1.87 miles; from Route 12 to Route 193 in Thompson.

The Quaddick Road portion of Route 200 is part of the old Thompson Turnpike, also known as the Providence and Springfield Turnpike, incorporated in 1803 and operated until about 1880.

Its junction with the Boston and Hartford Turnpike (now Route 193) is credited with causing a "flourishing village to be built" at the Thompson Green.

Commissioned in 1932, Route 200 was created out of part of the old State Highway 185. It hasn't changed much since then, save for an interchange built when Route 52 (now I-395) opened in the late 1960s.

• Wood, Frederic J. "The Turnpikes of New England." Pepperell, Mass.: Branch Line Press, 1997. (reprint of 1909 edition)
• Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. "Thompson Hill Common." http://www.towngreens.com/datacenter/index.cgi/view/145/historical (30 Aug. 2003)

• Route 200 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)
• Route 200 - Google Maps

20.10 miles; from Route 184 in Stonington to Route 12 in Griswold.

The first Route 201, commissioned in 1932, ran along the "stairstep" portion of Route 97 between present-day US 44 and US 44/Route 169 in Pomfret. In 1934 this became part of Route 97, and a new 2.19-mile Route 201 opened between Routes 138 and 165. Route 201 stayed this way for 29 years.

Much of what is now Route 201 was not numbered. The part south of Route 2 and Mystic Road (SR 627) was part of the old Route 84 (now Route 184), and became Route 119 when Route 84 was moved in 1936.

In 1963, Route 201's length increased 800%, taking over Route 119, and adding the Stonington-Voluntown stretch, as well as the fishhook north and west over to Route 12 in Jewett City.

Tilting Rock Saved

About 6,000 feet of Route 201 in Griswold, from Monroe Road to I-395, was being straightened and widened in a state project that was scheduled to complete in Spring 2003. Tilting Rock, a large boulder near the road that is a local landmark, will be relocated to nearby property. Preliminary plans were to destroy the rock, about 10 feet in size, by explosives or chemicals, but residents persuaded the state to move the rock instead.

"Route 201 winds through southeastern Connecticut like a stream, and wears as many facades as a chamelon. So diverse is its personality that it makes for a wonderful Sunday drive or a paradise for a serious or not-so-serious hiker."

Renumber as part of extended Route 27. (I favor lower numbers for longer routes).

• "The road less traveled: Rt. 201." Westerly Sun, Nov. 4, 2001.
• "Griswold road project caught between a rock and a hard place: State agrees to move landmark boulder on 201 instead of demolishing it." The Day (New London, Conn.), Nov. 12, 2002.

• Route 201 - Google Maps

In 1930 and '31, State Highway 202 was the numbering for present-day Route 72 between US 6 in Plymouth and Route 4 in Harwinton.

In 1932, this road became part of the old Route 117. A new Route 202 was assigned to what is now Route 101 between present-day Route 169 and the Rhode Island state line.

In 1935, Route 101 (which predated US 44 and ran along its path) was moved southward to its current routing and 202 was retired as a state route.

Though the number didn't last long as a state route, either time, it has since enjoyed long life as US 202, which was commissioned in 1935.

5.32 miles; from Route 32 to US 6 in Windham.

On January 26, 1999, part of Route 203, the 1.7-mile segment between Routes 32 and 14, was designated a state scenic road. A portion of Route 14 was also designated that day.

Commissioned in 1932; few or no changes since then.

Two traffic issues affect Route 203 in South Windham. First, motorists increasingly use residential Tuckie Road to get to the US 6 expressway; officials want to redirect this traffic to Route 203, which has better design characteristics. Second, there has been talk of an alternate route or 203 bypass around historic Windham Center, especially for truck traffic.

Renumber as part of extended Route 198.

"Regional Transportation Plan for the Windham Region / 2001 Update." Windham Regional Council of Governments, August 29, 2001.

• Route 203 - Google Maps

In 1930 and 1931, State Highway 204 extended south from Route 20 in Hartland, roughly parallel to Route 181, to New Hartford. Part of this route might now be underwater: the Barkhamsted Reservoir was created later that decade.

3.81 miles; from Route 169 in Brooklyn to Route 12 in Plainfield.

Commissioned in 1932; few changes since then. However, part of the highway was realigned in 1999 in Brooklyn.

"Backs To The Wall." Hartford Courant, Jan 11. 2000. (Discusses ConnDOT and the issue of rebuilding centuries-old stone walls when rural highways are upgraded)

Name this the Joe McCarthy Highway. Eastern Connecticut is a long way from Wisconsin, but 205 was the number of communists in the list McCarthy claimed to have held in his hand.

• Route 205 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)
• Route 205 - Google Maps

In 1930 and 1931, State Highway 206 followed today's Route 189 from Routes 10 and 20 in Granby to the Massachusetts state line.

16.01 miles; from Route 85 in Hebron to Route 97 in Sprague.

Route 207 was commissioned in 1932, and has seen a few changes to its alignment:

• Original: Route 87 in Franklin to Route 97 in Sprague.
• Circa 1941: extended westward to Route 85. Through most or all of the 1940s, Route 207 was 17.35 miles long, leading from Route 85 to a terminus at the Sprague-Norwich town line on High Street. Officially it did not intersect Route 97, but came close (see map scan, below).
• 1961: a portion in Franklin, from 0.75 mile east of Route 32 to 0.12 mile west of the town line with Sprague, was significantly realigned and built with a shallower grade, by use of extensive cuts and fills. The project began March 2 and finished December 11, at a cost of $555,000.

Route 207's strange eastern end, 1940s

In the 1940s, Route 207 officially never made it as far as Route 97; instead, it ran parallel for a while, ending at the Norwich town line. This is a USGS 1946 map scan from University of New Hampshire, Dimond Library, Documents Department and Data Center.

Renumber as part of extended Route 138, which would also take over Route 16 to East Hampton.

• Connecticut State Highway Department. Routes and Road Numbers on the State Highway System, Showing Control Numbers and Sections. Dated Jan. 1, 1942, Jan. 1, 1944, and May 1, 1947.
• "Route 207 nears completion." Connecticut Highways, Summer 1961.

• Route 207 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)
• Route 207 - Google Maps

In 1930 and 1931, State Highway 208 followed today's Route 191 between Route 190 in Enfield and Route 140 in East Windsor.

2.93 miles; Bantam Lake Road, from Route 109 in Morris to US 202 in Litchfield. Passes to the west of Bantam Lake.

In the 1920s, Route 209 was part of the old State Highway 310. In 1932, SH 310 became Route 109. In 1963, Route 109 was straightened out, and the north-south portion became Route 209.

• Route 209 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)
• Route 209 - Google Maps