Interstate 84 in Connecticut

Interstate 84
Route information
Maintained by ConnDOT
Length:	97.90 mi[1] (157.55 km)
Existed:	1969 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-84 near Brewster, NY
	US 6 / US 7 / US 202 in Danbury Route 8 in Waterbury I-691 near Cheshire Route 9 near West Hartford I-91 in Hartford Route 2 / Route 15 near East Hartford I-384 / I-291 near Manchester
East end:	I‑84 near Sturbridge, MA
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Routes in Connecticut Interstate U.S. State SSR SR ← Route 83 Route 85 →

Interstate 84 is an east–west Interstate highway across the state of Connecticut through Danbury, Waterbury, Hartford and Union.

Route description

I-84 (looking eastbound) just before becoming an elevated viaduct to cross downtown Waterbury

I-84 enters Danbury from the town of Southeast, New York, and is designated the Yankee Expressway for the next 62 miles (100 km). About 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the east, US 7 joins from the south at exit 3 near Danbury Fair Mall as I-84 turns north. At the next exit, US 6 and 202 join to form a four-way concurrency for the next three miles (4.8 km) to exit 7, when US 7 and US 202 split off north towards New Milford. US 6 leaves the Interstate at the following exit, as I-84 climbs away from Danbury into the more rural towns of Bethel, and Brookfield.

US 6 rejoins I-84 at exit 10, and at exit 11, it turns to the northeast and descends to cross the Housatonic River on the Rochambeau Bridge, into New Haven County. After US 6 leaves once again at exit 15 in Southbury, I-84 proceeds through hilly terrain into Middlebury, becoming more of an urban freeway as it enters the city of Waterbury, where it intersects the Route 8 expressway and crosses the Naugatuck River on an elevated dual-decked viaduct known locally as The Mixmaster. After passing through Cheshire, I-84 intersects the western end of I-691 at the Cheshire–Southington town line, which is also the New Haven–Hartford county line.

I-84 turns more northerly for a stretch to exit 31 (Route 229), which provides access to Lake Compounce Amusement Park and ESPN World Headquarters. The freeway heads more northeasterly to Plainville, where it has a brief 0.5-mile (0.80 km) concurrency with Route 72 to the New Britain city line. From the Route 72 junction through Farmington, West Hartford, and into Hartford, I-84 has many left-hand exits and entrances and sharp curves, which were built for a planned network of freeways. In Farmington, US 6 joins I-84 once again at exit 38, and both meet the northern end of the Route 9 expressway at a half-used multi-level stack interchange that was originally planned to be part of the mostly-cancelled I-291 Hartford Beltway. I-84 and US 6 pass through West Hartford into Hartford (the largest city along the length of the eastern I-84) where they intersect I-91, just before US 44 briefly joins to cross the Connecticut River into East Hartford on the Bulkeley Bridge, which is the oldest bridge on the Interstate system.

After the bridge, US 44 leaves, the name of the highway changes to the Lieutenant Brian L. Aselton Memorial Highway, and I-84 meets the Route 2 expressway, which provides access to the southeastern suburbs of Hartford. As I-84 passes the northern end of the Route 15 expressway, it inherits the Wilbur Cross Highway name for the rest of its length. From 1968 until 1984, the I-84 designation ended here, and the highway became I-86 for the rest of its length, as I-84 was once planned to be built east toward Providence, Rhode Island. I-84 intersects one of the remnants of the abandoned project, I-384, as part of a three-mile (4.8 km) series of complex interchanges in Manchester including the end of the US 6 concurrency at exit 60, and a connection to the only built as originally planned portion of I-291 at exit 61.

Beyond Manchester, I-84 climbs steadily from the Connecticut River Valley and passes through the Tolland County towns of Vernon, Tolland, and Willington. After briefly entering the Windham County town of Ashford, it reenters Tolland County in the town of Union. After exit 74 (Route 171), I-84 crosses the Massachusetts state line. All lanes eventually enter into Sturbridge, but the westbound lanes pass briefly through the town of Holland before entering Sturbridge. Eight miles (13 km) later, I-84 reaches its eastern terminus at the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90).

History

1970s route

A highway connecting Hartford and Provenience was first brought up in 1944 as an upgrade to US 6 from Manchester to the Rhode Island state line.^[2][3] The plan eventually adapted to a submission to the 1956 Interstate Highway Plan, but was declined. It was re-submitted in the 1968 plan, and was granted along with 1,500 other miles of Interstate.^[4]

The highway was firstly designated as Interstate 82, but was changed shortly after to its well-known designation, Interstate 84.^[4] In 1970 through 1973 the first segments of the highway started construction, the segment now designated as I-384, and the Willimantic Bypass.^[2] When these isolated segments were completed, they were designated for the future Interstate, starkly different from today's signs. The signs remained on the Willimantic Bypass up to a decade after the cancellation of the project.^[5]

The planned I-84 was going to also incorporate a cloverleaf intersection with I-295 in Johnston, Rhode Island, and use the under-construction Dennis J. Roberts Expressway and built Huntington Expressway to Providence before the project was shelved.^[6] Briefly, there was an idea to use the southern/unused portion of the highway for Interstate 184, but was disapproved by the FHA.^[7]

An environmental study by RIDOT was done in 1973, it was found the highway would cause heavy impact to Scituate Reservoir, the drinking supply for Providence.^[8] After multiple other studies, Rhode Island ended up cancelling their segment of the highway in 1982, which ended up causing Connecticut to cut the segment to I-395 in Plainfield.^[9] Without Rhode Island, the highway was fully canceled in 1983, and the mileage was returned for other projects.^[10][11]

After the highway was canceled, the only inland route to Providence from Hartford was either US 44 or US 6. Many projects have since happened to improve the roads, mainly in Connecticut.^[12][13] One major one was improving the "Suicide 6" area of US 6 between Bolton and Columbia.^[14][15] Since the cancellation, other plans to have a freeway link between the two built segments have been proposed, including one in 2001, but was short lived, only lasting to 2003 before becoming dormant.^[2][16]

Though the route was basically set in stone in Connecticut, many issues remained in Rhode Island, the biggest of which were major environmental concerns about how the freeway would affect the Scituate Reservoir, which is the main drinking water supply for Providence.

In the 1992 long-range transportation plan released by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, a freeway has been added along the original route of Interstate 84 that will connect to the CT 695 freeway on the Rhode Island–Connecticut border.^[17]

I-86 relation

The section of I-84 between East Hartford, Connecticut (at the present-day junction with Interstate 384) and Sturbridge, Massachusetts (Interstate 90) was for a time signed as Interstate 86 (unrelated to present-day Interstate 86 in New York and Pennsylvania). Signs stating "I-84 Ends, I-86 to Boston" (eastbound) and "I-86 Ends, I-84 to Hartford" (westbound) were posted where the change took place. Exit numbering on I-86 was that of the road's predecessor, Route 15, in a sequence beginning on New York's Hutchinson River Parkway. Exits were renumbered to correspond with the rest of I-84 in Connecticut when the road was redesignated in 1984. The present I-384 as well as the present US 6 bypass near Willimantic, both of which were a part of what was then I-84's planned easterly continuation, were also numbered I-84 prior to 1984 even though they lacked any direct connection to the rest of I-84 at that time. (One had to use Silver Lane in East Hartford to travel between the two stretches of the highway.) These two sections were re-numbered I-384 and Rte 6 when what was then I-86 was re-numbered I-84.^[18]

Upgrades

Sections of I-84 in Connecticut were reconstructed and widened in the 1980s. Another section through Danbury was widened from 4 lanes to 6 lanes in 1985 and 1986. Widening of the highway through Danbury was funded by Union Carbide as part of building its world headquarters in Danbury.^[19] From roughly 1976 to 1988 the former I-86 portion from East Hartford to the Massachusetts state line was completely rebuilt from a narrow 4-lane parkway to a much wider profile ranging from 6 lanes at the Massachusetts state line, expanding to 8 lanes in Vernon, to 12 lanes with HOV lanes in East Hartford. The original route, then known as Route 15, featured pit latrines at its pull offs or rest areas. As of 2014 planning is underway for the I-84 Hartford Project to replace and possibly redesign a two-mile stretch of mostly elevated highway in Hartford. On April 22, 2015, construction began on widening the highway from Exit 23 to Exit 25A in Waterbury from 4 lanes to 6 lanes.

A widening project along the congested stretch of I-84 through Waterbury and Cheshire, Connecticut has been beset by cost overruns, delays, and construction defects involving storm drains,^[20] as state and federal officials have launched criminal investigations stemming from this project. This episode has waned local enthusiasm for a proposed $2 billion reconstruction of the Mixmaster interchange in downtown Waterbury.^[21] Cost estimates for the Mixmaster replacement have increased to $3 billion.^[22] CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has begun a lawsuit against the contractor and an engineering firm in response to threats from the U.S. DOT to withhold funds from the project.^[23] On May 18, 2007, the Waterbury Republican-American reported this area had defective light poles,^[24] while Governor M. Jodi Rell released an audit report of the construction disaster.^[25] A number of DOT personnel were either fired or reprimanded following the scandal. Meanwhile the FBI and a federal grand jury are investigating the now-defunct construction company and the same DOT officials, which may eventually lead to criminal charges in the case.

Future

The I-84 Hartford Project is a ConnDOT project to address structural deficiencies within the I-84 corridor approximately between Flatbush Avenue (exit 45) and the I-91 interchange in Hartford, including a 3,200-foot (980 m) elevated section known as the Aetna Viaduct. Since it became apparent in the 1980s that this section of I-84 in Hartford was deteriorating, ConnDOT has considered how best to repair or reconstruct the corridor. Since that time, many inspections have been carried out and frequent repairs made to keep the highway safe and functioning.

In 2010, the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), the City of Hartford, and ConnDOT collaborated on a study of the corridor to begin the process of exploring reconstruction options. That study looked at several concepts, including the rebuilding of the viaduct "in-kind", as well as several reconstruction alternatives that would alter the configuration of the highway. The alternatives developed for that study were conceptual in nature—they did not look in depth at traffic, engineering feasibility, or environmental impact. However, the strong stakeholder input as part of that effort was helpful in leading to CTDOT's decision to initiate The I-84 Hartford Project, to build on the good work of that earlier study. The I-84 Hartford Project will be a full and comprehensive evaluation leading to a workable solution. The I-84 Hartford Project will examine the feasibility and assess the impact of a range of concepts. Following full examination of the impacts and benefits of feasible alternatives, and, in collaboration with stakeholders and the public, ConnDOT will make a final decision on how to reconstruct this section of the I-84 corridor.^[26][27]

Exit list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Connecticut–New York line		0.00– 0.06	0.00– 0.097		I-84 west – Newburgh, Scranton, PA, White Plains, New York City	Continuation into New York
				1	Saw Mill Road	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance each extend into New York
Fairfield	Danbury	0.78– 1.36	1.26– 2.19	2	US 6 / US 202 (Mill Plain Road) / Old Ridgebury Road – Ridgebury, Mill Plain	Access to Connecticut Welcome Center eastbound; signed as exits 2A (Old Ridgebury) and 2B (US 6 / US 202) westbound; former exit 1
		3.24– 3.70	5.21– 5.95	3	US 7 south – Danbury Airport, Norwalk	Southern end of US 7 overlap
		3.76	6.05	4	US 6 / US 202 west (Lake Avenue)	Western end of US 6/US 202 overlap
		5.27	8.48	5	Route 39 / Route 53 to Route 37 – Downtown Danbury, Bethel, New Fairfield	No guide cities westbound
		5.84	9.40	6	Route 37 – New Fairfield, Danbury	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		7.34– 7.77	11.81– 12.50	7	US 7 north / US 202 east – Brookfield, New Milford	Northern/Eastern end of US 7/US 202 overlap
	Danbury–Bethel line	8.17– 8.79	13.15– 14.15	8	US 6 east (Newtown Road / Route 911) – Bethel	Eastern end of US 6 overlap
	Newtown	11.44	18.41	9	Route 25 – Hawleyville, Brookfield, Newtown
		15.12	24.33	10	US 6 west – Newtown, Sandy Hook	Western end of US 6 overlap
		16.14– 16.64	25.97– 26.78	11	Route 34 east to Route 25 – Derby, New Haven, Bridgeport	Access via SSR 490
Housatonic River		18.48	29.74	Rochambeau Bridge
New Haven	Southbury	18.74	30.16	13	River Road – Southbury	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
		20.21	32.52	14	Route 172 / Georges Hill Road – South Britain, Southbury
		22.00	35.41	15	US 6 east / Route 67 – Southbury, Oxford, Woodbury	Eastern end of US 6 overlap
		24.80	39.91	16	Route 188 – Middlebury, Southford
	Middlebury–Waterbury line	29.81 30.48	47.97 49.05	17	Route 63 – Watertown, Naugatuck Route 63 / Route 64 west – Middlebury, Woodbury, Watertown	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
	Waterbury	31.35– 31.65	50.45– 50.94	18	Chase Parkway (Route 845) – Waterbury West Main Street / Highland Avenue – Waterbury	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		32.02	51.53	19	Route 8 south – Naugatuck, Bridgeport	The Mixmaster
				20	Route 8 north – Torrington
		32.45– 32.76	52.22– 52.72	21	Meadow Street / Bank Street
		32.60 33.56	52.46 54.01	22	Baldwin Street – Downtown Waterbury Union Street – Downtown Waterbury	Signed eastbound for Baldwin Street, westbound for Union Street
		33.02– 34.21	53.14– 55.06	23	Route 69 (Hamilton Avenue) – Wolcott, Prospect	Eastbound access to Route 69 split via separate exits on c/d road; northbound access via Washington Street
		34.36– 35.62	55.30– 57.32	24	Harpers Ferry Road	Closed April 22, 2015; was westbound exit only
				25	Harpers Ferry Road East Main Street / Scott Road	Eastbound exit only No eastbound exit
		36.73	59.11	25A	Austin Road – Waterbury, Prospect
	Cheshire	38.12	61.35	26	Route 70 – Cheshire, Prospect
		40.04– 41.04	64.44– 66.05	27	I-691 east – Cheshire, Meriden	Exits 1–2 on I-691
Hartford	Southington	40.68	65.47	28	Route 322 – Marion, Milldale, Wolcott
		41.89	67.42	29	Route 10 – Milldale	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only via SR 597
		42.52	68.43	30	West Main Street / Marion Avenue – Downtown Southington, Plantsville
		44.34	71.36	31	Route 229 (West Street) – Bristol, Southington, Plantsville
		46.23	74.40	32	Route 10 (Queen Street) – Southington, Plainville
	Plainville	48.98	78.83	33	Route 72 west – Bristol	Eastbound left exit and westbound entrance only; Route 72 exit 4
		49.41	79.52	34	Route 372 / Crooked Street (Route 536) – Plainville	No westbound exit
		49.48	79.63	33	Route 72 west – Bristol	Western end of Route 72 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound left entrance
	New Britain	50.00– 50.61	80.47– 81.45	35	Route 72 east to Route 9 – New Britain, Middletown	Eastern end of Route 72 overlap; left exits
		50.65– 51.19	81.51– 82.38	36	Slater Road – New Britain	Left exit eastbound
	Farmington	53.24	85.68	37	To US 6 west / Fienemann Road – New Britain, Farmington
		54.04	86.97	38	US 6 west – Bristol	Western end of US 6 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		54.35	87.47	39	Route 4 – West Hartford, Farmington	Access via Route 508; left exit and entrance eastbound
		54.99– 56.00	88.50– 90.12	39A	Route 9 south – Newington, New Britain	Exit 31 on Route 9; no eastbound access from exit 39
	West Hartford	56.27	90.56	40	Route 71 / Ridgewood Road – West Hartford, New Britain, Corbins Corner
		57.23	92.10	41	Route 173 (South Main Street) – West Hartford, Newington, Elmwood
		58.05	93.42	42	Trout Brook Drive – Elmwood	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		57.95– 58.40	93.26– 93.99	43	Park Road – West Hartford Center	Access via Route 501
		59.17	95.22	44	Caya Avenue / Kane Street / Prospect Avenue / Oakwood Avenue – West Hartford
	Hartford	59.93	96.45	45	Flatbush Avenue	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only via Route 504
		60.45– 60.79	97.28– 97.83	46	Sisson Avenue / West Boulevard	Access via Route 503
		61.04	98.23	47	Sigourney Street	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		61.38– 61.77	98.78– 99.41	48	Asylum Street / Capitol Avenue	Signed as exits 48A (Asylum St.) and 48B (Capitol Ave.) eastbound; Capitol Avenue not signed westbound
		61.99	99.76	49	Chapel Street / High Street / Ann Ucello Street	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
		62.04	99.84	50	Main Street	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
		62.13	99.99	51	I-91 north – Springfield	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
		62.51	100.60	52	I-91 south – New Haven	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
		62.60	100.74	50	US 44 west (Main Street) to I-91 south	Western end of US 44 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		62.63	100.79	51	I-91 north – Springfield	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
	Connecticut River	62.58– 62.82	100.71– 101.10	Bulkeley Bridge
	East Hartford	62.95	101.31	53	US 44 east (Connecticut Boulevard) / East River Drive – East Hartford	Eastern end of US 44 overlap; no westbound exit
		63.37	101.98	54	Route 2 west – Downtown Hartford	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only; western end of westbound HOV lanes
		63.18– 63.49	101.68– 102.18	55	Route 2 east – Glastonbury, Norwich, New London
		63.37– 63.63	101.98– 102.40	56	Governor Street – Downtown East Hartford	Access via Route 500
					US 5 (Main Street)	Westbound entrance only
				—	Restricted Lanes – Buses and 2 person car pools	Eastbound right exit only; western end of eastbound HOV lanes
		64.84	104.35	57	Route 15 south to I-91 south – Charter Oak Bridge, Wethersfield, Newington, New York City	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only; northern end of Route 15
		64.64– 65.21	104.03– 104.95	—	Silver Lane	HOV access only; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				58	Roberts Street (Route 518) / Silver Lane (Route 502) / Burnside Avenue
		66.43– 68.61	106.91– 110.42	59	I-384 east / Silver Lane / Spencer Street – Providence	Signed as I-384 only eastbound
				—	I-384 east	HOV access only; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	Manchester	68.05	109.52	60	US 6 east / US 44 (Middle Turnpike West) / Burnside Avenue – Manchester, East Hartford	Eastern end of US 6 overlap; westbound exit shares a ramp with exit 62
		68.17– 69.03	109.71– 111.09	61	I-291 west – South Windsor, Windsor
		69.84	112.40	62	Buckland Street	HOV exit to Buckland Street eastbound
				—	Buckland Street	HOV access only; exit not signed; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		71.60	115.23	63	Route 30 / Route 83 – South Windsor, Manchester
Tolland	Vernon	73.00	117.48	64	Route 30 / Route 83 south – Vernon Business District, Rockville, Talcottville	Eastbound exit shares a ramp with exit 64
				—	Route 30 / Route 83 – Vernon Center, Rockville	HOV access only; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		73.27	117.92	Eastern end of HOV lanes
		73.00– 73.93	117.48– 118.98	65	Route 30 north – Vernon Center	Eastbound exit is shared with exit 64
		74.80	120.38	66	Tunnel Road – Vernon, Bolton
		77.28	124.37	67	Route 31 – Rockville, Coventry
	Tolland	81.06	130.45	68	Route 195 – Tolland, Mansfield, Storrs	Access to the University of Connecticut
		83.99	135.17	69	Route 74 to US 44 – Willington, Tolland, Rockville, Putnam
	Willington	85.58	137.73	70	Route 32 – Stafford Springs, Willington, Mansfield, Willimantic
		87.79	141.28	71	Route 320 south (Ruby Road) – Willington
Windham–Tolland county line	Ashford–Union line	92.05	148.14	72	Route 89 – Stafford Springs, Westford, Ashford
Tolland	Union	93.41	150.33	73	Route 190 – Union, Stafford Springs
		97.38	156.72	74	Route 171 / Holland Road – Union, Holland, MA
		97.90	157.55		I‑84 east – Boston	Continuation into Massachusetts
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       HOV only       Incomplete access

Auxiliary routes

	Interstate	City	Type	Notes
	Interstate 384	Manchester	Spur
	Interstate 484	Hartford	Bypass route	Unfinished and decommissioned. Partially exists as the Conlin–Whitehead Highway
	Interstate 684	Greenwich	Bypass route	This route extends for 1.4 miles (2.25 km) in Connecticut, with all interchanges in New York; originally designated as I-87

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 84 in Connecticut.

Route map: Google

Interstate 84
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