|
4.15 miles; from Route 31 in Coventry to Route 195 in Mansfield. Route 275 provides access to the University of Connecticut from nearby communities to the west. |
 |
Route 275 was commissioned in 1963 from a set of local roads. As there was no pre-existing route number there (unlike Routes 262, 263 and 272), the 275 number appears to be arbitrary. At first, local and state agencies were concerned with safety improvements to the road; into the 1970s, there were nascent plans to extend the highway west to a proposed interchange with I-84 near Andover. In July 1966, Mansfield citizens met with the state Highway Department, asking for the removal of several safety hazards, including blind intersections, steep banks and grades, and sharp curves. The next year, a public hearing was held to discuss growing traffic, mostly to and from the University of Connecticut (aka UConn). In June 1967, a bill headed to the state house included $1 million to improve Route 275 from Route 32 to Old Eagleville Road. That bill failed, but a substitute bill funded a $1 million bridge over the railroad and Willimantic River, replacing old one-lane bridges across each. At some point this bridge was completed, and Route 275 was realigned in the area, but I don't have a date for it. Extension to US 6 (I-84) freeway proposedIn 1969, the state proposed extending Route 275 west to an interchange with I-84 (also proposed, and to this date still unbuilt) near Andover. The interchange would be built near or at Parker Bridge Road. The extended Route 275 would cross Route 31 south of their present intersection. Local residents and officials asked that proposed new access roads at UConn be built first, as otherwise the extended Route 275 would dump more traffic on Route 195. In December 1970, a local petition opposing the Route 275 extension was circulated. However, ConnDOT replied that there were no plans to extend the highway at that time. The following year, Mansfield came out in favor of a north-south alignment for Route 275; details are missing, but the road would probably connect to the upcoming section of I-84 (now US 6) bypassing Willimantic. The I-84/US 6 freeway from Bolton to Columbia continued to be an issue throughout the 1970s, as well as the interchange at Parker Bridge Road. In January 1979, local officials favored the interchange, but expressed concern about UConn traffic there. ConnDOT stated again that there were no plans to improve Route 275. Eagleville bypass proposedIn June 1971, a southern bypass of Eagleville for Route 275 was proposed. The two-lane road would cross Route 32 on new alignment. |
 |
As of 2001, the state still planned a realignment between Separatist Road and Route 32, along with improvements from there to Route 31. The scope of the work would depend on whether the US 6 expressway is completed. |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Updated Nov 21, 2009 |
All content copyright © Kurumi, unless noted. (See credits.) This site is not affiliated with the State of Connecticut or the Connecticut Department of Transportation. 
|