Fairfield County's 1933 Parkway Plan

[kurumi]

The Library of Congress has an online exhibit (119 images) of the Merritt Parkway (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0484/); as you'd expect, a lot of photos of its bridges, and so on.

Toward the end, however, are a few scans of Fairfield County's plans for the other parkways in the region. Some of these routes would be quite useful today if built.





I have more discussion here: http://kurumi.com/roads/ct/fcpplan.html

[relaxok]

Amazing link, thank you!!

[BamaZeus]

It almost looks like in the picture that in 1933, US 7 (Ethan Allen  Highway) was already being considered as a major regional artery from Norwalk to Danbury and beyond, presumably to be built at the equivalent of parkway/interstate standards.  But as we all know, the majority of that road has been 2 lanes all these years.

New Canaan Avenue (123) and perhaps High Ridge Road in Stamford look to be major thoroughfares as well ("major county roads"), even though New Canaan Avenue has always been a 2 lane road.  I wonder if the original intent was to have roads like those as 4 lane roads instead.

I see what appears to be I-84 shown from the NY border eastward as only a county road, and not a major regional road.  Then again, trying to distinguish the thickness of the ink for each road is difficult at times.

I'm also intrigued by the inset of the entire state, and how few major roads are represented there.  It's not their purpose to draw out the entire state, but that drawing makes it look like outside of Fairfield County, there was nothing, bar a few major roads to Providence, Boston, and Springfield even as an inkling in anyone's mind.

[kurumi]

The New York-based Regional Plan Association (RPA) in 1932 also proposed a Mohansic-Norwalk parkway, leading from Norwalk to the Bear Mountain Bridge. It would start at the Merritt Parkway, leading northwesterly along the Silvermine River Valley into New York State. I think this would have followed 123.

[BamaZeus]

Wow, I never knew that was a consideration.  My grandparents' backyard faced the parkway on the New Canaan/Norwalk line, so I've always pondered how Merritt widening or anything related to it may have affected them over the years.  They built the house in either 53 or 54, and other than the parkway off in the distance, it was a virtually undeveloped area.

Having 123 as a major artery, built 20+ years before their neighborhood was complete may have changed the entire landscape of that part of town, while still in the planning stages.

This will kinda give an idea where their house was in relation to everything.  They retired to Florida years ago, but when they built their house, I think there were 3 or 4 other houses on the entire street at that point.  I've seen some of the old satellite photos that were linked here a few weeks ago, and there was nothing but woods over there.
http://goo.gl/maps/9hTw