Connecticut milepost exit numbering conversion

[shadyjay]

That shot of Exit 21-A/Main St Extension in Middletown may not be a numbered exit as such for much longer.  CTDOT plans for Middletown have the exit to Portland occurring BEFORE the merge from existing Rt 17 (the onramp they're currently widening).  If this plan does pan out, then Route 17 is going to have to be rerouted onto South Main St & Main St, at least going north.  Already, the onramp signage from Main St Ext references only Route 9 and not Route 17 North. 

Of course we're still only in the planning stages (STILL!) for the removal of the Middletown lights on Route 9.  The state's plans for funneling all that traffic on local roads to get to Portland from Route 9 North is an abomination, and the locals agree.  Now its "wait and see". 

I have pictures of new signage on RT 17 South in Glastonbury over on my FLICKR page.  "New London Turnpike" exit signage, which is visible in the contract plans, has been left out of what's been put up.  I believe there's a project afoot to remove that left exit to New London Turnpike (and the overpass over NLTpke) and modify the "Glastonbury Center" ramp.  There's not even enough room on the new 4-chord cantilever to support the New London Turnpike exit signage.  So that's got to be the eventual goal there.  That left exit to NLTpke was a remnant from when the Glastonbury Expressway was constructed, but Route 2 (east of the present Rt 17 exit) wasn't, so NLTpke was Route 2. 

[kramie13]

According to WFSB, mileage-based exit numbers on CT 2 and CT 11 will "go live" this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vv_Mo3j5nI

Looking on Google Street view, it appears new highway signs (with the new exit numbers covered) have been up since at least August - not sure why it's taken 5 months to pull the trigger. 

Google Maps still lists the sequential numbers on both highways - hope drivers don't get confused.

[The Ghostbuster]

This is good news!

[wanderer2575]

According to WFSB, mileage-based exit numbers on CT 2 and CT 11 will "go live" this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vv_Mo3j5nI

Looking on Google Street view, it appears new highway signs (with the new exit numbers covered) have been up since at least August - not sure why it's taken 5 months to pull the trigger. 

Google Maps still lists the sequential numbers on both highways - hope drivers don't get confused.

Even weirder than the gore signs are the BGSs.

[shadyjay]

Yes, they took the exit tabs off the old signs and stuck them on top of the new signs.  So there's button copy exit tabs temporarily mounted on top of the new signs.  For the next couple weeks anyway.  Go here and you can see all the examples:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/albums/72157672122426080/

This is different than how Route 9 was converted a couple years ago.  And different than how I-384 and Routes 8/25 were converted...

Route 9 was divided into 2 contracts... the southern half had the new signs erected with the new numbers and were covered up until the reveal, without the old #s displayed.  The northern half had new signs erected with the old numbers overlayed over the new numbers, until the revealing.

I-384 is getting all new signs and new exit numbers.  However, the contractor/state decided to renumber the exits first, using overlays on the existing signs, then will replace the signs which will be fabricated with the new numbers.  Routes 8/25 had mostly already new signs, so the exit number change involved overlays on the existing signs.  With a sign replacement project taking place in Waterbury and Watertown, those signs are now being replaced and will be fabricated with the new numbers.  These routes also have the much smaller "OLD EXIT #" yellow banners (similar to Mass).  Routes 2/9/11 have the larger sheet aluminum green "OLD EXIT #" signs.  The yellow ones stick out more, even though they're smaller.

I-291 is also getting new exit numbers/signs.  Exit numbers have not yet been changed, so I'm not sure if they're going to renumber first, then replace the signs, or change over as they go.  I-291 is mostly overhead and those take longer to install than ground mounts (what with more elaborate foundations and such.

[shadyjay]

Drove CT 2 in East Hartford today between I-84 and CT 3.  Exit numbers have not yet been changed in either direction in this section.  Most of this section had its signs replaced not as part of the CT 2 resigning, but as part of a safety improvement project, so the signs here were fabricated with the old numbers and do not have any tarped tabs.  This section also does not have any "OLD EXIT #" signs posted yet. 

Also with all signs in this section being overhead, and given high winds that have been in CT all week, I have to wonder if the conversion has started further east (on the other side of Glastonbury).  I did hear of a lane closure the other morning on CT 2 out by old Exit 9. 

[shadyjay]

Drove part of CT 2 and CT 11 today... new mileage-based exit numbers have been revealed on 98% of the signs*, from Norwich to Colchester.  I didn't venture north of CT 149/new Exit 20, so I'm not sure how far they've made it with the change.  I'll know more hopefully in a week.

*  There's 1 sign EB and 2 signs WB not yet changed out, still sporting the old #s.  Two of them are "spot replacements" that just haven't had the #s changed. 


Here's a sample of some new numbers:

CT 2 East, Colchester:
DSC06895 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

CT 11 South, Salem:
DSC06901 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

CT West, Norwich:
CT2WB-Exit38-2 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

CT West, Norwich:
CT2WB-Exit35-3 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

CT West, Westchester:
CT2WB-Exit20-1 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr


Want more?  Hit the link below. 

[vdeane]

CT West, Norwich:
CT2WB-Exit38-2 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Did they just use the old/new exit sign in place of a gore sign?

[shadyjay]

CT West, Norwich:
CT2WB-Exit38-2 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Did they just use the old/new exit sign in place of a gore sign?

They did in a few locations... I'm guessing just temporarily.  Still a work in progress.


UPDATE 1/20/2025:
Exit numbering has reached up to former Exit 9/new Exit 7 / Neipsic Road in Glastonbury.  No exits have been renumbered yet west of there, to East Hartford and Hartford.  All exits have been renumbered east of there, including new Exit 7, to the end of the expressway in Norwich.  Still awaiting installation of 2 gantries, EB, at Exit 7 and at Exit 8, and the replacement of signs on a gantry to remain at EB Exit 5-D.  On CT 3, one gantry just north/east of the Putnam Bridge is still awaiting installation.
A few more photos added to my CT 2 gallery showing this in fresh snowfall, though I still have some gaps due to some pretty intense AM sun glare.

[jp the roadgeek]

So they've gone back to the green sheet metal old exit signs rather than the small yellow ones.  Google Maps is updated with new numbers up to CT 66 (new 15 old 13) in Marlborough, plus for all of CT 11.  No numbers posted yet for CT 3 or CT 17.

East Haddam as a control for CT 16 

[shadyjay]

The CT 2/3/11/17 project was developed BEFORE the use of the small yellow ones, hence why it has the larger green signs.  I like the small yellow ones myself.

And yes.... why, oh why East Haddam?  I wonder if it was supposed to say "East Hampton"?  No, the project plans said "East Haddam", but still, why?   Why? 

The world may never know.
 

[The Ghostbuster]

I am most looking forward to CT 15's exit numbers being renumbered. I always believed that the exit sequence should have started at 1 from the get-go, not 27.

[vdeane]

I am most looking forward to CT 15's exit numbers being renumbered. I always believed that the exit sequence should have started at 1 from the get-go, not 27.

The NY 120A exit will match NY's numbering, which is as it should be.  Why should the exit have two different numbers?

[shadyjay]

Converting the parkways is LONG overdue.  I just wonder when the rest of CT 15 will be converted (from Wethersfield to East Hartford).  Wonder if it will be snuck into a sign replacement contract for I-84 (East Hartford to Vernon). 

UPDATE 1/25:
Conversion of all exit #s on CT 2, from Hartford to Norwich, is essentially complete.  I have observed new exit numbers on the entire stretch, with some spot gore signs either not yet installed or still have the new numbers tarped.

[bob7374]

I have created a new page devoted to the CT 2 exit renumbering, for now consisting of photos from Shady Jay's Flickr site at: https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/ct2photos.html

I have also posted some of his photos of new exit numbers on CT 3, 11 and 17 on the New England Exit Renumbering Central site, feel free to jump to: https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/neexitrenumbering.html#ct3signs

I hope to take a road trip soon to add some of my own photos.