In the 1920s, State Highway 140 followed today's Route 80 between Route 22 and Route 77.

The modern Route 140 was commissioned in 1932, and originally followed this route, going eastward, for a length of 10.65 miles:

• Today's Route 191, from US 5 through Scantic and Broad Brook to the 191/140 intersection.
• Today's Route 140, toward Ellington center
• Today's Route 286 to end at Route 83.

A short leg called Route 140A connected Ellington Center northeasterly to Route 83.

In 1932, here's what segments of present-day Route 140 were called at the time:

• From Route 75 to Route 159: the old Route 78
• From Route 159 to Main Street in East Windsor (including the bridge): part of Route 20.
• From US 5 to Broad Brook: part of Route 191.

Bridges

Route 140 crosses the Connecticut River on a two-lane box girder bridge, 1,134 feet long, built in 1992. This is at least the third bridge to be built at this point.

In 1921 a steel truss bridge was built, carrying a narrow two lanes across the river, about 1,110 feet long.

In 1886 an impressive-looking suspension bridge was built there, with a 550-foot main span and two 300-foot side spans. It was demolished in 1924, shortly after the steel truss bridge opened to the north. Tolls were charged on this bridge until 1908. (See more info and photo at BridgeMeister.com.)

New Bradley Connector prompts area renumbering

In July 1961, the new Bradley Airport connector opened as part of Route 20, which now ended at I-91. The state rearranged nearby highways to account for this, including Routes 140 and 191, which were moved to where they are now in Windsor Locks and East Windsor.

In 1963, Route 140 was extended into Stafford, and absorbed the Route 140A designation. See "Route 140A" for more details.

In the late 1990s, a segment in East Windsor and Ellington was reconstructed, with several sharp curves smoothed out. In 2002, another section in eastern Ellington near Crystal Lake was realigned.

Route 140 Freeway

In 1961, the state forecast a need for an expressway from Windsor to Bolton, serving as an outer ring road to the Hartford area. The number assigned to it was 140. (See map at Metro Hartford's Proposed Freeways for a notional alignment.)

The highway was never built; in 1963, Route 140 was extended to Stafford instead, making a reroute to Bolton even more drastic. In 1967, the Capitol Region Planning Agency proposed a similar expressway from Windsor Locks to Tolland, as part of an extended Route 20, but no such plan is active today.

Unsafe junction with Route 83 fixed

In 1977, the DOT considered the intersection of Route 83 and Route 140 in Ellington as one of the most dangerous in Connecticut, and announced it would seek federal funds to fix its problems. An incline on Route 140 eastbound at Route 83, and a sharp right turn for southbound traffic, created such a hazard that the town ambulance would routinely go west on Route 140 and use Route 286 instead to reach Route 83.

This was eventually fixed,; Route 140 now meets Route 83 at a gentler four-way intersection across Cider Mill Road.

• "Begin demolition of old bridge." Hartford Courant, Apr. 6, 1924.
• Connecticut State Highway Department. Routes and Road Numbers on the State Highway System, Showing Control Numbers and Sections. Dated Jan. 1, 1942.
• "State To Change Numbered Routes." Hartford Courant, June 14, 1961.
• Connecticut State Highway Department. "A Report to the Highway Users of Connecticut: 1960-1961."
• "155 Miles of Superhighways Projected." Hartford Times, June 1, 1967.
• "U.S. Aid Sought To Fix Rts. 83, 140." Hartford Courant, Mar. 13, 1977.

• Metro Hartford's Proposed Freeways (map)
• 1886 Suspension Bridge, Windsor Locks to Warehouse Point (BridgeMeister.com)