Old CT Highway Photos

[Mergingtraffic]

Are there any CT highway photos out there? Old photos of signs, scenes etc.

I love the aerial site but its hard to see the lanes sometimes.

I like to see how things have (or havent) changed over the years.

Too bad CT DOT doesn't have a catalog online.

[shadyjay]

Here's a great selection of Conn. Turnpike signage in its early years:
http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/ct/i-95/s.html

Also see:
www.aaroads.com/shields/thumbs.php?state=CT

Clicking on some of those shields will reveal some old sign assemblies, including a NB Conn Tpke scene in New Haven, plus this gem of an unopened I-84 EB in downtown Hartford:
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=CT19700912

[Mergingtraffic]

Here's a great selection of Conn. Turnpike signage in its early years:
http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/ct/i-95/s.html

Also see:
www.aaroads.com/shields/thumbs.php?state=CT

Clicking on some of those shields will reveal some old sign assemblies, including a NB Conn Tpke scene in New Haven, plus this gem of an unopened I-84 EB in downtown Hartford:
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=CT19700912

Yes, I saw that, it looks like with the CT34 Exit, it shows only 3 lanes going towards I-91/I-95, today it is 4...they must've restriped it at some point.

And with the unopened I-84, it shows 3 lanes each way.  Isn't it 4 lanes each way now?

[shadyjay]

I'm not sure whether I-95 NB at Exit 47 in New Haven had been widened.  By observing the "gore area" on the left, it appears striped extra wide.  So its possible the extra lane was just a restriping.  I always found it interesting that the right sign reads "I-95 North / Conn Tpke E / New London".  The "control city" for the turnpike has flip-flopped, from "RHODE ISLAND" on original turnpike signage, to New London to Providence and now back to New London. 

Yes, I-84 EB is 4 lanes through that section of Hartford now - that whole area was extensively rebuilt in the late 80s/early 90s, including adding the "tunnel" and the infamous "flyover".  That was "big news" when it opened, providing a direct highway connection between 84EB and 91NB that was never before possible, despite what the signs in the photo show. 

[relaxok]

Also see:
www.aaroads.com/shields/thumbs.php?state=CT

Yep at first I didnt realize clicking on the shields often gave larger sign assemblies.. great stuff..

I got my avatar from that - my hometown exit!  Even that sign is a good example of things changing... 202 is no longer listed as a route there.. compare the pic my avatar is from (1969) to this semi recent pic.. nearly the same location, except of course there's just a small exit sign at the actual split and an assembly a few hundred feet earlier.  That's a question, did I-84 used to have sign assemblies right where the exit lane actually split off and as a design principle changed them all to be 'leading' signs with a bit of heads-up?  Or did they always have the leading sign and then got rid of the assemblies at the split in lieu of a small sign with just EXIT and the number?





Also, I looked at http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/us202.html and it doesn't mention 202 going through this area, unless I'm blind.. did this just sign 202 because you could eventually get to 202 if you went far enough up 67?

[NE2]

http://historical.mytopo.com/getImage.asp?fname=stby53nw.jpg&state=CT shows 202 there; it followed 6 to 10 at Farmington: http://historical.mytopo.com/getImage.asp?fname=nwbr46nw.jpg&state=CT
Kurumi says the change was made in 1974.

[shadyjay]

And of course, here's the 3rd era replacement for Exit 15 - only have a shot of the 1-mile advance:

[relaxok]

Ah-hah, I just didn't look hard enough.. AlpsROADS has this awesome cutout photo and explanation which references the other old photo I linked above:



Two more Michael Summa photos from 1970. Because US 202 followed now-CT 302 east of Danbury, it came back to I-84, and then followed US 6 all the way over to CT 10. Its rerouting in 1974 to its current alignment gave it more freedom from other routes, instead of being multiplexed through the entire state. The California-style shields are from the late 1950's or early 1960's, and thus may be original to the freeway - they were only around for a few years in transitioning from the state-name US shields to the current unlettered ones.


I guess I misinterpreted what was listed on the kurumi page.. it followed 6 ALL THE WAY through to farmington, that's a long way.


Added URL - thanks for kind words!

[Duke87]

US 202 followed now-CT 302 east of Danbury

Ah, so that's where that number comes from! I always thought it was strange that here's this number over 300 when there's no other (signed) state highway in the county numbered above 137.

[kurumi]

Also, I looked at http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/us202.html and it doesn't mention 202 going through this area, unless I'm blind.. did this just sign 202 because you could eventually get to 202 if you went far enough up 67?

It's covered in the bullet point "overlap with US 6 to Scott Swamp Road (now SR 552), Farmington" ... but that very terse phrase doesn't list the towns (Southbury, Woodbury, Watertown, Thomaston, Plymouth, Bristol, Farmington).

If you haven't already seen it, here's my makeover of the 84/6/67 interchange:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3618.msg80177#msg80177

[relaxok]

If you haven't already seen it, here's my makeover of the 84/6/67 interchange:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3618.msg80177#msg80177

Wow, that's quite a change!  My parents moved to town in 1979.  I believe they said at that point, there was only ONE single traffic light in the ENTIRE town, period, and that was the one in front of the plaza - so no lights at all on the interstate on/off ramps in any direction!   Not sure if they remember it wrong, but that would be a hilariously dire situation with the increased traffic in the area at this point in time.  Any idea if that is true?  That would be a thread-worthy picture if it was verifiable.

While I note it's a good location for it, I can't help but be a bit sad at bisecting Community House Road with the 84 ramps - would that be a flyover or just cut through the woods?  I guess ground level since you have it going under 84.   I used to live on that road and miss it quite a lot, it was very unspoiled.  Though I lived kind of in the middle, and not near either of the 67 splits... it's probably pretty noisy down there where the ramps would be by now.

I'm PRETTY sure there is a historic plow shop/barn right where that bisection is, but maybe you're right that there's enough clearance to avoid demolishing it.   In fact it would kind of have to go over top of it?  There's only a few people down on that part of the street but I'm sure they'd raise hell.

Anyway, very cool!

[Mergingtraffic]

I'm not sure whether I-95 NB at Exit 47 in New Haven had been widened.  By observing the "gore area" on the left, it appears striped extra wide.  So its possible the extra lane was just a restriping.   

I looked at the old aerials and the bing maps and I-95 looks wider there now.  I wonder if they did widen it?  B/c before the Exit 47 left exit, I-95 is five lanes with the left hand deceleration ramp and the old aerials look too narrow. 
If it was widened...I am in shock b/c we always hear that there were never any improvements at all in this area.

[kurumi]

I'm PRETTY sure there is a historic plow shop/barn right where that bisection is, but maybe you're right that there's enough clearance to avoid demolishing it.   In fact it would kind of have to go over top of it?  There's only a few people down on that part of the street but I'm sure they'd raise hell.

That's the thing with amateur engineers: "minimal community impact" really means "didn't see much in Google Maps except a bunch of trees"