Connecticut Interstate 291

The Original Plan

The original location of Interstate 291, approved by AASHO in early 1959, was a loop around Hartford on the west side of I-91 only. The existing I-291 was not part of this plan, but was added in December 1968, as part of that year's Federal Highway Act. (Connecticut's first officially proposed 3-digit interstate was I-491 in November 1958.)

Interstate 291 was to start at I-91 in Rocky Hill, between exits 23 and 24. Rock cuts and an never-used flyover ramp for I-291 westbound were built over the southbound lanes when I-91 opened. (This ramp was dismantled in 1999 when I-91 was widened there, but there is still visual evidence of the planned interchange.)

I-291 would have continued west into Newington, with interchanges at the Berlin Turnpike (US 5/Route 15) and Route 174. Near New Britain, a short connector freeway would have provided access to Route 72.

Northeast of New Britain, I-291 would have continued where Route 9 does now, to the four-level "stack" interchange in Farmington. This interchange, built when I-84 opened in the late 1960s, also anticipated the construction of I-291, but instead lay unused until Route 9 was extended there in September 1992.

I-291 then would enter the most controversial part of its route: northerly alongside several reservoirs serving the Hartford area. After interchanges with Routes 4 and 44, and a proposed US 44 expressway to the northwest, I-291 would have turned east near the Route 218/185 intersection, and paralleled Cottage Grove Road (Route 218) into Windsor to meet I-91 again.

The section from I-91 in Windsor to I-84 in Manchester was originally to be a state route extension. In 1961, this was part of the state's expressway plans, but didn't yet have a route number. Later this section was added to the planned I-291, and ironically is the only part that exists today.

Planning I-291

Interstate 291 has been planned since the 1950s. The portion west of I-91 was added to the state's planned interstate highway system in 1957. Corridor hearings, to determine the highway's general location, were held in 1959 and 1961; more detailed design hearings, held after the corridor was decided upon, were held in 1969 thru 1971.

In early 1964, the proposed I-291 profile of four to six lanes was increased to six to eight lanes.

In mid-1966, construction of I-291 was anticipated to start in late 1968 and finish in 1971. The combination of 20 miles of I-291 and 6.7 miles of I-491 was expected to cost $143 million.

In October 1967, bids were scheduled to go out that fall for the stack interchange at I-84. Bids for the northern I-91 interchange and a section from Route 4 to US 44 were expected to go out in 1969; and bids for the remaining portions in 1970. I-291 was expected to be complete in 1972.

Northwest: West Hartford, the Reservoirs, and Bloomfield

The northwest leg of I-291, about 12.5 miles long, was cancelled in the early 1970s. The corridor passed by several reservoirs that serve the Hartford area and was environmentally sensitive.

In late 1963, the state was planning to complete I-291 from Corbins Corner to I-91 in Windsor by 1969. As 1969 arrived, work had not started, but in May of that year the Capitol Region Planning Agency (RPA) approved a location for the route. The planned expressway would be six lanes wide, but soon the design was expanded to eight lanes.

The reservoir location was problematic, though; concerns over environmental impact included fluid runoff from the roadway. Not only would I-291 pass through, but an interchange with a US 44 expressway was planned.

In February 1970 planners were discussing shifting I-291 west, close to Route 10 in Avon. Governor Dempsey asked for a design review in March 1970, and in April the DOT halted planning and design until location questions could be settled. That month, the Capitol RPA resumed studying the route.

In June 1970, a federal review of I-291 started; right-of-way acquisition and construction would be put off until the review was done.

In October 1970, ConnDOT announced that I-291 and US 44 would not be built along the reservoirs, or in a protested area of South Bloomfield. The same month, the state transportation commissioner said he would not seek federal approval for any I-291 plan, but instead wait for the next governor to decide. Thomas Meskill took office from John Dempsey in 1971.

In February 1971, Gov. Meskill favored keeping I-291, but moving it away from the reservoirs. In June 1971, the state senate passed a bill preventing construction of I-291 there. In August 1971, the state proposed locating the highway 500 feet east of the reservoirs, but in September unveiled a plan to place it west of Talcott Mountain, paralleling routes 10 and 185.

In October, the federal goverment said the western I-291 plan was not feasible, because the six to eight additional interstate miles needed could not be allocated. Gov. Meskill still supported the highway.

Sometime in 1972 or 1973, I-291 was cancelled between I-84 and I-91 in Windsor. No expressway bypass of Hartford in the northwest has ever been built.

Southwest: Newington, Rocky Hill

The southwest leg of I-291 was about 7.6 miles, and was to cost $48 million in the 1960s. Construction was expected to start in 1971 and finish June 1974. This segment did not have the high-visibility environmental issues of its northwestern counterpart, but more developed properties were affected.

This segment would have had six interchanges: a four-level stack at I-84 in West Hartford; a four-ramp interchange at Route 175; an expressway connector to Route 72 in New Britain; a four-ramp interchange at Route 173; a high-volume interchange at the Berlin Turnpike, and a directional T at I-91. Early plans for the Berlin Turnpike included a cloverleaf interchange there, but by 1970 the design had been changed to a split-level diamond (aka volleyball interchange.

In February 1971, the state completed its plans for I-291 here, and in Feb. 1972, the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was submitted to the FHWA. In November 1972, the FHWA divisional office granted formal design approval, but requested ConnDOT give further consideration to noise and air quality impact.

In June 1973, the FHWA divisional office approved state "plans, specifications, and estimates" for 2 miles of 291, from I-91 to the Newington town line. On September 19, 1973, construction actually began on this portion of Interstate 291. Grading, clearing, and drainage work was started.

In November 1973, a lawsuit was brought against ConnDOT and FHWA regional executives claiming the EIS was not thorough and gave short shrift to impacts and alternatives (such as connecting routes 9 and 72). Construction was halted. In March 1979, this segment of I-291 was cancelled.

A 1973-era map, drawn after the northwest leg was cancelled, showed the southwest proposed segment of I-291 as Interstate 491. Since the southwest portion would no longer connect to the proposed northeastern I-291, and the creation of I-86 in 1968 freed up the 491 numbering, the southwest section could become I-491. Again, this was all still on paper.

After the I-291 cancellation: Tri-Town Connector

Although I-291 west of I-91 was cancelled, some plans were made (and some roads were built) in the former I-291 corridor.

Newington businessman Frank Eddy added a "People for a Parkway" plank to his 1976 run for state assembly, pushing for a highway in the I-291 right-of-way. This didn't go far.

In the corridor from I-91 in Rocky Hill to the vicinity of the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, an arterial road called the Tri-Town Connector was proposed in the late 1980s. The road would use the directional T interchange proposed for the I-91/I-291 junction, and have at-grade intersections with crossing streets.

Though the connector has not been built, the town of Wethersfield 1999 Plan of Conservation and Development recommends preserving the right-of-way for a future east-west road. Such a road could alleviate traffic on Route 175 and Route 287, both east-west roads in the area.

The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) conducted a corridor study of Route 175 and Routes 5/15 and also recommended building the Tri-Town Connector.

The new DOT building, on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, was constructed on land originally meant for I-291.

After the I-291 cancellation: New Britain - West Hartford

I haven't seen plans for any follow-on roads in the I-291 corridor between the Berlin Turnpike and New Britain. But north of New Britain, an expressway was built in I-291's path. The Taras Shevchenko Expressway, an extension of the former Route 72/I-291 connector to Route 175, opened in 1986. This highway was extended to the "stack" interchange at I-84 in 1992, and became part of an extended Route 9.

After the I-291 cancellation: West Hartford - Bloomfield - Windsor

No follow-on highway is planned in the reservoir area of West Hartford. But in 1974, shortly after I-291 was cancelled, the state studied relocating Route 218 as a four-lane divided highway with access partially controlled.

The relocated highway would have continued east from the Route 218/185 intersection, passing through the Connecticut General campus, and paralleling Cottage Grove Road to the south until nearly reaching Blue Hills Avenue. An undivided four-lane road would have continued, carrying Route 218 to exit 35 at I-91.

This was not implemented. However, Route 218 was widened to four lanes divided in-place and extended east to I-91/I-291 in 1994.

Aftermath: what was actually built

A small portion of Interstate 291 opened in conjunction with the reconstruction of Interstate 91 in Windsor. The section across the river to US 5 opened first, in 1992; the remainder, to I-84 and I-384 in Manchester, opened on Sept. 9, 1994. Interchanges are provided at Route 218, I-91, Route 159, US 5, Tolland Turnpike, and I-84.

I-291 connects to I-91 at a modified trumpet interchange; no extension to the west is anticipated. The I-291 roadway occupies a third level above a diamond interchange (with HOV ramps) at I-91 and Route 218. Long feeder ramps branch from the loop in the trumpet and meet Route 218 about ½ mile to the west, providing access between 291 and 218.

The state originally planned for a cloverleaf interchange at US 5; the "left turn" from I-291 east to US 5 north is one of the busiest at the interchange. However, only a four-ramp partial cloverleaf was built; officials at a public hearing cited costs involving relocating the Conrail track alongside US 5 for the design change. What would have been a loop ramp from 291 east to 5 north is now an actual left turn with a traffic signal.

A planned half-diamond interchange at Burnham street to and from points west drew opposition from East Hartford residents and was dropped.

The Bissell Bridge and CT 291

This four-lane bridge, opened in 1957, carries I-291 across the Connecticut River. It was originally called the South Windsor Bridge, or Wolcott Bridge, for the Wolcott Avenue connector to it. On September 9, 1960, it was dedicated to Capt. John Bissell, captain of the Connecticut Troops from 1657 to 1676, who led the settlement of the Windsor area.

For three decades, the Bissell Bridge carried state Route 291, built in preparation for the planned interstate. Starting at a diamond interchange at I-91, a four-lane divided surface road followed today's Route 218 eastward, with at-grade intersections leading to the bridge approach.

After crossing the four-lane bridge, Route 291 continued as a freeway, overpassing Main Street and terminating at a spread half diamond interchange with US 5. These were to be two outside ramps of a full cloverleaf there, but later the state built a four-ramp partial cloverleaf instead. Building the full cloverleaf would have required relocating a railroad track on US 5's eastern side.

Barbara Surwilo, Freeway Fighter

A history of I-291 would not be complete without mentioning Rocky Hill resident Barbara Surwilo. In 1973, she and her husband moved there from Hartford, in a six-year-old house that happened to be a few hundred yards from one of the I-291/I-91 connector ramps. The real estate agent had said the ramp would never be used (we've all heard similar things from realtors) but a tip from a neighbor and a trip to town hall proved otherwise.

Instead of trying to unload the house, Surwilo stayed and fought I-291, spending an average of 30 hours a week on meetings and research. She has bachelor's, master's, and Ph. D degrees in biology, but the political fight called on other skills. Six years later, I-291 was cancelled. She was profiled in the Aug. 8, 1979 issue of the Parade Sunday supplement.

Surwilo later served four terms as Mayor of Rocky Hill and as of 2004 serves on the town council.

	5.88 miles; Interstate 291 connects I-91 in Windsor to I-84 and I-384 in Manchester, forming a northeastern bypass of Hartford. The original planned I-291, a 20-mile western bypass from Rocky Hill to West Hartford to Windsor, is one of Connecticut's most famous unbuilt highways. Opposition began in earnest around 1970, and the highway was cancelled in March 1979. I-291 eastbound, approaching Bissell Bridge, Windsor. Photo taken April 2004 by Kurumi. The four-lane expressway, which completely opened in 1994, incorporated the Bissell Bridge over the Connecticut River and an expressway connector to US 5, both of which opened in the late 1950s. Along with a proposed I-491 (also cancelled), the full I-291 proposal would have created a complete beltway around Hartford.
	The Original Plan The original location of Interstate 291, approved by AASHO in early 1959, was a loop around Hartford on the west side of I-91 only. The existing I-291 was not part of this plan, but was added in December 1968, as part of that year's Federal Highway Act. (Connecticut's first officially proposed 3-digit interstate was I-491 in November 1958.) Interstate 291 was to start at I-91 in Rocky Hill, between exits 23 and 24. Rock cuts and an never-used flyover ramp for I-291 westbound were built over the southbound lanes when I-91 opened. (This ramp was dismantled in 1999 when I-91 was widened there, but there is still visual evidence of the planned interchange.) I-291 would have continued west into Newington, with interchanges at the Berlin Turnpike (US 5/Route 15) and Route 174. Near New Britain, a short connector freeway would have provided access to Route 72. Northeast of New Britain, I-291 would have continued where Route 9 does now, to the four-level "stack" interchange in Farmington. This interchange, built when I-84 opened in the late 1960s, also anticipated the construction of I-291, but instead lay unused until Route 9 was extended there in September 1992. I-291 then would enter the most controversial part of its route: northerly alongside several reservoirs serving the Hartford area. After interchanges with Routes 4 and 44, and a proposed US 44 expressway to the northwest, I-291 would have turned east near the Route 218/185 intersection, and paralleled Cottage Grove Road (Route 218) into Windsor to meet I-91 again. The section from I-91 in Windsor to I-84 in Manchester was originally to be a state route extension. In 1961, this was part of the state's expressway plans, but didn't yet have a route number. Later this section was added to the planned I-291, and ironically is the only part that exists today. Planning I-291 Interstate 291 has been planned since the 1950s. The portion west of I-91 was added to the state's planned interstate highway system in 1957. Corridor hearings, to determine the highway's general location, were held in 1959 and 1961; more detailed design hearings, held after the corridor was decided upon, were held in 1969 thru 1971. In early 1964, the proposed I-291 profile of four to six lanes was increased to six to eight lanes. In mid-1966, construction of I-291 was anticipated to start in late 1968 and finish in 1971. The combination of 20 miles of I-291 and 6.7 miles of I-491 was expected to cost $143 million. In October 1967, bids were scheduled to go out that fall for the stack interchange at I-84. Bids for the northern I-91 interchange and a section from Route 4 to US 44 were expected to go out in 1969; and bids for the remaining portions in 1970. I-291 was expected to be complete in 1972. Northwest: West Hartford, the Reservoirs, and Bloomfield The northwest leg of I-291, about 12.5 miles long, was cancelled in the early 1970s. The corridor passed by several reservoirs that serve the Hartford area and was environmentally sensitive. In late 1963, the state was planning to complete I-291 from Corbins Corner to I-91 in Windsor by 1969. As 1969 arrived, work had not started, but in May of that year the Capitol Region Planning Agency (RPA) approved a location for the route. The planned expressway would be six lanes wide, but soon the design was expanded to eight lanes. The reservoir location was problematic, though; concerns over environmental impact included fluid runoff from the roadway. Not only would I-291 pass through, but an interchange with a US 44 expressway was planned. In February 1970 planners were discussing shifting I-291 west, close to Route 10 in Avon. Governor Dempsey asked for a design review in March 1970, and in April the DOT halted planning and design until location questions could be settled. That month, the Capitol RPA resumed studying the route. In June 1970, a federal review of I-291 started; right-of-way acquisition and construction would be put off until the review was done. In October 1970, ConnDOT announced that I-291 and US 44 would not be built along the reservoirs, or in a protested area of South Bloomfield. The same month, the state transportation commissioner said he would not seek federal approval for any I-291 plan, but instead wait for the next governor to decide. Thomas Meskill took office from John Dempsey in 1971. In February 1971, Gov. Meskill favored keeping I-291, but moving it away from the reservoirs. In June 1971, the state senate passed a bill preventing construction of I-291 there. In August 1971, the state proposed locating the highway 500 feet east of the reservoirs, but in September unveiled a plan to place it west of Talcott Mountain, paralleling routes 10 and 185. In October, the federal goverment said the western I-291 plan was not feasible, because the six to eight additional interstate miles needed could not be allocated. Gov. Meskill still supported the highway. Sometime in 1972 or 1973, I-291 was cancelled between I-84 and I-91 in Windsor. No expressway bypass of Hartford in the northwest has ever been built. Southwest: Newington, Rocky Hill The southwest leg of I-291 was about 7.6 miles, and was to cost $48 million in the 1960s. Construction was expected to start in 1971 and finish June 1974. This segment did not have the high-visibility environmental issues of its northwestern counterpart, but more developed properties were affected. This segment would have had six interchanges: a four-level stack at I-84 in West Hartford; a four-ramp interchange at Route 175; an expressway connector to Route 72 in New Britain; a four-ramp interchange at Route 173; a high-volume interchange at the Berlin Turnpike, and a directional T at I-91. Early plans for the Berlin Turnpike included a cloverleaf interchange there, but by 1970 the design had been changed to a split-level diamond (aka volleyball interchange. In February 1971, the state completed its plans for I-291 here, and in Feb. 1972, the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was submitted to the FHWA. In November 1972, the FHWA divisional office granted formal design approval, but requested ConnDOT give further consideration to noise and air quality impact. In June 1973, the FHWA divisional office approved state "plans, specifications, and estimates" for 2 miles of 291, from I-91 to the Newington town line. On September 19, 1973, construction actually began on this portion of Interstate 291. Grading, clearing, and drainage work was started. In November 1973, a lawsuit was brought against ConnDOT and FHWA regional executives claiming the EIS was not thorough and gave short shrift to impacts and alternatives (such as connecting routes 9 and 72). Construction was halted. In March 1979, this segment of I-291 was cancelled. A 1973-era map, drawn after the northwest leg was cancelled, showed the southwest proposed segment of I-291 as Interstate 491. Since the southwest portion would no longer connect to the proposed northeastern I-291, and the creation of I-86 in 1968 freed up the 491 numbering, the southwest section could become I-491. Again, this was all still on paper. After the I-291 cancellation: Tri-Town Connector Although I-291 west of I-91 was cancelled, some plans were made (and some roads were built) in the former I-291 corridor. Newington businessman Frank Eddy added a "People for a Parkway" plank to his 1976 run for state assembly, pushing for a highway in the I-291 right-of-way. This didn't go far. In the corridor from I-91 in Rocky Hill to the vicinity of the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, an arterial road called the Tri-Town Connector was proposed in the late 1980s. The road would use the directional T interchange proposed for the I-91/I-291 junction, and have at-grade intersections with crossing streets. Though the connector has not been built, the town of Wethersfield 1999 Plan of Conservation and Development recommends preserving the right-of-way for a future east-west road. Such a road could alleviate traffic on Route 175 and Route 287, both east-west roads in the area. The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) conducted a corridor study of Route 175 and Routes 5/15 and also recommended building the Tri-Town Connector. The new DOT building, on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, was constructed on land originally meant for I-291. After the I-291 cancellation: New Britain - West Hartford I haven't seen plans for any follow-on roads in the I-291 corridor between the Berlin Turnpike and New Britain. But north of New Britain, an expressway was built in I-291's path. The Taras Shevchenko Expressway, an extension of the former Route 72/I-291 connector to Route 175, opened in 1986. This highway was extended to the "stack" interchange at I-84 in 1992, and became part of an extended Route 9. After the I-291 cancellation: West Hartford - Bloomfield - Windsor No follow-on highway is planned in the reservoir area of West Hartford. But in 1974, shortly after I-291 was cancelled, the state studied relocating Route 218 as a four-lane divided highway with access partially controlled. The relocated highway would have continued east from the Route 218/185 intersection, passing through the Connecticut General campus, and paralleling Cottage Grove Road to the south until nearly reaching Blue Hills Avenue. An undivided four-lane road would have continued, carrying Route 218 to exit 35 at I-91. This was not implemented. However, Route 218 was widened to four lanes divided in-place and extended east to I-91/I-291 in 1994. Aftermath: what was actually built A small portion of Interstate 291 opened in conjunction with the reconstruction of Interstate 91 in Windsor. The section across the river to US 5 opened first, in 1992; the remainder, to I-84 and I-384 in Manchester, opened on Sept. 9, 1994. Interchanges are provided at Route 218, I-91, Route 159, US 5, Tolland Turnpike, and I-84. I-291 connects to I-91 at a modified trumpet interchange; no extension to the west is anticipated. The I-291 roadway occupies a third level above a diamond interchange (with HOV ramps) at I-91 and Route 218. Long feeder ramps branch from the loop in the trumpet and meet Route 218 about ½ mile to the west, providing access between 291 and 218. The state originally planned for a cloverleaf interchange at US 5; the "left turn" from I-291 east to US 5 north is one of the busiest at the interchange. However, only a four-ramp partial cloverleaf was built; officials at a public hearing cited costs involving relocating the Conrail track alongside US 5 for the design change. What would have been a loop ramp from 291 east to 5 north is now an actual left turn with a traffic signal. A planned half-diamond interchange at Burnham street to and from points west drew opposition from East Hartford residents and was dropped. The Bissell Bridge and CT 291 This four-lane bridge, opened in 1957, carries I-291 across the Connecticut River. It was originally called the South Windsor Bridge, or Wolcott Bridge, for the Wolcott Avenue connector to it. On September 9, 1960, it was dedicated to Capt. John Bissell, captain of the Connecticut Troops from 1657 to 1676, who led the settlement of the Windsor area. For three decades, the Bissell Bridge carried state Route 291, built in preparation for the planned interstate. Starting at a diamond interchange at I-91, a four-lane divided surface road followed today's Route 218 eastward, with at-grade intersections leading to the bridge approach. After crossing the four-lane bridge, Route 291 continued as a freeway, overpassing Main Street and terminating at a spread half diamond interchange with US 5. These were to be two outside ramps of a full cloverleaf there, but later the state built a four-ramp partial cloverleaf instead. Building the full cloverleaf would have required relocating a railroad track on US 5's eastern side. Barbara Surwilo, Freeway Fighter A history of I-291 would not be complete without mentioning Rocky Hill resident Barbara Surwilo. In 1973, she and her husband moved there from Hartford, in a six-year-old house that happened to be a few hundred yards from one of the I-291/I-91 connector ramps. The real estate agent had said the ramp would never be used (we've all heard similar things from realtors) but a tip from a neighbor and a trip to town hall proved otherwise. Instead of trying to unload the house, Surwilo stayed and fought I-291, spending an average of 30 hours a week on meetings and research. She has bachelor's, master's, and Ph. D degrees in biology, but the political fight called on other skills. Six years later, I-291 was cancelled. She was profiled in the Aug. 8, 1979 issue of the Parade Sunday supplement. Surwilo later served four terms as Mayor of Rocky Hill and as of 2004 serves on the town council.
	The interchange with Burnham Street at the East Hartford / South Windsor border, deleted from the 1994 construction, would be reinstated if Manchester has its way. The dispute [Oct. 2001] arises from a planned development in South Windsor that would add 20,000 vehicles a day to Buckland Road near I-84 exit 62. Manchester says traffic would be crippled and is demanding significant road improvements, including flyover ramps from I-84 and a new I-291 interchange at Burnham and Clark streets. The rapidly developing Buckland Hills Mall area has sparked friction between the two towns and nearby Vernon, as traffic problems and sales tax revenues visit different areas. The town of South Windsor has the most to gain from commercial development in the I-291 corridor, especially at US 5. As of 2003, the town's tax income was 80% residential; like almost all other towns, South Windsor is chasing commercial and industrial to obtain some tax relief for residents.
	"Transcript of Public Hearing: Relocation of US 6 and Interstate Routes 84 and 491, East Hartford High School, October 19, 1959." (Not a typo; that's where I saw the Wolcott Bridge reference.) "The Captain John Bissell Bridge Dedicated." Connecticut Highways, circa fall 1960. "Survey Plots Expressway Plans." Hartford Times, Jan. 1, 1963. "Interstate highways to be widened by State." Hartford Courant, Feb. 18, 1964. "Circumferential Route 2 Years Away." Hartford Times, May 4, 1966. "Super Highway Bids Scheduled: 20-mile Net Around Hartford." Hartford Times, Oct. 9, 1967. "Shift made in I-291: Fails to pacify foes." Hartford Courant, Feb. 7, 1970. "A Belt Highway: Not Whether, but Whither?." Hartford Times, Feb. 18, 1970. "Broadly based review asked for Belt Route." Hartford Times, Mar. 4, 1970. "[Environmental Control] Commission condemns I-291 proposal." Hartford Times, Apr. 3, 1970. "I-291 plans limp to a halt." Hartford Times, Apr. 5, 1970. "I-291: Can a highway poison us?" Hartford Times, Apr. 12, 1970. "Wider I-291 loop would tie into airport growth." Hartford Times, Apr. 14, 1970. "Federal review of I-291." Hartford Times, June 3, 1970. "Volpe to give I-291 special attention." Hartford Times, July 29, 1970. "I-291 stretch awaits approval." Hartford Courant, Aug. 19, 1970. "I-291: A controversial road." Hartford Times, Sept. 13, 1970. "Residents win delay for I-291." Hartford Times, Oct. 13, 1970. "People's victory on I-291." Hartford Courant, Oct. 25, 1970. "Meskill: Spare 291 but change route." Hartford Times, Feb. 10, 1971. "I-291 road plans are completed." Hartford Times, Feb. 26, 1971. "Senate passes bill to prevent routing I-291 near reservoirs." Hartford Courant, June 3, 1971. "I-291 plans unveiled by state." Hartford Courant, Aug. 3, 1971. "Gov: I-291 must be built." Hartford Courant, Oct. 8, 1971. "Plan would take I-291 west of [Talcott] Mountain." Hartford Times, Sept 29, 1971. "I-291 alternate dead, fed official says." Hartford Times, Oct. 9, 1971. "I-291 Why? Association v. Burns." Environmental Law Reporter, 4 ELR 20230, dated Feb. 7, 1974. Feasibility Study: Connecticut Route 218 / West Hartford - Bloomfield - Windsor. Connecticut Department of Transportation, December 1974. "Barbara, the Human Roadblock." Parade (Sunday supplement), Aug. 8, 1979. Profiles Barbara Surwilo, who later became Mayor of Rocky Hill. Public informational meeting for I-291 expressway, South Windsor High School, May 25, 1989. (I was there!) "Finally, the Infamous Stack is Being Used." Hartford Courant, Oct. 3, 1992. "New DOT Building: `Taj Mahal' or Justified Expense." Hartford Courant, Nov. 11, 1992. "Getting Around: Drivers Find Concrete Use in Abstract Art." Hartford Courant, Oct. 26, 1992. "Drivers, Officials Give I-291 Warm Welcome." Hartford Courant, Sept. 23, 1994. Town of Wethersfield. 1999 Plan of Conservation and Development. Wethersfield: 1999. "Battle Of Buckland Road Heats Up." Hartford Courant, Oct. 27, 2001. "Officials see residential tax relief in I-291 development." Journal Inquirer [Manchester, Conn.], June 4, 2003.
	"The thought of The Stack, once a connecting piece in an ambitious plan to circle Hartford with I-291, actually being used for something is disturbing. There it was, a three-tiered metaphor symbolizing the failure of government, or the ruination of society, or something. And now it works. What's a skeptic to do?" Bill Keveny, Hartford Courant writer, one month after Route 9, which now uses the interchange, opened to traffic
	Route 9 Interstate 84 Interstate 91 Interstate 491 Expressway Planning in Hartford Hartford's Planned Freeways (map) The I-84 / I-291 "Stack" Interchange (maps, photos) I-291 "stack" at I-84 (photo) (Neil Kelly) I-291 history (Steve Anderson) I-291 - Greater Hartford Beltway (Mike Stella; includes SW 291 route drawn over satellite photo) Connecticut Interstate Route Numbering (Stephen Summers)