U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut

U.S. Route 6 (US 6) within the state of Connecticut runs for 116.33 miles (187.21 km) from the New York state line near Danbury to the Rhode Island state line in Killingly. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84 (I-84), which has largely supplanted US 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, US 6 serves as a primary route for travel between Hartford and Providence.

U.S. Route 6 marker

U.S. Route 6

Grand Army of the Republic Highway
US 6 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CTDOT
Length116.33 mi[1] (187.21 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 6 / US 202 in Southeast, NY
Major intersections I-84 / US 7 / US 202 in Danbury
I-84 / Route 67 in Southbury
Route 9 in Farmington
I-91 in Hartford
Route 15 in East Hartford
Route 2 in East Hartford
I-84 / I-291 / I-384 / US 44 in Manchester
I-384 in Bolton

Route 12 in Killingly

I-395 in Killingly
East end US 6 in Foster, RI
Location
CountryUnited States
StateConnecticut
CountiesFairfield, New Haven, Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland, Windham
Highway system
  • Connecticut State Highway System
US 5 US 7

Route description

Western Connecticut

US 6 enters Connecticut paired with US 202 from the town of Southeast, New York, just east of the village of Brewster. The concurrency runs for 3.8 miles (6.1 km) through the city of Danbury as a minor arterial road before it forms a 3.3-mile (5.3 km) four-way concurrency with I-84 and US 7 from I-84 exit 4 to exit 7. At exit 7, US 7 and US 202 split to the north, while US 6 stays duplexed with I-84 for another 0.8 miles (1.3 km) before returning to surface roads at exit 8. The route then goes through the towns of Bethel and Newtown. In Newtown, it has a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) concurrency with Route 25 before turning east toward the village of Sandy Hook, where it enters I-84 once again for 6.4 miles (10.3 km) between Newtown and Southbury (from exits 10 to 15).

After exiting I-84 in Southbury, US 6 once again becomes a surface road and is duplexed with Route 67 for 2.7 miles (4.3 km). It then passes through the northern Waterbury area suburbs of Woodbury, Watertown, and Thomaston. US 6 has a one-mile (1.6 km) overlap with the Route 8 expressway in Thomaston.

Hartford area

After leaving the Route 8 expressway, US 6 continues as an alternating two- and four-lane surface road through the towns of Plymouth, Bristol, and Farmington. In Farmington, it once again joins I-84 at exit 38 for 13.4 miles (21.6 km), passing through West Hartford, Hartford, and East Hartford. US 44 joins for 0.25 miles (0.40 km) to cross the Connecticut River on the Bulkeley Bridge from Hartford to East Hartford toward Bolton just past the eastern terminus of I-384.

Eastern Connecticut

In Bolton, US 6 and US 44 split. US 44 follows a more northerly route while US 6 continues through Bolton, Coventry, Andover, and Columbia. It intersects with Route 316 and Route 87 along the way and mostly follows the Hop River.

The US 6 Willimantic bypass begins in Columbia, at a four-way at-grade intersection with Route 66. The expressway starts out heading northeast and immediately crosses into Coventry. After crossing the town line, the eastbound and westbound sides of US 6 split, with a hill in between them. At the split, the eastbound side of the expressway curves and heads east. At this point, Hop River State Park Trail passes under both sides of the expressway. Soon after, the westbound lane also curves, and the two sides of the expressway soon become parallel again. The expressway then passes over Flanders River Road about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) east. The expressway then crosses the Willimantic River and enters the town of Windham. Right after entering Windham, it overpasses the New England Central Railroad. Immediately after this, there is an interchange with Route 32. After the interchange, the expressway enters Mansfield and passes under Mansfield Avenue before encountering another interchange for Route 195. The eastbound exit and westbound entrance use Mansfield City Road, while the westbound exit accesses Route 195 via North Frontage Road and eastbound access to US 6 is from Route 195 itself. Soon after the eastbound entrance ramp joins US 6, the expressway crosses the Natchaug River and once again enters Windham. The US 6 Willimantic bypass ends 0.5 miles (0.80 km) after entering Windham at an interchange with the eastern end of Route 66, whose roadway US 6 assumes east of the interchange. US 6 then continues as a surface road through the towns of Chaplin, Hampton, and Brooklyn. In Killingly, US 6 becomes a two-lane freeway in the vicinity of its junction with I-395 in Killingly, part of which (0.34 mi or 0.55 km) is duplexed with Route 12. Just before the Rhode Island state line, the unsigned portion of the Connecticut Turnpike (SR 695) merges into US 6 eastbound as it enters the town of Foster

History

Before the creation of the U.S. Numbered Highway System in 1926, most of the proposed routing in Connecticut was part of New England Route 3 (Route 3). There were two places where Route 3 and US 6 were not overlapped. Route 3 began in Bedford, New York, at New York State Route 22, entering Connecticut via modern Route 35. Route 3 continued north to Danbury via the old non-expressway alignment of US 7. US 6, on the other hand, went east from Brewster on its current alignment, meeting with Route 3 in downtown Danbury.

Another difference in routing is between Manchester and Windham. US 6 originally used a more northern alignment via Coventry, running along present US 44 then modern Route 31. Route 3 used current US 6 for its routing. East of Windham, the routes overlapped into Rhode Island. Between 1926 and 1932, Route 3 and US 6 were cosigned where they overlapped. Route 3 was finally deleted in 1932.

Willimantic bypass

The sign at the start of the bypass in North Windham

I-84 was to be an expressway that would connect the modern I-384 with the modern US 6 Willimantic bypass. From here, I-84 would continue to Providence, Rhode Island. This idea was planned in the 1960s but abandoned in 2005.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) had planned since the 1960s to upgrade the segment between Bolton and Columbia to an expressway, connecting I-384 to the existing expressway segment in Windham. However, this particular segment of US 6 passes through an environmentally sensitive area centered around the Hop River. Construction had been planned to begin in the late 1980s, but federal, state, and local officials could not reach an agreement on a feasible route that avoided the Hop River wetlands and development within the towns of Andover, Bolton, Coventry, and Columbia. The affected towns, CTDOT, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) favored a northern alignment (Alternative 133B), which would avoid the town centers and nearby wetlands. The Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) favored a southerly alignment (Alternative 133 18/25) that would cut through residential and commercial areas as well as the Hop River's adjoining wetlands.

Despite opposition from CTDOT, DEP, and affected towns, the FHWA issued a record of decision and USACE issued required permits for Alternative 133 18/25 (southern alignment) in 2001. State and local officials continued to press USACE to approve the northern alignment. Due to the impasse between state, local, and federal officials, federal funds for the bypass were withdrawn in 2003. In 2005, the Capitol Region Council of Governments and CTDOT removed the US 6 bypass from planning, hence CTDOT effectively abandoned further study of the bypass in lieu of upgrading the existing road.

In 2007, CTDOT began making safety improvements and capacity upgrades to the existing US 6 through Andover, Bolton, and Columbia.

Major intersections

Exit numbers are signed throughout the route's overlap with I-84.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
FairfieldDanbury0.000.00

US 6 west / US 202 west
Continuation into New York
0.040.064
Saw Mill Road to I-84 Newburgh, Waterbury
Exit 1 on I-84
1.031.66
Milestone Road to I-84 Newburgh, Waterbury
Exit 2 on I-84
1.101.77

Old Ridgebury Road to I-84 east Waterbury
Exit 2A on I-84
4.156.684

I-84 west / US 7 south Newburgh, Norwalk
Western end of I-84 / US 7 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance to/from US 7
5.619.035 Route 37 / Route 39 / Route 53 Downtown Danbury, Bethel
6.2510.066 Route 37 New FairfieldWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
7.9712.837

US 7 north / US 202 east Brookfield, New Milford
Eastern end of US 7 / US 202 concurrency
8.2613.298
I-84 east Waterbury
Eastern end of I-84 concurrency
Town of Newtown11.4518.43
Route 25 north Hawleyville, Brookfield, Bridgewater
Western end of Route 25 concurrency
Borough of Newtown14.2622.95
Route 25 south Bridgeport
Eastern end of Route 25 concurrency
Town of Newtown15.5224.9810
I-84 west Danbury
Western end of I-84 concurrency
16.3326.2811

Route 34 east to Route 25 Derby, New Haven, Bridgeport
Access via SSR 490
New HavenSouthbury18.9330.4613River RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance
20.4032.8314
Route 172 north South Britain
21.96–
22.19
35.34–
35.71
15

I-84 east / Route 67 south Waterbury, Southford, Oxford, Seymour, New Haven
Eastern end of I-84 overlap; western end of Route 67 concurrency
23.7638.24
Route 67 north (Roxbury Road)
Eastern end of Route 67 concurrency
LitchfieldWoodbury25.9441.75
Route 64 east Middlebury, Waterbury
Western end of Route 64
26.9043.29
Route 317 west Roxbury
Eastern end of Route 317
27.6044.42
Route 47 north Hotchkissville, Washington
Southern end of Route 47
31.4850.66
Route 61 north Bethlehem
Southern end of Route 61
Watertown34.5755.64 Route 63 East Morris, Waterbury
35.8157.63
Route 262 north Oakville
Southern end of Route 262
Thomaston38.6162.14
Route 109 west Morris
East end of Route 109
39.1262.96
Route 254 north Litchfield
South end of Route 254
39.4063.41
Route 8 south Waterbury
Western end of Route 8 concurrency; Exit 38 on Route 8
40.3965.00
Route 8 north Torrington
Eastern end of Route 8 concurrency; Exit 39 on Route 8
40.6165.36
Route 222 north Harwinton
South end of Route 222
Plymouth41.2866.43
Route 262 south Airport
North end of Route 262
44.1571.05 Route 72 Harwinton, Bristol
HartfordBristol46.8675.41
Route 69 south Wolcott
Western end of Route 69 concurrency
47.2576.04
Route 69 north Burlington
Eastern end of Route 69 concurrency
48.3077.73
Route 229 south Southington, Theme Park
Northern end of Route 229
Farmington50.9582.00 Route 177 Plainville, Unionville
53.0985.44

Route 10 to I-84 west Plainville, Waterbury
Grade-separated interchange; access via Scott Swamp Road
55.1588.76
Fienemann Road to I-84
To Exit 37 on I-84
55.92–
56.34
89.99–
90.67
38
I-84 east Hartford
Western end of I-84 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
56.2190.4639 Route 4 FarmingtonWestbound exit and eastbound entrance via SR 508
56.91–
57.92
91.59–
93.21
39A
Route 9 south Newington, New Britain
Northern terminus of Route 9
West Hartford58.1993.6540 Route 71 (New Britain Avenue) Corbins Corner
59.1595.1941South Main Street – Elmwood
59.9796.5142Trout Brook Drive – ElmwoodWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
59.87–
60.32
96.35–
97.08
43Park Road – West Hartford CenterAccess via SR 501
61.0998.3144Prospect Avenue / Oakwood Avenue
Hartford61.8599.5445Flatbush AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance via SR 504
62.37–
62.71
100.37–
100.92
46Sisson AvenueAccess via SR 503
62.96101.3247Sigourney StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
63.30–
63.69
101.87–
102.50
48AAsylum StreetSigned as Exit 48 westbound
63.30101.8748BCapitol AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
63.91102.8549Ann Uccello StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance; to XL Center
63.96
64.52
102.93
103.83
50


US 44 west (Main Street) to I-91 south Downtown Hartford
Western end of US 44 concurrency; no eastbound signage for I-91 or US 44
64.05–
64.55
103.08–
103.88
51
I-91 north Springfield, Bradley International Airport
Exits 32B (west) and 30 (east) on I-91 south
64.43103.6952
I-91 south New Haven
Westbound access is via Exit 50
Connecticut River64.50–
64.74
103.80–
104.19
Bulkeley Bridge
East Hartford64.87104.4053
US 44 east (Connecticut Boulevard) / East River Drive East Hartford
Eastern end of US 44 concurrency; no westbound exit
65.19104.9154
Route 2 west Downtown Hartford
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance from Restricted Lanes
65.10–
65.41
104.77–
105.27
55
Route 2 east Norwich, New London
65.29105.07
I-84 east (Restricted Lanes) Boston
Western terminus of I-84 Restricted Lanes
65.29–
65.55
105.07–
105.49
56Governor Street – Downtown East HartfordAccess via SR 500
66.76107.4457

Route 15 south to I-91 Charter Oak Bridge, New York City
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
66.56–
67.13
107.12–
108.04
58Roberts Street – Silver Lane (SR 502) – Burnside AvenueWestbound exit from Restricted Lanes
68.35110.0059
I-384 east Providence
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance from Restricted Lanes
Manchester69.71–
70.09
112.19–
112.80
60

I-84 east / US 44 west (Burnside Ave) Boston, East Hartford
Eastern end of I-84 concurrency; western end of US 44 concurrency
72.67116.95 Route 83 Glastonbury, Vernon
TollandBolton75.83122.04
Route 85 south Bolton Center, Gay City State Park
76.62123.31
I-384 west Manchester, Hartford
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
76.95123.84
US 44 east Coventry, Mansfield
Eastern end of US 44 concurrency
Andover82.68133.06
Route 316 south Andover, Hebron
Northern end of Route 316
83.91135.04
Route 87 south Columbia, Norwich
Northern end of Route 87
Columbia87.81141.32 Route 66 Columbia, Middletown, Willimantic
WindhamWindham89.72144.3989 Route 32 Stafford Springs, WillimanticGrade-separated interchange
TollandMansfield91.94147.9691 Route 195 Storrs, Univ. of ConnecticutGrade-separated interchange
WindhamWindham93.15149.91
Route 66 west Willimantic
Eastern end of Route 66
95.00152.89
Route 203 south Windham Center
Northern end of Route 203
Chaplin96.96156.04
Route 198 north Chaplin, Phoenixville, Woodstock, Putnam
Southern end of Route 198
Hampton101.30163.03 Route 97 Pomfret, Scotland
Brooklyn107.44172.91 Route 169 Pomfret, Canterbury
Killingly110.96178.57
Route 12 north Danielson
Western end of Route 12 concurrency
111.31179.14
Route 12 south Plainfield
Eastern end of Route 12 concurrency
111.80179.92 I-395 Norwich, WorcesterCloverleaf interchange; westbound access to I-395 south only at CT-RI border; Exits 37A-B on I-395 south and 37 on I-395 north
116.04186.75

To I-395 south Norwich
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance via unsigned Connecticut Turnpike
116.33187.21
US 6 east Providence
continuation into Rhode Island
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Special routes

There have been several routes signed as US 6A in the state. No special routes currently exist.

  • Newtown–Southbury: Original surface routing before creation of expressway later to become I-84; currently SR 816.
  • Plymouth–Hartford: Now US 6. At this time, the old US 6 went along Route 64 to downtown Waterbury then along Route 10 to Farmington.
  • Woodbury–Willimantic: West of Meriden, this was the original alignment of US 6. When US 6 was reassigned to the former US 6A from Plymouth to Farmington, this became US 6A. This US 6A was subsequently extended through Meriden to Willimantic along modern Route 66. An expressway upgrade was planned for this US 6A. Only a portion of the highway was built and is now I-691. Between Woodbury and Waterbury this section is now Route 64.
  • Coventry–Windham: Became US 6A when Route 3 was deleted. Swapped with the old US 6 in 1939 and finally deleted in 1942 when US 6A became Route 31.
  • Danielson: Old routing prior to construction of the two-lane freeway.

References

  1. Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Highway Log" (PDF). (1.80 MiB) as of December 31, 2014
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