Connecticut Route 72

20.12 miles; from Route 9 in New Britain to Route 4 in Harwinton. Route 72 officially goes north and south (according to the state highway log), but the prominent segment of this L-shaped road is east and west.

Heading west from a 3-level interchange at Route 9, Route 72 is a six-lane freeway leading to Interstate 84. The short overlap with I-84 vexes motorists -- why merge two freeways together like this, left exits and all, instead of letting them cross? -- but design was constrained by the Metacomet Ridge, a traprock barrier leading from Branford into Massachusetts. There aren't that many places to cross.

West of I-84, Route 72 continues as a six-lane freeway with a wide median, until it crosses Route 10; then it narrows to a four-lane freeway with Jersey barrier to end at Forestville Avenue.

A four-lane boulevard continuation into Bristol is planned. As of Oct. 2003, the state project schedule lists Route 72 to be advertised for bids in March 2004.

Route Numbering and Alignment

Like "11: New London" or "I-384: Providence", "72: Bristol" is a sign's promise which the expressway has not yet fulfilled. The Route 72 expressway ends in Plainville, where a two-lane road continues west. A four-lane boulevard extension from the expressway's end is planned.

Photo by Jim K. Georges.

Call Route 72 the Taffy Highway. Over the past 60 years, Connecticut has stretched the route to Massachusetts then cut it back; built a freeway for it but later decided on a different routing; and divested its eastern portion to three other highways. All in all, pavement once belonging to Route 72 has been transferred to routes 272, 4, 372, 9, and 3.

Commissioned in 1932, Route 72 originally ran from Route 14 (now Route 66) in Middletown to Route 10 in Plainville, taking over from 1920s routes 319, 346, and 113. Not one inch of the original 72 is part of today's route; instead, that old alignment is shared by parts of routes 3 and 372.

Other parts of modern-day Route 72 were at that time Route 117 (from Harwinton to Terryville), and part of US 6 (from there to Route 10).

For a detailed original Route 72 alignment, see the driving tour ("Drive it"), below.

In 1942, US 6 was shifted a few miles north to where it runs today through Bristol. Route 72 took over those miles to end where it crosses US 6 today in Plymouth.

Also in 1942, Route 72 was realigned in the Berlin area and an interchange (4-ramp partial cloverleaf) was built at US 5 (the Berlin Turnpike). (The interchange was expanded to a cloverleaf in 1961, and replaced with the current Route 9 interchange in 1989).

On May 1, 1954, the old Routes 117 and 49 were cashed in, and Route 72 was extended through Torrington to the Massachusetts state line in Norfolk: at 54 miles, this was the longest Route 72 would get.

In the route reclassification of 1963, Route 72 was cut back to end at Route 4. The rest of the old Route 72 became part of the relocated Route 4, and the new Route 272.

Expressway plans

In 1961, the state highway department issued a planning report studying the need for an expressway to connect I-84 with Route 8. The result was a planned Route 72 through Plainville, Bristol, Plymouth and Thomaston.

The same year, a segment of Route 72 opened in Berlin, extending from the Berlin Turnpike to Route 71A. This is now not part of Route 72 at all, but part of Route 9 and the entirety of unsigned SR 571.

Route 72 in the 1960s

In the 1970s, it was decided to send 72 along a more northerly route, in a depressed alignment through downtown New Britain. At the elbow would be a connection to Interstate 291. Route 72 here opened in segments:

SR 571 to Ellis Street (initially called SR 507): 1969
I-84 to Main Street (initially called SR 512): 1970
Main Street to Ellis Street, including 3-level interchange: 1979

Plainville: A slimmer profile

Proposed 72/10 interchange

Planned Route 10/72 interchange, Plainville

In the 1960s, this interchange of the 10 and 72 freeways with a downtown Plainville connector was planned. Drawing is from 1970. (see larger image)

West of I-84, a segment of Route 72 leading just beyond Route 10 was constructed in 1975, but not immediately opened to traffic; the westward continuation was still under discussion. The 1975 segment was six lanes wide, separated by a 90 foot median.

In 1978, the state for fiscal and environmental reasons designed a smaller profile for the remainder of Route 72 leading to Forestville Avenue: four lanes instead of six, and a single roadway (divided by Jersey barrier) instead of widely spaced dual roadways. This extension was completed in 1980, and Route 72 was opened to traffic. As you drive westbound on 72, the difference between the 1975 and 1980 designs is conspicuous.

A Route 10 freeway had been planned since the 1960s, extending from New Haven toward Avon and beyond. Through Southington and Plainville, Route 10 would overlap with I-84 and Route 72 west, before turning north at a full interchange in Plainville (see diagram).

In the early 1970s, the Route 10 freeway was cancelled. An interchange with existing Route 10 (Farmington Ave) was contemplated, but this was removed from the design at the behest of local interests.

Route 72 in the 1970s

The Route 72 gap between US 5 and I-91 remained until the late 1980s, when Connecticut closed up a number of missing freeway links. Instead of extending Route 72 eastward, the state extended Route 9 northward, taking over Route 72, the I-291 connector, and the old I-291 right-of-way to the four-level "stack" interchange at I-84 in Farmington. Here's the way things stand today, with the unconstructed I-291 in green:

Route 72, today

What didn't happen: Bristol and Plymouth

The state's original Route 72 plans included extending the freeway through Bristol and Plymouth to Route 8. That never came about, but an extension into Bristol as a four-lane boulevard is planned for as near a future as can be brought about (See "Westward to Bristol!", below).

In 1975, the state Master Transportation Plan proposed building the Route 72 expressway 6.9 miles westward from I-84 in Plainville, at a cost of $120 million.

In a March 1999 state assembly hearing, Rep. Michele of Bristol proposed naming the planned highway after longtime Bristol Press publisher and Route 72 advocate E. Bartlett Barnes, and provided some history of Mr. Barnes' involvement with the highway.

The first of several Route 72 Now committees was formed by Barnes and colleagues in 1958, long before even I-84 was completed in the area. Later, he participated in the 72 by '72 campaign, which called for completing an expressway to Bristol by 1972. That date passed; all that was constructed was the current segment west of I-84 to Route 372, which opened in 1980. After Barnes left the paper in the 1980s, the Bristol Press continued to advocate extending the highway.

The Route 10 freeway would have joined Route 72 west from the I-84 interchange, then turn north toward Farmington.

Exit 33 and Crooked Street

A 1991 proposal for a Crooked Street area mall called for creating a half-diamond interchange at Route 10, with ramps coming to and from the west (Route 72 currently has no direct access to Route 10).

A 1996 proposal for the Plainville Mall called for an additional eastbound ramp to I-84 from Crooked Street and a redesign of the I-84/Route 72 West interchange (a directional T) with left-hand exits.

In August 1999, the state let to bid a project to improve Exit 33 (Route 72 west) on I-84 eastbound. Work was completed in 2000. A third through lane was added, with the bridge over Woodford Avenue widened for it. The exit ramp (still a left exit) is now more separated from the through lanes, by using concrete barriers, and shifting the ramp slightly.

In December 2001, the Crooked Street interchange area was revised. The entrance and exit ramps between Crooked Street and I-84/Route 72 westbound (Exit 34) were removed. In their place, a four-lane exit ramp and one-lane entrance ramp were provided for Route 372 to and from Route 72 westbound (exit 2), east of the 84/72 interchange. These changes were intended to eliminate some weaving actions and address congestion.

Drive the original Route 72

This itinerary takes you along the original Route 72 alignment from Middletown to Plainville. Other old Route 72 segments are easier to find, since the state has kept them as numbered highways; for example, you can follow Routes 4 and 272 from Harwinton to the Massachusetts state line to see Route 72's nine-year northern extension.

Start at the corner of routes 3 and 66 in Middletown. Proceed north on Route 3, Newfield Street; this was part of Route 72 for about 60 years. After you enter Cromwell, turn left on Berlin Road (now SR 524), then turn left again on Route 372 (still Berlin Road).

Follow Route 372, which becomes Mill Street in Berlin. Turn left on Middletown Road, a section of old Route 72 that was abandoned in 1942. Continue on Middletown Road, crossing the Berlin Turnpike, to its end at Worthington Ridge Road, the original US 5 in Berlin.

Turn right on Worthington Ridge Road, and left on Farmington Avenue. Shortly Farmington Avenue will intersect Route 372; turn left. Follow Route 372 to Route 10 in Plainville, where the original Route 72 ended.

Westward to Bristol!

The current vision for Route 72 is to extend a four-lane boulevard from the end of the freeway in Plainville to Middle Street in Bristol. There would be no new interchanges, and a few at-grade intersections. The project should go to bid in March 2004.

The $31 million, 2.4-mile project was greenlighted by ConnDOT and the FHWA in 1997 (after four years of environmental study). The scaled-down plans (compared to the original freeway plans) are said by a local newspaper to have "saved the project." A $4.5 million infusion of federal funds in June 1998 also helped.

The proposed Route 72 will continue from the expressway terminus through a residential neighborhood to Yard Pond; after crossing the pond, it would follow Pine Street, veer north at Mitchell Street, and connect to Middle Street across from Riverside Avenue.

The eastern half would be a sunken boulevard (as much as 17 feet), with a 12-foot raised median separating opposing directions. Several streets intersecting with Pine Street would be cut off, including Broad Place and Sylvester, Benham, Balsam and Evergreen streets. The road would intersect Central and Todd streets at-grade.

The project includes eight bridges, an additional mile of turning roadways and interchanges, and three miles of local and state roads, according to Tectonic Engineering, a consultant on the project.

The project will be 80% federally funded, and was to begin in spring 2002. However, difficulties in obtaining right-of-way has caused the projected start date to slip. As of late 2003, the projected bid date for the project is March 2004.

Land-use decisions anticipate new highway

Meanwhile, some Forestville businesses have floated the idea of demolishing some former retail buildings at the intersection of Central, East Main and Broad streets on present-day Route 72, and realign the intersection to improve traffic. The support is not unanimous, but has a majority. The state contends that the new Route 72 would alleviate the problem. (The state also plans to hand over the old Route 72 to the town when the new is built: another reason not to spend money on it. As a side note, this means that the west end of Route 372 won't be extended into Forestville.)

As of late 2002, city officials are working on land-use rules for the new street layout that will result from the Route 72 extension. "It's a new road. You'll never have this opportunity again," said City Planner Alan Weiner, quoted in the Bristol Press.

In 2003: Surprise, environmental issues

In May 2003, the state Department of Environmental Protection's fisheries division announced its intent to have Route 72 plans revised, to create a wetlands area and stream at Yards Pond. Fulfilling this could delay Route 72 another two years.

A Plymouth Bypass?

US 6, the main street through Plymouth, was getting attention circa 1998 as the state and town investigate how to improve traffic flow. Plymouth officials are said to prefer extending Route 72 westward to Route 8 instead, as a parallel 72 could pass through open land in the southern part of town and relieve traffic from US 6.

"Extended routes will cause two number changes." Hartford Courant, Apr. 25, 1954.
Connecticut Department of Transportation. 1975 Master Transportation Plan.
Environmental Impact Evaluation, Project no. 109-115 - Route 72, Plainville. Connecticut Department of Transportation, Aug. 4, 1978.
"Bristol Prepares For Another Hearing On Route 72 Plan." Hartford Courant, Sept. 18, 1995.
"New battle looms for Route 72 foes." Bristol Press, June 1, 1999.
"Route 72 plan gets no support." Bristol Press, June 16, 1999.
"Bumps In The Road Expansion (Editorial)." Hartford Courant, June 23, 1999.
"Route 72 project moving forward." Bristol Press, Feb. 29, 2000.
"Route 72 runs into roadblock." Bristol Press, Oct. 27, 2000.
"Frustration continues over Route 72." Bristol Press, Oct. 30, 2000.
"Businesses promote plan to ease traffic in Forestville center." Bristol Press, May 10, 2001.
"Business owners object to proposal to change center of Forestville." Bristol Press, May 25, 2001.
"State Moves Up Work On Route 72: DOT Shaves 5 Months Off Proposed Delay." Hartford Courant, Nov. 12, 2001.
"Keep Up The Pressure." (editorial) Hartford Courant, Nov. 14, 2001.
"Ramp changes scheduled on I-84/Route 72 in Plainville on 12-18-01." News release, ConnDOT, Dec. 18, 2001.
Lagasse, Kevin. "Update to your CT Route 72 page needed." Personal email, Dec. 22, 2001.
"Route 72 rules gain momentum." Bristol Press, Nov. 29, 2002. (thanks to Marc Bramhall)
"Another setback for Rte. 72 plan." Bristol Press, May 18, 2003.
Connecticut Department of Transportation. Projects Scheduled For Advertising: October 2003 Thru September 2004
"Rte. 72 expansion hearings planned." New Britain Herald, Sept. 30, 2003.

"Highway access, highway access, it's all I ever hear from developers."

Bristol Mayor Frank Nicastro, June 1998

CT 3, CT 10, CT 272, CT 372
I-84, I-291
Metro Hartford's Proposed Freeways (map)
CT 72 expressway (Steve Anderson)
CT 72 photos (Steve Alpert)
Route 72 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

Home > Roads > Connecticut > Route 72

Updated Sept 21, 2006

Markers in the left margin for present-day routes are courtesy of Barry L. Camp.

This site is not affiliated with the State of Connecticut or the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

	20.12 miles; from Route 9 in New Britain to Route 4 in Harwinton. Route 72 officially goes north and south (according to the state highway log), but the prominent segment of this L-shaped road is east and west. Heading west from a 3-level interchange at Route 9, Route 72 is a six-lane freeway leading to Interstate 84. The short overlap with I-84 vexes motorists -- why merge two freeways together like this, left exits and all, instead of letting them cross? -- but design was constrained by the Metacomet Ridge, a traprock barrier leading from Branford into Massachusetts. There aren't that many places to cross. West of I-84, Route 72 continues as a six-lane freeway with a wide median, until it crosses Route 10; then it narrows to a four-lane freeway with Jersey barrier to end at Forestville Avenue. A four-lane boulevard continuation into Bristol is planned. As of Oct. 2003, the state project schedule lists Route 72 to be advertised for bids in March 2004.
	Route Numbering and Alignment Like "11: New London" or "I-384: Providence", "72: Bristol" is a sign's promise which the expressway has not yet fulfilled. The Route 72 expressway ends in Plainville, where a two-lane road continues west. A four-lane boulevard extension from the expressway's end is planned. Photo by Jim K. Georges. Call Route 72 the Taffy Highway. Over the past 60 years, Connecticut has stretched the route to Massachusetts then cut it back; built a freeway for it but later decided on a different routing; and divested its eastern portion to three other highways. All in all, pavement once belonging to Route 72 has been transferred to routes 272, 4, 372, 9, and 3. Commissioned in 1932, Route 72 originally ran from Route 14 (now Route 66) in Middletown to Route 10 in Plainville, taking over from 1920s routes 319, 346, and 113. Not one inch of the original 72 is part of today's route; instead, that old alignment is shared by parts of routes 3 and 372. Other parts of modern-day Route 72 were at that time Route 117 (from Harwinton to Terryville), and part of US 6 (from there to Route 10). For a detailed original Route 72 alignment, see the driving tour ("Drive it"), below. In 1942, US 6 was shifted a few miles north to where it runs today through Bristol. Route 72 took over those miles to end where it crosses US 6 today in Plymouth. Also in 1942, Route 72 was realigned in the Berlin area and an interchange (4-ramp partial cloverleaf) was built at US 5 (the Berlin Turnpike). (The interchange was expanded to a cloverleaf in 1961, and replaced with the current Route 9 interchange in 1989). On May 1, 1954, the old Routes 117 and 49 were cashed in, and Route 72 was extended through Torrington to the Massachusetts state line in Norfolk: at 54 miles, this was the longest Route 72 would get. In the route reclassification of 1963, Route 72 was cut back to end at Route 4. The rest of the old Route 72 became part of the relocated Route 4, and the new Route 272. Expressway plans In 1961, the state highway department issued a planning report studying the need for an expressway to connect I-84 with Route 8. The result was a planned Route 72 through Plainville, Bristol, Plymouth and Thomaston. The same year, a segment of Route 72 opened in Berlin, extending from the Berlin Turnpike to Route 71A. This is now not part of Route 72 at all, but part of Route 9 and the entirety of unsigned SR 571. Route 72 in the 1960s In the 1970s, it was decided to send 72 along a more northerly route, in a depressed alignment through downtown New Britain. At the elbow would be a connection to Interstate 291. Route 72 here opened in segments: SR 571 to Ellis Street (initially called SR 507): 1969 I-84 to Main Street (initially called SR 512): 1970 Main Street to Ellis Street, including 3-level interchange: 1979 Plainville: A slimmer profile Proposed 72/10 interchange In the 1960s, this interchange of the 10 and 72 freeways with a downtown Plainville connector was planned. Drawing is from 1970. (see larger image) West of I-84, a segment of Route 72 leading just beyond Route 10 was constructed in 1975, but not immediately opened to traffic; the westward continuation was still under discussion. The 1975 segment was six lanes wide, separated by a 90 foot median. In 1978, the state for fiscal and environmental reasons designed a smaller profile for the remainder of Route 72 leading to Forestville Avenue: four lanes instead of six, and a single roadway (divided by Jersey barrier) instead of widely spaced dual roadways. This extension was completed in 1980, and Route 72 was opened to traffic. As you drive westbound on 72, the difference between the 1975 and 1980 designs is conspicuous. A Route 10 freeway had been planned since the 1960s, extending from New Haven toward Avon and beyond. Through Southington and Plainville, Route 10 would overlap with I-84 and Route 72 west, before turning north at a full interchange in Plainville (see diagram). In the early 1970s, the Route 10 freeway was cancelled. An interchange with existing Route 10 (Farmington Ave) was contemplated, but this was removed from the design at the behest of local interests. Route 72 in the 1970s The Route 72 gap between US 5 and I-91 remained until the late 1980s, when Connecticut closed up a number of missing freeway links. Instead of extending Route 72 eastward, the state extended Route 9 northward, taking over Route 72, the I-291 connector, and the old I-291 right-of-way to the four-level "stack" interchange at I-84 in Farmington. Here's the way things stand today, with the unconstructed I-291 in green: Route 72, today What didn't happen: Bristol and Plymouth The state's original Route 72 plans included extending the freeway through Bristol and Plymouth to Route 8. That never came about, but an extension into Bristol as a four-lane boulevard is planned for as near a future as can be brought about (See "Westward to Bristol!", below). In 1975, the state Master Transportation Plan proposed building the Route 72 expressway 6.9 miles westward from I-84 in Plainville, at a cost of $120 million. In a March 1999 state assembly hearing, Rep. Michele of Bristol proposed naming the planned highway after longtime Bristol Press publisher and Route 72 advocate E. Bartlett Barnes, and provided some history of Mr. Barnes' involvement with the highway. The first of several Route 72 Now committees was formed by Barnes and colleagues in 1958, long before even I-84 was completed in the area. Later, he participated in the 72 by '72 campaign, which called for completing an expressway to Bristol by 1972. That date passed; all that was constructed was the current segment west of I-84 to Route 372, which opened in 1980. After Barnes left the paper in the 1980s, the Bristol Press continued to advocate extending the highway. The Route 10 freeway would have joined Route 72 west from the I-84 interchange, then turn north toward Farmington. Exit 33 and Crooked Street A 1991 proposal for a Crooked Street area mall called for creating a half-diamond interchange at Route 10, with ramps coming to and from the west (Route 72 currently has no direct access to Route 10). A 1996 proposal for the Plainville Mall called for an additional eastbound ramp to I-84 from Crooked Street and a redesign of the I-84/Route 72 West interchange (a directional T) with left-hand exits. In August 1999, the state let to bid a project to improve Exit 33 (Route 72 west) on I-84 eastbound. Work was completed in 2000. A third through lane was added, with the bridge over Woodford Avenue widened for it. The exit ramp (still a left exit) is now more separated from the through lanes, by using concrete barriers, and shifting the ramp slightly. In December 2001, the Crooked Street interchange area was revised. The entrance and exit ramps between Crooked Street and I-84/Route 72 westbound (Exit 34) were removed. In their place, a four-lane exit ramp and one-lane entrance ramp were provided for Route 372 to and from Route 72 westbound (exit 2), east of the 84/72 interchange. These changes were intended to eliminate some weaving actions and address congestion.
	Drive the original Route 72 This itinerary takes you along the original Route 72 alignment from Middletown to Plainville. Other old Route 72 segments are easier to find, since the state has kept them as numbered highways; for example, you can follow Routes 4 and 272 from Harwinton to the Massachusetts state line to see Route 72's nine-year northern extension. Start at the corner of routes 3 and 66 in Middletown. Proceed north on Route 3, Newfield Street; this was part of Route 72 for about 60 years. After you enter Cromwell, turn left on Berlin Road (now SR 524), then turn left again on Route 372 (still Berlin Road). Follow Route 372, which becomes Mill Street in Berlin. Turn left on Middletown Road, a section of old Route 72 that was abandoned in 1942. Continue on Middletown Road, crossing the Berlin Turnpike, to its end at Worthington Ridge Road, the original US 5 in Berlin. Turn right on Worthington Ridge Road, and left on Farmington Avenue. Shortly Farmington Avenue will intersect Route 372; turn left. Follow Route 372 to Route 10 in Plainville, where the original Route 72 ended.
	Westward to Bristol! The current vision for Route 72 is to extend a four-lane boulevard from the end of the freeway in Plainville to Middle Street in Bristol. There would be no new interchanges, and a few at-grade intersections. The project should go to bid in March 2004. The $31 million, 2.4-mile project was greenlighted by ConnDOT and the FHWA in 1997 (after four years of environmental study). The scaled-down plans (compared to the original freeway plans) are said by a local newspaper to have "saved the project." A $4.5 million infusion of federal funds in June 1998 also helped. The proposed Route 72 will continue from the expressway terminus through a residential neighborhood to Yard Pond; after crossing the pond, it would follow Pine Street, veer north at Mitchell Street, and connect to Middle Street across from Riverside Avenue. The eastern half would be a sunken boulevard (as much as 17 feet), with a 12-foot raised median separating opposing directions. Several streets intersecting with Pine Street would be cut off, including Broad Place and Sylvester, Benham, Balsam and Evergreen streets. The road would intersect Central and Todd streets at-grade. The project includes eight bridges, an additional mile of turning roadways and interchanges, and three miles of local and state roads, according to Tectonic Engineering, a consultant on the project. The project will be 80% federally funded, and was to begin in spring 2002. However, difficulties in obtaining right-of-way has caused the projected start date to slip. As of late 2003, the projected bid date for the project is March 2004. Land-use decisions anticipate new highway Meanwhile, some Forestville businesses have floated the idea of demolishing some former retail buildings at the intersection of Central, East Main and Broad streets on present-day Route 72, and realign the intersection to improve traffic. The support is not unanimous, but has a majority. The state contends that the new Route 72 would alleviate the problem. (The state also plans to hand over the old Route 72 to the town when the new is built: another reason not to spend money on it. As a side note, this means that the west end of Route 372 won't be extended into Forestville.) As of late 2002, city officials are working on land-use rules for the new street layout that will result from the Route 72 extension. "It's a new road. You'll never have this opportunity again," said City Planner Alan Weiner, quoted in the Bristol Press. In 2003: Surprise, environmental issues In May 2003, the state Department of Environmental Protection's fisheries division announced its intent to have Route 72 plans revised, to create a wetlands area and stream at Yards Pond. Fulfilling this could delay Route 72 another two years. A Plymouth Bypass? US 6, the main street through Plymouth, was getting attention circa 1998 as the state and town investigate how to improve traffic flow. Plymouth officials are said to prefer extending Route 72 westward to Route 8 instead, as a parallel 72 could pass through open land in the southern part of town and relieve traffic from US 6.
	"Extended routes will cause two number changes." Hartford Courant, Apr. 25, 1954. Connecticut Department of Transportation. 1975 Master Transportation Plan. Environmental Impact Evaluation, Project no. 109-115 - Route 72, Plainville. Connecticut Department of Transportation, Aug. 4, 1978. "Bristol Prepares For Another Hearing On Route 72 Plan." Hartford Courant, Sept. 18, 1995. "New battle looms for Route 72 foes." Bristol Press, June 1, 1999. "Route 72 plan gets no support." Bristol Press, June 16, 1999. "Bumps In The Road Expansion (Editorial)." Hartford Courant, June 23, 1999. "Route 72 project moving forward." Bristol Press, Feb. 29, 2000. "Route 72 runs into roadblock." Bristol Press, Oct. 27, 2000. "Frustration continues over Route 72." Bristol Press, Oct. 30, 2000. "Businesses promote plan to ease traffic in Forestville center." Bristol Press, May 10, 2001. "Business owners object to proposal to change center of Forestville." Bristol Press, May 25, 2001. "State Moves Up Work On Route 72: DOT Shaves 5 Months Off Proposed Delay." Hartford Courant, Nov. 12, 2001. "Keep Up The Pressure." (editorial) Hartford Courant, Nov. 14, 2001. "Ramp changes scheduled on I-84/Route 72 in Plainville on 12-18-01." News release, ConnDOT, Dec. 18, 2001. Lagasse, Kevin. "Update to your CT Route 72 page needed." Personal email, Dec. 22, 2001. "Route 72 rules gain momentum." Bristol Press, Nov. 29, 2002. (thanks to Marc Bramhall) "Another setback for Rte. 72 plan." Bristol Press, May 18, 2003. Connecticut Department of Transportation. Projects Scheduled For Advertising: October 2003 Thru September 2004 "Rte. 72 expansion hearings planned." New Britain Herald, Sept. 30, 2003.
	"Highway access, highway access, it's all I ever hear from developers." Bristol Mayor Frank Nicastro, June 1998
	CT 3, CT 10, CT 272, CT 372 I-84, I-291 Metro Hartford's Proposed Freeways (map) CT 72 expressway (Steve Anderson) CT 72 photos (Steve Alpert) Route 72 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)