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Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south
Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
on the
East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
, running in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles (179.55 km) in Connecticut, from the New York state line to the Rhode Island state line. I-95 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 Greenwich ...
to
East Lyme East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 census. The villages of Niantic and Flanders are located in the town. Geography East Lyme is located in southern New London County, w ...
is part of the Connecticut Turnpike, during which it passes through the major cities of Stamford,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
. After leaving the turnpike in East Lyme, I-95 is known as the Jewish War Veterans Memorial Highway and passes through New London, Groton, and Mystic, before exiting the state through
North Stonington North Stonington is a town in New London County, Connecticut which was split off from Stonington in 1724. The population was 5,149 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of w ...
at the
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
border.


Route description

I-95 follows the Connecticut Turnpike 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 eastward for . This portion of the highway passes through the most heavily urbanized section of Connecticut along the shoreline between
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 Greenwich ...
and
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 ...
, with daily traffic volumes of around 150,000 vehicles throughout the entire length between the New York state line and the junction with I-91 in New Haven. The turnpike intersects with several major expressways, namely U.S. Route 7 (US 7) at exit 15 in Norwalk, Route 25 and Route 8 at exit 27A in Bridgeport, the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways at exit 38 (via the Milford Parkway) in Milford, and
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 Connecti ...
at exit 48 in New Haven. The Connecticut Turnpike turns north at Exit 76, leaving I-95 and partially following
I-395 Interstate 395 may refer to: * Interstate 395 (Connecticut–Massachusetts), a spur from I-95 to Auburn, Massachusetts *Interstate 395 (Delaware), a proposed portion of I-95 in Delaware, when it was under construction *Interstate 395 (Florida), a sp ...
up to Killingly (there branching off I-395 and turning towards
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
). I-95 continues east of Exit 76 for another 24 miles, skipping next to Exit 80 in
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
to avoid duplication of exit numbers with the original turnpike numbering in that town, reaching the state line with Rhode Island in
Stonington, CT The town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, and Wequetequock, and the eastern halves of the villages of ...
.


Fairfield County

I-95 enters Connecticut at its crossing of the Byram River in the town of Greenwich in Fairfield County, where the highway continues southwest into New York as the New England Thruway. Upon entering Connecticut, the highway is a six-lane freeway known as the Connecticut Turnpike. The road is paralleled by
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 U.S. state of New York and under contract with the Connectic ...
'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 Haven ...
to the northwest, which also carries
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. ...
's
Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, ...
, which it follows for much of its length throughout the state. I-95 heads northeast, passing through the affluent suburban development of the Gold Coast of southwestern Fairfield County and reaching a
weigh station A weigh station is a checkpoint along a highway to inspect vehicular weights and safety compliance criteria. Usually, trucks and commercial vehicles are subject to the inspection. Weigh stations are equipped with truck scales, some of which are ...
in the northbound direction, before turning east-northeast and passing south of downtown Greenwich. The road then heads into the neighborhood of Cos Cob before it crosses over the New Haven Line and the Mianus River, on the
Mianus River Bridge The Mianus River Bridge is a span that carries Interstate 95 ( Connecticut Turnpike) over the Mianus River, between Cos Cob and Riverside, Connecticut. It is the second bridge on the site. The original bridge collapsed in 1983, killing thre ...
. Past the river, I-95 comes to a
trumpet interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, usi ...
which provides access to US 1 between the neighborhoods of Riverside and
Old Greenwich Old Greenwich is an affluent coastal village in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611. The town of Greenwich is one political and taxing body, but consists of several distinct secti ...
. After this interchange, the freeway enters the city of Stamford at the city's West Side. The road crosses the
Rippowam River The Rippowam River is a river in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York (United States). It drains a watershed area of and flows for from Ridgefield to Long Island Sound, which it enters in Stamford's harbor. Streamf ...
and enters the dense commercial area of
Downtown Stamford Downtown Stamford, or Stamford Downtown, is the central business district of the city of Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It includes major retail establishments, a shopping mall, a university campus, the headquarters of major corporations a ...
, where it briefly becomes elevated and serves Route 137 near the
Stamford Transportation Center Stamford station, officially known as the Stewart B. McKinney Transportation Center or the Stamford Transportation Center, is a major railroad station in the city of Stamford, Connecticut, serving passengers traveling on Metro-North Railroad's ...
. Upon leaving the downtown area, the freeway passes over the New Haven Line and crosses into the residential
East Side of Stamford The East Side of Stamford is a neighborhood in the city of Stamford, Connecticut. Per the city government's definition, the East Side lies directly to the east of Downtown, southeast of Glenbrook, north of The Cove, and to the west of Darie ...
, where there is an interchange with US 1 that also provides access to Route 106. After this point, the southbound direction gains a fourth lane as the road enters the town of Darien, where there is a service plaza in the southbound direction. In the community of Noroton, the highway passes to the south of
Noroton Heights station Noroton Heights station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line located in the Noroton Heights neighborhood of Darien, Connecticut. History As of January 2007, Northeast Utilities had plans to put an underground 34 ...
on the New Haven Line. Near the center of town, the southbound direction narrows to three lanes again, and I-95 has interchanges with US 1 and Route 136. Next, the freeway turns to the northeast, passing over the New Haven Line and coming to a service plaza and welcome center in the northbound direction, before reaching another interchange with US 1. Immediately afterwards, the road comes into the city of Norwalk in the neighborhood of South Norwalk. The freeway turns east-northeast and passes north of
Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk (formerly Maritime Center) is an aquarium located in the South Norwalk (or "SoNo") section of Norwalk, Connecticut. The aquarium features harbor seals, river otters, sharks, jellyfish, loggerhead turtles, and h ...
as it comes to an interchange with the southern terminus of US 7 and crosses 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, passenger ...
of the New Haven Line within the interchange, before crossing the
Norwalk River The Norwalk River is a river in southwestern Connecticut, United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 The word "Norwalk" comes from ...
on the
Yankee Doodle Bridge The Yankee Doodle Bridge is a road bridge in Norwalk, Connecticut. Its primary purpose is carrying Interstate 95 (Connecticut Turnpike) over the Norwalk River The Norwalk River is a river in southwestern Connecticut, United States, approxim ...
and entering
East Norwalk East Norwalk is a neighborhood of Norwalk, Connecticut, located mostly in Norwalk's third taxing district with segments of its northernmost area within the first and fifth taxing districts. As one of the earliest settlements of Norwalk, it was ...
. I-95 enters the town of Westport just prior to reaching an interchange with the southern terminus of Route 33 and Route 136. Past this interchange, the freeway proceeds to cross over the Saugatuck River and continues to an interchange with the Sherwood Island Connector, which provides access to US 1 and
Sherwood Island State Park Sherwood Island State Park is a public recreation area on the shore of Long Island Sound in the Greens Farms section of Westport, Connecticut, Westport, Connecticut. The state park offers swimming, fishing, and other activities on of beach, wetl ...
. The road curves through wooded residential areas, where it comes into the town of Fairfield. Here, I-95 reaches an interchange with US 1/Center Street, which serve the neighborhood of
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...
, before crossing the Mill River. Passing to the north of
Fairfield Center The Fairfield Historic District encompasses the historic town center of Fairfield, Connecticut, roughly along Old Post Road between U.S. Route 1 and Turney Road. The area contains Fairfield's town hall, public library, and houses dating from th ...
, the freeway reaches a service plaza in both directions, where there also exists an interchange with Route 135, providing access to the main 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 ...
. From this point, the road curves through an interchange with US 1 on the eastern edge of town. Following US 1, I-95 enters the 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 ...
, which is the largest city in the state. On the city's West Side, the freeway has an interchange with Route 130, where it becomes elevated and gains a fourth southbound lane, as it passes through the industrial areas of the city's southwestern neighborhoods. Within that interchange, the road also crosses the New Haven Line. Farther east, I-95 crosses over the New Haven Line again and passes to the south of downtown Bridgeport. Here, the freeway provides access to many of the city's major landmarks in the South End and downtown area, and meets the combined southern termini of Route 25 and Route 8, which both head north from I-95 as a freeway. From this point, the road narrows to three lanes in the southbound direction, and comes onto to the
P.T. Barnum Bridge The P.T. Barnum Bridge is a highway bridge carrying Interstate 95 and the Connecticut Turnpike over the Pequonnock River in Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With ...
which carries it over the New Haven Line, adjacent to Bridgeport station, and 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, w ...
. On the bridge, the northbound direction gains a fourth lane, as I-95 comes to an exit for Route 127 on Bridgeport's east side, after it passes over Route 130. I-95 reduces back to three lanes in the northbound direction, as it curves into the city's East End, where there is another interchange for Route 130. A short distance later, the freeway reaches an exit to Route 113 on the border of Stratford, providing access to
Sikorsky Memorial Airport Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport is a public airport in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, owned by the city of Bridgeport. It is three miles (6  km) southeast of downtown, in the town of Stratford. It was formerly Bridgeport ...
. Afterward, the road passes by downtown Stratford and heads into a commercial area, where it has an exit serving US 1 and the southern terminus of
Route 110 Route 110 or Highway 110 can refer to multiple roads: Australia * Nepean Highway * Bellarine Highway Bangladesh * Brazil * BR-110 Canada * Manitoba Highway 110 * New Brunswick Route 110 * Prince Edward Island Route 110 China * China Na ...
, before crossing 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 ...
on the
Moses Wheeler Bridge Moses Wheeler Bridge carries Interstate 95 (Connecticut Turnpike) over the Housatonic River between Stratford and the Devon section of Milford. The current bridge is a 14-span continuous girder and floorbeam structure that carries three (expand ...
.


New Haven County

On the Moses Wheeler Bridge, I-95 crosses into Milford,
New Haven County New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's top 5 largest cities, Ne ...
, where it heads into residential areas on the other side of the river. Here, the freeway has a trumpet interchange with US 1 within the village of
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
before it crosses the New Haven Line and passes south of the world headquarters of the
Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Intercontin ...
restaurant chain. The road continues northeast through wooded areas of the western part of Milford, where it reaches an exit for Route 15 (the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways), which is served by the Milford Parkway. The freeway curves as it passes northeast of Downtown Milford and comes to a cloverleaf interchange with US 1 adjacent to the Connecticut Post Mall, located at the northeastern corner of the interchange. The road heads northeast again into commercial surroundings and passes service plazas in both directions, before coming into the town of Orange, where it reaches an interchange with Marsh Hill Road. The overpass carrying Marsh Hill Road is called the Salemme Memorial Bridge, and the exit provides access to the West Campus of
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...
. The road passes to the northwest of Yale West Campus as it enters the city of West Haven. Here, I-95 passes mixed areas of suburban development, where it comes to an interchange with Route 162. Thru trucks to Downtown West Haven must use this exit, as trucks may not use the northbound exit ramp at the next interchange, for Campbell Avenue and the southern terminus of Route 122, due to its steep incline. The road curves as it crosses the New Haven Line and the West River, and comes into 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 ...
. Immediately after crossing the river, I-95 comes to an interchange with the southern terminus of Route 10, which provides access 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 f ...
and connects to Route 34. From this point, the freeway heads northeast, passing the New Haven Harbor in the neighborhood of Long Wharf, before reaching the large interchange complex southeast of Downtown New Haven. The complex includes an interchange with a flyover ramp to M.L.K. Jr. Boulevard serving the downtown area and Yale University, as well as the southern terminus of
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 Connecti ...
, which heads north-northeast from I-95 towards
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 t ...
. Past I-91, the freeway turns southeast to cross the Quinnipiac River on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, locally known as simply the "Q Bridge". On the other side of the bridge, the road heads into another area of mixed development in The Annex neighborhood. Here, I-95 has an interchange with the northern terminus of Route 337, which provides access to Tweed New Haven Airport. Past this interchange, the freeway enters the town of East Haven, where US 1 parallels the highway on both sides as a frontage road with a full interchange, while the southbound direction widens into four lanes and northbound narrows to three lanes. Within the interchange, I-95 crosses the Northeast Corridor. A short distance later, there is a southbound exit and northbound entrance with Route 100 before the road curves east across Saltonstall Mountain and Lake Saltonstall, and comes into the town of Branford. Within this area, I-95 passes through the
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in ten units across the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge spans of Connecticut coastline and provides important resting, feedin ...
where it comes to a northbound exit and southbound entrance with the
Branford Connector The Branford Connector is an unsigned State Road in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It serves as a connecting road from Interstate 95 (I-95) to U.S. Route 1 (US 1). The roadway has been numbered State Road 794 by the Connec ...
, that connects to US 1, Route 142, and Route 146 near Short Beach. Just after the connector, there is a service plaza in both directions, and the freeway passes north of the center of Branford. From here, the road narrows to four lanes and continues east into more rural and wooded surroundings, coming to an interchange with US 1 on the east side of town. I-95 briefly enters a commercial area and passes north of the Stony Creek neighborhood. The freeway heads back into wooded areas as it enters the town of
Guilford Guildford is a town in Surrey, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Guildford, the Diocese of Guildford and the Parliamentary constituency of Guildford. Guildford, Guilford, or Gildford may also refer to: Places Australia * Guild ...
, where it comes to interchanges with US 1 and Route 77 north of Guilford Center. The road continues east across the East River marshlands, and comes into the town of
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
. The road heads to the north of Madison Center, where it has an interchange with Route 79 with a park and ride lot in its northeastern corner. Past Route 79, I-95 passes service plazas in both directions, and reaches an interchange with the
Hammonasset Connector The Hammonasset Connector is a short freeway from Interstate 95 (I-95, Connecticut Turnpike) to US Route 1 (US 1). The Hammonasset Connector begins as a continuation of Duck Hole Road at exit 62 on I-95 in the town of Madison. The conn ...
, which provides access to
Hammonasset Beach State Park Hammonasset Beach State Park is a public recreation area occupying two miles of beach front on Long Island Sound in the town of Madison, Connecticut. It is the state's largest shoreline park and one of the most popular attractions in the stat ...
. At this point, the route crosses over the
Hammonasset River The Hammonasset River is formed about southeast of Durham, Connecticut along a gully on the north end of Bunker Hill at about a half mile northeast of the junction of Route 148 and Bunker Hill Road. The river travels for U.S. Geological Survey. ...
and leaves New Haven County.


Middlesex and New London counties

Upon crossing the river, I-95 comes into Clinton, Middlesex County continuing east through rural surroundings with some suburban elements. The freeway reaches an interchange with Route 81, close to the center of town adjacent to the Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets outlet mall, to the northwest of the interchange. From here, the road turns across the Menunketesuck River, after which it enters the town of Westbrook and reaches an interchange with Route 145. At this point, I-95 enters another curve before turning east again, at the interchange with Route 153 that also provides access to the Westbrook Outlets mall, just north of Westbrook Center. The freeway then reaches a pair of roadside stops, in which the northbound direction has a rest area and welcome center, and the southbound direction has access to Troop F of the
Connecticut State Police The Connecticut State Police (CSP) is a division of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection responsible for traffic regulation and law enforcement across the state of Connecticut, especially in areas not served by ...
, just before coming to the interchange for Route 166, where it enters the town of Old Saybrook. Within Old Saybrook, the road turns northeast and has an interchange with Route 154 northwest of Old Saybrook Center. On the east side of town, US 1 merges onto northbound I-95 and joins the route in a concurrency, as it widens to six lanes, and comes to a trumpet interchange with the southern terminus of Route 9, which heads northwest from I-95/US 1 as a freeway towards
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 B ...
. A short distance later, the two routes cross the
Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge The Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge is a concrete segmental bridge composed of eleven spans crossing the Connecticut River between Old Saybrook, Connecticut and Old Lyme, Connecticut. The bridge carries Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1, with an average d ...
, that has a fourth southbound lane, over the
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...
. Upon crossing the river, I-95/US 1 comes into Old Lyme,
New London County New London County is in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut Combined Statistical Area. There ...
where southbound widens to four lanes prior to crossing the bridge, and it reaches the interchange with Route 156, where US 1 exits the highway and the concurrency ends. The freeway reduces to four lanes before it crosses the
Lieutenant River The Lieutenant River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tidal river located in Old Lyme, Connecticut. It joins the Connecticut River in the estuary, j ...
and heads into a heavily forested area with little development around the highway, where it crosses the Duck River before entering the town of
East Lyme East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 census. The villages of Niantic and Flanders are located in the town. Geography East Lyme is located in southern New London County, w ...
. I-95 immediately comes to a trumpet interchange with the Rocky Neck Connector, providing access to the Rocky Neck State Park. Continuing northeast through the center of East Lyme, the freeway enters into areas of mixed development with suburban elements before reaching an interchange with Route 161 in the village of Flanders. Shortly afterward, there is an interchange with US 1, and the highway crosses the
Niantic River The Niantic River is a mainly tidal river in eastern Connecticut. It is crossed by the Niantic River Bridge carrying Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It separates the towns of East Lyme and Waterford. The river is long.U.S. Geological Survey. N ...
before meeting the southern terminus of
I-395 Interstate 395 may refer to: * Interstate 395 (Connecticut–Massachusetts), a spur from I-95 to Auburn, Massachusetts *Interstate 395 (Delaware), a proposed portion of I-95 in Delaware, when it was under construction *Interstate 395 (Florida), a sp ...
. Here, the Connecticut Turnpike splits to the northeast along I-395, which heads toward
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
. Past I-395, the freeway becomes the Jewish War Veterans Memorial Highway and enters the town of
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
. A short distance later, the road heads into suburban-like commercial areas. I-95 has an interchange with Route 85 before entering the city of New London as it gains a third northbound lane and a frontage road. Running north of the downtown area and the New London Waterfront District, the freeway meets the southern terminus of Route 32. Past this interchange, US 1 merges onto northbound I-95, and the two routes turn east to run concurrent across the ten-lane
Gold Star Memorial Bridge The Gold Star Memorial Bridge is a pair of steel truss bridges that carry both Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1 across the Thames River between New London, Connecticut, US and Groton, Connecticut. The bridge is the largest structure in the state wi ...
over the Thames River, where the highways come into the town of Groton. Before the end of the bridge, US 1 exits the highway, providing access to Downtown Groton. The freeway narrows to six lanes as it reaches an interchange with the southern terminus of Route 12 and the western terminus of Route 184, which also provides access via Route 12 to the
Naval Submarine Base New London Naval Submarine Base New London is the primary United States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located in Groton, Connecticut directly across the Thames River from its namesake city of New L ...
. A short distance later, the road curves through a directional interchange with the northern terminus of Route 349, which spurs into downtown Groton. Past Route 349, the median widens, after many miles of having a jersey barrier in the middle of the highway, and it heads into forested surroundings and crosses the Groton Reservoir. In the eastern part of Groton, I-95 has an interchange with Route 117, leading south to the village of Noank and north to the town of Ledyard. From here, the freeway passes a northbound scenic overlook and crosses the
Mystic River The Mystic River is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in Massachusetts, in the United States. In Massachusett, means "large estuary," alluding to ...
. Upon crossing the river, the road enters the town of Stonington, where it comes to an interchange with Route 27 within the village of Mystic, that provides access to Mystic Seaport, the Olde Mistick Village shopping mall and the
Mystic Aquarium Mystic Aquarium is a marine aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. It is one of only two U.S. facilities holding Steller sea lions, and it has the only beluga whales in New England. Special exhibits include a ray and shark touch pool, an African penguin ...
. At this point, I-95 reduces to four lanes, turns northeast past wooded areas with some residences, and comes to an interchange for Route 234 north of the center of Stonington, with a park and ride lot being located in the northwest corner of the interchange. From here, the freeway continues northeast to an interchange for Route 2/ Route 49, providing access to the village of
Pawcatuck Pawcatuck is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Stonington which is located in New London County, Connecticut. The population was 5,624 at the 2010 census. It is located across the Pawcatuck River from Downtown Westerly ...
to the south and a park and ride lot to the north in the middle of the interchange. Also, within the interchange, the southbound direction has a rest area and welcome center and the road comes into the town of
North Stonington North Stonington is a town in New London County, Connecticut which was split off from Stonington in 1724. The population was 5,149 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of w ...
. I-95 continues to its last exit in Connecticut, the interchange with Route 216 and the eastern terminus of Route 184, as the median narrows. Immediately after this interchange, the freeway leaves Connecticut and continues as a four-lane freeway northeast into
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
towards
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
.


History

I-95 in Connecticut has far more exits than typical Interstate Highways, particularly in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, with some exits less than one mile (1.6 km) apart. State transportation officials have said that the reason for the many exits stems from the state's original justification for building parts of the highway—to ease traffic congestion on US 1 by providing a faster alternate route, even for drivers traveling short distances within the same community. To overcome potential opposition to the highway from towns through which the route would traverse, the state agreed to guarantee each affected town a certain number of access points to the highway. Rather than skirting urban areas, the highway was built directly through the most dense sections of Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and New Haven. While most of I-95 was built as the Connecticut Turnpike, the route incorporated several pieces of already-built relocations, some to
freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
standards, of US 1 (the turnpike split from the US 1 relocation in
East Lyme East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 census. The villages of Niantic and Flanders are located in the town. Geography East Lyme is located in southern New London County, w ...
, along the Old Lyme-New London section): * Darien bypass, opened c. 1952 *New Haven east of the Quinnipiac River, opened c. 1951 * Old Saybrook- Old Lyme,
Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge The Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge is a concrete segmental bridge composed of eleven spans crossing the Connecticut River between Old Saybrook, Connecticut and Old Lyme, Connecticut. The bridge carries Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1, with an average d ...
over the
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...
and approaches, opened 1948 *Old Lyme-New London, opened by 1950 as a two-lane road *New London- Groton Gold Star Bridge over the Thames River and approaches, opened 1943 Other improvements in the corridor included 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 * '' ...
- Meriden
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 known ...
/ Wilbur Cross Parkway, New Haven-Old Saybrook Route 80, and Groton-Rhode Island Route 184, the latter connecting in Rhode Island to Route 3, a shortcut to
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
. Most of the turnpike opened January 2, 1958, and was designated I-95 south and west of the split with the relocated US 1 by 1959. The rest of I-95 from I-395 to the Connecticut–Rhode Island border opened December 12, 1964. The Gold Star Bridge was twinned c. 1975, along with a reconstruction of its approaches, and in 1993 the Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge was replaced with a wider span. The state installed cameras to watch traffic along the highway in the early 1990s. As of 2007, about 100 cameras have been set up and are monitored by state police and the
Connecticut Department of Transportation 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. ...
(ConnDOT). In Fairfield County, local emergency responders (fire departments and ambulance services) that serve the highway in individual towns have asked for direct feeds from the cameras to avoid mistakes. When travelers report an accident, they sometimes tell authorities that it occurred near an exit that is actually not the nearest to the scene, slowing down response time. The traffic feed from the cameras is available on the World Wide Web, but the service can be spotty, according to the Stamford and Norwalk fire chiefs, who said they were hoping that a proposed $40 million upgrade of the camera system, under consideration by the state in 2007, would provide them access. Feeds from these cameras are also used by local media outlets, as part of traffic report segments in news programming, and in some instances as a part of a designated traffic and weather channel.


Disasters

In January 1983, a truck with a brake failure slammed into a line of cars waiting to pay a toll on I-95 in Stratford; seven people were killed. This accident helped lead to the removal of toll barriers throughout Connecticut, which was completed six years after. On the morning of June 28, 1983, a section of the
Mianus River Bridge The Mianus River Bridge is a span that carries Interstate 95 ( Connecticut Turnpike) over the Mianus River, between Cos Cob and Riverside, Connecticut. It is the second bridge on the site. The original bridge collapsed in 1983, killing thre ...
in Cos Cob collapsed, plunging northbound I-95 traffic into the Mianus River below, killing three. The collapse was blamed on the failure of the steel pins to hold the horizontal beams together and inadequate inspection prior to the collapse. Northbound traffic was diverted on this section of I-95 for 25 days. Southbound traffic was unaffected. On March 26, 2004, a bridge on I-95 in Bridgeport was partly melted by the explosion of a tanker truck carrying over of
fuel oil Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), b ...
. Repairs were estimated to take at least two weeks, but the highway was opened to northbound traffic in only a few days. Southbound traffic resumed about a week later after a temporary bridge was installed to carry traffic while the destroyed bridge was rebuilt. At 10:20 a.m. on November 2, 2007, a tanker truck carrying
heating oil Heating oil is any petroleum product or other oil used for heating; a fuel oil. Most commonly, it refers to low viscosity grades of fuel oil used for furnaces or boilers use for home heating and in other buildings. Home heating oil is often ...
plowed over the divider, knocking the side of a
tractor trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...
and striking several other cars in its path. Three people were killed, including the driver of the tanker and the occupants of two cars that were completely destroyed in the crash. The driver of the tractor trailer survived (his canine companion emerged completely unharmed) but the trailer was split open. At least three other cars were involved in this accident. A part of the road was damaged and took until the next morning to fully reopen, partly due to a cleanup after the accident.


Construction plans

While the corridor was designated "High Priority Corridor 65" in 2005, work along Interstate 95 in Connecticut has been ongoing for nearly 30 years. Interstate upgrades include: *Replace the bridge over the
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...
in Old Saybrook (completed in 1993) *Replace the bridge over the Saugatuck River in Westport (completed in 2001) *Widening and reconstruction of I-95 through
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 ...
(completed in 2006) *Upgrade the median divider from New York state line to
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
to meet current safety standards (segmented construction ongoing since 1993) *Construction of a new extradosed Q Bridge (Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge) over the Quinnipiac River (completed in 2015) *Reconfiguring the interchange between
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 Connecti ...
, I-95, and Route 34 in New Haven (completed in 2016) *Replace bridge over the West River in New Haven (completed in June 2018). Exit 44, southbound, was closed in April 2015, and the remaining ramps at Exit 45, northbound, and southbound were realigned and renumbered Exit 44. *Reconstruct I-95/
I-395 Interstate 395 may refer to: * Interstate 395 (Connecticut–Massachusetts), a spur from I-95 to Auburn, Massachusetts *Interstate 395 (Delaware), a proposed portion of I-95 in Delaware, when it was under construction *Interstate 395 (Florida), a sp ...
interchange in Waterford to accommodate proposed Route 11 Expressway connection (proposed). *Replacement of the
Moses Wheeler Bridge Moses Wheeler Bridge carries Interstate 95 (Connecticut Turnpike) over the Housatonic River between Stratford and the Devon section of Milford. The current bridge is a 14-span continuous girder and floorbeam structure that carries three (expand ...
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 ...
(completed in 2016) *Widening and reconstruction of I-95 between Norwalk and Stamford — in December 2007 a 15-month, $5.5 million project was completed to add fourth (or "operational") lanes in each direction between the entrances and exits at exits 10 and 11 in Darien. This project was completed in 2007. A similar project between exits 11 and 13 began in 2008 and was completed in 2010. An earlier project added a fourth lane on the southbound side from the entrance at exit 10 to exit 8. After that lane was added, a ConnDOT study concluded that accidents were down on that stretch of the highway by 20 percent, amounting to about 160 fewer accidents per year. *Add southbound offramp and northbound onramp at Exit 33 in Stratford (completed in 2021 and 2022) *Widen I-95 mainline from Branford to the
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
state line (proposed) *Adding an operational lane between exits 14 and 15 in Norwalk (completed in 2016) *From 2011 to 2015, all 10 of the service plazas along I-95 were rebuilt (pairs of plazas are located in Darien, Fairfield, Milford, Branford, and Madison, with a separate plaza for each direction of I-95). All of the renovated plazas feature modernized Mobil gas stations, Alltown convenience stores,
Dunkin Donuts Dunkin' Donuts LLC, also known as Dunkin' and by the initials DD, is an American multinational coffee and doughnut company, as well as a quick service restaurant. It was founded by Bill Rosenberg (1916–2002) in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 195 ...
, and Subway shops.
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
is also available at eight of the ten plazas, while the largest plazas additionally feature Sbarro, Panda Express and various other quick-service options. The last of the plazas to be rebuilt, southbound in Madison, opened in August 2015. Mass transit upgrade projects have been undertaken in large part to reduce traffic on the highway, which is often congested, particularly in Fairfield County: *New
train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing ...
near the Fairfield–Bridgeport city line (completed in 2011, fully operational in January 2012) *Intermodal Transportation Center in Bridgeport (completed) *New
train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing ...
in West Haven (completed) *Upgrade catenary power lines along the New Haven Line (underway through the 2010s) *New
train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing ...
in
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
(completed) *Purchase new
railroad car A railroad car, railcar (American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is a ...
s and refurbish existing cars to increase capacity and reliability *Construct new
container A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
barge Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels. ...
ports at Bridgeport and New Haven *Expansion of
freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...
service on the New Haven Line *Replace outdated bridges and straighten various sections of the New Haven Line to allow higher operating speeds for
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 Metro-North trains


Exit list

Exit numbers are currently sequential, but will be changed to mileage-based in the future. Exit 1 to Exit 76 are based on the original sequential Connecticut Turnpike exit numbers. East of Exit 76, the I-95 numbering jumped to Exit 80 to avoid duplicate exit numbers in
Waterford, CT Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,571 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) and had a population of 3 ...
, as the Connecticut Turnpike numbering originally continued north at Exit 76 to follow
I-395 Interstate 395 may refer to: * Interstate 395 (Connecticut–Massachusetts), a spur from I-95 to Auburn, Massachusetts *Interstate 395 (Delaware), a proposed portion of I-95 in Delaware, when it was under construction *Interstate 395 (Florida), a sp ...
.


Auxiliary routes

I-395 Interstate 395 may refer to: * Interstate 395 (Connecticut–Massachusetts), a spur from I-95 to Auburn, Massachusetts *Interstate 395 (Delaware), a proposed portion of I-95 in Delaware, when it was under construction *Interstate 395 (Florida), a sp ...
is I-95's only auxiliary route in Connecticut, which runs from the junction with I-95 in
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
north to the Massachusetts state line where it meets
I-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 West, Great Plains, Midwest, an ...
( Massachusetts Turnpike) and
I-290 Interstate 290 may refer to the following Interstate Highways in the United States: *Interstate 290 (Illinois), a highway from Chicago, Illinois, to Rolling Meadows, Illinois * Interstate 290 (Massachusetts), a highway in Massachusetts that connects ...
south of
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...
.


References


External links


kurumi - Connecticut Interstate 95
{{3di, 95 95 Connecticut Transportation in Fairfield County, Connecticut Transportation in New Haven County, Connecticut Transportation in Middlesex County, Connecticut Transportation in New London County, Connecticut