Interstate 91

Interstate 91
Route information
Length:	290.37 mi[1] (467.31 km)
Major junctions
South end:	I‑95 in New Haven, CT
	I‑84 in Hartford, CT I‑90 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
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Routes in Connecticut Interstate U.S. State Special Service Roads Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State State highways in Vermont ← Route 89 CT Route 94 → ← I‑90 MA I‑93 → ← I‑89 VT I‑93 →

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^[2] 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 past the Derby Line-Rock Island Border Crossing 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 (two-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 Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut, and New Haven, Connecticut, in order from north to south.

Interstate 91 is 290 miles (470 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 all 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.

Route description

Lengths

	mi[3][4]	km
CT	style="text-align:right;"|57.6	92.7
MA	style="text-align:right;"|54.90	88.35
VT	style="text-align:right;"|177.432	285.549
Total	style="text-align:right;"|290	470

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.

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.

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 8, a 5.44 miles (8.75 km) spur going eastbound connecting with the Massachusetts Turnpike, for travelers going either east to Boston or west to Albany, New York.

North of Springfield, I-91 briefly enters Chicopee itself where there is an interchange with the spur of Interstate 391 at Exit 12 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 Amherst, 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 was the last section that featured motorist-aid call boxes. The call boxes were important as a good part of I-91 in Massachusetts is rural, unlike many other freeways in the state. The call boxes were eventually removed in 2012. 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

I-91 runs along the eastern border of Vermont and serves as a major transportation corridor for eastern 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). I-91 length within Vermont is 177 miles (285 km), and has two lanes in each direction the entire way from the Massachusetts border at Guilford to Derby Line at the Canadian border (nearly two-thirds of I-91's length) with 29 Vermont interchanges. The highway's rural character and long distances between exits in Vermont are in stark contrast to its south, 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 northbound I-91 at Exit 28 in Derby, the "control city" sign is for Canada. Of these destinations, only Newport is a city, although the other towns are sizable. In general, the road 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, and has a self-service lottery machine for instant tickets as well as drawing games.

The first three Vermont exits (northbound) serve the town of Brattleboro. At Exit 1, northbound Route 5 provides access to stores and a small industrial area before reaching the south end of the town's center, where a bridge crosses the Connecticut River into 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.

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,^[5][6] 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 with exits in 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.

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 northward. Average daily traffic count for 2002 were — Brattleboro (25,600), White River Junction (28,900), St. Johnsbury (10,800), and Derby Line (2,500).^[7]

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). The Vermont section of I-91 was built in stages from 1958 to 1965.^[8] In Massachusetts 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 as cutting off the city from the river, restricting further commercial development. By 1960, a few miles in Massachusetts were completed, starting from the Connecticut and Vermont borders. Massachusetts construction was completed from 1964 to 1970.^[9]

Vermont completed its last sections of I-91 in 1978.^[10]

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.^[11]

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 (145 km) 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.^[12]

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.^[9]

In the early 1990s after the Interstate 284 project was canceled, The Exit 44 interchange in East Windsor, Connecticut was altered as it was designed to be part of the freeway. After alters, Exit 44 connected to Route 5 for all traffic to get on and off. As a result, Exit 43 was shut down and closed in that same time frame. Exit 43 was a northbound exit/southbound entrance on State Route 510/Main Street in East Windsor, which was about 2/10ths of a mile away from exit 44.

Future enhancements

A major rebuild of the interchange with Route 9 in Northampton is in the planning phases, as of 2010.^[13]

Impact on Springfield's planned riverfront development

In 2008, Springfield's urban planners contracted UMass Amherst's School of Urban Design to research I-91's effects on Springfield, after receiving complaints from Springfielders about I-91's inhibiting residents' access to Springfield's riverfront, and access to the Basketball Hall of Fame. By 2011, Amherst had produced several dozen critiques denoting that I-91's current route, height, and development beneath and around the highway are inhibiting the development of the city's greatest potential economic and recreational resources, the Connecticut River, the riverfront, and the Basketball Hall of Fame - and also limiting the interaction between these entities and the Metro Center.^[14][15]

During its construction in the 1960s, Interstate 91 sliced through three Springfield neighborhoods: the North End, Metro Center, and the South End. Widely regarded as positive progress at the time, by 2011, Springfield's portion of I-91 was perceived as disrupting the urban fabric of each riverfront neighborhood, while in effect amputating everything east of the highway - the majority of the city - from the Connecticut River, the Connecticut River Walk Park, and the Basketball Hall of Fame. However, Interstate 91 was erected without tunnels, footbridges, and other paths leading to the riverfront, and thus continues to pose logistical problems for people getting to the riverfront, which in turn poses problems for businesses that would like to set up along Springfield's riverfront. The placement of I-91 has left Springfield's riverfront virtually undeveloped aside from the sliver of land surrounding the Basketball Hall of Fame, an international tourist destination, which, under different circumstances, might have more commercial and residential development.^[16]

As of 2011, academic and civic studies are still underway. Preliminary findings indicate that I-91's placement negatively impacts tourism in Springfield's Metro Center—the site of many of Springfield's historic, cultural, and entertainment venues. Springfield's most popular tourist attraction, the riverfront Basketball Hall of Fame, is separated from Metro Center by a 20 feet (6.1 m) stone wall, buttressing an elevated portion of the 6-lane Interstate 91, and greatly discouraging travel between the two areas.^[14][15]

History

Initially, in the 1950s and early 1960s, Interstate 91 was planned to be routed through West Springfield, Massachusetts, down the avenue now known as Riverdale Road - with numerous bridges to be built to accommodate traffic into the City of Springfield. Indeed, Riverdale Road is the original four-lane highway built to accommodate the traffic of Interstate 91. (I-91 has since widened to six lanes.) ^[17] In the 1960s, after Springfield learned that its longtime rival, and current business partner in the Knowledge Corridor initiative, the City of Hartford, would use its riverfront to host Interstate 91, Springfield civic leaders petitioned for the I-91 highway to be moved to the east side of the river to cut through the city, rather than employ a series of bridges, as was originally planned. At that time of initial construction, the Connecticut River was polluted and, to many, it seemed that its best days were long behind it. Construction plans were hastily drawn up and executed, and thus construction began on the I-91 highway. On its completion, although its daily usage far surpassed predictions, I-91 never catalyzed significant growth in Springfield, as was the original hope.

Academic suggestions that involve the demolition of the current highway and moving it to a less obtrusive site in the city have been proposed, including the demolition of the highway and following the original path suggested, Riverdale Road, and, least obtrusive but still requiring a great deal of work, a plan to construct numerous walkways beneath the elevated highway to better integrate the neighborhoods with the waterfront despite the highway's presence.^[14][15]

In 2010, the Urban Land Institute made recommendations for how Springfield might reconnect with its riverfront, suggesting the most cost-effective but also the most development-limiting strategy (constructing pathways beneath I-91). No decision has been reached regarding those recommendations.^[18]

Exit list

Connecticut

See Interstate 91 in Connecticut#Exit list.

Massachusetts

County	Location[3]	mi[3]	km	Exit[19]	Destinations[19]	Notes
Hampden	Longmeadow	0.000	0.000	–	I‑91 south – Hartford	Connecticut state line
	Springfield	3.836	6.173	1	US 5 south – Forest Park, Longmeadow	Southbound exit and northbound entrance Southern end of US 5 concurrency
		3.694	5.945	2	Route 83 south – Forest Park, East Longmeadow	No southbound exit
		4.142	6.666	3	US 5 north to Route 57 (Columbus Ave.) – West Springfield, Agawam	US 5 leaves northbound and joins southbound
		4.722	7.599	4	Route 83 south (Main St.) – East Longmeadow	Southbound exit only
		4.568	7.351	5	Broad Street	Northbound exit only
		5.253	8.454	6	Springfield Center (northbound) Union Street (southbound)	Old Exit 5 merged with Exit 6
		5.989	9.638	7	Hall of Fame Avenue – Downtown Springfield	Southbound exit only
		6.295	10.131	8	I‑291 / US 20 east to I‑90 / Mass Pike east	No I-90 signage southbound; I-291 exits 0A-B
		6.677	10.746	9	US 20 west / Route 20A east – West Springfield, Westfield	No southbound exit No southbound entrance from US 20A
		7.172	11.542	10	Main Street – Chicopee, North Springfield	Northbound exit and entrance only
		7.481	12.040	11	US 20 west (Birnie Ave.) – West Springfield	Southbound exit and entrance only
	Chicopee	8.289	13.340	12	I‑391 north – Chicopee, Holyoke	I-391 exits 0A-B
	Chicopee–West Springfield line	8.643	13.910	Connecticut River
	West Springfield	9.177	14.769	13A	US 5 north (Riverdale St.)
		9.184	14.780	13B	US 5 south – West Springfield
		11.547	18.583	14	I‑90 / Mass Pike – Boston, Albany NY	I-90 exit 4
	Holyoke	12.396	19.949	15	Lower Westfield Road – Ingleside
		14.218	22.882	16	US 202 – Holyoke, South Hadley, Westfield
		15.188	24.443	17	Route 141 – Holyoke, Easthampton	Signed as Exit 17A (east) and Exit 17B (west) northbound
Hampshire	Northampton	22.816	36.719	18	US 5 – Northampton, Easthampton
		24.760	39.847	19	Route 9 – Northampton, Amherst	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		26.016	41.869	20	US 5 / Route 9 / Route 10 – Northampton, Hadley	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		27.277	43.898	21	US 5 / Route 10 – Hatfield, Whately
	Hatfield	29.938	48.181	22	US 5 / Route 10 – North Hatfield, Whately	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Franklin	Whately	32.309	51.996	23	US 5 / Route 10 – Whately, North Hatfield	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		34.709	55.859	24	US 5 / Route 10 – Deerfield, Whately	No northbound entrance
	Deerfield	35.891	57.761	25	Route 116 – Deerfield, Conway	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Greenfield	43.011	69.219	26	Route 2 west / Route 2A east – Greenfield Center, North Adams	Southern end of Route 2 concurrency
		45.752	73.631	27	Route 2 east – Boston	Northern end of Route 2 concurrency; left exit southbound
	Bernardston	50.360	81.047	28	Route 10 – Bernardston, Northfield	Signed as Exit 28A (north) and Exit 28B (south) northbound
		54.90	88.35	–	I‑91 north – Brattleboro	Vermont state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Tolled

Vermont

County	Location	mi[4]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Windham	Guilford	0.000	0.000	–	I‑91 south – Greenfield	Massachusetts state line
	Brattleboro	7.480	12.038	1	US 5 – Brattleboro	Also serves Vernon and Hinsdale, NH
		9.095	14.637	2	VT 9 west – Brattleboro, Bennington	Also serves Marlboro College and Wilmington
		11.550	18.588	3	US 5 / VT 9 east – Brattleboro, Keene N.H.	Also serves World Learning SIT Graduate Institute
	Dummerston	17.952	28.891	4	US 5 – Putney
	Westminster	28.610	46.043	5	To US 5 / VT 123 / VT 121 – Westminster, Bellows Falls, Walpole N.H.
	Rockingham	35.200	56.649	6	US 5 / VT 103 – Rockingham, Rutland, Bellows Falls	Also serves Chester and Ludlow
Windsor	Springfield	41.690	67.094	7	US 5 / VT 11 / VT 106 – Springfield	Also serves Charlestown, NH and the Fort at Number 4
	Weathersfield	51.370	82.672	8	VT 131 / US 5 / VT 12 – Ascutney, Windsor	Also serves Ludlow and Claremont, NH
	Hartland	60.450	97.285	9	US 5 / VT 12 – Hartland, Windsor
	Hartford	69.810	112.348	10	I‑89 – Lebanon Municipal Airport, New Hampshire, Barre, Montpelier	Signed as Exits 10S (south) and 10N (north)
		70.200	112.976	11	US 5 – White River Junction
		72.010	115.889	12	To US 5 – Wilder, White River Junction
	Norwich	74.830	120.427	13	US 5 / VT 10A – Norwich, Hanover NH	Also serves Montshire Museum of Science
Orange	Thetford	84.210	135.523	14	VT 113 to US 5 – Thetford	Also serves Chelsea and Lyme, NH
	Fairlee	91.540	147.319	15	US 5 – Fairlee, Orford NH	Also serves Lake Morey and Lake Fairlee
	Bradford	97.630	157.120	16	VT 25 to US 5 – Bradford, Barre	Also serves Newbury and Piermont
	Town of Newbury	110.340	177.575	17	US 302 to US 5 – Wells River, Woodsville NH	Also serves South Ryegate and Groton
Caledonia	Barnet	120.450	193.845	18	To US 5 – Barnet, Peacham	Also serves West Barnet, Monroe NH, McIndoe Falls, and East Ryegate
	Waterford	128.250	206.398	19	I‑93 south – Littleton NH
	St. Johnsbury	128.890	207.428	20	US 5 – St. Johnsbury, Passumpsic
		130.600	210.180	21	US 2 – St. Johnsbury, Montpelier	Also serves Danville and Hardwick
		132.550	213.319	22	To US 5 – St. Johnsbury
	Lyndon	137.110	220.657	23	US 5 to VT 114 – Lyndonville, East Burke	Also serves Lyndon State College
		140.178	225.595	24	VT 122 to US 5 / VT 114 – Sheffield, Burke, Lyndonville	Also serves Caledonia County Airport
Orleans	Barton	155.950	250.977	25	VT 16 to US 5 – Barton, Glover Also serves Hardwick and Crystal Lake
		161.410	259.764	26	US 5 / VT 58 – Orleans, Irasburg	Also serves Lake Willoughby and Jay
	Derby	170.060	273.685	27	VT 191 to US 5 / VT 105 – Newport	Also serves Lake Memphremagog
		172.400	277.451	28	US 5 / VT 105 – Newport, Derby Center	Also serves Seymour Lake and Lake Memphremagog
		177.269	285.287	29	To US 5 – Derby Line
		177.432	285.549	–	A-55 north – Stanstead	I-91 ends, continuation into Quebec
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

External links

Route map: Bing

• Media related to Interstate 91 at Wikimedia Commons
• I-91 historical overview from bostonroads.com

Main Interstate Highways Signed 2 4 5 8 10 12 15 16 17 19 20 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 35 37 39 40 41 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 Temporary Future Auxiliary Main Other Standards Business Bypassed Gaps Tolled Major Interstates highlighted

Auxiliary routes of Interstate 91 Connecticut 291 4911 691 Massachusetts 291 391 1Former