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Route 15 is a
state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sov ...
of Connecticut that runs from a connection with
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
's
Hutchinson River Parkway The Hutchinson River Parkway (known colloquially as The Hutch) is a north–south parkway in southern New York in the United States. It extends for from the massive Bruckner Interchange in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx to the New York� ...
in
Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and othe ...
, to its northern terminus intersecting with Interstate 84 (I-84) in
East Hartford, Connecticut East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,045 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford, Connecticut. It is home to aerospac ...
. Route 15 consists of four distinct sections: the
Merritt Parkway The Merritt Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt") is a limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with a small section at the northern end in New Haven County. Designed for Connecticut's Gold Coast, the parkway is know ...
, the
Wilbur Cross Parkway The Wilbur Cross Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt" in conjunction with its counterpart) is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, ...
, the Berlin Turnpike, and part of the
Wilbur Cross Highway The Wilbur Cross Highway is the designation for a highway beginning at Wethersfield, Connecticut, Wethersfield, running along a portion of Connecticut Route 15 and U.S. Route 5 (Connecticut), U.S. Route 5 to East Hartford, Connecticut, and t ...
. The unified designation was applied to these separate highways in 1948 to provide a continuous through route from New York to Massachusetts. The parkway section of Route 15 is often referred to locally as "The Merritt".


Route description


Merritt Parkway

Route 15 begins at the
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
border, where the
Hutchinson River Parkway The Hutchinson River Parkway (known colloquially as The Hutch) is a north–south parkway in southern New York in the United States. It extends for from the massive Bruckner Interchange in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx to the New York� ...
continues southwest towards
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, at the
New York State Route 120A New York State Route 120A (NY 120A) is a state highway in southern Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It serves as an alternate route to the southern half of NY 120 running along the New York–Connecticut state l ...
interchange in the village of Rye Brook, in the town of
Rye, New York Rye is a coastal suburb of New York City in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the Town of Rye, which has more land area than the city. The City of Rye, formerly the Village of Rye, was part of the Town until it r ...
. The highway comes into the state of Connecticut, continuing as the
Merritt Parkway The Merritt Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt") is a limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with a small section at the northern end in New Haven County. Designed for Connecticut's Gold Coast, the parkway is know ...
, a four lane limited-access
parkway A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
with low bridges, sharp curves, and a tree-filled median, that passes through the affluent urbanized areas of southern
Fairfield County Fairfield County is the name of three counties in the United States: * Fairfield County, Connecticut * Fairfield County, Ohio * Fairfield County, South Carolina Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of ...
. Commercial vehicles are prohibited on this section of Route 15. The parkway heads into the town of
Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwi ...
, where it passes a service plaza in both directions and curves north-northwest, before heading northeast and meeting interchanges at Round Hill Road, providing access to Downtown Greenwich, and at Lake Avenue. From there, Route 15 turns northeast, and curves through its interchange with North Street, which provides another outlet into Downtown Greenwich. Past this interchange, the parkway enters the city of Stamford, where it crosses over the
Mianus River The Mianus River is a river in Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. It begins in the town of North Castle, New York (east of Armonk) in a series of ponds at about altitude. Flowing northeast ...
within the Mianus River State Park, before reaching an interchange with Route 104 in the residential areas of North Stamford, providing access to Downtown Stamford and the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
Stamford Campus. Route 15 continues to an interchange with Route 137 before the route leaves Stamford. The parkway comes into the town of
New Canaan New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounde ...
, where it crosses the Noroton River within its interchange with Route 106, adjacent to the Talmadge Hill station on the
New Canaan Branch The New Canaan Branch is an 8.2-mile (13 km) long branch line of the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line that begins from a junction east of downtown Stamford, Connecticut, north to New Canaan. It opened in 1868 as the New Canaan Railroad. ...
of the
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority_of_the__is_a_type_of_Nonprofit_organization">nonprofit_corporation_char ...
's
New Haven Line The Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line is a commuter rail line running from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. It joins the Harlem Line at Mount Vernon, New York and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Have ...
, located to the southeast of the interchange. Afterwards, Route 15 passes under the New Canaan Branch and curves around to meet an interchange for Route 124 before reaching the New Canaan Service Plaza. After crossing the Fivemile River, the parkway enters the city of Norwalk and immediately comes to an interchange with Route 123, which provides access to the
Norwalk Community College Norwalk Community College (NCC), formerly Norwalk State Technical College and Norwalk Community-Technical College, is a public community college in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is the third-largest of the twelve colleges in the Connecticut State Coll ...
. Just past its crossing of the Silvermine River, Route 15 meets the
U.S. Route 7 U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south United States highway in western New England that runs for through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) exit 1 ...
(US 7) freeway at an incomplete interchange before it crosses over the
Danbury Branch The Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut north to Danbury, mostly single-tracked. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Until the early 1970s, passenge ...
of the New Haven Line just south of the Merritt 7 station, and the Norwalk River and comes to a cloverleaf interchange with Main Avenue which provides the missing movements between the parkway and US 7. From there, Route 15 continues northeast through residential areas in the neighborhood of Cranbury before it leaves Norwalk, after crossing over Route 53 without an interchange. The parkway enters the town of Westport, where it crosses over the
Saugatuck River The Saugatuck River is a river in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It drains part of suburban and rural Fairfield County west of Bridgeport, emptying into Long Island Sound. , a U.S. Navy oiler that saw service in World War II, wa ...
, and comes to right-in/right-out interchanges with Route 33, just east of the town line. Route 15 turns to the northeast again, upon reaching its interchange with Route 57, that has a park and ride lot serving the town of Westport in its northwest corner. Immediately after this interchange, the parkway crosses over Route 136 with no access and enters its longest stretch without exits, where it passes more wooded residential areas and comes into the town of Fairfield, where it meets its next interchange, five and a half miles later, at Route 58, which also has a park and ride lot, located in its southeastern corner. Route 58 provides access to both Fairfield Center and the campus of
Fairfield University Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time a ...
. Route 15 crosses the Mill River, passes service plazas in both directions, and then meets Route 59 at a pair of right-in/right-out interchanges. Route 59 provides access to the headquarters of
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energy ...
. The parkway turns east-northeast and enters the town of Trumbull at its interchange with Park Avenue, which provides access to the campus of
Sacred Heart University Sacred Heart University (SHU) is a private, Catholic university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart was the first Catholic uni ...
just to the southwest of the road, as well as the campus of the
University of Bridgeport The University of Bridgeport (UB) is a private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2021, the university was purchased by Goodwin University; it retain its own n ...
in the adjacent city of
Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonn ...
. Route 15 then reaches a
single-point urban interchange A single-point urban interchange (SPUI, or ), also called a single-point interchange (SPI) or single-point diamond interchange (SPDI), is a type of highway interchange. The design was created in order to help move large volumes of traffic thr ...
with Route 111, adjacent to the
Westfield Trumbull Trumbull Mall (formerly known as Westfield Trumbull) is a shopping mall located in Trumbull, Connecticut. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in Connecticut upon opening in 1964. The mall was developed by the Frogue Corporation, and was the fi ...
shopping mall, in its southwestern corner. The parkway meets the Route 25 freeway at an incomplete turbine interchange, which provides access to the
Beardsley Zoo Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is the only Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA-accredited zoo in the state of Connecticut. It includes one of the few carousels in the state. History The Park In 1878, James ...
in Bridgeport, and the route crosses the
Pequonnock River The Pequonnock River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed 2011-04-01. waterway in eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut. Its watershed is located in five communities, wi ...
within the interchange. Past Route 25, Route 15 reaches a southbound exit and northbound entrance for Route 127 and then a full interchange for Route 108, in tandem with stack interchange with the Route 8 freeway. Route 15 comes into the town of Stratford through more wooded suburban areas, and reaches an interchange with Route 110 at the northeastern edge of town. Past this interchange, the parkway runs due east to cross the Igor Sikorsky Memorial Bridge over the
Housatonic River The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...
where it leaves both Stratford and Fairfield County. Route 15 enters both Milford and New Haven County, coming to a modified trumpet interchange with the Milford Parkway which provides access to both the
I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canad ...
freeway and
US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
, north of Downtown Milford. At this point, the Merritt Parkway ends and Route 15 turns northeast again through the wooded residential areas of southwestern New Haven County.


Wilbur Cross Parkway

The next component of Route 15, the
Wilbur Cross Parkway The Wilbur Cross Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt" in conjunction with its counterpart) is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, ...
, begins at the Milford Parkway junction. The Wilbur Cross Parkway follows the same general configuration and landscape as the Merritt Parkway, continues with the Merritt Parkway's exit numbers, and excludes commercial vehicles from its use, too. A few miles after the Milford Parkway, Route 15 comes into the town of
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
, where it passes a bi-directional service plaza, and meets Route 121 at a pair of right-in/right-out ramps, which provides access to the Orange campus of the University of New Haven. Now running north-northeast, Route 15 continues to a cloverleaf interchange with Route 34 which provides access eastbound to the
Yale Bowl The Yale Bowl Stadium is a college football stadium in the northeast United States, located in New Haven, Connecticut, on the border of West Haven, about 1½ miles (2½ km) west of the main campus of Yale University. The home of the American foot ...
, in the city of
New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...
. The parkway crosses the Wepawaug River, where it turns northeast and enters the town of Woodbridge, passing under Route 114 without access. Route 15 again crosses a boundary and comes into New Haven, where it meets an interchange with Route 69/ Route 63 that provides access to the campus of
Southern Connecticut State University Southern Connecticut State University (Southern Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State, SCSU, or simply Southern) is a public university in New Haven, Connecticut. Part of the Connecticut State University System, it was founded in 1893 and is ...
, in the neighborhood of Amity, crossing the West River within the interchange. From here, the parkway briefly crosses back through the southeastern corner of Woodbridge, before coming back into New Haven, and entering Heroes Tunnel which passes under West Rock Ridge. Immediately after exiting the tunnel, Route 15 comes into the town of Hamden, where it heads into a mix of residential and commercial areas around its interchange with Route 10, that also provides access to the
Paier College of Art Paier College (formerly Paier College of Art) is a private for-profit art college in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Previously located in Hamden, Connecticut, Paier is the only independent art college in Connecticut. History In 1946, Paier was e ...
. The parkway then enters the town of North Haven, where it crosses the Mill River and passes under the
Route 40 The following highways are numbered 40: International * European route E40 Argentina * National Route 40 Australia * NSW State Route 40 (Windsor Road and Victoria Road in Sydney) * Victorian State Route 40 * Mulligan Highway (Queensland) ...
freeway as the only freeway crosspath in the state without an interchange, over East Rock. A short distance later, the parkway meets an interchange with Route 22 and continues northeast to the last pair of service plazas on the route. Past the plazas, Route 15 turns north-northeast along the western edge of the
Quinnipiac River State Park Quinnipiac River State Park is a public recreation area located in the town of North Haven, Connecticut. The four sections of the state park protect of the Quinnipiac River. The park was traversed by a stretch of the Quinnipiac Trail. Thi ...
, where the route enters the town of Wallingford. In Wallingford, the parkway has exits to Quinnipiac Street providing access to Gaylord Specialty Healthcare and the Wallingford station on
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...
and
ConnDOT The Connecticut Department of Transportation (often referred to as CTDOT and occasionally ConnDOT, or CDOT) is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports and waterways in Connecticut. ...
's
Hartford Line The Hartford Line is a commuter rail service between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, using the Amtrak-owned New Haven–Springfield Line. The project is a joint venture between the states of Connecticut and Massachuse ...
, as well as Route 150 that provides access to the Masonicare Health Center. Route 15 crosses the
Quinnipiac River The Quinnipiac River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 long river in the New England region of the United States, located entirely in the state of Conne ...
and turns northeast, where it comes to an interchange for
US 5 U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfi ...
, where it also crosses the Hartford Line. Route 15 continues northeast into the city of Meriden and passes entrances to the ConnDOT maintenance facilities. The parkway continues a short distance before reaching an interchange complex on the east side of town. First, Route 15 crosses over the
I-91 Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. The Interstate generally follows the course of the Connect ...
freeway, where it turns north to reach a southbound exit and northbound entrance, before meeting East Main Street, which provides access to the
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the ...
campus, where the Interstate Highway begins to run inside the median. The parkway widens to six lanes through here, then reaches the next exits for northbound I-91 with a northbound exit and southbound entrance, as well as a northbound exit and southbound entrance to and from the westbound direction of the I-691 freeway, where there is also access from westbound I-691 to the northbound Wilbur Cross Parkway. Past I-691, Route 15 narrows back to four lanes, and turns north-northwest before heading north-northeast again, where the Wilbur Cross Parkway ends and northbound US 5 merges with northbound Route 15 to head toward the suburban areas of
Greater Hartford Greater Hartford is a region located in the U.S. state of Connecticut, centered on the state's capital of Hartford. It represents the only combined statistical area in Connecticut defined by a city within the state, being bordered by the Greater ...
.


Berlin Turnpike

Route 15 continues onto a four-lane divided surface highway concurrent with US 5, known as the Berlin Turnpike, running between Silver Lake to the west and Lamentation Mountain to the east. Here, it passes along a commercial strip before passing areas of residence. The highway enters the town of Berlin and Hartford County, and briefly forms the western edge of Lamentation Mountain State Park, before heading back into commercial areas. An old alignment of the Berlin Turnpike, splits to the west, while US 5/Route 15 curve to their interchange with the Route 9 freeway and Route 372, in which all access besides the ramps from US 5/Route 15 to southbound Route 9 and from southbound Route 9 to US 5/Route 15 is made via Route 372. North of Route 9, the old alignment of the Berlin Turnpike rejoins the new road briefly, before splitting again, this time to the east. The highway crosses the Mattabesset River before intersecting the western terminus of Route 160. US 5/Route 15 passes rows of shopping centers, as it comes into the town of Newington, intersecting the southern terminus of Route 173, which heads north towards the town of
West Hartford West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...
. The highway continues to its junction with the southern terminus of Route 176, which heads north towards the center of Newington. A park and ride lot is located in the northeastern corner of this intersection, with Griswoldville Avenue. From here, US 5/Route 15 passes the ConnDOT headquarters on the east, prior to reaching the intersections with Route 287. The highway leaves Newington at its interchange with Route 175, which heads west towards the center of town and east towards the town of Wethersfield. After the Route 175 interchange, US 5/Route 15 enters Wethersfield and passes more commercial areas before reaching the partial interchange with Route 314. The Berlin Turnpike splits and continues north-northeast along Route 314, narrowing to a two-lane undivided road, until it reaches the
Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...
city line, continuing into that city as Maple Avenue. US 5/Route 15 exits onto a four-lane freeway that heads northeast towards I-91 as a limited-access outlet into Hartford.


Wilbur Cross Highway

Past Route 314, US 5/Route 15 continue onto the
Wilbur Cross Highway The Wilbur Cross Highway is the designation for a highway beginning at Wethersfield, Connecticut, Wethersfield, running along a portion of Connecticut Route 15 and U.S. Route 5 (Connecticut), U.S. Route 5 to East Hartford, Connecticut, and t ...
, a four-lane freeway with a
jersey barrier A Jersey barrier, Jersey wall, or Jersey bump is a modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing vehicle crossovers resu ...
in the middle. The highway passes through wooded urbanized areas, to the southeast of the Connecticut Department of Labor headquarters, before it comes to an interchange with the northern terminus of Route 99, in which the overpass that carries the two routes over that route and the
Providence and Worcester Railroad The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad operating of tracks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as New York via trackage rights. The company was founded in 1844 to build a railroad between Providen ...
's Connecticut Valley Railroad line is called the Clinton "Jiggs" Hughes Memorial Bridge. Next, US 5/Route 15 comes into Hartford, turns north-northeast at an interchange with
I-91 Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. The Interstate generally follows the course of the Connect ...
, where there are ramps from northbound and southbound US 5/Route 15 to southbound I-91, and from northbound I-91 to northbound I-91 to southbound US 5/Route 15. The next interchange at Brainard Road/Airport Road with access to Hartford-Brainard Airport, has no southbound exit. The highway continues through industrial areas and comes exits from the southbound Wilbur Cross Highway to Southbound I-91, as well as an exit from the northbound Wilbur Cross Highway and northbound I-91 that also provides access to westbound
I-84 Interstate 84 may refer to: * Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Northeaste ...
. From here, US 5/Route 15 cross over the Connecticut River on the Charter Oak Bridge, where the routes enter the town of East Hartford. On the other side of the bridge, there is an interchange serving Route 2, where northbound US 5 splits and exits Route 15 onto Main Street, which runs north through the center of East Hartford. Route 15 curves to a northbound exit and southbound entrance with Silver Lane, before the highway reaches its northern terminus and merges onto eastbound I-84 and
US 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War Grand Army of the Republic, veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast fr ...
. A dedicated connection also exists between Route 15 and I-84/US 6's high-occupancy vehicle lanes. The Wilbur Cross Highway continues northeast along I-84 towards
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
/
Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a toll highway in the US state of Massachusetts that is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The turnpike begins at the New York state li ...
in
Sturbridge, Massachusetts Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques. The population was 9,867 at the 2020 census, with mor ...
.Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles
Registering a Pick-up Truck with Passenger Plates
(archived fro
original article


History

The Route 15 designation was created as part of the 1932 state highway renumbering and originally ran from
New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...
through Middletown, East Hartford and Stafford Springs to the
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
state line in
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''U ...
. The original route used the pre-expressway alignment of modern Route 17 to
Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
, Main Street to East Hartford center, U.S. Route 5 to the junction with Route 30, then modern Route 30 to
Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in th ...
, then modern Route 190 to Union, and modern Route 171 to the Massachusetts state line.kurumi.com - Route 15
/ref> In 1943, a newly constructed two-lane highway (now the
Wilbur Cross Highway The Wilbur Cross Highway is the designation for a highway beginning at Wethersfield, Connecticut, Wethersfield, running along a portion of Connecticut Route 15 and U.S. Route 5 (Connecticut), U.S. Route 5 to East Hartford, Connecticut, and t ...
) between Tolland and Union was opened to traffic. Route 15 was relocated on this new highway and the former Route 15 between Route 74 and Route 190 (then part of Route 20) was redesignated as Route 30. By 1948, the rest of the old two-lane Wilbur Cross Highway to East Hartford had also opened, connecting to the Charter Oak Bridge and the Hartford Bypass. In 1948, the State Highway Department decided to relocate Route 15 to a series of roadways, namely the
Merritt Parkway The Merritt Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt") is a limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with a small section at the northern end in New Haven County. Designed for Connecticut's Gold Coast, the parkway is know ...
,
Wilbur Cross Parkway The Wilbur Cross Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt" in conjunction with its counterpart) is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, ...
, Berlin Turnpike, Hartford Bypass, Charter Oak Bridge, and the new Wilbur Cross Highway, creating a modern, high-speed throughway from the
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
state line to the Massachusetts state line. The Route 15 designation was applied to the previously unnumbered parkways from
Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwi ...
to Meriden, then overlaid with U.S. Route 5 through East Hartford, then designated on the southern half of the Wilbur Cross Highway to Tolland, connecting with the portion previously designated as Route 15 five years before. The former Route 15 between South Windsor and Tolland was reassigned as an extension of Route 30, and the former Route 15 between New Haven and Glastonbury became redesignated as Route 17. In 1948, a portion of the Wilbur Cross Parkway between Route 34 and Whitney Avenue had still been under construction. Route 15 was temporarily routed along Route 34, Sherman Avenue (former Routes 5 and 10), Henry Street/Munson Street/Hillside Place/Edwards Street (former Route 5), and Whitney Avenue (former Route 10A). By 1949, the Wilbur Cross Parkway was completed and the temporary Route 15 designation was removed from the surface streets. Further improvements in the Wilbur Cross Highway took place over the next several years and the road became a four-lane divided highway by 1954. In 1968, most of the Wilbur Cross Highway was designated as
I-86 Interstate 86 may refer to any of three unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States: * Interstate 86 (Pennsylvania–New York) Interstate 86 (I-86) is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania a ...
and further upgrades to the road were implemented. Route 15 and I-86 overlapped from the current 15/84 junction in East Hartford to the Massachusetts state line. In 1984, the overlap was removed, truncating Route 15 to its current northern end, while at the same time I-86 was redesignated as I-84.Larry Larned, "Route 15: The Road to Hartford", (Arcadia Publishing, 2002)


Exit list

''Exits are currently sequential, but are planned to be converted to mileage-based exit numbering in 2025.''


References


External links


CT 15 (Greater New York Roads)
{{Authority control
015 Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak albu ...
Transportation in Fairfield County, Connecticut Transportation in New Haven County, Connecticut Transportation in Hartford County, Connecticut U.S. Route 5