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[agentsteel53]

what years was the Hartford-to-Sturbridge road signed as I-86?  my research indicates 1969 to either 1980 or 1984.  is this correct?

my 1965 Rand McNally definitely shows it as I-84.  there was a single I-86 shield remaining on a side street at Exit 2 in Sturbridge as late as 1987 or so.

[PHLBOS]

Steve Anderson's Bostonroads website gives a comprehensive history regarding that road and would imply that your guesses are correct.

http://www.bostonroads.com/roads/I-84_MA/

Excerpt:

In October 1968, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island were granted an Interstate route between I-84 in East Hartford and I-95 in Providence in the "Proposed Interstate System Adjustment" report. The new route, which was to parallel US 6 and US 44 through Tolland and Wyndham counties, was designated as a re-routed I-84. The existing I-84 between East Hartford and Sturbridge received a new designation: I-86.

Nonetheless I believe that the actual signs may have changed (from I-84 to I-86) sometime in the very early 1970s.  My old 1969 Rand McNally atlas still lists the road as I-84 (& MA 15), which was likely published before the change became official.

The change back to I-84; excerpt from the same link:

In June 1984, the MassDPW changed the designation along the Massachusetts section of the Wilbur Cross Parkway from I-86 back to I-84. (The MA 15 designation had also been removed from the route.)

The reason(s) for the change back were/are obvious and out of MassDPW's control.

Rand McNally likely showed the change back to I-84 on the 1985 editions of their atlasses.

[agentsteel53]

Nonetheless I believe that the actual signs may have changed (from I-84 to I-86) sometime in the very early 1970s. 

I believe the 86 shield was '57 spec but honestly I just don't remember all that well.  I do remember with 100% clarity that it was state-named and just a bit beaten up. 

Rand McNally likely showed the change back to I-84 on the 1985 editions of their atlasses.

the 1986 definitely showed I-84, which is why I wondered what I-86 was doing there.

when I drove by there in 2010, there was what appeared to be a late 80s I-84 shield, and the TO and ARROW were what had to be 15 years older.  so I'll bet that 84 replaced an 86 shield.

[PHLBOS]

I believe the 86 shield was '57 spec but honestly I just don't remember all that well.  I do remember with 100% clarity that it was state-named and just a bit beaten up.

Most of MassDPW's I-shields for trailblazers and assurance signs still contained the state name until the late 1970s.
 

[agentsteel53]

I would imagine 1978 as a logical year for taking off the state name, as that is when the federal MUTCD explicitly forbade it. 

a lot of states didn't comply, but some did and have never looked back.  Mass and Tenn come to mind.  as for Utah, they only recently brought it back.  Colorado was without state name starting in 1971, when they adopted the 1970 MUTCD that made it optional.