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Route 185 is an important connection from Simsbury to greater Hartford; the topography limits the number of routes crossing Avon Mountain. The closest alternatives are US 44 to the south, and Route 315 to the north.

Aside from a four-lane section at its intersection with Route 218, and a one-mile eastbound passing lane heading into Bloomfield, Route 185 is two lanes throughout. There's an interesting channelized intersection at East Weatogue Street.

The route is diagonal, and officially east-west.

CT 185 History

Route 185 was commissioned in 1932 as a 6.18-mile route from US 44 in West Hartford to Route 10 in Simsbury. Its original route, from south to north:

In 1936, Route 218 was added, but it did not immediately take over the N. Main St. segment of Route 185. Instead, Route 218 southbound turned left at the 218/185 intersection, to follow Simsbury Road back to Route 189.

One of the many recommendations of the 1961 Route Reclassification was that routes 218 and 185 should simply cross each other; their segments south and east of their intersection were swapped in 1963.

Some older maps showed Route 185 continuing south along Main Street to Farmington Avenue (former Route 4); but I haven't seen this reflected in 1940s or early '50s highway logs.

In 1973, the state announced plans to realign about a mile of Route 185, from East Weatogue Street to the Bloomfield town line. What was eventually done, in the mid-1980s: a minor widening, along with a long passing lane on the eastbound side.

CT 185 Sources