Connecticut Route 15

Route 15 marker

Route 15
Route information
Maintained by ConnDOT
Length: 83.53 mi[1] (134.43 km)
Existed: 1932 (relocated 1948) – present
Restrictions: No commercial vehicles, trailers, towed vehicles, buses, or hearses on Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways[2]
Major junctions
South end: NY 120A / Hutchinson River Parkway in Rye Brook
  US 7 in Norwalk
Route 8 in Trumbull
I-91 / I-691 in Meriden
Route 9 in Berlin
Route 2 in East Hartford
North end: I-84 / US 6 in East Hartford
Location
Counties: Fairfield, New Haven, Hartford
Highway system
  • Routes in Connecticut
Route 14Route 16

Route 15 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut that runs 83.53 miles (134.43 km) from a connection with New York's Hutchinson River Parkway in Greenwich, Connecticut to its northern terminus intersecting with Interstate 84 in East Hartford, Connecticut. Route 15 consists of four distinct sections: the Merritt Parkway, the Wilbur Cross Parkway, the Berlin Turnpike, and part of the Wilbur Cross Highway. The unified designation was applied to these separate highways in 1948 to provide a continuous through route from New York to Massachusetts.

Route description

Route 15 begins at the New York border as the Hutchinson River Parkway becomes the Merritt Parkway, a 37.27 mile landscaped limited-access road with many sharp curves and low overpasses. The parkway proceeds in a mostly east-northeasterly direction. Major junctions along the parkway include US 7 in Norwalk, and the Route 8 expressway in Trumbull. As Route 15 crosses the Housatonic River on the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge from Fairfield County into New Haven County, it becomes the 29.46 mile Wilbur Cross Parkway, which continues in the same east-northeasterly direction before turning more northeasterly in North Haven. Major junctions include the Milford Parkway (SR 796), a connector providing access to Interstate 95 and US 1 beginning just east of the Sikorsky Bridge; US 5 in Wallingford; and a complex set of interchanges in Meriden providing access to I-91, I-691, and the Route 66 expressway. The parkway ends about a mile north of I-691 as US 5 joins Route 15 and the road becomes a four-lane divided highway with signalized and at-grade intersections known as the Berlin Turnpike. After entering Hartford County, it meets the Route 9 expressway at a complex interchange in Berlin. After 11.21 miles on the turnpike, Route 15 and US 5 become the Wilbur Cross Highway in Wethersfield as the Berlin Turnpike becomes Route 314. After another complex interchange with I-91, it crosses the Connecticut River on the Charter Oak Bridge between Hartford and East Hartford. US 5 leaves the expressway just after the bridge in an interchange that also provides access to the Route 2 expressway. After 5.64 miles on the Wilbur Cross Highway, Route 15 ends as it merges into I-84 east. [3]

There are vehicle restrictions on the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways (e.g., no trucks).[2]

History

The Route 15 designation was created as part of the 1932 state highway renumbering and originally ran from New Haven through Middletown, East Hartford and Stafford Springs to the Massachusetts state line in Union. The original route used the pre-expressway alignment of modern Route 17 to Glastonbury, Main Street to East Hartford center, U.S. Route 5 to the junction with Route 30, then modern Route 30 to Stafford, then modern Route 190 to Union, and modern Route 171 to the Massachusetts state line.[4]

In 1943, a newly constructed two-lane highway (now the Wilbur Cross Highway) between Tolland and Union was opened to traffic. Route 15 was relocated on this new highway and the former Route 15 between Route 74 and Route 190 (then part of Route 20) was redesignated as Route 30. By 1948, the rest of the old two-lane Wilbur Cross Highway to East Hartford had also opened, connecting to the Charter Oak Bridge and the Hartford Bypass. In 1948, the State Highway Department decided to relocate Route 15 to a series of roadways, namely the Merritt Parkway, Wilbur Cross Parkway, Berlin Turnpike, Hartford Bypass, Charter Oak Bridge, and the new Wilbur Cross Highway, creating a modern, high-speed throughway from the New York state line to the Massachusetts state line. The Route 15 designation was applied to the previously unnumbered parkways from Greenwich to Meriden, then overlaid with U.S. Route 5 through East Hartford, then designated on the southern half of the Wilbur Cross Highway to Tolland, connecting with the portion previously designated as Route 15 five years before. The former Route 15 between South Windsor and Tolland was reassigned as an extension of Route 30, and the former Route 15 between New Haven and Glastonbury became redesignated as Route 17.[4][5]

In 1948, a portion of the Wilbur Cross Parkway between Route 34 and Whitney Avenue had still been under construction. Route 15 was temporarily routed along Route 34, Sherman Avenue (former Routes 5 and 10), Henry Street/Munson Street/Hillside Place/Edwards Street (former Route 5), and Whitney Avenue (former Route 10A). By 1949, the Wilbur Cross Parkway was completed and the temporary Route 15 designation was removed from the surface streets. Further improvements in the Wilbur Cross Highway took place over the next several years and the road became a four-lane divided highway by 1954. In 1968, most of the Wilbur Cross Highway was designated as I-86 and further upgrades to the road were implemented. Route 15 and I-86 overlapped from the current 15/84 junction in East Hartford to the Massachusetts state line. In 1984, the overlap was removed, truncating Route 15 to its current northern end, while at the same time I-86 was redesignated as I-84.[5]

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
FairfieldGreenwich0.000.00 Hutchinson River Parkway south New York CityNew York state line, exit numbering roughly continues south
0.050.08027 NY 120A north (King Street) Armonk
3.485.6028Round Hill Road  GreenwichTo Greenwich business district
4.697.5529Lake Avenue  Greenwich
5.659.0931North Street  GreenwichTo Greenwich business district
Stamford8.9014.3233Den Road  Stamford
9.4815.2634 Route 104 (Long Ridge Rd.) Stamford, Long RidgeTo downtown Stamford and University of Connecticut (Stamford campus)
10.6717.1735 Route 137 (High Ridge Rd.) Stamford, High Ridge
New Canaan13.2421.3136 Route 106 (Old Stamford Rd.) New Canaan, Springdale
14.1422.7637 Route 124 New Canaan, Darien
Norwalk15.8825.5638 Route 123 (New Canaan Ave.) New Canaan, Norwalkaccess to Norwalk Community College
17.3027.8439 US 7 to I-95 Norwalk, DanburySplit into exits 39A (south) and 39B (north); Northbound exits and southbound entrances; interchange redesign in proposal stage[6]
17.5828.2940Main Avenue  NorwalkSplit into exits 40A (south) and 40B (north). Unsigned SR 719. To US 7 Norwalk, Danbury signed southbound.
Westport20.6533.2341 Route 33 Westport, Wilton
21.5734.7142 Route 57 Westport, Weston
Fairfield27.0443.5244 Route 58 Fairfield, ReddingTo Fairfield business district and Fairfield University
28.5345.9146 Route 59 Fairfield, EastonGeneral Electric Headquarters
Trumbull29.2347.0447Park Avenue  Trumbullaccess to the University of Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University
30.5849.2148 Route 111 (Main St.) Long Hill, MonroeSingle-point urban interchange
32.1751.7749 Route 25 Bridgeport, DanburySplit into exits 49N (north) and 49S (south) northbound. No southbound exits to Route 25 southbound.
32.7652.7250 Route 127 TrumbullSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
33.7354.2851 Route 108 (Nichols Ave.) Trumbull, StratfordNorthbound exit and southbound entrance only
34.1454.9452 Route 8 to Route 108 Bridgeport, WaterburySplit into exits 52N (north) and 52S (south); no northbound access to Route 8 southbound; use Exit 51
Stratford36.8759.3453 Route 110 Stratford, Shelton
Housatonic River37.27–
37.62
59.98–
60.54
Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge
North end of Merritt Parkway, south end of Wilbur Cross Parkway
New HavenMilford37.7960.8254 To I-95 / US 1 Milford, New LondonMilford Parkway
38.3761.7555AWheelers Farms RoadSigned as exit 55 southbound
38.4961.9455BWolf Harbor RoadNorthbound exit only
Orange41.4966.7756 Route 121 Orange
42.8368.9357
58
Route 34 east New Haven
Route 34 west Derby
Woodbridge46.51–
46.75
74.85–
75.24
59 Route 63 / Route 69 Woodbridge, New Haven
47.14–
47.37
75.86–
76.23
Heroes Tunnel (formerly West Rock Tunnel)
Hamden50.2180.8160 Route 10 Hamden, New Haven
51.5883.0161/62 (NB)
61 (SB)
Whitney Avenue  Hamden, New HavenSplit into exits 61 (south) and 62 (north) southbound.
51.9983.6762Dixwell Avenue- Hamden, North HavenNorthbound exit and entrance only
52.6784.76 Route 40 Hamden, North HavenProposed interchange
North Haven53.3385.8363 Route 22 North Haven
Wallingford58.3893.9564S. Turnpike Rd., Quinnipiac St. Wallingford
58.6694.4065 Route 150 Yalesville
61.0898.3066 US 5 Wallingford, Meriden
Meriden63.14101.61ConnDOT Maintenance FacilityAccess to/from Miller Avenue
64.13103.2167S I-91 south New Haven, N.Y. CitySouthbound exit and northbound entrance
64.32103.5167E. Main St.  Downtown MeridenJoint exit with I-91
64.83104.3368
N-E
I-91 north / Route 66 east Hartford, MiddletownNorthbound exit and southbound entrance, split into exits 68N (I-91) and 68E (Route 66)
65.26105.0368W I-691 west Meriden, WaterburyNo southbound exit
66.89107.65 US 5 south (North Broad Street) to Route 66 / I-691 MeridenSouthern terminus of US 5 overlap; Limited access ends
North end of Wilbur Cross Parkway, south end of Berlin Turnpike
HartfordBerlin71.58115.20 Route 9 / Route 372 East Berlin, Middletown, New BritainFull interchange
71.94115.78Worthington Ridge Road (SR 572)
72.76117.10 Route 160 east Rocky Hill
Newington74.26119.51 Route 173 north West Hartford
74.88120.51 Route 176 north Newington
76.27122.74 Route 287 west NewingtonWestern terminus of CT 287 overlap
76.34122.86 Route 287 east WethersfieldEastern terminus of CT 287 overlap
Wethersfield76.97123.87 Route 175 Newington, New Britain, WethersfieldFull interchange
77.89125.35 Route 314 east (Berlin Turnpike) to Maple AvenueUS 5 and CT 15 leave the Berlin Turnpike, south end of the Wilbur Cross Highway. Northbound exit and southbound entrance.
79.81128.4485 Route 99 south Wethersfield, Rocky Hill
Hartford80.39129.3886 I-91 south New Haven, N.Y. City
80.78130.0087 Airport Road, Brainard Road Brainard AirportWith I-91 exit 27
81.27130.7989 I-91 north to I-84 west Hartford, SpringfieldNorthbound exit and southbound entrance.
Connecticut River81.56–
82.21
131.26–
132.30
Charter Oak Bridge
East Hartford81.95131.8990 US 5 north (Main Street) / East River Drive
Route 2 Norwich, Hartford
Northern terminus of US 5 overlap.
Access to Route 2 is from northbound only.
82.97133.5391Silver LaneNorthbound exit only. Unsigned SR 502
83.53134.43 I-84 / US 6 east BostonNorthern terminus of CT 15
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-07-26. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  2. 1 2 Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles: Registering a Pick-up Truck with Passenger Plates
  3. Connecticut State Highway Log (2006) Archived 2015-07-26 at WebCite
  4. 1 2 kurumi.com - Route 15
  5. 1 2 Larry Larned, "Route 15: The Road to Hartford", (Arcadia Publishing, 2002)
  6. Koch, Robert (February 25, 2009). "DOT offers revised Route 7/Merritt interchange plan". The Hour. Norwalk. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Connecticut Route 15.

Route map: Bing / Google

KML is from Wikidata
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.