Connecticut US 1, 1A

Particle/Wave Duality in Darien

Sign assemblies at US 1 and CT 124, Darien

Should US 1 be signed north-south (as the highway runs nationwide), or east-west (as it does in Connecticut)? At Route 124 in Darien, you see both. Photo taken by Kurumi in April 2004.

117.37 miles in Connecticut; 2,377 miles nationwide. US 1 is America's original East Coast highway, leading from Key West, Fla. to Fort Kent, Maine. In Connecticut, the highway enters at Greenwich and exits at Stonington.

US 1 dates back to the 17th-century Boston Post Road, and until about 1960 was one of Connecticut's most important highways. Today, it is overshadowed by I-95, which serves the same cities and never ventures more than a few miles away.

As miserable as crossing the state on I-95 can be, using US 1 would take much more time. The road is four lanes in most spots west of New Haven, and two lanes in others. It serves town centers and commercial strips. It has been reported that there is an average of one Dunkin Donuts shop every two miles on US 1.

Points of roadgeek interest: a cloverleaf (one of few in the state) at I-95 in Milford; a grade separation at Route 100 in East Haven; and the several former alignments and US 1A's of decades gone by.

East-west or north-south?

Nationwide, US 1 is unambiguously a north-south highway. In Connecticut, however, the shoreline is nearly horizontal, and the way from Greenwich to Stonington is much closer to east than north. The preferred way to sign US 1 here varies, sometimes even at the same intersection (see photo.)

In the state's official highway log, however, US 1 is north-south.

US 1 follows the path of a few 19th-century toll roads in the state:

The Greenwich Road, a tolled portion of the Old Post Road in Greenwich. In October 1792 a tollgate was placed just west of Horse Neck Brook -- the third tollgate erected in the United States. In 1806 this road was incorporated into...
The Connecticut Turnpike. Not I-95, of course, but an older route with the same name, also following the Post Road. The eastern terminus was at the residence of Jonathan Sturges in Fairfield. The turnpike corporation gave up collecting tolls in 1854.
The New Haven and Milford Turnpike, connecting both cities via US 1. Some straightening of the Post Road was done. From about 1804 to the mid-1800s.
New London and Lyme Turnpike, leading from the Connecticut River into New London. Chartered in May 1807, and made completely free in 1853.

Before US 1

The Boston Post Road, a 17th-century mail route, was one of the first named roads in New England. At New Haven, the Upper and Middle branches of the road turned north, and the Lower road followed today's US 1 toward Providence and Boston.

In 1922, a New England-wide route numbering system (New England Interstates) was established to help motorists find their way. North-south roads were given even numbers, and east-west routes were odd. The shore route was the exception, called NE 1 for its entire length.

In 1926, the US route numbering system was inaugurated, and NE 1 became part of a much longer US 1 from Maine to Florida.

Alignment changes - by location

Most of US 1 in the state follows the original 1926 route, but there have been a few changes over the years. We'll go from west (er, south) to east (north).

In Bridgeport and Stratford, the original US 1 followed Fairfield Avenue, State Street and Stratford Avenue (today's Route 130); the modern US 1 was called US 1A. US 1 was moved to its current location here in 1963.

In Milford, US 1 followed Bridgeport Avenue, Clark St, West Main St, and Cherry Avenue through town. The Boston Post Road segment of present-day US 1 was called US 1A. In the 1940s, US 1 was moved there and US 1A was deleted.

In East Haven, US 1 followed Main Street, which runs south of present-day US 1. Around 1941, the four-lane Saltonstall Parkway, bypassing Main Street. US 1 was moved to the new road, and Main Street became US 1A for a few years.

In Old Saybrook, US 1 northbound followed Old Boston Post Road due east from the western Route 154 intersection, then turned north on Main Street (today's Route 154) before picking up the Post Road again. Today's US 1 proceeds northeast from the western Route 154 intersection and has no overlap with Main Street. I've seen maps marking both new and old alignments as US 1A, a designation that was deleted in 1963.

Between Old Lyme (Route 156) and Flanders Village (Route 161), the original US 1 was located where it is now; but for several years in between it was located where I-95 is now. Around 1952 a new two-lane highway opened where I-95 is now; this became US 1, and the Boston Post Road here had no number. In 1963, this became Route 51, and US 1 stayed overlapped with the recently opened I-95. In 1977, US 1 was relocated back to Boston Post Road and Route 51 was deleted.

In New London, US 1 followed Bank Street, State Street and Main Street to Crystal Avenue, leading to a Thames River bridge which no longer exists now. In 1943, a new Gold Star Bridge opened, along with a short US 1 freeway between routes 32 and 12. A new two-lane highway connected the freeway to existing US 1 where I-95 and present-day US 1 meet near I-395.

In Groton, the original US 1 entered town on Bridge Street, then turned south on Thames Street. It followed Poquonnock Road, Tower Avenue and Runway Lane to return to present-day US 1 north of the airport. Around 1938, a new segment opened to the north along present-day US 1 (Long Hill Road and Poquonnock Road). The 1938 official state map lists this as US 1A.

In Stonington, US 1 followed today's US 1A, coming closer to downtown. Around 1941, the present-day US 1 bypass opened, and the remainder became US 1A. Out of up to 10 separate US 1A routes, only this one remains.

Rhode Island: "No Sale" on 1940s inland shift idea

In 1947, Connecticut proposed rerouting US 1 between New London and Providence to CT 84 (now Route 184) and RI 3 -- a more direct route between the cities. Rhode Island declined: it didn't want to remove US 1 from its shore towns, and lose money for four-laning the road there.

Rhode Island countered with a US 1A proposal for the 84/3 route. Connecticut agreed, and it was sent to AASHO. Afterward, it was either rejected or retracted, because US 1A was never posted along the route.

US 1 a Super 2 in 1957

Improved US 1 'Super 2' road between Old Lyme and Waterford

In 1957, one year before it would be incorporated into the Connecticut Turnpike, US 1 was a two-lane access controlled highway ("Super 2") between freeway sections in Old Lyme and Waterford. Interchanges were present at several future I-95 exits including 71, 73, and 74. Scan taken from the 1957 official state highway map.

US 1 upgrades

Though eclipsed now by I-95, for many decades US 1 was probably the state's busiest and most important road. In the 1920s, US 1 in Fairfield County was already being widened to four lanes, and the traffic had earned it the nickname "The Roaring Road." A few highways owe their reason for existence to the need to relieve traffic on US 1:

Before I-95 came along in 1958, however, several improvements belonged to US 1 itself.

Around 1941, a four-lane divided highway, the Saltonstall Parkway, opened in East Haven. Access was partially controlled; probably the only reason Route 100 crossed on an overpass was to also cross over the adjacent rail line. The western part of this highway was incorporated into the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) in 1958, with a treatment including some frontage roads.

In 1943, the new Gold Star Bridge opened across the Thames River between New London and Groton. (The second span was added in 1975.) A new US 1 freeway was built there, leading from around Colman Street to Route 12. Wartime restrictions had prevented the desired freeway extension to Route 85. A new two-lane road led from Colman Street to present-day US 1 near Route 161.

The New London-area US 1 freeway is all part of I-95 now, except for the short Route 184 freeway stub, which back in the day led to the old Route 84.

In 1948, the original Baldwin Bridge opened at Old Saybrook to cross the Connecticut River. US 1 was upgraded to a four-lane freeway here, with an interchange on each side: Route 80 in Old Saybrook (now Route 9), and Route 156 in Old Lyme. This became part of I-95 in 1958.

In the early 1950s, improvements to US 1 continued, with a mind to include them in the future Connecticut Turnpike under consideration. Around 1952, between Old Lyme and Flanders Village, a new two-lane US 1 opened, south of the Boston Post Road. The 1957 state map shows interchanges at future I-95 exits 71 and 73, along with a proposed connector to Rocky Neck state Park. In 1958, this was incorporated into the four-lane divided I-95.

In 1956, a short segment of freeway opened in Darien, north and south of Route 136. This was quickly absorbed into I-95 as well. The short-term reasoning for this upgrade might have been to relieve traffic at a narrow railroad underpass just east of US 1 and Route 136.

A US 1 freeway proposal - post I-95

The opening of the Connecticut Turnpike in 1958 and the remainder of I-95 in 1964 shut down any large-scale improvement prospects for US 1: its role had irreversibly changed. In West Haven, however, an early 1960s proposal described a way US 1 could shine on its own (for a few miles).

In 1962, a comprehensive 20-year plan was commissioned for the city of West Haven. Three short freeways were proposed in town, including a relocation of US 1. At this time I-95 was already open, and would not absorb this section of US 1.

The relocation was intended to relieve local traffic on US 1, especially at its junction with Route 122. The new freeway would leave US 1 southeasterly near Fairfax Street, run approximately along Terrace Avenue (i.e. displacing it), and end at a north-south freeway (probably Route 10) between Front Street and the West River.

The plan didn't go far; other than a 1962 New Haven Register article, I've never seen it mentioned anywhere.

The state will add a fifth lane to US 1 in Orange: a center lane for left turns. Center lanes are very rare in Connecticut; however, the frequent rear-ending of left turning vehicles must have prompted the DOT to steal from other states' playbooks. Construction was expected to begin in spring 2000, and is probably done by now.

Long range, the state is also planning a fifth lane from Greenwich to Branford for US 1 -- namely the entire urbanized section from New Haven westward.

Scenic US 1

Travelers who never leave I-95 get a mistaken impression of Connecticut: crowded, dirty, rundown, and so on. But the state offers great variety in a small area, and even along parts of US 1 there is scenery to please the eye.

In February 2003, Madison officials announced their intent to have US 1 in town designated a state scenic road. This would be the first section of US 1 so honored: "Everyone else has wrecked their Route 1," remarked the town engineer.

The areas along US 1 to its favor include Madison's town green and a salt marsh near the Guilford line. There's not much in the way of historical architecture, but US 1's rural setting and connection to scenic Route 146 help its case.

"RI opposes shift of Rt. 1 inland." Hartford Times, Nov. 9, 1947.
"State seeks change in Providence route." Hartford Times, Nov. 11, 1947.
"Road changes proposed to meet needs." New Haven Register, Aug. 6, 1962.
Wood, Frederic. The Turnpikes of New England. Pepperell, Mass., Branch Line Press, 1997 reprint of 1919 edition.
"Madison trumpets Route 1 scenic status." Hartford Courant, Feb. 13, 2003.
Larned, Larry. Traveling The Merritt Parkway. Charleston, S. C.: Arcadia Publishing, 1998.

US 1 Photos (Doug Kerr)
US 1 Photos (Steve Alpert)
Mystic River Bascule Bridge (Past-inc.org)
Boston Post Road in Mass. (Dan Moraseski)
Post Road History Project (Lasalle Academy; covers Warwick, RI)

1.93 miles; loop for US 1 in Stonington. Until about 1941, this was part of US 1 itself. US 1A here is the only surviving alternate US route in Connecticut; historically there were about twenty.

A listing of the several US 1A's in the state, from west to east:

The Merritt Parkway*
a US 1A in New York entering Greenwich via Putnam Ave./Hillside Ave. in 1951. This might not have been considered US 1A in Connecticut
Darien: the old section of US 1 when the freeway was built there, c. 1956; now it's part of US 1 and the freeway is part of I-95
Norwalk: Cross Street, c. 1950
Bridgeport and Stratford: present-day US 1 (North St, Boston Rd, Barnum Ave) then Main St (part of today's Route 113) and E. Main St (part of today's Route 110), Stratford; from 1920s to 1963
Milford: Boston Post Road, between Bridgeport Ave and Cherry St, (now part of US 1); from 1920s to prob. 1940s
East Haven: Main Street, between intersections with present-day US 1; from about 1941, when the Saltonstall Parkway part of US 1 opened, until about 1947. This was previously part of US 1.
Branford: West Main St, Main St, and East Main St; created about 1934, deleted Mar. 29, 1963
Old Saybrook: Oyster River Rd (now the diagonal part of US 1). US 1 used to follow Old Boston Post Road into town. From about 1938 to about 1952.
East Lyme, Waterford and New London: present-day US 1 from I-95 west of I-395 into downtown New London. Created when new US 1 freeway (now I-95) opened in 1943; deleted when US 1 was returned there in 1977.
Groton: new section of Long Hill Road (today's US 1) in 1938. The contemporary US 1 followed Thames Street, Poquonnock Road, Tower Avenue and Runway Lane.
Groton: section of Bridge Street leading eastward from today's I-95 exit 85 to US 1, 1956.
the existing US 1A in Stonington

The first entry deserves an asterisk because US Route 1A was the planning number for the Merritt Parkway. No route number signs were erected until it became part of Route 15 in 1948.

US 1A was also proposed for CT 184 and RI 3, as a compromise for Connecticut's proposal to reroute US 1 there. However, that was not followed through.

"RI opposes shift of Rt. 1 inland." Hartford Times, Nov. 9, 1947.
"State seeks change in Providence route." Hartford Times, Nov. 11, 1947.
"State Highway Dept. List (sic) Route Designation Changes." New Haven Register, March 1, 1963.
"New Area Roads Discussed by Assembly Committee." New Haven Register, March 6, 1963.
Moraseski, Dan. "Old US 1A in Greenwich." Personal email, Oct. 23, 2001.

Home > Roads > Connecticut > US 1, 1A

Updated July 27, 2007

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This site is not affiliated with the State of Connecticut or the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Before the first US routes were commissioned in 1926, Connecticut's primary routes were the New England Interstate routes, established in 1922. US 1, 5, 6, and 7 were commissioned in 1926; US 44 and 202, in 1935.
	Particle/Wave Duality in Darien Should US 1 be signed north-south (as the highway runs nationwide), or east-west (as it does in Connecticut)? At Route 124 in Darien, you see both. Photo taken by Kurumi in April 2004. 117.37 miles in Connecticut; 2,377 miles nationwide. US 1 is America's original East Coast highway, leading from Key West, Fla. to Fort Kent, Maine. In Connecticut, the highway enters at Greenwich and exits at Stonington. US 1 dates back to the 17th-century Boston Post Road, and until about 1960 was one of Connecticut's most important highways. Today, it is overshadowed by I-95, which serves the same cities and never ventures more than a few miles away. As miserable as crossing the state on I-95 can be, using US 1 would take much more time. The road is four lanes in most spots west of New Haven, and two lanes in others. It serves town centers and commercial strips. It has been reported that there is an average of one Dunkin Donuts shop every two miles on US 1. Points of roadgeek interest: a cloverleaf (one of few in the state) at I-95 in Milford; a grade separation at Route 100 in East Haven; and the several former alignments and US 1A's of decades gone by. East-west or north-south? Nationwide, US 1 is unambiguously a north-south highway. In Connecticut, however, the shoreline is nearly horizontal, and the way from Greenwich to Stonington is much closer to east than north. The preferred way to sign US 1 here varies, sometimes even at the same intersection (see photo.) In the state's official highway log, however, US 1 is north-south.
	US 1 follows the path of a few 19th-century toll roads in the state: The Greenwich Road, a tolled portion of the Old Post Road in Greenwich. In October 1792 a tollgate was placed just west of Horse Neck Brook -- the third tollgate erected in the United States. In 1806 this road was incorporated into... The Connecticut Turnpike. Not I-95, of course, but an older route with the same name, also following the Post Road. The eastern terminus was at the residence of Jonathan Sturges in Fairfield. The turnpike corporation gave up collecting tolls in 1854. The New Haven and Milford Turnpike, connecting both cities via US 1. Some straightening of the Post Road was done. From about 1804 to the mid-1800s. New London and Lyme Turnpike, leading from the Connecticut River into New London. Chartered in May 1807, and made completely free in 1853.
	Before US 1 The Boston Post Road, a 17th-century mail route, was one of the first named roads in New England. At New Haven, the Upper and Middle branches of the road turned north, and the Lower road followed today's US 1 toward Providence and Boston. In 1922, a New England-wide route numbering system (New England Interstates) was established to help motorists find their way. North-south roads were given even numbers, and east-west routes were odd. The shore route was the exception, called NE 1 for its entire length. In 1926, the US route numbering system was inaugurated, and NE 1 became part of a much longer US 1 from Maine to Florida. Alignment changes - by location Most of US 1 in the state follows the original 1926 route, but there have been a few changes over the years. We'll go from west (er, south) to east (north). In Bridgeport and Stratford, the original US 1 followed Fairfield Avenue, State Street and Stratford Avenue (today's Route 130); the modern US 1 was called US 1A. US 1 was moved to its current location here in 1963. In Milford, US 1 followed Bridgeport Avenue, Clark St, West Main St, and Cherry Avenue through town. The Boston Post Road segment of present-day US 1 was called US 1A. In the 1940s, US 1 was moved there and US 1A was deleted. In East Haven, US 1 followed Main Street, which runs south of present-day US 1. Around 1941, the four-lane Saltonstall Parkway, bypassing Main Street. US 1 was moved to the new road, and Main Street became US 1A for a few years. In Old Saybrook, US 1 northbound followed Old Boston Post Road due east from the western Route 154 intersection, then turned north on Main Street (today's Route 154) before picking up the Post Road again. Today's US 1 proceeds northeast from the western Route 154 intersection and has no overlap with Main Street. I've seen maps marking both new and old alignments as US 1A, a designation that was deleted in 1963. Between Old Lyme (Route 156) and Flanders Village (Route 161), the original US 1 was located where it is now; but for several years in between it was located where I-95 is now. Around 1952 a new two-lane highway opened where I-95 is now; this became US 1, and the Boston Post Road here had no number. In 1963, this became Route 51, and US 1 stayed overlapped with the recently opened I-95. In 1977, US 1 was relocated back to Boston Post Road and Route 51 was deleted. In New London, US 1 followed Bank Street, State Street and Main Street to Crystal Avenue, leading to a Thames River bridge which no longer exists now. In 1943, a new Gold Star Bridge opened, along with a short US 1 freeway between routes 32 and 12. A new two-lane highway connected the freeway to existing US 1 where I-95 and present-day US 1 meet near I-395. In Groton, the original US 1 entered town on Bridge Street, then turned south on Thames Street. It followed Poquonnock Road, Tower Avenue and Runway Lane to return to present-day US 1 north of the airport. Around 1938, a new segment opened to the north along present-day US 1 (Long Hill Road and Poquonnock Road). The 1938 official state map lists this as US 1A. In Stonington, US 1 followed today's US 1A, coming closer to downtown. Around 1941, the present-day US 1 bypass opened, and the remainder became US 1A. Out of up to 10 separate US 1A routes, only this one remains. Rhode Island: "No Sale" on 1940s inland shift idea In 1947, Connecticut proposed rerouting US 1 between New London and Providence to CT 84 (now Route 184) and RI 3 -- a more direct route between the cities. Rhode Island declined: it didn't want to remove US 1 from its shore towns, and lose money for four-laning the road there. Rhode Island countered with a US 1A proposal for the 84/3 route. Connecticut agreed, and it was sent to AASHO. Afterward, it was either rejected or retracted, because US 1A was never posted along the route. US 1 a Super 2 in 1957 In 1957, one year before it would be incorporated into the Connecticut Turnpike, US 1 was a two-lane access controlled highway ("Super 2") between freeway sections in Old Lyme and Waterford. Interchanges were present at several future I-95 exits including 71, 73, and 74. Scan taken from the 1957 official state highway map. US 1 upgrades Though eclipsed now by I-95, for many decades US 1 was probably the state's busiest and most important road. In the 1920s, US 1 in Fairfield County was already being widened to four lanes, and the traffic had earned it the nickname "The Roaring Road." A few highways owe their reason for existence to the need to relieve traffic on US 1: the Merritt Parkway (Route 15) I-95 Route 80 Route 184 Before I-95 came along in 1958, however, several improvements belonged to US 1 itself. Around 1941, a four-lane divided highway, the Saltonstall Parkway, opened in East Haven. Access was partially controlled; probably the only reason Route 100 crossed on an overpass was to also cross over the adjacent rail line. The western part of this highway was incorporated into the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) in 1958, with a treatment including some frontage roads. In 1943, the new Gold Star Bridge opened across the Thames River between New London and Groton. (The second span was added in 1975.) A new US 1 freeway was built there, leading from around Colman Street to Route 12. Wartime restrictions had prevented the desired freeway extension to Route 85. A new two-lane road led from Colman Street to present-day US 1 near Route 161. The New London-area US 1 freeway is all part of I-95 now, except for the short Route 184 freeway stub, which back in the day led to the old Route 84. In 1948, the original Baldwin Bridge opened at Old Saybrook to cross the Connecticut River. US 1 was upgraded to a four-lane freeway here, with an interchange on each side: Route 80 in Old Saybrook (now Route 9), and Route 156 in Old Lyme. This became part of I-95 in 1958. In the early 1950s, improvements to US 1 continued, with a mind to include them in the future Connecticut Turnpike under consideration. Around 1952, between Old Lyme and Flanders Village, a new two-lane US 1 opened, south of the Boston Post Road. The 1957 state map shows interchanges at future I-95 exits 71 and 73, along with a proposed connector to Rocky Neck state Park. In 1958, this was incorporated into the four-lane divided I-95. In 1956, a short segment of freeway opened in Darien, north and south of Route 136. This was quickly absorbed into I-95 as well. The short-term reasoning for this upgrade might have been to relieve traffic at a narrow railroad underpass just east of US 1 and Route 136. A US 1 freeway proposal - post I-95 The opening of the Connecticut Turnpike in 1958 and the remainder of I-95 in 1964 shut down any large-scale improvement prospects for US 1: its role had irreversibly changed. In West Haven, however, an early 1960s proposal described a way US 1 could shine on its own (for a few miles). In 1962, a comprehensive 20-year plan was commissioned for the city of West Haven. Three short freeways were proposed in town, including a relocation of US 1. At this time I-95 was already open, and would not absorb this section of US 1. The relocation was intended to relieve local traffic on US 1, especially at its junction with Route 122. The new freeway would leave US 1 southeasterly near Fairfax Street, run approximately along Terrace Avenue (i.e. displacing it), and end at a north-south freeway (probably Route 10) between Front Street and the West River. The plan didn't go far; other than a 1962 New Haven Register article, I've never seen it mentioned anywhere.
	The state will add a fifth lane to US 1 in Orange: a center lane for left turns. Center lanes are very rare in Connecticut; however, the frequent rear-ending of left turning vehicles must have prompted the DOT to steal from other states' playbooks. Construction was expected to begin in spring 2000, and is probably done by now. Long range, the state is also planning a fifth lane from Greenwich to Branford for US 1 -- namely the entire urbanized section from New Haven westward. Scenic US 1 Travelers who never leave I-95 get a mistaken impression of Connecticut: crowded, dirty, rundown, and so on. But the state offers great variety in a small area, and even along parts of US 1 there is scenery to please the eye. In February 2003, Madison officials announced their intent to have US 1 in town designated a state scenic road. This would be the first section of US 1 so honored: "Everyone else has wrecked their Route 1," remarked the town engineer. The areas along US 1 to its favor include Madison's town green and a salt marsh near the Guilford line. There's not much in the way of historical architecture, but US 1's rural setting and connection to scenic Route 146 help its case.
	"RI opposes shift of Rt. 1 inland." Hartford Times, Nov. 9, 1947. "State seeks change in Providence route." Hartford Times, Nov. 11, 1947. "Road changes proposed to meet needs." New Haven Register, Aug. 6, 1962. Wood, Frederic. The Turnpikes of New England. Pepperell, Mass., Branch Line Press, 1997 reprint of 1919 edition. "Madison trumpets Route 1 scenic status." Hartford Courant, Feb. 13, 2003. Larned, Larry. Traveling The Merritt Parkway. Charleston, S. C.: Arcadia Publishing, 1998.
	US 1 Photos (Doug Kerr) US 1 Photos (Steve Alpert) Mystic River Bascule Bridge (Past-inc.org) Boston Post Road in Mass. (Dan Moraseski) Post Road History Project (Lasalle Academy; covers Warwick, RI)

	1.93 miles; loop for US 1 in Stonington. Until about 1941, this was part of US 1 itself. US 1A here is the only surviving alternate US route in Connecticut; historically there were about twenty.
	A listing of the several US 1A's in the state, from west to east: The Merritt Parkway* a US 1A in New York entering Greenwich via Putnam Ave./Hillside Ave. in 1951. This might not have been considered US 1A in Connecticut Darien: the old section of US 1 when the freeway was built there, c. 1956; now it's part of US 1 and the freeway is part of I-95 Norwalk: Cross Street, c. 1950 Bridgeport and Stratford: present-day US 1 (North St, Boston Rd, Barnum Ave) then Main St (part of today's Route 113) and E. Main St (part of today's Route 110), Stratford; from 1920s to 1963 Milford: Boston Post Road, between Bridgeport Ave and Cherry St, (now part of US 1); from 1920s to prob. 1940s East Haven: Main Street, between intersections with present-day US 1; from about 1941, when the Saltonstall Parkway part of US 1 opened, until about 1947. This was previously part of US 1. Branford: West Main St, Main St, and East Main St; created about 1934, deleted Mar. 29, 1963 Old Saybrook: Oyster River Rd (now the diagonal part of US 1). US 1 used to follow Old Boston Post Road into town. From about 1938 to about 1952. East Lyme, Waterford and New London: present-day US 1 from I-95 west of I-395 into downtown New London. Created when new US 1 freeway (now I-95) opened in 1943; deleted when US 1 was returned there in 1977. Groton: new section of Long Hill Road (today's US 1) in 1938. The contemporary US 1 followed Thames Street, Poquonnock Road, Tower Avenue and Runway Lane. Groton: section of Bridge Street leading eastward from today's I-95 exit 85 to US 1, 1956. the existing US 1A in Stonington The first entry deserves an asterisk because US Route 1A was the planning number for the Merritt Parkway. No route number signs were erected until it became part of Route 15 in 1948. US 1A was also proposed for CT 184 and RI 3, as a compromise for Connecticut's proposal to reroute US 1 there. However, that was not followed through.
	"RI opposes shift of Rt. 1 inland." Hartford Times, Nov. 9, 1947. "State seeks change in Providence route." Hartford Times, Nov. 11, 1947. "State Highway Dept. List (sic) Route Designation Changes." New Haven Register, March 1, 1963. "New Area Roads Discussed by Assembly Committee." New Haven Register, March 6, 1963. Moraseski, Dan. "Old US 1A in Greenwich." Personal email, Oct. 23, 2001.