Connecticut Routes 155-159

2.22 miles; from Route 17 to Route 9 in Middletown. It's primarily a shortcut between 9 and 17.

Created in 1933 or 1934. The only alignment change since then: the segment of Randolph Road between Route 9 and Saybrook Road (old Route 9) is now a city street.

Extend Route 155 across CT River?

At a 2004 forum covering traffic issues in Middletown, State Rep. Joseph Serra brought up an interesting idea: building a new east-west bridge across the Connecticut River at Randolph Road / Route 155.

Either a new road (Route 155 extension?) would continue north to Route 66, or the road would connect to Route 151 in East Hampton. There were no details on which alternative was contemplated.

The new bridge would allow eastbound traffic from Route 9 to skip Middletown congestion and relieve traffic on the Arrigoni Bridge carrying Routes 17 and 66. That would make upgrading the overworked 1938 bridge easier.

"Suggestions, not solutions at forum." Middletown Press, Dec. 10, 2004.

Route 155 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

22.76 miles; from Route 82 in East Haddam to US 1 in Waterford. Route 156 is an L-shaped road, like Route 22, Route 110 and Route 218. It intersects US 1 twice.

Route 156 was commissioned in 1932 as an east-west route from Old Lyme to Waterford. The north-south segment of today's Route 156, between Route 82 and US 1, was originally numbered Route 86. In 1949, Route 156 annexed that portion and gained its ungainly shape.

Traffic engineers have paid the shoreline segment of Route 156 a considerable amount of attention over the years. Though US 1, and more recently I-95, have always handled non-local traffic, Route 156 has struggled with town, tourist and even marine traffic.

Relocation in Old Lyme

Traveling northwesterly into downtown Old Lyme, Route 156 originally followed McCurdy Rd. and Ferry Rd. to Neck Rd. The section of Shore Rd to the west is newer. In Feb. 1959, town residents voted 2-1 to approve the state plan for shifting Route 156 there. The new segment of Route 156, a limited-access two-lane road, was completed in 1961.

Improvements in Niantic

The town of Niantic and the Niantic River have been perennial chokepoints along Route 156. The original Niantic River Drawbridge, a low-clearance bridge built in 1922, was being opened about 6,000 times a year by the 1960s, causing severe traffic backups.

In 1963, the state General Assembly directed the Highway Department to study improving or replacing the bridge. In 1965, it was determined that nearby segments of Route 156 also needed upgrading, and the Department approved a limited-access designation along the route from Old Lyme to Waterford. (This would generally limit access to newly constructed segments of Route 156 to major cross streets.) In 1966, Waterford First Selectman Hugh MacKenzie called for a relocated Route 156 from the bridge to the New London city line.

In 1967, the General Assembly called for a wider study. In 1968, the state released its findings for both the bridge and the highway.

Four alternatives for the bridge were explored.

A higher drawbridge at same location, with a 35 foot clearance. This bridge would need to be opened only 500 times a year, instead of 6,000 times. However, the embankments needed for the bridge approaches would displace nearly all the developed properties between the bridge and Millstone Road in Waterford.
A tunnel, 52 feet wide (four lanes), providing 15 foot depth of channel. It would be located about 150 feet north of the existing bridge. The cost would range from $20 million (for a 2,500 foot tunnel) to $28 million (for 3,500 feet).
Fixed high-level bridge, 52 feet wide (four lanes), with sidewalks. Engineers determined that a 65-foot clearance would allow all marine traffic currently using the river; a 30-foot clearance would prevent over 20% of current traffic; but a 45-foot clearance, allowing all but 2% of traffic, would be an acceptable compromise. Cost was estimated at $2.6 million.
New movable bridge at new location, with a clearance of 30 feet. This would be more expensive to build than the fixed bridge, and have higher recurring costs.

The higher fixed bridge was the preferred alternative.

The report also discussed three alternatives for relocating Route 156 east and west of the bridge. New sections would be limited access roads, generally two lanes, 40 feet wide.

The new Route 156 would veer southeast at Roxbury Road, and transition to an alignment along the railroad. In downtown Niantic, it would rejoin present-day Route 156. East of the river, it would follow the railroad again to end at US 1 and Clark Lane.
This alternative strayed from Route 156 in the same areas that Alternative A did, but would stay closer to Route 156 than the railroad.
This alternative would bypass Niantic entirely to the north, crossing the river near Daniels Road, and returning to Route 156 near Spithead (with a "P") Road in Waterford.

Alternative B was preferred in the report. The cost in 1969 was estimated at $13 million.

Route 156 was never relocated here. In 1969, town officials were concerned about local impacts, and the state was considered "lukewarm" on the topic. At some point, the state moved to encourage motorists to use other routes by posting a Route B detour, using Niantic River Road, US 1, and Route 161.

Studies and hearings for a new bridge continued. In 1975, funding problems led the state to put aside plans for a high, fixed bridge in favor of a smaller, moveable bridge.

A new bridge was constructed in 1991 just south of the old one. It's higher and appears to be fixed, but clearance data is not available. As of the late 1990s, the "Route B" detour is still signed.

Proposed relocation near eastern end

In 2002, there was talk of relocating a small section of Route 156 near its eastern intersection with US 1 in Waterford. A proposed community campus, to open in 2004, would have included land and buildings on both sides of Route 156 in the area: a high school, senior services, sports fields and a preschool. To make it easier and safer to walk there, planners were looking at restricting vehicle traffic, or providing pedestrian overpasses.

One option: "end Route 156 at the intersection with Avery Lane" (across from Route 213), and presumably route it north to US 1.

The first public brainstorming session was held in July 2002. Town First Selectman Paul B. Eccard noted that there is state precedent for moving state highways to accommodate community needs: US 1 in Fairfield and Greenwich; and unspecified highways in Storrs, Newington, and Willimantic.

In November 2002, a traffic consultant favored a $900,000 plan that would redirect Route 156 to meet US 1 at Wild Rose Avenue. A short segment of US 1, from Wild Rose to Vivian Street, would be widened to four lanes.

Renumber east-west section as extension of Route 80.

"Niantic Wants a Bridge Instead of a Bottleneck." Hartford Courant, Nov. 11, 1962.
Hearing Is Set On Relocation Of Route 156." Hartford Courant, Mar. 2, 1959.
"MacKenzie Will Seek New Rt. 156 in 1967." Hartford Courant, Sept. 16, 1966.
Connecticut State Highway Dept., Bureau of Planning and Design. Planning study: Route 156, East Lyme-Waterford, dated 1968.
"Highway Department Urges $13 Million Project for Rt. 156." Hartford Courant, Jan. 27, 1969.
"Rt. 156 Proposals Concern Officials." Hartford Courant, Apr. 22, 1969.
"DOT Plans Major Cuts in Construction." Hartford Courant, Sept. 25, 1975.
"Town asked to voice ideas on rerouting Route 156." The Day [New London, Conn.], July 25, 2002.
"Consultant likes plan to close part of Rope Ferry Road." The Day [New London, Conn.], Nov. 5, 2002.

Connecticut Coastal Access Guide - Cini Memorial Park (has ground-view photos of bridge)
Route 156 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

From 1932 until 1963, Route 156A was an 0.76-mile stretch of Lyme Street and McCurdy Road between Route 156 and US 1.

6.86 miles; from Route 68 in Durham to Route 66 in Middletown.

Commissioned in 1932, Route 157's original path was:

today's Route 147, from Route 17 to the 147/157 merge
today's Route 157 northerly to today's Route 66

In 1968, Routes 147 and 157 were redefined to their present locations.

Route 157 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

Commissioned in 1932; deleted in 1951. Route 158 was a 4.12-mile route in West Haven, leading north along Campbell Avenue and Forest Road, from Main Street to today's Route 243. Much of this is now part of Route 122.

20 miles; from I-91 in Windsor north to MA 57 in Agawam, Mass. 16.82 miles in Connecticut. Route 159 intersects I-91 twice, in Windsor and Windsor Locks.

It's a four-lane boulevard from I-91 to Route 75 and Route 305 in Windsor, dating back to the 1940s. There is also a four-lane segment between Elm and Church streets in Windsor Locks, completed in 1999.

Original Route 159: Middlefield

Commissioned in 1932, the original Route 159 was Cherry Hill Road in Middlefield, a 2.58-mile north-south road from Route 157 to present-day Route 147, which was back then part of Route 157. In 1963, this road was handed over to the town.

Modern Route 159: formerly US 5A

The modern Route 159 has had a few numbering changes. In the 1920s, much of it (except for a western jog along the original Route 75) was called state highway 110. In 1932, SH 110 became US 5A, a northerly route second in importance only to US 5, on the opposite side of the Connecticut River.

In 1968, the state announced it was considering changing US 5A's designation to state route 159. In Massachusetts, the route would continue as MA 159. The reasoning:

Since the new I-91 was the primary route north, US 5 was the alternate, and US 5A no longer merited a US route number
The parallel US 5 and US 5A could lead to motorist confusion, especially along I-91, which crosses both routes multiple times

If there were no adverse comments from businessmen or residents, US 5A could have been changed in 1969, in time for that year's new tourist maps. As it turned out, the number change took effect earlier than that, on Oct. 24, 1968. This was the last of several historical US 5A routes to be renumbered or decommissioned.

Freeways along Route 159 once proposed

1960s long-range regional highway plans included a freeway leading north from proposed Route 190 into Massachusetts, approximately along Route 159.

In 1967, the Capitol Region Planning Agency proposed a serpentine expressway replacing parts of Routes 189, 187, 190, and 159, leading from I-291 to the Windsor - East Granby line, then leading west and north around Bradley International Airport to approach the Route 190 bridge over the Connecticut River. Finally, the highway would turn north between Routes 75 and 159 in Suffield to enter Massachusetts.

The reconstructed intersection with Route 75 and 305 in Windsor won an Award of Merit from the FHWA in 1990: "... [early involvement with local businesses], underground utilities, landscaping, and selective placement of street and pedestrian lighting complement the [Windsor village] green and retain the historical character of the community."

Similar work was planned for Route 159 south of there, to the Hartford city line. The Wilson/Deerfield Advisory Committee held a public meeting in May 2001 regarding the Route 159 Wilson Corridor Improvement Project: plans for roadway and streetscape improvements.

Renumber as part of Connecticut's Great River Road, Route 99. Coerce Massachusetts into going along (even though they already have a Route 99 elsewhere).

"155 Miles of Superhighways Projected." Hartford Times, June 1, 1967.
"Selectman seeks data in route number change." Hartford Courant, July 21, 1968.
"D'Addario scheduled." Hartford Courant, Oct. 25, 1968. (includes para about 5A/159 change)
"Meeting Wednesday On Route 159 Work." Hartford Courant, May 29, 2001.

Metro Hartford's Proposed Freeways (map)
Route 159 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

Home > Roads > Connecticut > Routes 155-159

Updated Oct 21, 2006

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	2.22 miles; from Route 17 to Route 9 in Middletown. It's primarily a shortcut between 9 and 17.
	Created in 1933 or 1934. The only alignment change since then: the segment of Randolph Road between Route 9 and Saybrook Road (old Route 9) is now a city street.
	Extend Route 155 across CT River? At a 2004 forum covering traffic issues in Middletown, State Rep. Joseph Serra brought up an interesting idea: building a new east-west bridge across the Connecticut River at Randolph Road / Route 155. Either a new road (Route 155 extension?) would continue north to Route 66, or the road would connect to Route 151 in East Hampton. There were no details on which alternative was contemplated. The new bridge would allow eastbound traffic from Route 9 to skip Middletown congestion and relieve traffic on the Arrigoni Bridge carrying Routes 17 and 66. That would make upgrading the overworked 1938 bridge easier.
	"Suggestions, not solutions at forum." Middletown Press, Dec. 10, 2004.
	Route 155 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

	22.76 miles; from Route 82 in East Haddam to US 1 in Waterford. Route 156 is an L-shaped road, like Route 22, Route 110 and Route 218. It intersects US 1 twice.
	Route 156 was commissioned in 1932 as an east-west route from Old Lyme to Waterford. The north-south segment of today's Route 156, between Route 82 and US 1, was originally numbered Route 86. In 1949, Route 156 annexed that portion and gained its ungainly shape. Traffic engineers have paid the shoreline segment of Route 156 a considerable amount of attention over the years. Though US 1, and more recently I-95, have always handled non-local traffic, Route 156 has struggled with town, tourist and even marine traffic. Relocation in Old Lyme Traveling northwesterly into downtown Old Lyme, Route 156 originally followed McCurdy Rd. and Ferry Rd. to Neck Rd. The section of Shore Rd to the west is newer. In Feb. 1959, town residents voted 2-1 to approve the state plan for shifting Route 156 there. The new segment of Route 156, a limited-access two-lane road, was completed in 1961. Improvements in Niantic The town of Niantic and the Niantic River have been perennial chokepoints along Route 156. The original Niantic River Drawbridge, a low-clearance bridge built in 1922, was being opened about 6,000 times a year by the 1960s, causing severe traffic backups. In 1963, the state General Assembly directed the Highway Department to study improving or replacing the bridge. In 1965, it was determined that nearby segments of Route 156 also needed upgrading, and the Department approved a limited-access designation along the route from Old Lyme to Waterford. (This would generally limit access to newly constructed segments of Route 156 to major cross streets.) In 1966, Waterford First Selectman Hugh MacKenzie called for a relocated Route 156 from the bridge to the New London city line. In 1967, the General Assembly called for a wider study. In 1968, the state released its findings for both the bridge and the highway. Four alternatives for the bridge were explored. A higher drawbridge at same location, with a 35 foot clearance. This bridge would need to be opened only 500 times a year, instead of 6,000 times. However, the embankments needed for the bridge approaches would displace nearly all the developed properties between the bridge and Millstone Road in Waterford. A tunnel, 52 feet wide (four lanes), providing 15 foot depth of channel. It would be located about 150 feet north of the existing bridge. The cost would range from $20 million (for a 2,500 foot tunnel) to $28 million (for 3,500 feet). Fixed high-level bridge, 52 feet wide (four lanes), with sidewalks. Engineers determined that a 65-foot clearance would allow all marine traffic currently using the river; a 30-foot clearance would prevent over 20% of current traffic; but a 45-foot clearance, allowing all but 2% of traffic, would be an acceptable compromise. Cost was estimated at $2.6 million. New movable bridge at new location, with a clearance of 30 feet. This would be more expensive to build than the fixed bridge, and have higher recurring costs. The higher fixed bridge was the preferred alternative. The report also discussed three alternatives for relocating Route 156 east and west of the bridge. New sections would be limited access roads, generally two lanes, 40 feet wide. The new Route 156 would veer southeast at Roxbury Road, and transition to an alignment along the railroad. In downtown Niantic, it would rejoin present-day Route 156. East of the river, it would follow the railroad again to end at US 1 and Clark Lane. This alternative strayed from Route 156 in the same areas that Alternative A did, but would stay closer to Route 156 than the railroad. This alternative would bypass Niantic entirely to the north, crossing the river near Daniels Road, and returning to Route 156 near Spithead (with a "P") Road in Waterford. Alternative B was preferred in the report. The cost in 1969 was estimated at $13 million. Route 156 was never relocated here. In 1969, town officials were concerned about local impacts, and the state was considered "lukewarm" on the topic. At some point, the state moved to encourage motorists to use other routes by posting a Route B detour, using Niantic River Road, US 1, and Route 161. Studies and hearings for a new bridge continued. In 1975, funding problems led the state to put aside plans for a high, fixed bridge in favor of a smaller, moveable bridge. A new bridge was constructed in 1991 just south of the old one. It's higher and appears to be fixed, but clearance data is not available. As of the late 1990s, the "Route B" detour is still signed. Proposed relocation near eastern end In 2002, there was talk of relocating a small section of Route 156 near its eastern intersection with US 1 in Waterford. A proposed community campus, to open in 2004, would have included land and buildings on both sides of Route 156 in the area: a high school, senior services, sports fields and a preschool. To make it easier and safer to walk there, planners were looking at restricting vehicle traffic, or providing pedestrian overpasses. One option: "end Route 156 at the intersection with Avery Lane" (across from Route 213), and presumably route it north to US 1. The first public brainstorming session was held in July 2002. Town First Selectman Paul B. Eccard noted that there is state precedent for moving state highways to accommodate community needs: US 1 in Fairfield and Greenwich; and unspecified highways in Storrs, Newington, and Willimantic. In November 2002, a traffic consultant favored a $900,000 plan that would redirect Route 156 to meet US 1 at Wild Rose Avenue. A short segment of US 1, from Wild Rose to Vivian Street, would be widened to four lanes.
	Renumber east-west section as extension of Route 80.
	"Niantic Wants a Bridge Instead of a Bottleneck." Hartford Courant, Nov. 11, 1962. Hearing Is Set On Relocation Of Route 156." Hartford Courant, Mar. 2, 1959. "MacKenzie Will Seek New Rt. 156 in 1967." Hartford Courant, Sept. 16, 1966. Connecticut State Highway Dept., Bureau of Planning and Design. Planning study: Route 156, East Lyme-Waterford, dated 1968. "Highway Department Urges $13 Million Project for Rt. 156." Hartford Courant, Jan. 27, 1969. "Rt. 156 Proposals Concern Officials." Hartford Courant, Apr. 22, 1969. "DOT Plans Major Cuts in Construction." Hartford Courant, Sept. 25, 1975. "Town asked to voice ideas on rerouting Route 156." The Day [New London, Conn.], July 25, 2002. "Consultant likes plan to close part of Rope Ferry Road." The Day [New London, Conn.], Nov. 5, 2002.
	Connecticut Coastal Access Guide - Cini Memorial Park (has ground-view photos of bridge) Route 156 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

	From 1932 until 1963, Route 156A was an 0.76-mile stretch of Lyme Street and McCurdy Road between Route 156 and US 1.

	6.86 miles; from Route 68 in Durham to Route 66 in Middletown.
	Commissioned in 1932, Route 157's original path was: today's Route 147, from Route 17 to the 147/157 merge today's Route 157 northerly to today's Route 66 In 1968, Routes 147 and 157 were redefined to their present locations.
	Route 157 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

	Commissioned in 1932; deleted in 1951. Route 158 was a 4.12-mile route in West Haven, leading north along Campbell Avenue and Forest Road, from Main Street to today's Route 243. Much of this is now part of Route 122.

	20 miles; from I-91 in Windsor north to MA 57 in Agawam, Mass. 16.82 miles in Connecticut. Route 159 intersects I-91 twice, in Windsor and Windsor Locks. It's a four-lane boulevard from I-91 to Route 75 and Route 305 in Windsor, dating back to the 1940s. There is also a four-lane segment between Elm and Church streets in Windsor Locks, completed in 1999.
	Original Route 159: Middlefield Commissioned in 1932, the original Route 159 was Cherry Hill Road in Middlefield, a 2.58-mile north-south road from Route 157 to present-day Route 147, which was back then part of Route 157. In 1963, this road was handed over to the town. Modern Route 159: formerly US 5A The modern Route 159 has had a few numbering changes. In the 1920s, much of it (except for a western jog along the original Route 75) was called state highway 110. In 1932, SH 110 became US 5A, a northerly route second in importance only to US 5, on the opposite side of the Connecticut River. In 1968, the state announced it was considering changing US 5A's designation to state route 159. In Massachusetts, the route would continue as MA 159. The reasoning: Since the new I-91 was the primary route north, US 5 was the alternate, and US 5A no longer merited a US route number The parallel US 5 and US 5A could lead to motorist confusion, especially along I-91, which crosses both routes multiple times If there were no adverse comments from businessmen or residents, US 5A could have been changed in 1969, in time for that year's new tourist maps. As it turned out, the number change took effect earlier than that, on Oct. 24, 1968. This was the last of several historical US 5A routes to be renumbered or decommissioned. Freeways along Route 159 once proposed 1960s long-range regional highway plans included a freeway leading north from proposed Route 190 into Massachusetts, approximately along Route 159. In 1967, the Capitol Region Planning Agency proposed a serpentine expressway replacing parts of Routes 189, 187, 190, and 159, leading from I-291 to the Windsor - East Granby line, then leading west and north around Bradley International Airport to approach the Route 190 bridge over the Connecticut River. Finally, the highway would turn north between Routes 75 and 159 in Suffield to enter Massachusetts.
	The reconstructed intersection with Route 75 and 305 in Windsor won an Award of Merit from the FHWA in 1990: "... [early involvement with local businesses], underground utilities, landscaping, and selective placement of street and pedestrian lighting complement the [Windsor village] green and retain the historical character of the community." Similar work was planned for Route 159 south of there, to the Hartford city line. The Wilson/Deerfield Advisory Committee held a public meeting in May 2001 regarding the Route 159 Wilson Corridor Improvement Project: plans for roadway and streetscape improvements.
	Renumber as part of Connecticut's Great River Road, Route 99. Coerce Massachusetts into going along (even though they already have a Route 99 elsewhere).
	"155 Miles of Superhighways Projected." Hartford Times, June 1, 1967. "Selectman seeks data in route number change." Hartford Courant, July 21, 1968. "D'Addario scheduled." Hartford Courant, Oct. 25, 1968. (includes para about 5A/159 change) "Meeting Wednesday On Route 159 Work." Hartford Courant, May 29, 2001.
	Metro Hartford's Proposed Freeways (map) Route 159 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)