15.95 miles; from US 1 in Stratford (near I-95) north to Route 8 in Shelton; then west to Route 111 in Monroe. The road is L-shaped, as are Route 22, Route 156, and Route 218.

In the 1920s, State Highway 110 followed the old main route from Hartford into Massachusetts along the west side of the Connecticut River:

• today's Route 159, from Hartford to Windsor Center
• today's Route 75, to Suffield
• Maple Avenue (old Route 75) northeasterly to Route 159
• today's Route 159 to the state line

In the late 1920s SH 110 was realigned to follow Route 159 all the way up.

The modern Route 110 was commissioned in 1932 as the east-west portion only, between Routes 8 and 111. The north-south portion, from Stratford to Shelton, was part of Route 8 (north of where Route 113 intersects now), and Route 8A (south of there to US 1). (For the first year or so, E. Main St (Route 8A) was part of US 1A.)

Part of modern Route 110 in Shelton near Nicholdale Farm was constructed in 1935.

In 1952, Route 8 was moved west and Route 110 extended south along the former Route 8 (Main Street); Route 8A became Route 110A. In 1963, the southernmost part of 110 was shifted to East Main Street (former Route 110A), and the leftover given to a shifted Route 113.

In 1958, the Route 15/110 interchange was upgraded from a 4-ramp partial cloverleaf to a 7-ramp nearly full cloverleaf, to handle increased traffic from nearby industrial sites (notably Sikorsky Aircraft). The cost was $721,000, which can't even attract a breathing CEO candidate these days.

"Cool," you might be thinking, "let's go check this out." Well, you should have thought of that years ago. For safety reasons, the state removed two ramps around 1998.

Freeway plans

A Route 110 freeway? Yes, if the Tri-State Transportation Commission had its way. The Commission in the early 1960s proposed a new east-west expressway through mid-Fairfield County, from Route 8 in Derby to US 7 in Ridgefield, then connecting with a proposed NY 35 expressway over the state line. The proposed but unbuilt expressway might also have carried the 34 or 35 numbering.

Extension to Route 25

Other than I-84 / US 6, Route 34, and the Merritt Parkway, no east-west routes serve Fairfield County between the shore and Danbury. It's easy to look at a map and see an extended Route 110 helping out, wending its way westward from Route 111 to Ridgefield... or at least the few miles to Route 25.

As it turns out, this idea is not original, and it's not even new.

In 1935, Special Act 272 was passed, directing the state to extend Route 110 about three miles westward, to intersect Route 25 at Route 59. In 1971, the idea was brought up again, as a project associated with the proposed Route 25 freeway in Monroe. During the intervening years, local officials repeatedly asked the state to proceed with the extension -- there's not even a town road going directly from one side of town to the other.

At the 1971 Route 25/110 hearing, a map of the proposed Route 110 extension was shown: a two-lane road from Route 111 at existing Route 110, westward to Route 25 at Route 59, going slightly north of Longview Road. This was never built, and might have been "collateral damage" from the cancelled Route 25 freeway.

• "State to Renumber 4 Sections of Roads." Hartford Times, Sept. 27, 1951.
• "Transcript of public hearing: relocation of Route 25 and extension of Route 110." Held in Monroe, Jan. 28, 1971
• "Tri-State Transportation 1985; an interim plan." Tri-State Transportation Commission, 1966.
• "1975 Master Transportation Plan." Connecticut Department of Transportation.
• Gallagher, Teresa. "Nicholdale Farm." http://borntoexplore.org/trails/nicholdale_farm.htm. (30 August 2003)

• Route 34 (once a possible freeway extension in the 110 corridor)
• Route 25 (associated with 1971 Route 110 extension plan)
• Google Maps: 15/110 interchange
• Route 110 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

From 1952 to 1963, this was the numbering for East Main Street in Stratford, between Route 110 and US 1. Before that, it was called Route 8A. Since 1963, it has been part of Route 110.

It's not known how well Route 110A was signed. Even on official state maps, no marker ever appeared for the route; I've only seen it on a 1950s USGS map.

• "State to Renumber 4 Sections of Roads." Hartford Times, Sept. 27, 1951.

11.71 miles; from Route 15 (the Merritt Parkway) in Trumbull to Route 34 in Monroe. South of Route 15, the road continues as is secret route SR 731.

Until a SPUI interchange was built at Route 15 in 2004, signs on the parkway read Main Street, not Route 111: a "stealth" junction. New signs installed there do mention Route 111 now.

In the 1920s, State Highway 111 followed today's Route 66 between today's Route 10 (Milldale) and Route 2 (Marlborough). In 1930, it was even co-signed with the old New England Interstate Route 3 to Waterbury.

The modern Route 111, commissioned in 1932, originally ended at Route 25 in Trumbull. The original Route 25 continued south along Main Street (Newtown Turnpike) to US 1. When the 25 freeway opened on June 1, 1982, Route 111 was extended south along former Route 25 to end at Route 15.

A reconstruction of Route 111 in Monroe is proposed, to increase safety and capacity without radically changing its character. Probably minor widening is planned. The project is in the 1995 Greater Bridgeport and Valley Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), slated for a 2007-2015 time frame. In April 2003, Congressman Christopher Shays requested $10 million in federal funds toward this project.

"REP. SHEA: Can I just respond to that since I was on the positive end of things. I will tell you that I'm also in a district that dealt with exactly what you said. We have Route 111. The State wanted to come in and widen it and all the plans were in motion and the townspeople came out and said no, we don't want you to do that. So that was the end of the improvement of Route 111."

• Route Change Notice, ConnDOT, June 18, 1982.
• "Greater Bridgeport and Valley Transportation Improvement Program (1995)." Available at National Transportation Library, http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/GB.html. (22 Aug 2003)
• "Testimony of Congressman Christopher Shays before the House Transit and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit." http://www.house.gov/shays/news/2003/april/aptest.htm. (22 Aug 2003)

• Route 111 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

6.68 miles; from US 44 to US 7 in Salisbury.

In the 1920s, State Highway 112 followed today's Route 77, and part of Route 17, from Guilford through Durham to Middletown.

The modern Route 112, commissioned in 1932, has not changed since then. It follows a route over which iron ore was once transported in saddle-bags from the numerous Salisbury workings to Lime Rock forges.

• United States Work Projects Administration (WPA). "Connecticut: A Guide to its Roads, Lore and People." Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1938.

• Route 112 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

8.12 miles; from I-95 in Bridgeport, down around the airport and peninsula, up across I-95 again, and north to Route 110 in Stratford.

In the 1920s, State Highway 113 followed this route: US 6 and Route 72 east from Route 8 to New Britain; Route 71 into West Hartford; and New Britain Avenue into Hartford.

The modern Route 113 was commissioned in 1932. From the Shelton Turnpike (old Route 65) in Shelton, it followed Nichols Avenue (now part of Route 108) into Stratford, then Main Street and Stratford Road to Stratford Point.

Around 1940, Route 113 was extended west along Prospect Drive and Bluff Avenue, then north on Lordship Boulevard into Bridgeport; this is where it goes now. In 1943 or 1944, however, it was shifted north to Access Road north of Sikorsky Airport, while the remaining portion south of the airport was called Route 113A. But in 1947, Route 113 was moved back, and Route 113A was deleted.

On Sept. 27, 1951, Route 113 also annexed Shelton Avenue (the old Route 65A) when 65 became part of 8. In 1963, Route 113 was shifted east, donating Nichols Avenue to Route 108 and inheriting part of Main Street in Stratford from Route 110.

Runway extension, 113 relocation at issue

As of mid-2003, the FAA has intended to extend the main runway at Sikorsky Airport and relocate part of Route 113 to the east. This plan was supported by Rep. Christopher Shays, in whose district the airport lies. However, after redistricting, the area is now served by Rep. Rosa deLauro, who opposes airport expansion, and in fact wants it closed.

• "State to Renumber 4 Sections of Roads." Hartford Times, Sept. 27, 1951.
• Pagliaro, Dan. "Lostroads Update." Personal email, Mar. 16, 2003.

• Lost Roads of Southern New England: Route 113 (Dan Pagliaro; discussion and photos of original Route 113)

No longer assigned. Created in 1943 or 1944 when Route 113 was shifted north to Access Road, Route 113A was a 3.05-mile alternate to Route 113, south of Sikorsky Airport in Stratford. In 1947, Route 113 was returned to its original path south of the airport, and Route 113A was deleted.

7.92 miles; from US 1 in Orange to Route 63 in Woodbury. Route 114 is one of a handful of numbered routes crossing Route 15 with no access.

In the 1920s, State Highway 114 followed today's Route 17 between New Haven and Durham.

The modern Route 114, commissioned in 1932, originally had a square "C" shape open to the east, composed of Center Rd and Race Brook Rd (today's Route 114) and Ansonia Rd (today's Route 243) eastward back to Route 63.

In 1951, the bottom of the "C" was relocated from Ansonia Road to continue south along Race Brook Road to US 1. It hasn't changed since then.

• Route 114 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)