Route 190 (Connecticut)
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Route 190 is a state route in the northern part of the U.S. 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 cap ...
. It starts at Route 75 in the town of Suffield and proceeds eastward across 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 Island ...
through the towns of
Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...
, Somers, and
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 t ...
. It ends at Route 171, in the town of
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 ** ''Un ...
. Route 190 was established in 1932 as a route between the state line at Southwick and the town of Enfield. The route was later extended eastward to Union but was truncated in the west to Suffield center.


Route description

Route 190 starts at Route 75, in the town of Suffield as Mapleton Avenue. The road then bears right onto Thompsonville Road to connect to Route 159 (East Street). After travelling south on Route 159 for , it turns eastward again on Hazard Avenue, crossing 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 Island ...
from Suffield into Enfield on the Enfield-Suffield Veterans Bridge. The segment of Route 190 in Suffield, from Route 75 to Route 159, is also known as the "Corporal Stephen R. Bixler Memorial Highway", named for a Suffield native who died in the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. Hazard Avenue is a
limited access road A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
from its intersection with Route 159 to just east of the 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 Connecti ...
. Hazard Avenue has an interchange with
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 Spring ...
just after the Connecticut River crossing, where access to Route 190 is via Frew Terrace (eastbound) and Franklin Street (westbound). Both these streets are unsigned state roads with designations State Road 515 and 514, respectively. About to the east is a
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
with I-91 (at exits 47E and 47W). East of I-91, Hazard Avenue continues as a four-lane divided surface road for another , passing by the Brookside Plaza strip mall. Route 190 continues east for about four miles (6 km) through the Hazardville and Scitico sections of Enfield, where it intersects with Routes
192 Year 192 ( CXCII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aelius and Pertinax (or, less frequently, year 945 ''Ab urbe condita ...
and
191 Year 191 (Roman numerals, CXCI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Apronianus and Bradua (or, less frequently, year 944 ' ...
along the way. In Scitico, Route 190 passes by another strip mall, the Scitico Shopping Center as it heads east into the town of Somers. On entering Somers, the road becomes known as Main Street as it goes through the Somersville section of town, where it intersects with Route 186. After crossing the
Scantic River The Scantic River (pronounced SKAN-tik) is a river that flows through the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut and is tributary to the Connecticut River. The Scantic River's tributaries rise in the towns of Hampden, Wilbraham, East Longm ...
, Route 190 reaches the town center of Somers, where it meets with Route 83, the main north–south route of the town. Route 190 soon enters the town of
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 t ...
, where the road changes name to Chestnut Mountain Road. Several miles later, it intersects with Route 30 in the
West Stafford West Stafford is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in southwest Dorset, England, situated in the River Frome, Dorset, Frome valley east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census the par ...
section of town, where the road name changes to West Stafford Road. About a mile east of West Stafford, the road splits into two: Route 319 heads in a northeasterly direction heading towards the Stafford town center, while Route 190 heads in a southeasterly direction towards the Stafford Springs section of town. On the way to Stafford Springs, Route 190 becomes concurrent with Route 32 as it runs along West Main Street and Main Street. In the center of Stafford Springs, Route 32 splits off to the south while Route 190 continues east as East Main Street. It soon intersects with Route 19, at which point Route 190 becomes known as Buckley Highway. The route then enters the town of
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 ** ''Un ...
, where it has junctions with Route 89 at its northern terminus and 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 ...
about a mile after that (at Exit 73). Route 190 reaches its eastern end at Route 171 in the town center of
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 ** ''Un ...
about east of the I-84 interchange.


History

A portion of modern Route 190 was chartered as a private toll road (or
turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
) in October 1808. Known as the Woodstock and Somers Turnpike, the road was laid out as a westward continuation of the Woodstock and Thompson Turnpike. It left
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
center as Pulpit Rock Road, then continued west along a portion of modern Route 171 to the village of West Woodstock. From there, the road went across the northern edge of the towns of Eastford and
Ashford Ashford may refer to: Places Australia *Ashford, New South Wales *Ashford, South Australia *Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia Ireland *Ashford, County Wicklow *Ashford Castle, County Galway United Kingdom * Ashford, Kent, a town ** ...
using now abandoned roads through several reservoirs in the area. The alignment picks up again in northern Ashford town as Hillside Road, which leads to modern Route 190 in the southwest corner of Union. The turnpike then follows mostly along modern Route 190 west to Somers. By 1832, the turnpike company charter was revoked and the road was turned over to the towns it passed through. In 1922, when state highways were first signed with route numbers in Connecticut, the road connecting the towns of Suffield and the Thompsonville section of
Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...
was designated as State Highway 303. The road used Thompsonville Road in Suffield, then crossed over the now demolished Thompsonville Bridge to reach Main Street in Thompsonville. The Thompsonville Bridge was built in 1892. Modern Route 190 was designated as State Highway 105 in areas east of
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 Spring ...
, including the section of the old Woodstock and Somers Turnpike between Somers and Stafford Springs, which ran from Thompsonville to Stafford Springs via the center of Somers. East of Stafford Springs, modern Route 190 was designated as State Highway 149, which ran from Stafford Springs to the Massachusetts state line via the town center of Union (along a portion of modern Route 171). In the 1932 state highway renumbering, modern Route 190 was created. The new Route 190 incorporated old State Highway 303, with a westward extension via the village of West Suffield to the Congamond Notch in
Southwick, Massachusetts Southwick is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,232 at the 2020 census, down from 9,502 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Southw ...
. The original Route 190 used modern Route 168 to reach Route 75; then after a brief overlap with Route 75, it used modern Route 190 to reach the west bank of the Connecticut River.''Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book'', 1938/39 edition, (W.A. Thibodeau, 1938). Old State Highway 105 was designated as part of Route 20, and the Buckley Highway (old State Highway 149) became part of Route 15 in 1932. By 1947, Route 15 was relocated to the new
Wilbur Cross Highway The Wilbur Cross Highway is the designation for a highway beginning at Wethersfield, running along a portion of Connecticut Route 15 and U.S. Route 5 to East Hartford, Connecticut, and then continuing northeast as a section of Interstate ...
, an undivided four-lane highway. The Buckley Highway in Union became a town road. In 1961, the
Bradley Airport Connector The Bradley Airport Connector (also the Bradley Field Connector) is a expressway built to connect Bradley International Airport to Interstate 91 in Windsor, Connecticut. It begins at Exit 40 of I-91 and heads west following Route 20 for about 4 ...
opened and Route 20 was relocated to use the new road. Route 20 was truncated to end at Exit 40 of I-91, where it ends today. The portion of Route 20 east of the Connecticut River was re-designated as an extension of Route 190, which now ended at the
Wilbur Cross Highway The Wilbur Cross Highway is the designation for a highway beginning at Wethersfield, running along a portion of Connecticut Route 15 and U.S. Route 5 to East Hartford, Connecticut, and then continuing northeast as a section of Interstate ...
(now
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 ...
) in Union. As a result of the Route Reclassification Act of 1963, the Buckley Highway became a state-maintained road and was assigned as part of Route 190. Route 190 was relocated to a new 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 Island ...
in January 1967, called the Enfield-Suffield Veterans Bridge. This bridge was a replacement for the aging Thompsonville bridge which was deemed unsafe. The approaches to the old Thompsonville Bridge initially became unsigned state roads, but were later turned over to the towns after the old bridge was demolished in 1971. Not too long after the relocation, a freeway connection to Interstate 91 (I-91) was constructed as part of a grander plan for expressways in the Greater Hartford area. In 1973,
I-190 Interstate 190 may refer to the following Interstate Highways in the United States related to Interstate 90: * Interstate 190 (Illinois), a spur into Chicago's O'Hare International Airport *Interstate 190 (Massachusetts), a spur from Worcester to L ...
was officially designated by the
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 a ...
in
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 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...
. Because Route 190 extended into Massachusetts, this created a numbering conflict. In 1975, the portion of Route 190 west of Route 75 was changed in both states to Route 168. I-190 opened to traffic in 1983.


Expressway plans

In November 1958, the state of Connecticut developed a plan to replace the aging Thompsonville Bridge and relocate Route 190 to the replacement bridge. There was some opposition to the plan, though other Suffield residents and officials saw the value of reducing traffic along Thompsonville Road. In July 1962, the plan was modified to build an expressway from Route 75 in Suffield to
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 ...
in Enfield. Route 190 was to be relocated to a more southerly alignment by crossing under Route 159 at Canal Road. A cloverleaf would be built on the west side of Route 159. Funds for this project were appropriated in 1961 for the future extension of Route 190 to Bridge Street. The projected cost had risen from the original $6.5 million. To keep within that budget, the state planned to work east of Route 159 only, including the bridge and 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 Connecti ...
interchange. On January 6, 1967, the new bridge and Route 190 expressway opened; the old Thompsonville Bridge was closed.


Junction list


References


External links

{{Attached KML, display=inline,title
Route 190 Overview
from Kurumi.com
Route 190 Expressway Historic Overview
from nycroads.com
190 Year 190 (CXC) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Sura (or, less frequently, year 943 ''Ab urbe condita'') ...
Transportation in Hartford County, Connecticut Transportation in Tolland County, Connecticut