9.91 miles; from US 1 in Clinton to Route 148 in Chester.

In the 1920s, State Highway 145 was the number for the old Ousatonic Turnpike, much of which is now abandoned, on the northeast bank of the Housatonic River. The road went from Shelton to New Milford.

The modern Route 145 was commissioned in 1932. This is a strange one. The 1942 highway log describes the route as "from 3-way junction Conn. 145 in Westbrook clockwise to Jct. Conn. 144, Saybrook (now Deep River)".

What does this mean? Here's the route, all 10.86 miles of it, from, er, 12 o'clock onward:

• Grove Beach Rd., heading south, across US 1
• continue west, following the shore, to Shore Rd.
• Shore Rd. to Beach Park Rd.
• Beach Park Rd., going north now, back across US 1
• short overlap southbound on US 1
• Old Post Rd. (part of today's Route 145) northeast, to Grove Beach Rd., which is the other leg of Route 145. This is the 3-way intersection with itself.
• Old Clinton Rd. (part of today's Route 145)
• Horse Hill Rd. (still part of today's Route 145)
• Cross Rd.
• Winthrop Rd. and Westbrook Rd., to end at the old Route 144

In 1963, Route 145 was extended to Route 148, and the portion south of US 1 was deleted. The southeasterly leg became unsigned SR 625.

• Connecticut State Highway Department. Routes and Road Numbers on the State Highway System, Showing Control Numbers and Sections. Dated Jan. 1, 1942, and Jan. 1, 1944.

13.00 miles; from US 1 in Branford to US 1 in Guilford.

Route 146 is a state scenic road. The Danbury News-Times wrote:

In the 1920s, State Highway 146 followed today's Route 195 between US 44 and Route 89.

The modern Route 146 was commissioned in 1932. Its original length was 8.04 miles, and followed this route, from west to east:

• Leetes Island Rd, from US 1 to Stony Creek Rd.
• today's Route 146 to Route 77
• Route 77 north to US 1 in Guilford

In 1963, it was extended westward, taking over parts of Stony Creek Rd., Totoket Rd., and the former Route 143.

• Route 146 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

5.09 miles; from Route 17 in Durham to Route 66 in Middlefield. Its orientation changes over those five miles: it's signed south at Route 66, and west at Route 17.

In the 1920s, State Highway 147 followed today's Route 67 between US 6 and Route 63.

The modern Route 147 was commissioned in 1932. That year's state map shows the highway at the same location it has today. By 1938, however, Route 147 is only 2.34 miles long, leading from US 6A (today's Route 66) to Route 157, which continues to Route 17.

In 1968, routes 147 and 157 were modified to their current locations.

• Route 147 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

16.35 miles; from Route 79 in Killingworth to Route 82 in Lyme. Route 148 crosses the Connecticut River on the Chester-Hadlyme ferry.

In early 1999, the Killingworth Conservation Commission applied to the state Scenic Road Advisory Committee to make the stretch between routes 79 and 81 a state scenic road.

In the 1920s, State Highway 148 was the number for today's Route 149 - a very close renumbering.

The modern Route 148 was commissioned in 1932, extending 7.64 miles, from Route 81 to the Hadlyme railroad station in Chester. It remained that way through the 1940s.

In 1963, it was extended westward to Route 79.

Ferry rates jumped in late 2003

In September 2003, the state raised fares significantly on both the Route 148 and Route 160 ferries: from $2.25 to $5 per vehicle, and from $0.75 to $1.75 per additional passenger or cyclist. A discounted advance purchase plan, at about 50 percent off, has been discontinued.

This has not been popular.

The DOT says the rate hike was required by the state's budget implementation bills. Some drivers are worried that the rate hikes are behind a plan to scale back or even stop the ferry service. ConnDOT assures that this will not happen.

• "Riders blast 120 percent hike in river ferry fee." Middletown Press, Sept. 1, 2003.
• "Fare Increases Concern Ferry Users." Hartford Courant, Sept. 2, 2003.

• Route 160, whose Rocky Hill - Glastonbury ferry also crosses the Connecticut River
• Route 148 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)
• YouTube - Chester-Hadlyme Ferry

In the 1940s, Route 148A followed Main Street in Chester, from Route 148 to the Chester railroad station, for a length of 1.10 miles. It was deleted in 1951.

11.70 miles; from Route 82 in East Haddam to Old Hartford Road (the former Route 2) in Hebron -- just 1/100 mile over the Colchester-Hebron town line and 1/10 mile beyond the Route 2 freeway.

In the 1920s, State Highway 149 followed the old Route 15 path (now covered by I-84) between Route 32 and the Massachusetts state line. In 1930 or 31, this became part of SH 105.

The modern Route 149 was commissioned in 1932, renumbered from the 1920s SH 148. There have been no changes since then, although a fun 1953 Rand McNally typo extended the route north along Jones St. and Burrows Hill Rd. to Route 66.

• Route 149 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)