Interstate 84 West - Danbury

One mile east of the half diamond interchange (Exit 6) for Route 37 (North Street) to New Fairfield on I-84 west. At this point Interstate 84 is also sharing road with U.S. 6, 7 and 202. U.S. 7 and 202 joined Interstate 84 at Exit 7 and are generally not well signed along their overlap with the interstate.
Exit 6 is one of several interchanges that also serves the Danbury area. Route 37 begins at Route 53 (Main Street) in Danbury and heads 18.66 miles northward to U.S. 7 in New Milford.

06/13/05

Approaching Route 37 (Exit 6) on I-84/U.S. 6-202 west and U.S. 7 south. Exit 6 leads to Danbury Hospital in the city or else towards Candlewood Lake. The lake is man-made and is the largest in the state. The lake was designed to store water during periods of low electrical power demand to be used when electrical power demand is high. Because of its size and proximity to New York, it is also a popular recreation area.

06/13/05

Exit 6 departs I-84/U.S. 6-7-202 west for Route 37 (North Street). Route 37 follows Padanaram and Pembroke Roads north 4.5 miles to Route 39 (Brush Hill Road) at New Fairfield. North Street doubles as the route southwest one half mile to Route 53 at Downs Street.

06/13/05

I-84 passes over North Street one half mile east of the parclo interchange (Exit 5) with Route 39 (Main Street). Route 39 commences northward from Exit 5 while Route 53 heads south to Downtown Danbury and Bethel.

06/13/05

Exit 5 joins I-84/U.S. 6-7-202 west with Route 39 (Main Street) at Golden Hill Road. Route 39 continues 22.76 miles through New Fairfield and Sherman northward to Route 55. Route 53 begins also at Exit 5, following Main and South Streets to Bethel. The state highway totals 23.57 miles between Danbury and U.S. 1 at Norwalk. Bethel is the headquarters of the Cannondale Bicycle Corporation.

06/13/05

U.S. 6 west & 202 south split with Interstate 84 west & U.S. 7 south at the folded diamond interchange (Exit 4) with Lake Avenue. Lake Avenue Extension and Mill Plain Road carry the tandem westward, parallel to Interstate 84, to the New York state line. U.S. 6 & 202 remain overlapped to Brewster, New York.

06/13/05

A large diagrammatic overhead, replaced by 2012, advised motorists of the U.S. 7 southbound split from Interstate 84 west (Exit 3) before the Exit 4 off-ramp to Lake Avenue. The "Super 7" as it is known locally is about a one mile freeway that transitions into a rural road before eventually going back to a four lane undivided freeway just north of the Merritt Parkway (Route 15).

06/13/05

Lake Avenue meanders eastward from Exit 4 to West Street and Downtown Danbury. U.S. 6/202 west meet Interstate 84 again at Exit 2, across from the Union Carbide plant.

06/13/05

The freeway along U.S. 7 leads to Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR) and Ridgefield. Danbury Fair Mall is also located off of this exit.

06/13/05

U.S. 6/202 west leave I-84 west / U.S. 7 south at Exit 4 to Lake Avenue. U.S. 7 south separates from Interstate 84 west at Left Exit 3.
U.S. 7 joins Danbury with Wooster Mountain State Park and Wilton on the 21 miles to Norwalk.

06/13/05

Sign changes made by 2014 at the left side ramp (Exit 7) for U.S. 7 south to Norwalk replaced N Y State with Newburgh as the westbound control point of Interstate 84. U.S. 7 was planned as a full expressway from its southern terminus in Norwalk to Danbury and beyond, but that was cancelled due to opposition. Because of the cancellation only three short freeway segments for U.S. 7 were built. Interstate 84 west otherwise drops from three lanes to two lanes for the rest of its duration in Connecticut.

06/13/05