104-734: U.S. Route 44 ( US 44 ) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs for 237 miles (381 km) through four states in the Northeastern United States . The western terminus is at US 209 and New York State Route 55 (NY 55) in Kerhonkson, New York , a hamlet in the Hudson Valley region. The eastern terminus is at Route 3A in Plymouth, Massachusetts . US 44 begins at an intersection with US 209 and NY 55 west of
208-590: A trumpet interchange south of Highland. One mile east of US 9W, US 44 and NY 55 cross the Hudson on the Mid-Hudson Bridge . On the opposite bank in Dutchess County , US 44 and NY 55 enter the city of Poughkeepsie . In the downtown area, US 44 and NY 55 connect with US 9 by way of an interchange before splitting into a pair of parallel one-way streets. At
312-425: A banner such as alternate or bypass —are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as
416-683: A developing village centered on the Millbrook stop. However, it was not until 1895 that Millbrook was incorporated as a village. Millbrook is the site of the Hitchcock Estate , which Timothy Leary made a nexus of the psychedelic movement in the 1960s and where he conducted research and wrote The Psychedelic Experience . Millbrook was also the location of the campus of the former Bennett College , which closed in 1978. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York operated St. Joseph's School in Millbrook which closed in 2013. Millbrook
520-521: A distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature
624-416: A household in the village was $ 68,552, and the median income for a family was $ 96,473. Males had a median income of $ 67,917 versus $ 57,400 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 49,114. About 1.0% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over. The site of present-day Millbrook was originally part of
728-623: A main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs
832-441: A means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades, the U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to
936-561: A more easterly course for two miles, then straightens out as it climbs steadily past the Newcomb–Brown Estate . It crests just before the interchange with the Taconic State Parkway . A mile past it, at the state police Troop K barracks, NY 82 joins from the north and the two roads overlap. This concurrency ends after another mile, when US 44 diverges along the route of the former NY 44A, going around
1040-571: A much larger land grant given in 1697. In the years before the American Revolution , two nearby settlements - Mechanic and Hart's Village - were established within the confines of the modern Millbrook. In 1869, the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad commenced operating with a stop called Millbrook, named after an adjacent farm. This new rail stop lay between Mechanic and Hart's Village and the economic opportunities it afforded soon led to
1144-480: A part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington . The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington . Millbrook, New York Millbrook is a village in Dutchess County, New York , United States. Millbrook is located in the Hudson Valley , on the east side of the Hudson River, 90 miles (140 km) north of New York City . Millbrook
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#17327833388981248-602: A rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925. The new system
1352-659: A section of Memorial Boulevard). Westbound US 44 runs along South Main Street and North Main Street. US 1A joins US 44 at an intersection with Point Street and Wickenden Street. US 44 and US 1A join I-195 / US 6 at Exit 1B (eastbound; old Exit 2 eastbound; the corresponding westbound exit was also formerly numbered Exit 2 but is now Exit 1C) as they cross the Seekonk River into East Providence . US 44 leaves I-195/US 6 at Exit 1C (eastbound; old Exit 4 eastbound) just after crossing
1456-402: A sharp turn north that necessitates a concrete barrier and a lower speed limit just south of downtown. At the traffic light just north of that bend, US 44 leaves NY 22 and turns right through Millerton's historic downtown. Maple Avenue on the south marks the former northern terminus of NY 361 . After that junction, US 44 leaves the village. It passes some strip development on
1560-522: A short portion of NY 343 between NY 82A and the hamlet of Amenia. US 44 left the turnpike at Amenia and followed NY 22 north to Millerton , where it continued east on a short piece of former NY 199 into Connecticut . The alignments of NY 200 and NY 343 were flipped as part of US 44's assignment. US 44 originally entered the village of Millbrook via NY 82 , North Avenue, and Franklin Avenue. On April 1, 1980,
1664-546: A surface road for approximately another half mile, ending at Route 3A . In Rehoboth , US 44 passes near Anawan Rock , site of the capture of Anawan, the War Chief of the Pocasset People, in 1676. His capture marked the end of King Philip's War . In Middleborough , it passes by Oliver Mill Park , site of Judge Peter Oliver's 18th-century industrial complex. Ancient stone-walled waterways still remain here on
1768-419: A triplex. At the east end of the village, Route 8 leaves to the south on an expressway, while Route 183 leaves to the south about 100 yards later. US 44 continues southeast through the towns of Barkhamsted , and New Hartford before entering Canton . In Canton, US 44 becomes a four-lane primary suburban arterial road as it is joined by US 202 for a 4.3-mile (6.9 km) concurrency to
1872-637: Is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22 , which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri , US 260 in Oklahoma , US 360 in Texas , and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico . As with
1976-439: Is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States . As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways , but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926. The route numbers and locations are coordinated by
2080-477: Is designated as NY 983W, an unsigned reference route . Past CR 38, Main Street becomes CR 114 . From Arlington, US 44 bends first to the north, then after 1.5 miles northeast, through intermittently developed areas, woodlots , and farms to the next settlement along its route, Pleasant Valley . In its commercial center the road widens to include a center turn lane . After crossing Wappinger Creek , it returns to two lanes. The road returns to
2184-772: Is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937. The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with
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#17327833388982288-523: Is joined in a concurrency for the next seven miles (11 km) by US 6, which leaves its I-84 concurrency at this point. The road then enters Bolton , where it meets the eastern terminus of I-384 at Bolton Notch. US 44 and US 6 briefly join the stub end of the expressway before US 6 splits off to the southeast. US 44 becomes more of a secondary rural road as it enters Coventry , where it briefly overlaps with Route 31 . It then enters Mansfield, where it meets Route 195 at
2392-634: Is near the center of the town of Washington , of which it is a part. In the 2020 census, Millbrook's population was 1,455. It is often referred to as a low-key version of the Hamptons, and is one of the most affluent villages in New York. Millbrook is part of the Poughkeepsie – Newburgh – Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York – Newark – Bridgeport Combined Statistical Area . According to
2496-474: The 1932 state highway renumbering , New England Route 17 was broken up into two newly assigned routes: modern Route 2 east of Hartford, and part of Route 101 west of Hartford. Route 101 was reconfigured in 1932 from its 1920s alignment to continue west of Phoenixville along former Route 109, then overlapping with US 6 to Hartford. Route 101 then used the western half of former New England Route 17 to North Canaan where it ended. The road from North Canaan to Salisbury
2600-566: The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from the states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926. Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when
2704-532: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation . Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in
2808-560: The Boston Turnpike was chartered mostly along modern US 44 as the direct route from Hartford to Boston. The Boston Turnpike differed from modern US 44 by using a more direct route between Eastford and Pomfret Center along modern Route 244, while US 44 runs via the village of Abington. Past Pomfret Center, the Boston Turnpike diverged from modern US 44 heading northeast across the town of Thompson. The route through Putnam to
2912-703: The Connecticut town of Sharon along modern NY 343 . Between the Wallkill River near the hamlet of Gardiner and the hamlet of Ardonia , modern US 44 was also roughly located along another early toll road known as the Farmer's Turnpike . The Farmer's Turnpike continued east past Ardonia to the village of Milton where a ferry across the Hudson River once existed. In 1924, when state highways were first marked by route numbers in New York,
3016-505: The Everett Turnpike . However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads: U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from
3120-688: The Gulf Freeway carried US 75 , the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66 , and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9 . The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as
3224-539: The Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower . After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from the system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as
U.S. Route 44 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-618: The New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes . Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads
3432-537: The Pacific coast . Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas ). In effect, each of
3536-586: The United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 1.901 square miles (4.92 km ), of which 1.9 square miles (4.9 km ) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ) (2.60%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,429 people, 678 households, and 361 families residing in the village. The population density was 764.3 inhabitants per square mile (295.1/km ). There were 744 housing units at an average density of 397.90 per square mile (153.63/km ). The racial makeup of
3640-415: The auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows: US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became
3744-545: The "Four Corners", which provides access to the village of Storrs and the main campus of the University of Connecticut . After passing through Ashford , and Eastford , it turns north at Route 101 in Pomfret , which provides a more direct route to Providence . Shortly thereafter, Route 169 joins for a 2.25-mile (3.62 km) concurrency to the center of town. US 44 once again turns east, and then enters
3848-409: The 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia 's highways 93 , 95 , 97 , and 99 ; Manitoba 's highways 59 , 75 , and 83 ; or Ontario King's Highway 71 . The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57 , originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57 . In the 1950s,
3952-661: The Dover branch route of the Dutchess Turnpike (modern NY 343). The section from South Millbrook to Amenia became part of NY 82A , which continued past Amenia to Pine Plains . The easternmost section from Amenia to the Connecticut line was designated as NY 343. West of the Hudson River, NY 55 was also designated in 1930 between Barryville and Pawling , running along the portion of modern US 44 between Kerhonkson and Poughkeepsie. US 44
4056-484: The Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist. The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in
4160-488: The Middleborough Rotary, US 44 becomes an arterial highway for five miles (8 km) until just past the intersection with Route 105 , where it turns into a two-lane freeway with a guard rail acting as a median divider for three miles (5 km) until just before the intersection with Route 58 . After that, it becomes a newly built, 7.5-mile-long (12.1 km) freeway section to Route 3 which bypasses
4264-458: The NY ;44A designation ceased to exist. NYSDOT will continue to perform maintenance on US 44's former routing through Millbrook. The portion of the routing that did not overlap NY 82 is now NY 984P, an unsigned reference route . Most of the alignment of modern US 44 in Connecticut was at one time part of an early network of turnpikes in the state during the 19th century. From
U.S. Route 44 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-740: The New York state line at Salisbury to the village of Lakeville, the route was the westernmost section of the Salisbury and Canaan Turnpike . Between North Canaan and New Hartford, modern US 44 was known as the Greenwoods Turnpike . The southeastward continuation of the Greenwoods road to the West Hartford-Hartford line was known as the Talcott Mountain Turnpike . From East Hartford to Eastford,
4472-601: The Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86 .) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park , Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to
4576-482: The Rhode Island border. After entering the state from the town of North East, New York just east of the village of Millerton , US 44 is a rural arterial road. It is briefly duplexed with Route 41 for 1.67 miles (2.69 km) through the center of Salisbury. After crossing into North Canaan , it is duplexed with US 7 for 0.33 miles (0.53 km) through the village of Canaan . After leaving
4680-669: The Rhode Island state line was a different turnpike road known as the Pomfret and Killingly Turnpike . In 1922, the New England states designated route numbers on its main roads. Route 101 was assigned as the route used by the Pomfret and Killingly Turnpike (modern US 44) to Pomfret Center, then modern US 44 to Phoenixville via Abington (short portions of two other turnpike roads), then a road southward from Phoenixville to South Chaplin (modern Route 198), ending at New England Route 3 . The direct road connecting Phoenixville to Bolton Notch
4784-737: The Smithfield town line, what is now the Putnam Pike was part of the West Glocester Turnpike (Connecticut line to Chepachet) and the Glocester Turnpike (Chepachet to Smithfield line). The continuation of the road in Smithfield and North Providence was another turnpike road known as the Powder Hill Turnpike , running along the alignment of modern Smith Street. Between East Providence and Taunton,
4888-752: The U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West ) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California 's highway renumbering in 1964 . The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways. A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though
4992-535: The US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201 , for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine , and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522 , which
5096-477: The US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films. With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6 , US 19 and US 50 ), and some termini at state lines. By
5200-653: The United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km). Except for toll bridges and tunnels , very few U.S. Routes are toll roads . AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route , and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as a part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire , it does not follow tolled portions of
5304-480: The approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri , into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of
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#17327833388985408-405: The auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time. The second full meeting
5512-479: The banks of the Nemasket River . In Taunton, US 44 takes on a more urban character as it cuts through the heart of the city. The route runs along the south side of Taunton Green , flanked by shops, businesses, and government buildings. The portion of US 44 between Poughkeepsie and Amenia was the main line of an early toll road known as the Dutchess Turnpike. The turnpike continued past Amenia into
5616-532: The center of Avon . As US 202 leaves to the north, US 44 is joined for the next 0.74 miles (1.19 km) by Route 10 . After climbing Avon Mountain , it enters West Hartford , passing along the northern part of the town and becoming an urban street as it entes the northern part of Hartford . After passing along Albany Avenue, and Main Street, US 44 turns east onto a pair of one-way streets (Morgan Street North and Morgan Street South) that straddle I-84 and US 6 and cross under I-91 with
5720-622: The congested business district in Plymouth. US 44 has no access from Route 80 on the new bypass highway. (The old section of US 44 appeared on some maps starting in 2005 as Route 44A ; however, Route 44A signs were not put up after the bypass was built, and the route has not appeared in the official route log of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation .) Near its eastern terminus, US 44 overlaps Route 3 for about 1.0-mile (1.6 km), then exits and continues as
5824-591: The eastern end of the parallel roadways in Arlington , just outside Poughkeepsie, US 44 and NY 55 split upon meeting Main Street at an interchange. NY 55 continues southeast through the junction as Manchester Road; US 44, however, joins Main Street to the northeast along what becomes the Dutchess Turnpike. West of the interchange, state maintenance continues along Main Street for an additional 0.19 miles (0.31 km) to County Route 38 (CR 38, named Fairmont Avenue). This segment of Main Street
5928-471: The first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads. In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway —began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for
6032-531: The former surface alignment becoming US 44A. The change was later reversed. US 6 was also relocated in East Hartford and Manchester to use I-84 and the concurrency between US 6 and US 44 is now only between Manchester and Bolton Notch. In the 19th century, almost all of the alignment of modern US 44 in Rhode Island was part of an early turnpike route. From the Connecticut line in Putnam to
6136-511: The hamlet of Kerhonkson in the town of Wawarsing in Ulster County . NY 55, concurrent with US 209 southwest of this point, turns east onto US 44, forming an overlap as the two routes proceed eastward across Ulster County. Midway between Kerhonkson and Gardiner and just north of NY 299 , US 44 and NY 55 traverse a hairpin turn made necessary by the surrounding Shawangunk Ridge . Just inside of Gardiner,
6240-517: The heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway". In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became
6344-457: The highway passes through Minnewaska State Park , a large state park in the Hudson Valley . Farther east, the road passes through the hamlets of Clintondale and Modena where it crosses NY 32 , and then meets US 9W in the hamlet of Highland . US 44 and NY 55 join US ;9W for roughly a half-mile southward along the western bank of the Hudson River before separating at
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#17327833388986448-467: The intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway. Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through the United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , recommended by
6552-478: The latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11 . Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware ; Jefferson City, Missouri ; and Pierre, South Dakota . In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. AASHTO
6656-443: The main line of the Dutchess Turnpike was designated as NY 21. Other portions of modern US 44, aside from the overlap with NY 22 , were unnumbered in the 1920s. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York , the old NY 21 was partitioned into three numbered routes. Between Poughkeepsie and South Millbrook, old NY 21 became the western half of NY 200 , which continued east to Dover Plains using
6760-528: The modern US 44 alignment, with the route now extending across the three states from North Canaan in Connecticut to Plymouth in Massachusetts. In 1935, the multi-state Route 101 was incorporated into newly designated US 44. Connecticut and Rhode Island reassigned the Route 101 designation to a much shorter but parallel alignment between the two states. On December 14, 2005, a freeway realignment opened to
6864-416: The more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway , but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, " Get your kicks on Route 66! ") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take
6968-467: The new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else. Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways , erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922,
7072-641: The north of the original surface alignment US 44 in the towns of Carver and Plymouth. US 44 was rerouted onto the new expressway and now runs concurrent with Route 3 from the latter freeway's exit 16 (old exit 7), where the new freeway ends, south to exit 15A (old exit 6A), where US 44 rejoins its former alignment. Exit numbers concurrent with I-195 in Rhode Island converted to mileage-based exit numbering in 2020. Exit numbers concurrent with Route 3 in Massachusetts converted in late summer 2020. United States Numbered Highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways )
7176-593: The north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264) is a spur off US 64 . Some divided routes , such as US 19E and US 19W , exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on
7280-458: The numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60 . In
7384-479: The only direct access being from Morgan Street South to I-91 South. US 44 then joins I-84 and US 6 for about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) to cross the Connecticut River on the Bulkeley Bridge into East Hartford before exiting almost immediately onto Connecticut Boulevard. It briefly duplexes with US 5 on Main Street in East Hartford center before turning east onto Burnside Avenue. After entering Manchester , it meets I-84 once again at exit 60, and
7488-492: The optional routes into another route. In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37 . AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways : "Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns
7592-458: The other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes,
7696-412: The place of legends, and 'hokum' for history." When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of
7800-719: The river and continues east towards the Massachusetts state line along Taunton Avenue. US 44 runs for 38.4 miles (61.8 km) in Massachusetts. It enters the state in the town of Seekonk along Taunton Avenue. It continues through the towns of Rehoboth and Dighton along the way to the city of Taunton . It continues eastward from Taunton through the towns of Raynham , Lakeville , Middleborough , Carver , Plympton and Kingston before reaching its eastern terminus at Plymouth . US 44 has interchanges with Route 24 in Raynham and with Interstate 495 in Middleborough. East of
7904-584: The road was part of yet another turnpike, the Taunton and Providence Turnpike , running along modern Taunton Avenue and Winthrop Street. In 1922, when the New England states first assigned route numbers to its main thoroughfares, the route from Putnam through Providence and Taunton to Plymouth was designated as Route 101 . Route 101 extended across Rhode Island and Massachusetts along modern US 44, with an extension into Connecticut along an alignment different from US 44. In 1932, Connecticut relocated its Route 101 to
8008-594: The route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways. Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia , and
8112-591: The routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee . Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US 6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto". Special routes —those with
8216-500: The same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers ), which shows
8320-706: The south, bends slightly to the north and crosses the Connecticut state line just past a car dealership on the south. For most of its journey through Connecticut, US 44 is known as the Jonathan Trumbull Highway. It is also known by more local names, including Albany Turnpike in Canton, West/East Main Street and Avon Mountain Road in Avon, Albany Avenue through West Hartford into Hartford, Boston Turnpike from Bolton Notch to Ashford, and Providence Pike near
8424-444: The south. A gradual descent takes it into downtown Amenia . At the center of town, the highway turns north and replaces NY 343 as NY 22 's overlap. A seven-mile (11 km) journey over increasingly rolling and open terrain takes the two highways into the town of North East and towards Millerton . Just south of the village, NY 199 reaches its eastern terminus. The road enters Millerton on South Elm Street, making
8528-493: The southwest to Oklahoma City , from where it ran west to Los Angeles . Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US ;62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky , as US 60 . They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on
8632-538: The splits in US 11 , US 19 , US 25 , US 31 , US 45 , US 49 , US 73 , and US 99 . For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway . Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways:
8736-706: The state at Glocester , traveling through Chepachet and Harmony, villages of Glocester, as it heads through the Waterman Reservoir towards the village of Greenville in the town of Smithfield . US 44 has a junction with I-295 in Smithfield at a cloverleaf interchange . Soon after the I-295 junction, US 44 enters the town of North Providence along Smith Street, then enters the city proper of Providence after another 1.7 miles (2.7 km). In downtown Providence, US 44 separates into one-way pairs . Eastbound US 44 runs along Canal Street and South Water Street (via
8840-403: The state of New York assumed ownership of a highway bypassing Millbrook to the west and north as part of a highway maintenance swap between the state and Dutchess County. The newly acquired roadway was designated as NY 44A. On June 5, 2007, NYSDOT announced that US 44 would be permanently realigned onto NY 44A. All shields along NY 44A were replaced with US 44 signage, and
8944-430: The system. In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways , and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to the system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". As of 1989,
9048-550: The time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia . Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to
9152-528: The town of Putnam . After a 0.64-mile (1.03 km) concurrency with Route 12 , it meets I-395 at exit 47. 4.66 miles (7.50 km) to the east, US 44 crosses the Rhode Island state line into the town of Glocester . US 44 runs 26.2 miles (42.2 km) in Rhode Island . During this part of the road, US 44 is often referred to locally as "Putnam Pike" as the road runs through Rhode Island and into Putnam, Connecticut . US 44 enters
9256-548: The two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S. The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to
9360-468: The two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S. Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88. Route numbers are displayed on
9464-477: The unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'." Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oregon , and Tennessee . In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized
9568-543: The village of Millbrook past the Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum , home to the Institute of Ecosystem Studies . The highway returns to a more due-east orientation as it passes north of the village, then gradually curves to the northeast again as it passes through a heavily farmed area. US 44 gradually descends into the upper Harlem Valley, with a sharp hairpin turn providing a panoramic view to
9672-518: The village was 95.90% white , 2.70% African American , 0.20% Asian , 0.30% from other races , and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.00% of the population. There were 678 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who
9776-413: The village, it enters Norfolk , where it has a brief (0.34-mile [0.55 km]) concurrency with Route 272 in the center of town. After passing through the western part of Colebrook it enters the town of Winchester . As US 44 enters the village of Winsted , it begins a 2.14-mile (3.44 km) concurrency with Route 183 , 0.33 miles (0.53 km) of which is joined by Route 8 in
9880-452: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.88. In the village, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males. The median income for
9984-720: Was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States . The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West , May 27 for the Mississippi Valley , June 3 for the Great Lakes , June 8 for the South , June 15 for the North Atlantic , and June 15 for New England . Representatives of
10088-410: Was assigned c. 1935 . West of the Hudson River, it was overlaid on the pre-existing NY 55, with US 44 officially beginning at US 209, which was also extended into New York c. 1935 . East of the river, US 44 was routed on the original Dutchess Turnpike main line from Poughkeepsie to Amenia, supplanting NY 200 west of South Millbrook, NY 82A west of Amenia, and
10192-510: Was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints. In
10296-524: Was completed in 1923. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes. Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board
10400-418: Was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield
10504-518: Was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions". After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out
10608-445: Was designated as Route 109. From Hartford to Bolton Notch, modern US 44 was at the time known as New England Route 3. West of Hartford, modern US 44 was designated as part of New England Route 17 , which stretched in Connecticut from North Canaan to Stonington (via modern Route 2). Between the New York state line at Salisbury and North Canaan, the road was known as Route 121. In 1926, most of New England Route 3 became U.S. Route 6 . In
10712-424: Was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to
10816-480: Was renumbered in 1932 to Route 199 to match the route number in New York at the time. In 1935, US 44 was designated and utilized Route 101 across the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Route 199 was also incorporated into the new route, connecting with the New York state line. In the 1940s, US 44 was relocated along a portion of the Wilbur Cross Highway for several years with
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