.3	US 5/Route 10 – Hatfield, Whately (NB)
	Hatfield	22	29.8	US 5/Route 10 – Whately, North Hatfield	northbound only
Franklin	Whately	23	33.4	US 5/Route 10 – Whately, North Hatfield	southbound only
		24	35.0	US 5/Route 10 – Deerfield, Whately (SB)
	Deerfield	25	36.2	Route 116 – Deerfield, Conway	southbound only
	Greenfield	26	42.9	Route 2 West, Route 2A East – Greenfield, North Adams
		27	46.1	Route 2 East – Boston
	Bernardston	28	50.4	Route 10 – Bernardston, Northfield	split into 28A and 28B northbound
			54.90[10]	MA-VT state line

Vermont

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Windham	Guilford	0.0		MA-VT stateline
	Brattleboro	7.5	1	US 5 – Brattleboro
		8.7	2	Route 9 West – Brattleboro, Bennington
		11.6	3	US 5, Route 9 East – Brattleboro, Keene
	Dummerston	18.2	4	US 5 – Putney
	Westminster	28.6	5	US 5 to Route 121 – Westminster, Bellows Falls, Walpole	To NH Route 123
	Rockingham	35.2	6	US 5, Route 103 – Rockingham, Rutland (NB), Bellows Falls (SB)
Windsor	Springfield	41.7	7	US 5, VT Route 11, VT Route 106 – Springfield
	Weathersfield	51.4	8	US 5, VT Route 12, VT Route 131 – Ascutney, Windsor
	Hartland	60.4	9	US 5, VT Route 12 – Windsor, Hartland
	Hartford	69.8	10	I-89 – South: Airport, New Hampshire; North: Barre, Montpelier	split into 10S and 10N
		70.2	11	US 5 – White River Junction
		72.0	12	US 5 – Wilder, White River Junction (SB)
	Norwich	74.8	13	US 5, VT Route 10A – Norwich, Hanover NH
Orange	Thetford	84.2	14	VT Route 113 To US 5 – Thetford
	Fairlee	91.5	15	US 5 – Fairlee, Orford NH
	Bradford	97.6	16	VT Route 25 To US 5 – Bradford, Barre (NB)
	Newbury	110.3	17	US 302 To US 5 – Wells River, Woodsville NH
Caledonia	Barnet	120.4	18	To US 5 – Barnet, Peacham
	Waterford	128.2	19	I-93 – Littleton NH
	St. Johnsbury	128.9	20	US 5 To US 2 East – St. Johnsbury, Passumpsic (SB)
		130.6	21	US 2 To VT Route 15 – St. Johnsbury, Montpelier
		132.6	22	To US 5 – St. Johnsbury
	Lyndon	137.1	23	US 5 To VT Route 114 – Lyndonville, Burke (NB)
		139.9	24	VT Route 122 To VT Route 114 – NB: Wheelock, Sheffield; SB: Burke, Lyndonville, Lyndon Center
Orleans	Barton	156.0	25	VT Route 16 – Barton, Hardwick (SB)
		161.4	26	US 5, VT Route 58 – Orleans, Irasburg
	Derby	170.1	27	VT Route 191 To US 5, VT Route 105 – Newport
		172.4	28	US 5, VT Route 105 – Newport, Derby Center
		177.4	29	To US 5 – Derby Line
		177.43[11]		Continues into Quebec as Autoroute 55

Auxiliary routes

Auxiliary routes of Interstate 91 Connecticut: 291 • 691 — Massachusetts: 291 • 391

edit Main Interstate Highways (major interstates highlighted)
4	5	8	10	12	15	16	17	19	20	22	24	25	26	27	29	30
35	37	39	40	43	44	45	49	55	57	59	64	65	66	68	69
70	71	72	73	74	75	76 (W)		76 (E)		77	78	79	80	81	82
83	84 (W)		84 (E)		85	86 (W)		86 (E)		87	88 (W)		88 (E)		89	90
91	93	94	95	96	97	99	H-1		H-2		H-3
Unsigned			A-1		A-2		A-3		A-4		PRI-1		PRI-2		PRI-3
Lists		Primary			Main - Intrastate - Suffixed - Future - Gaps
		Auxiliary			Main - Future - Unsigned
		Other			Standards - Business - Bypassed

Browse numbered routes
← Route 89	CT	Route 94 →
← I-90	MA	I-93 →
← I-89	VT	I-93 →

Notes

External links

• I-91 historical overview from bostonroads.com