Introduction
Connecticut has over the past several years designated several sections of its rural two-lane highways as Scenic Roads. This designation not only encourages sightseeing along the road but helps preserve it from modifications that would detract from its appearance, such as rerouting or widening.
Scenic Roads Defined
"Public Act No. 87-280 authorizes the Commissioner of Transportation to designate state highways or portions thereof as scenic roads in consultation with the Commissioners of Environmental Protection and Economic & Community Development.
"A scenic road is defined as any state highway that: 1) passes through agricultural land or abuts land on which is located a historic building or structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the State Register of Historic Places; or 2) affords vistas of marshes, shorelines, forests with mature trees or notable geologic or other natural features.
"The scenic road designation means that any further alteration or improvement on that section will maintain the character of the road."
Connecticut Department of Transportation
The scenic road designation has proven a popular tool to help preserve the rural character of some highways. I do not know what effect it has on commercial or residential development, but it does restrict DOT operations on the road. In March 2001, Pomfret First Selectman David Patenaude, explaining how a proposed designation would affect Route 97 in that town, said that the state, not homeowners, were bound by the rules: namely, "[the DOT] cannot come in and take down trees or disturb stone walls."
In at least one instance (Glastonbury), people have complained that the large "Scenic Route" sign detracts from the very scenery we're supposed to be enjoying. Along Route 160, a local artist erected a bumper-sticker-size sign reading "Ugly state sign" with an arrow pointing to the state's official sign.
As of Dec. 31, 2010, Connecticut has 298.18 miles of state highway designated scenic. (This is a nearly 8% of total state road mileage, which as of 2010 is 3,733.20.)
The first highway to receive scenic designation was Route 234, on Feb. 20, 1990.
Here are the routes, with lengths and dates of designation.
- US 1, from Neck Road to Lovers Lane, Madison, 2.3 miles, (10/14/08)
- CT 4, from Old Sharon Road to US 7, Sharon, 3.90 miles. (US 7 to Dunbar Rd: 7/26/90; Dunbar Rd to Old Sharon Rd: 10/22/92)
- CT 4, from Cooks Dam to Route 118, Harwinton, 1.60 miles (7/29/96)
- US 7, from Kent-New Milford town line to Canaan-North Canaan town line, 28.61 miles (4 segments from 7/26/90 to 1/3/02)
- CT 10, from CT 4 to Tunxis Street, Farmington, 1.00 miles (4/13/99)
- CT 14, Windham Center School to Scotland Center, 4.40 miles (1/13/99)
- CT 14A, from CT 49, east to Porter Pond Road, 0.70 miles (2/2/95)
- CT 15 (Merritt Parkway), entire length (37.50 miles): also on the National Register of Historic Places (1/28/93 for state scenic designation)
- CT 17, from CT 77 to 125 feet north of Talcott Lane, Durham, 1.40 miles (6/26/01)
- CT 27, from 0.25 miles north of Jerry Browne Road to CT 184, 0.83 miles (8/9/04)
- CT 33, from Ridgefield town line to Old Ridgefield Road #1, Wilton, 4.90 miles (11/3/97)
- CT 41, entire length (5 segments from 6/26/90 to 12/20/93)
- US 44, from state line to N. Canaan town line, Salisbury, 8.83 miles (12/20/93)
- CT 45 / SSR 478, surrounding Lake Waramaug, 6.90 miles (6/26/60)
- CT 45, from US 202 to SSR 478, Washington, 0.5 miles (6/8/10)
- CT 49, from Route 184 to 0.1 mile south of Route 165, North Stonington, Voluntown; 10.90 miles. (2/2/95)
- CT 49, from boat launch area to Route 14A, Voluntown, 7.90 miles. (2/2/95)
- CT 53, from the Redding/Weston Town line, north to Route 107, Redding; 2.03 miles (2/18/92)
- CT 58, from the Fairfield/Easton Town line, north to Freeborn Road; 3.14 miles. (5/6/94)
- CT 63, from the Morris town line to Sarcka Lane in Litchfield, 3.37 miles. (1/4/02)
- CT 67, from Ranny Hill Rd to 0.3 mi south of CT 317, 0.87 miles. (11/14/02)
- CT 67, from the Bridgewater town line to 0.30 miles south of Route 317, Roxbury, 3.77 miles (8/23/96)
- CT 75, from Stony Bridge Brook in Suffield to the Massachusetts border, 4.3 miles. (2/23/01)
- CT 77, entire length (1/3/91 and 2/26/01)
- CT 80, from Killingworth town line to Squire's Road, Madison (12/17/10)
- CT 82, from west bank of Connecticut River to CT 149, including swing bridge, 0.29 miles (2/17/04)
- CT 97, from the southern US 44 junction to US 44/CT 169, Pomfret, 4.5 miles. (4/11/01)
- CT 118, from CT 4 to Cemetery Rd, 0.10 miles (7/29/96; along with part of CT 4)
- CT 118, from CT 63 to Clark Road, 2.77 miles (1/4/02)
- CT 146, nearly entire length, from Eades St eastward, 12.20 miles (5/29/90)
- CT 148, from west bank of Connecticut River to CT 82, including ferry, 1.60 miles (6/5/03)
- CT 149, from CT 82 north to Creek Row, East Haddam, 2.31 miles (2/17/04)
- CT 151, from 1.0 mile north of SSR 439 to CT 66, East Hampton (2/17/04)
- CT 154, from the Chester/Haddam town line to the Haddam/Middletown town line, 9.16 miles (1/13/94)
- CT 154, from US 1 to Old Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, 6.10 miles (2/17/04)
- CT 156, from CT 82 to Lyme/Old Lyme town line, East Haddam and Lyme
- CT 160, between Roaring Brook and the Connecticut River, Glastonbury; 1.06 miles. (1/18/91)
- CT 164, from Old Shetucket Turnpike to the Preston/Griswold Town line; 2.58 miles. (2/1/94)
- CT 169, from Rocky Hollow Road in Lisbon to Mass. state line, 32.10 miles. (4/15/91)
- CT 179, from SR 565 to the Burlington town line, Canton, 0.30 miles. (2/25/91)
- CT 181, from US 44 to Route 318, Barkhamsted; 1.10 miles. (1/10/95)
- CT 183, from Route 182 to Church Hill Road, Colebrook, 3.10 miles. (5/20/94)
- US 202, from the Canton/New Hartford Town line, west to the Bakersville Methodist Church, 5.10 miles. (8/12/91)
- US 202, from Route 118 to Russell Street, Litchfield; 0.47 miles. (1/4/02)
- US 202, from CT 45 to Rabbit Hill Road, Washington, 2.8 miles (6/8/10)
- CT 203, from CT 32 to CT 14, Windham, 1.7 miles (1/13/99)
- CT 219, from Route 318, to the "Green Bridge", Barkhamsted, 3.30 miles. (1/10/95 and 9/24/98)
- CT 234, from North Main Street to Route 27, 3.16 miles. (2/20/90)
- CT 244, from CT 97 to Ragged Hill Rd, 3.10 miles. (2/21/03; the entire length was submitted, but about 2.5 miles from its western terminus (CT 198) was not approved)
- CT 254, from CT 118 to Camp Hill Road, Litchfield; 3.98 miles (1/4/02)
- CT 272, from the Goshen town line to the state line, Norfolk; 11.00 miles. (5/13/96)
- CT 317, from Painter Hill Road, west to Route 67, Roxbury, 0.40 miles. (11/14/90)
- CT 318, from Route 181 to Route 219, Barkhamsted, 2.60 miles. (1/10/95)
- SSR 431, entire length, 0.70 miles (CT 148 to town line: 6/5/03; town line to state park: 7/24/03)
- SR 565, from Route 179, northeast to Allen Place, Canton, 0.70 miles. (2/25/91)
The following routes were submitted, but were either declined outright (for which a date
is provided if known), or we assume they were declined but we don't have information
(aka "pocket veto").
- US 44, from Norfolk town line to Furnace Hill Road in North Canaan (submitted 2000 by North Canaan Greenway Committee)
- CT 148, between routes 79 and 81 (submitted 1999, pocket veto)
- CT 309, from Route 167 to the Canton town line (submitted 1999, pocket veto)
- CT 17, 1.5 miles in North Branford, from Northford Center to Woods Hill Road (rejected Oct 2003)
Sources
- "Scenic Road Residents Call State Sign Ugly." Hartford Courant, August 16, 1991.
- Highway Design Manual, Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), 1999.
- "US 44 in North Canaan Under Consideration as Scenic Road" (title paraphrased). ConnDOT News release, July 13, 2000.
- "Section of Route 478 in Kent designated as scenic road.", Press Release, ConnDOT, Jan. 10, 2001.
- "Route 75 in Suffield being considered as scenic road.", Press Release, ConnDOT, Jan. 22, 2001.
- "Route 97 in Pomfret being considered as scenic highway.", Press Release, ConnDOT, Jan. 22, 2001.
- "Scenic road status sought for Route 97.", Norwich Bulletin, Jan. 29, 2001.
- "Section of Route 75 in Suffield designated as scenic road.", Press Release, ConnDOT, Mar. 23, 2001.
- "Routes 17 & 77 in Durham being considered as scenic highway.", Press Release, ConnDOT, Mar. 23, 2001.
- "Sections of Routes 77 and 17 in Durham being designated as scenic roads.", Press Release, ConnDOT, July 10, 2001.
- "Sections of routes 63, 118, 254 & 202 proposed for designation as scenic roads." Press Release, ConnDOT, Nov. 4, 2001.
- "Section of Route 132 in Bethlehem being considered as scenic road.", Press Release, ConnDOT, Nov. 8, 2001.
- "Portions of Routes 63, 118, 254 and 202 in Litchfield designated as scenic roads." ConnDOT press release, Jan. 25, 2002.
- "Portions of Route 7 in Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury and Canaan designated as scenic roads." ConnDOT press release, Jan. 25, 2002.
- "Route 244: Officially scenic?" Norwich [Conn.] Bulletin, Dec. 9, 2002.
- "Townspeople speak minds on scenic road management." Norwich [Conn.] Bulletin, Feb. 27, 2003.
- Connecticut Department of Transportation. "Scenic Roads as of March 10, 2003."
- "North Branford finds Route 17's beauty is in eye of beholder." New Haven Register, Oct. 29, 2003.
- "Boston Post Road in Madison Designated 'Scenic Road'." Press release, ConnDOT, Feb. 20, 2009.
- Connecticut State Scenic Roads as of December 31, 2010. ConnDOT, Dec. 31, 2010.
