U.S. Route 6 (US 6) within the state of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
runs for from the
New York state line near
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
to the
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
state line in
Killingly
Killingly is a New England town, town in Windham County, Connecticut, Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,752 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It consists of the borough of Danielson, Connecticut, Dani ...
. West of
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 ...
, the route either closely parallels or runs along
Interstate 84 (I-84), which has largely supplanted US 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, US 6 serves as a primary route for travel between Hartford and
Providence.
Route description
Western Connecticut
US 6 enters Connecticut paired with
US 202
U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massa ...
from the town of
Southeast, New York
Southeast is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States, so named for its location in the southeastern corner of the county. The population was 18,058 at the 2020 census. The town as a whole is informally referred to as Brewster, the town' ...
just east of the village of
Brewster. The concurrency runs for through the city of
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
as a minor arterial road before it forms a 4-way concurrency with
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 Northeaster ...
and
US 7 from I-84 exit 4 to exit 7. At exit 7, US 7 and US 202 split to the north, while US 6 stays duplexed with I-84 for another before returning to surface roads at exit 8. The route then goes through the towns of
Bethel and
Newtown. In Newtown, it has a concurrency with
Route 25 before turning east toward the village of
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.
The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...
, where it enters I-84 once again for between Newtown and
Southbury (from exits 10 to 15).
After exiting I-84 in Southbury, US 6 once again becomes a surface road, and is duplexed with
Route 67 for . It then passes through the northern
Waterbury
Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 202 ...
area suburbs of
Woodbury,
Watertown Watertown may refer to:
Places in China
In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways.
Places in the United States
*Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town
**Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...
and
Thomaston. US 6 has a overlap with the
Route 8 expressway in Thomaston.
Hartford area
After leaving the Route 8 expressway, US 6 continues as an alternating 2- and 4-lane surface road through the towns of
Plymouth,
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
and
Farmington
Farmington may refer to:
Places Canada
*Farmington, British Columbia
* Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation)
United States
*Farmington, Arkansas
*Farmington, California
*Farmington, Connecticut
*Farmington, Delaware
* Farmington, Georgia
* ...
. In Farmington, it once again joins I-84 at exit 38 for , passing through
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 ...
,
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 ...
, and
East Hartford
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 ...
.
US 44 joins for to cross the
Connecticut River on the
Bulkeley Bridge
The Bulkeley Bridge (also known as Hartford Bridge, Bridge No. 980A) is the oldest of three highway bridges over the Connecticut River in Hartford, Connecticut. A stone arch bridge composed of nine spans, the bridge carries Interstate 84, ...
from Hartford to East Hartford towards
Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...
just past the eastern terminus of
I-384.
Eastern Connecticut
In Bolton, US 6 and US 44 split. US 44 follows a more northerly route while US 6 continues through Bolton,
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
,
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andove ...
and
Columbia. It intersects with
Route 316 and
Route 87 along the way, and mostly follows the
Hop River
The Hop River is a river that runs through Tolland County, Connecticut. The Hop River's marshy source is just southeast of Bolton Notch, Connecticut. It flows for about to its confluence with the Willimantic River.U.S. Geological Survey. Nation ...
.
The US 6 Willimantic Bypass begins in
Columbia, at a four-way at-grade intersection with
Route 66. The expressway starts out heading northeast and immediately crosses into
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
. After crossing the town line, the eastbound and westbound sides of US 6 split, with a hill in between them. At the split, the eastbound side of the expressway curves and heads east. At this point, the
Hop River State Park Trail passes under both sides of the expressway. Soon after, the westbound lane also curves, and the two sides of the expressway soon become parallel again. The expressway then passes over Flanders River Road about east. The expressway then crosses the
Willimantic River
The Willimantic River is a tributary of the Shetucket River, approximately 25 mi (40 km) long in northeastern Connecticut in the New England region of the United States.
It is formed in northern Tolland County, near Stafford Springs ...
and enters the town of
Windham. Right after entering Windham, it overpasses the New England Central Railroad. Immediately after this, there is an interchange with
Route 32. After the interchange, the expressway enters
Mansfield and passes under Mansfield Avenue before encountering another interchange for
Route 195. The eastbound exit and westbound entrance use Mansfield City Road, while the westbound exit accesses Route 195 via North Frontage Road and eastbound access to US 6 is from Route 195 itself. Soon after the eastbound entrance ramp joins US 6, the expressway crosses the
Natchaug River
The Natchaug River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in Windham and Tolland Counties in northeastern Connecticut. The name ''Natchaug'' comes from ...
and once again enters
Windham. after entering Windham, the US 6 Willimantic Bypass ends at an interchange with the eastern end of Route 66, whose roadway US 6 assumes east of the interchange. US 6 then continues as a surface road through the towns of
Chaplin,
Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
* Hampton, Victoria
Canada
* Hampton, New Brunswick
*Ha ...
, and
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. In
Killingly
Killingly is a New England town, town in Windham County, Connecticut, Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,752 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It consists of the borough of Danielson, Connecticut, Dani ...
, US 6 becomes a
two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes ris ...
in the vicinity of its junction with
I-395 in Killingly, part of which () is duplexed with
Route 12. Just before the
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
state line, the unsigned portion of the
Connecticut Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike (officially the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike) is a controlled-access highway and former toll road in the U.S. state of Connecticut; it is maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT). Span ...
(
SR 695) merges into US 6 eastbound as it enters the town of
Foster
History
![New England 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/New_England_3.svg)
Before the creation of the
U.S. Highway system in 1926, most of the proposed routing in Connecticut was part of New England Interstate Route 3 (NE-3). There were two places where NE-3 and US 6 were not overlapped. NE-3 began in
Bedford, New York at
NY 22, entering Connecticut via modern
Route 35. NE-3 continued north to Danbury via the old non-expressway alignment of
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 15 ...
. US 6, on the other hand, went east from
Brewster on its current alignment, meeting with NE-3 in downtown Danbury.
Another difference in routing is between Manchester and Windham. US 6 originally used a more northern alignment via
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, running along present
U.S. Route 44 then modern
Route 31. NE-3 used current US 6 for its routing. East of Windham, the routes overlapped into Rhode Island. Between 1926 and 1932, NE-3 and US 6 were cosigned where they overlapped. NE-3 was finally deleted in 1932.
Willimantic bypass
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 Northeaster ...
was to be an expressway that would connect the modern
Interstate 384
Interstate 384 (I-384) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Connecticut. It runs east to west, going from I-84 and I-291 in East Hartford to US Route 6 (US 6) and US 44 in Bolton.
Route ...
with the modern U.S. Route 6 Willimantic Bypass. From here, I-84 would continue to
Providence. This idea was planned in the 1960s, but abandoned in 2005.
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) had planned since the 1960s to upgrade the segment between Bolton and Columbia to an expressway, connecting I-384 to the existing expressway segment in Windham. However, this particular segment of US 6 passes through an environmentally sensitive area centered around the
Hop River
The Hop River is a river that runs through Tolland County, Connecticut. The Hop River's marshy source is just southeast of Bolton Notch, Connecticut. It flows for about to its confluence with the Willimantic River.U.S. Geological Survey. Nation ...
. Construction had been planned to begin in the late 1980s, but federal, state, and local officials could not reach an agreement on a feasible route that avoided the Hop River wetlands and development within the towns of Andover, Bolton, Coventry, and Columbia. The affected towns, ConnDOT and the
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is a state agency in the US state of Connecticut. The department oversees the state's natural resources and environment and regulates public utilities and energy policy. It ...
favored a northern alignment (Alternative 133B), which would avoid the town centers and nearby wetlands. The
Environmental Protection Agency,
Army Corps of Engineers, and
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...
(FHWA) favored a southerly alignment (Alternative 133 18/25) that would cut through residential and commercial areas as well as the Hop River's adjoining wetlands.
Despite opposition from ConnDOT, the Connecticut DEP, and affected towns, the FHWA issued a Record of Decision and the Army Corps of Engineers issued required permits for Alternative 133 18/25 (southern alignment) in 2001. State and local officials continued to press the Corps of Engineers to approve the northern alignment. Due to the impasse between state, local, and federal officials, federal funds for the bypass were withdrawn in 2003. In 2005, the Capitol Region Council of Governments and ConnDOT removed the US 6 bypass from planning, hence ConnDOT effectively abandoned further study of the bypass in lieu of upgrading the existing road.
In 2007, ConnDOT began making safety improvements and capacity upgrades to the existing US 6 through Andover, Bolton, and Columbia.
Alternate routes
![US 6A](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/US_6A.svg)
There have been several routes signed as US 6A in the state. No special routes currently exist.
*Newtown-Southbury: original surface routing before creation of expressway later to become I-84; currently SR 816
*Plymouth-Hartford: Now US 6. At this time, the old US 6 went along Route 64 to downtown Waterbury then along Route 10 to Farmington.
*Woodbury-Willimantic: West of Meriden, this was the original alignment of US 6. When US 6 was reassigned to the former 6A from Plymouth-Farmington, this became 6A. This 6A was subsequently extended through Meriden to Willimantic along modern Route 66. An expressway upgrade was planned for this 6A. Only a portion of the highway was built and is now Interstate 691. Between Woodbury and Waterbury this section is now CT Route 64.
*Coventry-Windham: became 6A when NE-3 was deleted. Swapped with the old US 6 in 1939 and finally deleted in 1942 when 6A became Route 31.
*Danielson: old routing prior to construction of the 2-lane freeway
Major intersections
Exit numbers are signed throughout the route's overlap with I-84.
References
External links
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=6, state=Connecticut, statebefore=New York, stateafter=Rhode Island
Connecticut
06
Transportation in Hartford County, Connecticut
Transportation in Tolland County, Connecticut
Transportation in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Transportation in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Transportation in New Haven County, Connecticut
Transportation in Windham County, Connecticut
Transportation in Windham, Connecticut