5.66 miles; from Route 34 in Derby to Route 67 in Seymour.

In the 1920s, State Highway 115 followed today's Route 185.

The modern Route 115 was commissioned in 1932; apparently no changes since then.

Route 115 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

From Route 35 in Ridgefield to NY 121 in North Salem, New York. 4.24 miles in Connecticut.

In the 1920s, State Highway 116 followed today's Route 10 between Farmington (at Route 4) and Granby (at Route 20).

In 1932, Route 116 was created in the Torrington area, from Route 8 to Collinsville along present-day Route 118 and Route 4 (see map for Route 117, below).

In 1956, the segment between Litchfield Center (at US 202) and Route 8 was added. In 1961, a new 2-lane limited access route opened between Routes 8 and 254, paralleling East Litchfield Road. There are no grade separations or interchanges; the state merely limits new properties or intersections on the road.

In 1963, Route 4 was shifted to its modern configuration in the area, and Route 116 was shortened to where Route 118 goes now. On Jan. 1, 1967 this was renumbered to 118, as the segment of Route 33 from Route 35 to the New York state line became the modern Route 116 -- to match up with NY 116 across the border.

• "Representatives Named to District Health Dept." Hartford Courant, Jan. 9, 1967. (Route change was part of this article)

Route 116 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

11.32 miles; from US 1 in Groton to Route 2 in Preston.

In the 1920s, State Highway 117 followed today's Route 34 between New Haven and Route 8 in Shelton.

In 1932, the old Route 117 was created, connecting Plymouth to Torrington along where Routes 72 and 4 go now. Here's a map:

On May 1, 1954, that route became part of an extended Route 72.

In 1963, the modern Route 117 was created. A small part of it (the Col. Ledyard Highway portion) had been part of Route 27, from 1950 to 1963.

Bluff Point Connector

In the early 1960s, the state planned to create a state park at Bluff Point in Groton; and, as done with Rocky Neck and Hammonassett state parks, create an expressway connector to it from I-95. This was discussed in 1961, and a state highway bill in 1967 called for $1.3 million in funding for the connector. (The state purchased the park land in 1963.)

In February 1968 a public hearing was held. The proposed highway, an extension of Route 117, would be about two miles long, and "at least four lanes wide with a median divider separating lanes at several locations." It would cross US 1 at grade, but overpass Industrial Drive. It would also claim 32 homes from the Fort Hill housing development.

In May 1968, Groton officials countered with their proposed route: a new highway diverging from Route 117 at Old North Road, and generally following that alignment, overpassing US 1 and Depot Road. The city opposed the state's at-grade intersection with US 1 and its path through Fort Hill Homes.

In 1970, the city and state continued to disagree on the best route for the connector. City officials said the single-purpose state plan, straight from I-95 to the park, was not in Groton's best interests; a new city proposal, an east-west route, would serve Trumbull Airport and the park, and relieve traffic on US 1. In late 1970, the state agreed to delay further planning until the next session of the General Assembly.

On Sept. 30, 1971, Gov. Meskill ordered a new study of the park as a whole, including access to it. A few years later the connector proposal died. I haven't seen a specific date, but news stories about it dry up in 1973. The road is still included in the Master Transportation Plan in 1975.

As it turned out, the topography and vegetation at Bluff Point was found to be too fragile to support large-scale recreational activity. Today, access to the bluff is only by foot, or non-motorized vehicle.

Route 117 freeway once studied

In 1970, the state was studying an expressway or freeway option paralleling Route 117 to handle traffic between I-95 and Norwich / Route 2A. I haven't heard about this since.

In 1983, the Southeastern Connecticut RPA called for a new highway link northeasterly from Route 117 to meet Route 2 at the terminus of Route 164; this link (to date unbuilt) would have created a continuous 117/164 highway from Groton to Griswold.

• "Extended routes will cause two number changes." Hartford Courant, Apr. 25, 1954.
• "Chamber Acts To Weld Economies Of Groton and New London Closer." Hartford Courant, Nov. 9, 1961.
• "Highway Bill Heads for House." Hartford Courant, June 3, 1967.
• "Public hearing slated on expressway route." Hartford Courant, Jan. 17, 1968.
• "Town Council will act on highway resolution." Hartford Courant, May 6, 1968.
• "$250 million highway program proposed." Hartford Courant, Feb. 19, 1969.
• Connecticut Department of Transportation. Planning study : the desirability and feasibility for upgrading an existing facility or constructing a new highway to provide an improved facility for traffic between Interstate 95 in Groton and the proposed expressway network east of Norwich. Wethersfield: 1970.
• "Two routes proposed for highway connector." Hartford Courant, Feb. 18, 1970.
• "Reroute advocates to query public." Hartford Courant, Apr. 24, 1970.
• "State to delay Bluff Point Connector plans until next session of General Assembly." Hartford Courant, Nov. 13, 1970.
• "Residents oppose plan for connector." Hartford Courant, Sept. 18, 1971.
• "Conflict looms on Bluff Road." Hartford Courant, Sept. 25, 1971.
• "New Bluff Point Study Ordered." Hartford Courant, Oct. 1, 1971.
• "1975 Master Transportation Plan." Connecticut Department of Transportation.
• "Regional Transportation Plan for Southeastern Connecticut." Southeastern Connecticut Regional Planning Association, 1983.

• Bluff Point State Park (Conn. Dept. of Env. Prot.)
• Route 117 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

7.48 miles; from Route 63 in Litchfield to Route 4 in Harwinton.

The portion of Route 118 between SR 800 (old Route 8) and Route 254 is a two-lane limited access road. Although there are no interchanges or grade separations, the state has control over any side street or driveway access (and there just a few). Some maps incorrectly show this section as a freeway. The old Route 118 (East Litchfield Road) meanders alongside the new.

As of Jan. 25, 2002, a 2.77-mile segment of Route 118 in Litchfield is designated a state scenic road. The designation runs from Clark Road to Route 63.

In the 1920s, State Highway 118 was the number for what is now Route 10 between Milldale (present-day Route 322 intersection) into New Haven.

The second Route 118 was commissioned in 1932, following West and Maple Avenues in Darien; this was returned to the town in 1963.

The modern Route 118 was renumbered from Route 116 on Jan. 1, 1967.

• "Representatives Named to District Health Dept." Hartford Courant, Jan. 9, 1967. (Route change was part of this article)
• "Portions of Routes 63, 118, 254 and 202 in Litchfield designated as scenic roads." ConnDOT press release, Jan. 25, 2002.

No longer assigned. 119 is the only signed route number in Connecticut that has been used, and abandoned, three times.

From 1923 to about 1926, when US 6 was commissioned and displaced it, State Highway 119 followed today's US 6/202 from Danbury to the New York state line.

From 1932 to 1934 or 1935, the next Route 119 followed today's Route 69 between Waterbury and Bristol.

From 1935 to 1963, Route 119 was a short highway in Stonington and North Stonington. It took over an old alignment of the old Route 84 (now Route 184), along North Stonington Road and Mystic Road. In 1963, when the state reassigned the route to an extended Route 201 and secret SR 627.