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Route 66 (Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
Route 66 is a Connecticut
state highway running from Meriden
to Windham
, serving as an alternate east–west route to US 6
through east-central Connecticut.
, which officially ends at its interchange with I-91
. This freeway portion runs for about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) into the town of Middlefield
. Route 66 then becomes a surface road and running 4 lanes wide in Middlefield, Middletown
across but not intersecting the Route 9 freeway, and Portland
, overlapping Route 17 from Middletown to Portland across the Connecticut River
on the Arrigoni Bridge
. It then narrows to 2 lanes in Portland as Route 17 turns off, and continues through East Hampton
and Marlborough
, where it intersects with the Route 2 freeway, and continues through Hebron
, and Columbia
. In Columbia, Route 66 intersects with US 6
at a freeway junction, after which it continues into Windham
. In Columbia and Windham, Route 66 serves as an alternate non-freeway route through the Windham town center, where it briefly overlaps with Route 32, and Eastern Connecticut State University
. Route 66 ends in Windham where at the end of the freeway segment of US 6
, from which US 6
continues to the northeast.
Route 66 was originally part of State Highway 111 designated in 1922. It ran from the Milldale
section of Southington
, via Meriden
and Middletown
, to Willimantic
. In the 1932 state highway renumbering
, old Highway 111 was designated as part of Route 14, which extended from Woodbury
to the Rhode Island
state line. In 1941, the section of Route 14 from Woodbury
to Willimantic
was redesignated as US 6A
, connecting at
US 6
on both ends.
In the early 1960s, plans for constructing a US 6A expressway between I-84
in Southington and Willimantic were announced. By 1966, a short portion of the expressway from US 5
in Meriden to Middlefield (where the current expressway ends) opened to traffic. By 1968, the US 6A designation was removed and split into several routes. The section from I-84
in Southington
to US 6 in Columbia was reumbered as Route 66, including the newly opened freeway segment. In 1971, another section of the Route 66 freeway opened from between Route 322
and US 5
. In 1987, with the completion of the freeway connection to I-84
, the section of Route 66 west of I-91
was redesignated as I-691
, truncating the western end of Route 66. In 1983, US 6
was rerouted to a newly constructed bypass
around Willimantic, and the former surface route section of US 6
from Columbia to Windham was transferred to Route 66.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
state highway running from Meriden
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
to Windham
Windham, Connecticut
Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the city of Willimantic and the villages of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. The city of Willimantic was consolidated with the town in 1983...
, serving as an alternate east–west route to US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 within the state of Connecticut. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84. Interstate 84 has largely supplanted Route 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, the route serves...
through east-central Connecticut.
Route description
Route 66 begins in Meriden as the extension of I-691Interstate 691
Interstate 691 is a portion of the Interstate Highway System in Connecticut beginning at Interstate 91 in Meriden and ending at Interstate 84 near the Cheshire-Southington town line. It is in length, including of the exit ramp to the merge with westbound I-84.I-691 is also known as the Henry D...
, which officially ends at its interchange with I-91
Interstate 91 in Connecticut
Interstate 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.-Route description:...
. This freeway portion runs for about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) into the town of Middlefield
Middlefield, Connecticut
Middlefield is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,203 at the 2000 census. The town includes the village of Rockfall-History:...
. Route 66 then becomes a surface road and running 4 lanes wide in Middlefield, Middletown
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
across but not intersecting the Route 9 freeway, and Portland
Portland, Connecticut
Portland is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,732 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place . It is situated across the Connecticut River from Middletown....
, overlapping Route 17 from Middletown to Portland across the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
on the Arrigoni Bridge
Arrigoni Bridge
The Arrigoni Bridge carries Route 66 and Route 17 over Route 9 and across the Connecticut River, connecting Middletown, Connecticut to Portland, Connecticut...
. It then narrows to 2 lanes in Portland as Route 17 turns off, and continues through East Hampton
East Hampton, Connecticut
East Hampton is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,352 at the 2000 census. The town center village is listed as a census-designated place...
and Marlborough
Marlborough, Connecticut
Marlborough is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the census-designated place of Terramuggus. The population was 5,709 at the 2000 census. Marlborough is a suburban/rural upper middle class bedroom community of Hartford...
, where it intersects with the Route 2 freeway, and continues through Hebron
Hebron, Connecticut
Hebron is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,610 at the 2000 census. Hebron was incorporated May 26, 1708....
, and Columbia
Columbia, Connecticut
Columbia is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,971 at the 2000 census. Columbia was incorporated in May, 1804, from Lebanon. Columbia offers prekindergarten through 8th grade education in town at Horace W. Porter School, while high school students have a...
. In Columbia, Route 66 intersects with US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 within the state of Connecticut. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84. Interstate 84 has largely supplanted Route 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, the route serves...
at a freeway junction, after which it continues into Windham
Windham, Connecticut
Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the city of Willimantic and the villages of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. The city of Willimantic was consolidated with the town in 1983...
. In Columbia and Windham, Route 66 serves as an alternate non-freeway route through the Windham town center, where it briefly overlaps with Route 32, and Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastern Connecticut State University is a public, coeducational liberal arts university and is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Eastern is located in Willimantic, Connecticut on . Founded in 1889, it is the second-oldest campus in the Connecticut State University System...
. Route 66 ends in Windham where at the end of the freeway segment of US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 within the state of Connecticut. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84. Interstate 84 has largely supplanted Route 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, the route serves...
, from which US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 within the state of Connecticut. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84. Interstate 84 has largely supplanted Route 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, the route serves...
continues to the northeast.
Special Designations
From US 6 in Columbia to the end in Windham, Route 66 is designated the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.History
The entire length of modern Route 66 was originally improved in the 19th century as various private turnpikes. The road from Meriden to Middletown was the Middletown and Meriden Turnpike chartered in 1809 and used the former surface alignment of Route 66 in Meriden (East Main Street). Between Middletown and East Hampton, modern Route 66 was the western half of the Colchester and Chatham Turnpike (the eastern half is modern Route 16), which was chartered in 1808. From East Hampton via Marlborough to the Hebron-Columbia line, the road was the Hebron and Middle Haddam Turnpike that was chartered in 1802. From the Hebron-Columbia line through Columbia to Willimantic, the road was the Columbia Turnpike, chartered in 1808.Route 66 was originally part of State Highway 111 designated in 1922. It ran from the Milldale
Milldale, Connecticut
Milldale is a neighborhood in the incorporated town of Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut.-Geography:Milldale is located at geographical coordinates 41° 33′ 57" North, 72° 53′ 30" West .-External links:*...
section of Southington
Southington, Connecticut
Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of Connecticut's 1st congressional district. It is situated about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, about 80 miles northeast of New York City, 105 miles southwest of Boston and 77 miles west of Providence...
, via Meriden
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
and Middletown
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, to Willimantic
Willimantic, Connecticut
Willimantic is a census-designated place and former city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 15,823 at the 2000 census. It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University, as well as the Windham Textile and History Museum....
. In the 1932 state highway renumbering
1932 state highway renumbering (Connecticut)
In 1932, the Highway Department of the U.S. state of Connecticut , decided to completely renumber all its state highways. The only exceptions were the U.S. Highways and some of the New England Interstate Routes. Between 1922 and 1932, Connecticut used a state highway numbering system shared with...
, old Highway 111 was designated as part of Route 14, which extended from Woodbury
Woodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
to the Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
state line. In 1941, the section of Route 14 from Woodbury
Woodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
to Willimantic
Willimantic, Connecticut
Willimantic is a census-designated place and former city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 15,823 at the 2000 census. It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University, as well as the Windham Textile and History Museum....
was redesignated as US 6A
U.S. Route 6A
U.S. Route 6A or U.S. Route 6 Alternate may refer to:*U.S. Route 6A *U.S. Route 6 Alternate *U.S. Route 6A...
, connecting at
US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 within the state of Connecticut. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84. Interstate 84 has largely supplanted Route 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, the route serves...
on both ends.
In the early 1960s, plans for constructing a US 6A expressway between I-84
Interstate 84 in Connecticut
Interstate 84 is an East–West Interstate highway across the state of Connecticut into Danbury, Waterbury, Hartford and Union.-Route description:...
in Southington and Willimantic were announced. By 1966, a short portion of the expressway from US 5
U.S. Route 5 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 5 , a north–south U.S. Highway that is generally paralleled by Interstate 91, begins at the city of New Haven in Connecticut and heads north through western Massachusetts and eastern Vermont to the international border with Canada...
in Meriden to Middlefield (where the current expressway ends) opened to traffic. By 1968, the US 6A designation was removed and split into several routes. The section from I-84
Interstate 84 in Connecticut
Interstate 84 is an East–West Interstate highway across the state of Connecticut into Danbury, Waterbury, Hartford and Union.-Route description:...
in Southington
Southington, Connecticut
Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of Connecticut's 1st congressional district. It is situated about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, about 80 miles northeast of New York City, 105 miles southwest of Boston and 77 miles west of Providence...
to US 6 in Columbia was reumbered as Route 66, including the newly opened freeway segment. In 1971, another section of the Route 66 freeway opened from between Route 322
Connecticut Route 322
Route 322 is a state highway in west central Connecticut, running from Wolcott to Southington.-Route description:Route 322 begins at an intersection with Route 69 in Wolcott and curves east, southeast, and south to the southeast corner of the town, then turns east into Southington...
and US 5
U.S. Route 5 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 5 , a north–south U.S. Highway that is generally paralleled by Interstate 91, begins at the city of New Haven in Connecticut and heads north through western Massachusetts and eastern Vermont to the international border with Canada...
. In 1987, with the completion of the freeway connection to I-84
Interstate 84 in Connecticut
Interstate 84 is an East–West Interstate highway across the state of Connecticut into Danbury, Waterbury, Hartford and Union.-Route description:...
, the section of Route 66 west of I-91
Interstate 91 in Connecticut
Interstate 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.-Route description:...
was redesignated as I-691
Interstate 691
Interstate 691 is a portion of the Interstate Highway System in Connecticut beginning at Interstate 91 in Meriden and ending at Interstate 84 near the Cheshire-Southington town line. It is in length, including of the exit ramp to the merge with westbound I-84.I-691 is also known as the Henry D...
, truncating the western end of Route 66. In 1983, US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 within the state of Connecticut. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84. Interstate 84 has largely supplanted Route 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, the route serves...
was rerouted to a newly constructed bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
around Willimantic, and the former surface route section of US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 within the state of Connecticut. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84. Interstate 84 has largely supplanted Route 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, the route serves...
from Columbia to Windham was transferred to Route 66.
Junction list
| Town | # Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exit numbers are a continuation from | ||||
| Meriden Meriden, Connecticut Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:... |
0.00 | Continues directly onto I-691 without exit | ||
| 11 | 0.04 | Westbound exit, Eastbound entrance | ||
| 12 | 0.27 | Preston Avenue | Eastbound exit, Westbound entrance | |
| Middlefield Middlefield, Connecticut Middlefield is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,203 at the 2000 census. The town includes the village of Rockfall-History:... |
13 | 1.22 | East Main Street | Westbound exit, Eastbound entrance |
| 1.96 | End Freeway | |||
| 3.88 | ||||
| Middletown Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central... |
5.43 | |||
| 6.12 | ||||
| 6.70 | SR 545 | Access to | ||
| 6.99 | Begin overlap; access to | |||
| Portland Portland, Connecticut Portland is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,732 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place . It is situated across the Connecticut River from Middletown.... |
7.96 | |||
| 9.96 | End overlap | |||
| E. Hampton East Hampton, Connecticut East Hampton is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,352 at the 2000 census. The town center village is listed as a census-designated place... |
12.99 | |||
| 13.83 | ||||
| 16.47 | ||||
| Marlborough Marlborough, Connecticut Marlborough is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the census-designated place of Terramuggus. The population was 5,709 at the 2000 census. Marlborough is a suburban/rural upper middle class bedroom community of Hartford... |
20.62 | |||
| Hebron Hebron, Connecticut Hebron is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,610 at the 2000 census. Hebron was incorporated May 26, 1708.... |
25.91 | |||
| 26.07 | ||||
| Columbia Columbia, Connecticut Columbia is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,971 at the 2000 census. Columbia was incorporated in May, 1804, from Lebanon. Columbia offers prekindergarten through 8th grade education in town at Horace W. Porter School, while high school students have a... |
30.57 | |||
| 32.33 | ||||
| Windham Windham, Connecticut Windham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the city of Willimantic and the villages of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. The city of Willimantic was consolidated with the town in 1983... |
34.95 | |||
| 35.69 | ||||
| 36.91 | ||||
| 38.38 | ||||