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[Alps]

Hartford Courant op/ed: CT Put Highway Edge Lines On The Map

As drivers did generally in the early postwar years, when Dorr and his wife used these roads at night, they hugged the centerline for guidance. This minimized the chance of their drifting off the road but maximized the glare from the headlights of oncoming cars using the same strategy. To avert a collision when momentarily blinded by the lights, drivers tended to veer to the right — often ending up in the soft, grassy shoulder of the road, or worse.

Dorr conceived of a continuous line marking the right edge of the pavement as a new visual aid delineating the road's boundary. This gave drivers a reference other than the centerline for staying in their lane. He convinced the Connecticut highway department to paint an experimental right-edge line on a 4-mile stretch of the Merritt Parkway.

After a six-month testing period, the right-edge line — subsequently also sometimes called a "fog line" — proved effective in helping drivers stay on the straight and narrow. By the end of 1954, the line was painted along the entire length of the Merritt, as well as on many of the state's busiest roads.

The writer is a Dukie, but he is writing a new highway book, so good for him:

Henry Petroski is a professor of civil engineering and of history at Duke. This essay is adapted from his forthcoming book,"The Road Taken: The History and Future of America's Infrastructure," which will be published in February.

Petroski is full of dookie. I've read his books before and I had to stop within a few paragraphs because of how terrible he is at (describing) engineering.

[KEVIN_224]

So wait...is I-395 in eastern Connecticut the only 3DI which has mile markers? Probably a yes, since it was mostly part of the original Connecticut Turnpike.

[noelbotevera]

So wait...is I-395 in eastern Connecticut the only 3DI which has mile markers? Probably a yes, since it was mostly part of the original Connecticut Turnpike.

I-95 was too, but it doesn't have mile markers.

[jp the roadgeek]

So wait...is I-395 in eastern Connecticut the only 3DI which has mile markers? Probably a yes, since it was mostly part of the original Connecticut Turnpike.

Technically, I-684 does in the little piece in CT, but that's maintained by NYSDOT and NY MM

[KEVIN_224]

So wait...is I-395 in eastern Connecticut the only 3DI which has mile markers? Probably a yes, since it was mostly part of the original Connecticut Turnpike.

I-95 was too, but it doesn't have mile markers.

Connecticut I-95 does indeed have them. The 2/10 mile variety from the state line until at least New Haven.

[Pete from Boston]

When was the Mashapaug Rd./Exit 74 eastbound on-ramp onto I-84 closed?  It is on the 1971 photo but not the 1991 photo on Historicaerials.com

[kurumi]

When was the Mashapaug Rd./Exit 74 eastbound on-ramp onto I-84 closed?  It is on the 1971 photo but not the 1991 photo on Historicaerials.com

The ramp was probably relocated when I-86 (now I-84) was reconstructed in the area c. 1976.

The Wilbur Cross Highway (CT 15, I-86) at the time was 6 lanes from East Hartford to US 6/44, and 4 lanes to the east. That highway dated back to 1954 and earlier. Widening and reconstruction started at Union in the mid-1970s and worked its way westward, finishing around 1989 at the 84/15 split. The new profile, disregarding operational and C/D lanes, is 6+2 HOV to Vernon, and 6 lanes to the Mass. state line.

I would call this the most dramatic highway reconstruction project in CT history. I-91 north of Hartford comes close; it also had HOV lanes added, and the CT 20 interchange completely redone. But I-84 saw interchanges removed (Forbes St), moved (Buckland St. used to be at Tolland Tpke.), upgraded (flyover at 30/83); C/D roads (Manchester) and two interstates connected (291 and 384).

I doubt we'll see any project of this scale in CT ever again. There may be more expensive projects (84/8; Aetna Viaduct; 95/34/91 and Q-Bridge; Malloy's I-95 widening proposal), but nothing like a complete modernization (apparent doubling of ROW, etc.) of 30 miles of freeway.

[southshore720]

I doubt we'll see any project of this scale in CT ever again. There may be more expensive projects (84/8; Aetna Viaduct; 95/34/91 and Q-Bridge; Malloy's I-95 widening proposal), but nothing like a complete modernization (apparent doubling of ROW, etc.) of 30 miles of freeway.

That's a shame...so many great projects await:
Full interchange of US 7 & Merritt Pkwy; US 7 completed from Wilton to Danbury; CT 25 completed from CT 111 to I-84; CT 11 completed to I-95; I-384 completed to AT LEAST I-395   

[KEVIN_224]

I'd be happy with I-384 and the US Route 6 expressway near Willimantic get connected directly!

Meanwhile, while on I-91 in Meriden on Tuesday, I couldn't help but notice that mile marker 20 getting shifted nearly 4/10 of a mile to the north. The southbound "MILE 20" sign used to be south of the I-691/CT 66 bridges but before the highway got flanked by either side of CT Route 15.

[JakeFromNewEngland]

I was traveling through Danbury and noticed they put up a new APL at the I-84/US 7/US 202 split. There was one assembly that was up (shown below) and another was under construction about 1/2 mile before the interchange.

[OracleUsr]

The CT DOT seems to have adopted a more standard left tab now.  The one in the background looks really odd up close (I think it's because of the spacing between EXIT and 7).

[bob7374]

I got to travel along some of I-395 on Saturday. They have installed new signs (with new numbers) up at least to Exit 90 (new Exit 35). Here's the 1/2 mile advance sign for Exit 35:


They also have placed new signage along SR 695 toward US 6 East (nothing new the other way. Here's the new signage at the off-ramp for now Exit 1:


I've created a blog entry with more photos of new I-395 signage:
http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2015/11/a-drive-along-part-of-i-395.html

[southshore720]

Ross Rd. finally gets its due...

[kurumi]

Ross Rd. finally gets its due...

Ross Road Meetup, July 2016

Let's check out the Ross Road interchange on SR 695 with the new signage. If there is time, we will also visit the Squaw Rock Road interchange. If there is still time, we will go to Dunkin Donuts.   

[vdeane]

Dunkin Donuts can be the meet restaurant.  We can take the meet photo there in case anyone needs to peel off early in the tour.

[Alps]

Dunkin Donuts can be the meet restaurant.  We can take the meet photo there in case anyone needs to peel off early in the tour.

Intermediate bathroom break at the other Dunkin Donuts. Post-meet dinner at the third Dunkin Donuts.

[jp the roadgeek]

Dunkin Donuts can be the meet restaurant.  We can take the meet photo there in case anyone needs to peel off early in the tour.

Intermediate bathroom break at the other Dunkin Donuts. Post-meet dinner at the third Dunkin Donuts.

Has anyone clinched every Dunkin in CT yet?

[cl94]

Dunkin Donuts can be the meet restaurant.  We can take the meet photo there in case anyone needs to peel off early in the tour.

Intermediate bathroom break at the other Dunkin Donuts. Post-meet dinner at the third Dunkin Donuts.

Has anyone clinched every Dunkin in CT yet?

Good luck with that. There are probably hundreds.

[KEVIN_224]

Just like there's seemingly a CVS every 500 feet in sections of Boston.

One could also easily head into Rhode Island at the end of SR CT 695. There's really nothing on those first couple miles of US Route 6 though. This is your "view" crossing east into Foster, RI:

[Beeper1]

Traveled the northern half of 395 today.  The new numbers are in place up to exit 43 (old exit 94) in Attawaugan.   Only exits 95-100 still have the old numbers.

Odd question, but who is going to be changing the number on the SB sign for exit 100 that's in MA?  It was put up by MassDOT, but isn't in their renumber contract. 

[TravelingBethelite]

Dunkin Donuts can be the meet restaurant.  We can take the meet photo there in case anyone needs to peel off early in the tour.

Intermediate bathroom break at the other Dunkin Donuts. Post-meet dinner at the third Dunkin Donuts.

Has anyone clinched every Dunkin in CT yet?

Good luck with that. There are probably hundreds.

I'm in Danbury and they're over 50 within 30 miles of me, so that sounds right.

[dgolub]

Ross Rd. finally gets its due...

Ross Road Meetup, July 2016

Let's check out the Ross Road interchange on SR 695 with the new signage. If there is time, we will also visit the Squaw Rock Road interchange. If there is still time, we will go to Dunkin Donuts.   

Yes, let's do it.

[shadyjay]

Ross Rd. finally gets its due...

Ross Road Meetup, July 2016

Let's check out the Ross Road interchange on SR 695 with the new signage. If there is time, we will also visit the Squaw Rock Road interchange. If there is still time, we will go to Dunkin Donuts.   

The meet can start at the Plainfield Service Plaza-SB.  Bathroom break at Montville Service Plaza-SB.  Reverse direction at Exit 2/former Exit 77, then another break at Plainfield Service Plaza-NB, then off onto SR 695 to the Ross Road interchange.  All service plazas have Dunkin' Donuts.  Kill two birds with one stone!

Was there ever any elusive old signage at the Ross Road SB onramp or the Squaw Rock Road NB onramp?  Seems like these would've been perfect spots for some classic old signage to hang on, forgotten, for years.

[Beeper1]

No, there wasn't ever anything too interesting on either of those roads.

The top of the Squaw Rock onramp has a TO EAST {6} shield assembly, which wasn't too old (and has been replaced with a new identical setup recently).

The top of the Ross Road ramp just has a TO SOUTH {395} shield assembly. 

[Pete from Boston]

Just like there's seemingly a CVS every 500 feet in sections of Boston.

One could also easily head into Rhode Island at the end of SR CT 695. There's really nothing on those first couple miles of US Route 6 though. This is your "view" crossing east into Foster, RI:

Whoa, settle down... you don't want to add a second day to this tour.