Interstate 91 in Connecticut

Interstate 91
Route information
Maintained by ConnDOT
Length: 58.00 mi[1] (93.34 km)
Existed: mid–1940s – present
Major junctions
South end: I-95 (Connecticut Turnpike) in New Haven
 

I-691 / Route 15 / Route 66 in Meriden
Route 9 near Cromwell
I-84 / US 6 / US 44 in Hartford
I-291 in Windsor

US 5 in South Windsor and Enfield
North end: I-91 near Longmeadow, MA
Highway system

Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Main • Auxiliary • Business

Routes in Connecticut
Special Service Roads • State Roads

Route 89 Route 94

Interstate 91 (abbreviated I-91) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the state of Connecticut. The interstate's southern end is in New Haven, Connecticut at Interstate 95.

Contents

Route description

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.

History

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).

Exit list

County Location Mile[1] Exit Destinations Notes
New Haven
New Haven 0.00 I-95 (Connecticut Turnpike) – Bridgeport, New London
0.23 1 Route 34 west – Downtown New Haven Southbound junction only
0.64 2 Hamilton Street, Ives Place Northbound exit is accessible only from the southbound lanes of I-95
0.99–
1.02
3 Trumbull Street Yale University
1.30 4 State Street Southbound exit only (via Humphrey Street)
1.37 5 US 5 (State Street) – Fair Haven Northbound exit only
1.44 6 Signed for US 5 southbound
2.15 7 Ferry Street – Fair Haven Southbound exit and northbound entrance
2.68–
3.01
8 Route 17 / Route 80 (Middletown Avenue) – North Branford
North Haven 4.63–
4.79
9 Montowese Avenue SR 715 to Route 103
6.26–
6.78
10 Route 40 west – Hamden Quinnipiac University
7.56 11 Route 22 – North Haven Northbound exit and southbound entrance; to US 5
8.63–
8.79
12 US 5 (Washington Avenue) – Wallingford, North Haven
Wallingford 10.83–
11.08
13 US 5 – Wallingford, North Haven SR 702 to Wharton Brook State Park
12.13–
13.40
14 Route 150 (Woodhouse Ave.) (NB)
East Center Street – Wallingford (SB)
East Center Street is SR 738 to Route 150
15.71–
16.19
15 Route 68 – Yalesville, Durham
Meriden 18.71 16 East Main Street Northbound junction only
18.87–
19.74
17 Route 15 north (Berlin Turnpike) to I-691 / Route 66 – Newington, Meriden, Middletown
Route 15 south (Wilbur Cross Parkway) – Wallingford
Signed for I-691 / Route 66 northbound and Route 15 alone southbound
19.99–
20.27
18 Route 66 east – Middlefield, Middletown
I-691 west to Route 15 north (Berlin Turnpike) – Newington, Meriden, Waterbury
Signed for Route 66 northbound and I-691 southbound
20.97 19 Baldwin Avenue, Preston Avenue Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Middlesex
Middletown 22.95–
23.40
20 Country Club Road, Middle Street
Cromwell 25.78–
26.08
21 Route 372 – Cromwell, Berlin
26.92–
27.86
22 Route 9 – Berlin, New Britain, Cromwell, Middletown Split southbound into exits 22N and 22S
Rocky Hill 29.05–
29.57
23 West Street To Route 3 – Rocky Hill SSR 411 to Dinosaur State Park
31.66–
31.72
24 Route 99 – Rocky Hill, Wethersfield
Wethersfield 33.47–
33.88
25 Route 3 – Glastonbury, Wethersfield
Old Wethersfield
Partial interchange; split southbound into exits 25N and 25S; access to northbound exit 26; signed for Route 3 only southbound
34.26 26 Northbound exit must use exit 25 ramp
Hartford
Hartford 35.54 27 Brainard Road to Airport Road – Brainard Airport Northbound and southbound entrance; Airport Road is SR 530
35.87–
36.05
28 US 5 / Route 15 south (Berlin Turnpike) – Newington, Wethersfield
36.53 27 Airport Road to Brainard Road – Brainard Airport
36.82 29 US 5 / Route 15 north – East Hartford Northbound junction only
37.57–
37.96
29A Whitehead Highway – Capitol Area
37.78 32 I-84 / US 6 west – West Hartford, Waterbury
Trumbull Street
38.45 30 I-84 / US 6 / US 44 east – East Hartford, Vernon Southbound junction only
38.45 31 State Street Southbound junction only
38.81 32 I-84 / US 6 west – West Hartford, Waterbury
Trumbull Street
Southbound ramps; signed as exits 32A (I-84/US 6) and 32B (Trumbull Street)
39.60–
40.05
33 Jennings Road, Liebrt Road, Weston Street HOV exit
Windsor 40.98–
41.25
34 Meadow Road
Route 159 (Windsor Avenue) – Wilson
Signed for Meadow Road northbound and Route 159 southbound
41.63–
42.46
35 I-291 east – South Windsor, Manchester
Route 218 west – Windsor, Bloomfield
HOV exit; signed as exits 35A (I-291) and 35B (Route 218)
43.32–
43.80
36 Route 178 (Park Avenue) – Bloomfield
44.29–
44.75
37 Route 305 (Bloomfield Avenue) – Windsor Center HOV exit
46.03–
46.45
38 Route 75 / Day Hill Road – Poquonock, Windsor HOV exit; split southbound into exits 38A and 38B
47.22 39, 41 Kennedy Road to Center Street Northbound exit and southbound entrance
47.81–
48.43
40 Route 20 west – East Granby, Granby Exit to reach Bradley International Airport
Windsor Locks 48.89 39, 41 Center Street Southbound exit and northbound entrance
48.97–
49.49
42 Lawnacre Rd.
Route 159 – Windsor Locks
Connecticut River 49.58 Dexter Coffin Bridge
East Windsor 50.21–
50.78
44 US 5 – East Windsor
50.96–
51.19
45 Route 140 – Warehouse Point, Ellington
Enfield 52.82–
53.00
46 US 5 (King Street) – Kings Corner, Enfield
55.34–
55.50
47E Route 190 east – Hazardville, Somersville
55.63–
55.81
47W Route 190 west – Suffield
55.94–
56.26
48 Route 220 (Elm Street) – Thompsonville
57.47–
57.92
49 US 5 (Enfield Street) – Longmeadow, MA
 
58.00 Connecticut–Massachusetts state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Auxiliary routes

References

Interstate 91
Previous state:
Terminus
Connecticut Next state:
Massachusetts