(CT) Someone giving directions pre-interstate system

[relaxok]

I thought this was interesting - Alexander Calder's handwritten directions showing how to get from NYC to his house on Painter Hill Road off CT-47 in Roxbury, CT - but before there was an interstate system.

Merritt Parkway to CT-59 to CT-25 to US-6 (the part now sharing I-84) to CT-47.



Did CT-59 to CT-25 used to actually be a decent way to make that trip? or merely the only way?

Exit 46 is still CT-59 as well!

[Duke87]

Would have been the most direct way, at least.

And, probably also the best. I dunno exactly what year this is, but going based on "before the interstate system", I would venture a guess we're talking about a time when CT 25 was an open road going past farm fields, not clogged with traffic like it is now. And that part of CT 59 is to this day fairly quiet.

[Michael in Philly]

I'm rusty on where Roxbury is (and on western Connecticut, which I used to know fairly well) generally, but could he have been mostly trying to spare people going through the center of Danbury?

[Duke87]

Even if it weren't for Danbury, his route would still have made more sense since it involves covering more ground on the parkway (which would allow you to cover that E-W distance faster than US 6 would have)

[Alps]

Exit 42 to CT 136 seems like a better deal

[Duke87]

Well, that section of road was not a state highway until 1963. So, who knows what kind of standard it was up to at the time. Might not have been as good a route then as it is today. Would have been less intuitive, at least.

[SignBridge]

I often try to imagine what it was like to drive any great distance in the early 1950's before the Interstate system. Outside of New Jersey where the Turnpike opened in 1951, it must have been a real slow trip anywhere.

The only actual recollection I have is from 1955 (age-4) driving from NYC to Mystic, Ct. in my Dad's '51 Chevy. We rode the Merritt Pkwy. (with it's scary looking steep hills) to wherever it ended, and then Route-1 the rest of the way. Long ride.

By 1960, when we drove from NYC to Maine, (in a '57 Chevy) Interstate construction was in full swing. We rode the new Conn. Tpk, (with colorful I-95 markers prominently displayed) to Milford, then the Wilbur Cross Pkwy. to Ct. Route 15, over the previous Charter Oak Bridge, then continuing on Route 15 (now I-84, but only 2 lanes each way at that time)  to the then new MassPike to the end at Route 128 (also only 2 lanes each way) to somewhere north of Boston where we then alternated between Route-1 and sporadic newly completed sections of I-95 onto the Maine Tpk.

All that new highway construction was facinating to a 9-year old highway buff and is still facinating today at age 60! Wish I could do it all over again.......

[Duke87]

Well, there's been a lot of development in the last 50 years. In all too many cases what's now a clogged artery with tons of lights was a quiet drive past farmland (or something equally undeveloped) 50+ years ago. I daresay driving US 1 through Fairfield County was probably a lot faster in 1950 than it is now.

Also changed is the fact that far more people own cars. In 1940, if you wanted to go somewhere not local, you were probably going to get on a train, not drive. Let's not forget: we didn't always have freeways, but we had a lot more rail lines before we did than we do now.