6.16 miles; from Route 71 in New Britain to Route 99 in Wethersfield. Route 175 is an important east-west route between these towns and offers a few points of interest to the roadgeek.

In the mid-1980s, the section between Route 9 and the Berlin Turnpike was widened to four lanes. Leaving downtown Newington heading east, there is a grade separation at Mountain Road (SSR 405). At the Berlin Turnpike, there is a 1940s-vintage six-ramp interchange.

Route 175 was commissioned in 1932, along the following route, west to east:

• Allen St, East St, and Cedar St, from Route 71 to Route 176 (this portion is also the modern alignment)
• Main St, Hartford Ave, and Newington Ave, into Hartford (current Route 176, and its older extension)

Route 176 at the time followed Main Street throughout Newington, and overlapped Route 175 between Cedar Street and Hartford Avenue.

Around 1940 the north-south section of Route 175 was relocated to Wells Road, to end at the Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield: its current alignment.

Widening an important arterial

For decades, Route 175 has served as a critical east-west route, with few alternatives between New Britain Avenue to the north, and the old Route 72 to the south. In the 1960s, it became apparent that the road, two lanes wide at the time, would have to be widened.

In 1967, State Sen. Paul Amenta submitted a bill asking for $2.5 million to widen the route between Stanley Street and Hawley Street (east of Route 176). Gov. Dempsey had already budgeted $1.3 million to fix a shorter segment, between today's Fenn Road and Maple Hill Avenue, including two narrow railroad overpasses. However, this plan would lay fallow for several years.

In the east side of Newington, Route 175 was significantly improved. On Oct. 21, 1968, a relocated segment of Route 175 opened in Newington and Wethersfield. The four-lane roadway lies to the north of the old alignment, which includes today's Patricia M. Genova Dr. and an abandoned section of former Route 175 leading up Cedar Mountain. The new roadway, with a safer, gentler curve up the ridge, also overpasses Mountain Road (SSR 405).

At some point between 1971 and 1975 the original widening plan was expanded so that Route 175 would be four lanes wide throughout Newington; but it was then cut back, so the four-lane section would only extend as far east to nearly reach Alumni Road. Local officials protested the plan, saying it would only create a bottleneck where the road narrowed. Town and state came to an agreement later, and public hearings were held in 1980 to discuss a continuous four-lane profile throughout Newington.

In November 1983, a bid was awarded to widen Route 175 for about 1.5 miles, from 400 feet west of Maple Hill Ave. to Hawley Street, completing the four-lane section. Work finished around 1985.

Residents near Route 9, where Route 175 is called Cedar Street, are calling for narrowing Route 175 to two lanes because they don't like the traffic.

In 1997, the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) studied the Route 175 corridor, as well as the Berlin Turnpike in the area. Improvements considered include closing some curb cuts and eliminating some left-hand turns. In Wethersfield, where Wells Road traffic is projected to triple to 30,000 vehicles per day, the emphasis is on retaining the road's residential character.

Six proposals for modifying the interchange at Route 175 (see diagram) were rejected, among them a full cloverleaf deemed too massive for the area.

In early 2001, CRCOG released its summary of recommendations for Route 175. The proposed roadway improvements include adding turn lanes and fixing intersections. No traffic lanes would be added, except at intersections.

The most interesting proposal: modifying the interchange at the Berlin Turnpike into a single-point urban interchange (SPUI), and adding landscaping to create a "gateway" into Wethersfield and Newington.

• "Bill Proposed For Renovation Of Route 175." Hartford Courant, Mar. 12, 1967.
• "Highway Opening Set Today." Hartford Courant, Oct. 21, 1968.
• "Map Now at Town Hall Shows Cedar Street Reconstruction." Hartford Courant, Aug. 8, 1971.
• "State's Design On Cedar Street To Be Protested." Hartford Courant, Feb. 14, 1975.
• "Ambler Urges Action On Traffic Problems." Hartford Courant, Feb. 22, 1975.
• "Rt. 175 Widening Plans Scheduled for Hearing." Hartford Courant, May 30, 1980.
• "Bid Awarded for Route 175 Work." Hartford Courant, Nov. 5, 1983.
• "Highway Changes Proposed: Various Ideas Considered for Berlin Turnpike." Hartford Courant. June 13, 1997.
• Route 175 Corridor Study, Summary of Recommendations, Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), Feb. 2001.

• Newington Roads

4.14 miles; from US 5/Route 15 (the Berlin Turnpike in Newington to the Hartford city line.

Route 176 was commissioned in 1932, and was originally a straight north and south road, following Main Street in Newington from the Berlin Turnpike, and South Street in West Hartford to end at New Britain Avenue (old Route 71). The Hartford Avenue part of today's Route 176 was actually part of Route 175.

Around 1940, plus or minus a year, Route 175 was moved to its current location, Route 176 was shifted to its current location including Hartford Avenue, and a new Route 176A was created for the former 176 northward. Both 176 and 176A extended to New Britain Avenue, which by then was part of US 6.

In 1956, the Newington Chamber of Commerce discussed pursuing, as part of regional transportation plans, a widening of Route 176; but the road remains two lanes wide today.

In the route reclassification of 1962, the state intended to delete Route 176 and return it to the town -- and in fact, the route was omitted from the state map in 1965 through 1969. By 1972, however, Route 176 was back on the map, and remains there today.

It appears the result of arbitration was that Hartford accepted its part of Route 176 during the reclassification, leading to the end of state maintenance and the route designation at the city line.

• "CofC Schedules Discussion Of Highway Plans." Hartford Courant, Mar. 13, 1956.
• "Paving Slated On Rte. 176." Hartford Courant, Aug. 28, 1977. (Nothing noteworthy, but it's the only Courant headline Route 176 gets :-)

• Newington Roads
• Route 176 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

From c. 1940 to 1963, Route 176A was designated along Main Street and South Street, from Hartford Avenue (Route 176) in Newington to New Britain Avenue (former US 6) in West Hartford. Before 1940, this was part of Route 176.

In 1963, Route 176A was turned over to the towns.

• "State Plans To Rebuild Section of Route 176A." Hartford Courant, July 6, 1960. (Route 176A's day in the sun)

12.57 miles; from Route 10 in Southington to US 44/US 202 in Canton.

Commissioned in 1932, Route 177's original location was Route 372 (former Route 72 in Plainville to US 44. It was extended south to Route 10 in Southington in 1963.

In 1965, development plans for the Unionville section of Farmington called for widening the South Main Street portion of Route 177 to four lanes.

In the mid-1990s, ConnDOT and Plainville officials discussed improvements to Route 177, including a possible widening to four lanes at Route 72. Residents near the route opposed this, saying Route 177 would be turned into a speedway.

Route 177 may appear to be a minor route, but it connects several primary east-west routes (72, 6, 4, and 44) and carries significant traffic in Plainville. Widening may still be in the road's future.

• "State Has No Plans To Replace Bridge." Hartford Courant, June 5, 1965.
• "State planning work on Plainville road." Hartford Courant, Oct. 6, 1994.
• "Plainville official objects to proposal." Hartford Courant, Nov. 12, 1994.

• Route 177 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

6.89 miles; from Route 185 in Bloomfield to Route 159 in Windsor.

In the 1920s, state highway 178 followed today's Route 71 from New Britain to Meriden.

The modern Route 178 was commissioned in 1932. Its original alignment, west to east, was the eastern portion of today's Route 178:

• School St., from Park Ave. in Bloomfield to Wintonbury Ave.
• Wintonbury Ave. to a different Park Ave. in Windsor (the two Park Avenues are not connected)
• Park Ave. to Route 159

The rest of today's Route 178 was originally old Route 184. Continuing west, this highway followed Park Avenue, Mountain Avenue and West Street to end at Route 185.

In 1963, Route 184 was deleted, and Route 178 was extended along former Route 184, as described above, to end at Route 185.

In 1964, the state unveiled a plan to relocate and straighten the western end of Route 178. About 5,000 feet of new and realigned road along Loeffler Rd. would provide a safer, more direct route. This work was done around 1966. The remainder of Mountain Avenue and West Street were turned over to the town.

• "Few Questions Raised On Rt. 178 Relocation." Hartford Courant, Oct. 27, 1964.

• Route 178 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

16.50 miles; from Route 4 in Burlington to Route 20 in Hartland. (The road continues as secret route SR 819.) Route 179 is a scenic route between Route 4 and US 202, known for the beautiful Farmington Gorge and the Collinsville Axe Factory.

Route 179's original location, defined in 1932, was a 10.98-mile trip from US 44 in New Hartford to Route 20 in Hartland, following Reservoir Road and East Hartland Road; much of this is Route 219 today.

In 1943 or 1944, the south end was relocated along present-day Route 179, through North Canton and Canton Center, to end at today's US 44/Route 179 intersection. Route 179 was also extended north from Route 20 along Granville Road to the Massachusetts state line, for a total length of 15.64 miles.

In 1963, Route 4 was relocated, and Route 179 was extended along former Route 4 to Burlington; at 19.73 miles, this was the the route's longest configuration.

On March 1, 1979, the northern terminus of Route 179 was pulled back to Route 20, and the remainder was renumbered SR 819: a state road, but no longer signed. This might have been done because the road across the state line is not a state road, leading to a "dead end" for the 179 designation at the border.

• 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.
• Route Change Notice, ConnDOT, Jan. 31, 1979.

• Route 179 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)