120-834: Interstate 91 ( I-91 ) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It is the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. Its southern terminus is in New Haven, Connecticut , at I-95 , while the northern terminus is in Derby Line, Vermont , at the Canada–United States border . Past the Derby Line–Rock Island Border Crossing , the road continues into Canada as Quebec Autoroute 55 . I-91
240-535: A concurrency or overlap. For example, I‑75 and I‑85 share the same roadway in Atlanta ; this 7.4-mile (11.9 km) section, called the Downtown Connector , is labeled both I‑75 and I‑85. Concurrencies between Interstate and US Highway numbers are also allowed in accordance with AASHTO policy, as long as the length of the concurrency is reasonable. In rare instances, two highway designations sharing
360-651: A 28-year-old brevet lieutenant colonel, accompanied the trip "through darkest America with truck and tank," as he later described it. Some roads in the West were a "succession of dust, ruts, pits, and holes." As the landmark 1916 law expired, new legislation was passed—the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 (Phipps Act). This new road construction initiative once again provided for federal matching funds for road construction and improvement, $ 75 million allocated annually. Moreover, this new legislation for
480-608: A 5.44-mile-long (8.75 km) spur going eastbound to connect with the Massachusetts Turnpike , for travelers going either east toward Boston or west toward Albany, New York . North of Springfield, I-91 briefly enters Chicopee , there is an interchange with its spur, I-391 , at exit 9 (old exit 12) before turning westward to cross the Connecticut River into West Springfield . I-391 provides direct access to Holyoke , while I-91 continues on
600-520: A 90-mile (140 km) gap in on-highway facilities. At the present time, there exist two intermediate rest areas with facilities in each direction, in addition to a welcome center at each end of the state. Several parking areas remain open. In the early 1990s after the I-284 project was canceled, the exit 44 interchange in East Windsor, Connecticut , was altered as it was designed to be part of
720-698: A bend in the road. Several exits provide access to US 5 and Route 10 in Hatfield and Whately before entering Deerfield . I-91 has two exits in Greenfield . At exit 43 (old exit 26), the southern end of its overlap with Route 2 , there is a rest area and visitor information center for Franklin County . At exit 46 (old exit 27), also in Greenfield, is the northern end of its overlap with Route 2 where access to that road
840-474: A bridge over the Long Island Sound, as one of the many Long Island Sound Link proposals. The extension would have continued southward from Wading River to the southern shore of Long Island by the existing County Route 46 (William Floyd Parkway) in central Suffolk County —which would have been updated to Interstate Highway standards . It would also provide easier access to New York City via
960-476: A change in the numbering system as a result of a new policy adopted in 1973. Previously, letter-suffixed numbers were used for long spurs off primary routes; for example, western I‑84 was I‑80N, as it went north from I‑80 . The new policy stated, "No new divided numbers (such as I-35W and I-35E , etc.) shall be adopted." The new policy also recommended that existing divided numbers be eliminated as quickly as possible; however, an I-35W and I-35E still exist in
1080-486: A control city on mileage signs as far south as Greenfield, Massachusetts , is where I-91 and I-89 meet and provide access to many points in Vermont and New Hampshire, at exit 10. North of the interchange with I-89, I-91 continues toward St. Johnsbury and travels through Wilder and Norwich . It enters Orange County , passing through Thetford , Fairlee , Bradford , Newbury , and Wells River . It continues into
1200-607: A crossing of the Long Island Sound (see "Unbuilt Long Island extension" below). Vermont completed its last sections of I-91 in 1978. Starting in the 1990s, several rest areas were downgraded in Vermont, increasing distances between facilities. In 2008, Vermont closed the Springfield–Rockingham rest areas because of suspected use by drug abusers. In 2009, the northbound rest area in Hartford was closed, creating
1320-407: A family was $ 78,599. Males had a median income of $ 56,181 versus $ 44,273 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 33,151. About 8.0% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. Data is from the 2010 United States Census and the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Data
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#17327811272461440-595: A national road grid with the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 . In 1926, the United States Numbered Highway System was established, creating the first national road numbering system for cross-country travel. The roads were state-funded and maintained, and there were few national standards for road design. United States Numbered Highways ranged from two-lane country roads to multi-lane freeways. After Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1953, his administration developed
1560-589: A numbering scheme in which primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, and shorter routes which branch off of longer ones are assigned three-digit numbers where the last two digits match the parent route. The Interstate Highway System is partially financed through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself is funded by a combination of a federal fuel tax and transfers from the Treasury's general fund. Though federal legislation initially banned
1680-491: A proposal for an interstate highway system, eventually resulting in the enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 . Unlike the earlier United States Numbered Highway System, the interstates were designed to be all freeways, with nationally unified standards for construction and signage. While some older freeways were adopted into the system, most of the routes were completely new. In dense urban areas,
1800-559: A report called Toll Roads and Free Roads , "the first formal description of what became the Interstate Highway System" and, in 1944, the similarly themed Interregional Highways . The Interstate Highway System gained a champion in President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was influenced by his experiences as a young Army officer crossing the country in the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy that drove in part on
1920-587: A short exit-less stretch, I-91 enters Northampton , passing the Northampton Airport and an oxbow lake . The towns of Hadley and Amherst , home to the main campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst , are accessible from I-91 exits in Northampton via Route 9 . Continuing north, I-91 enters Hatfield , where it begins a straight section—nearly six miles (9.7 km) without
2040-409: A single digit prefixed to the two-digit number of its parent Interstate Highway. Spur routes deviate from their parent and do not return; these are given an odd first digit. Circumferential and radial loop routes return to the parent, and are given an even first digit. Unlike primary Interstates, three-digit Interstates are signed as either east–west or north–south, depending on the general orientation of
2160-801: A speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) because it is a parkway that consists of only one lane per side of the highway. On the other hand, Interstates 15, 80, 84, and 215 in Utah have speed limits as high as 70 mph (115 km/h) within the Wasatch Front , Cedar City , and St. George areas, and I-25 in New Mexico within the Santa Fe and Las Vegas areas along with I-20 in Texas along Odessa and Midland and I-29 in North Dakota along
2280-460: A speed limit of 80 mph (130 km/h). Other Interstates in Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming also have the same high speed limits. In some areas, speed limits on Interstates can be significantly lower in areas where they traverse significantly hazardous areas. The maximum speed limit on I-90 is 50 mph (80 km/h) in downtown Cleveland because of two sharp curves with
2400-474: A suggested limit of 35 mph (55 km/h) in a heavily congested area; I-70 through Wheeling, West Virginia , has a maximum speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h) through the Wheeling Tunnel and most of downtown Wheeling; and I-68 has a maximum speed limit of 40 mph (65 km/h) through Cumberland, Maryland , because of multiple hazards including sharp curves and narrow lanes through
2520-726: Is 290 miles (470 km) long and travels north and south: 58 miles (93 km) in Connecticut , 55 miles (89 km) in Massachusetts , and 177 miles (285 km) in Vermont . I-91 parallels US Route 5 (US 5) for all of its length, and many of the exits along I-91 provide direct or indirect access to the older route. Much of the route of I-91 follows the Connecticut River , traveling from Hartford, Connecticut , northward to St. Johnsbury, Vermont . I-91
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#17327811272462640-460: Is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut . According to the 2020 census , the population was 899,498, making it the second-most populous county in Connecticut. Hartford County contains the city of Hartford , the state capital of Connecticut and the county's most populous city, with 121,054 residents at the 2020 census. Hartford County is included in
2760-543: Is also commonly believed the Interstate Highway System was built for the sole purpose of evacuating cities in the event of nuclear warfare . While military motivations were present, the primary motivations were civilian. The numbering scheme for the Interstate Highway System was developed in 1957 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The association's present numbering policy dates back to August 10, 1973. Within
2880-489: Is no county-level executive or legislative government; the counties determine probate, civil and criminal court boundaries, but little else. Each city or town is responsible for local services such as schools, snow removal, sewers, fire department and police departments. In Connecticut, cities and towns may agree to jointly provide services or establish a regional school system. As of the census of 2000, there were 857,183 people, 335,098 households, and 222,505 families living in
3000-523: Is provided via a directional T interchange and exit and entry ramps on the left side of southbound I-91. Exit 50 (old exit 28) in Bernardston is the last exit in Massachusetts. Beyond exit 50, I-91 continues for about five miles (8.0 km) more before crossing into Vermont. Massachusetts is the only state traversed by I-91 where another numbered highway is concurrent with
3120-675: Is the longest of three Interstate highways whose entire route is located within the New England states (the other two highways being I-89 and I-93 ) and is also the only primary (two-digit) Interstate Highway in New England to intersect all five of the other highways that run through the region. The largest cities along its route, from south to north, are New Haven, Connecticut ; Hartford, Connecticut ; Springfield, Massachusetts ; Northampton, Massachusetts ; Greenfield, Massachusetts ; Brattleboro, Vermont ; White River Junction, Vermont ; St. Johnsbury, Vermont ; and Newport, Vermont . I-91
3240-486: Is the major north–south transportation corridor for the center of the state. It is the main route between the larger cities of New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, Massachusetts . As such, it is almost always heavily trafficked (especially during rush hour) and maintains at least three lanes in each direction through Connecticut except for a short portion in Hartford at the interchange with I-84 , and another in Meriden at
3360-539: Is to have the highway route extend from Tamaulipas , Mexico to Ontario , Canada. The planned I-11 will then bridge the Interstate gap between Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada , and thus form part of the CANAMEX Corridor (along with I-19 , and portions of I-10 and I-15 ) between Sonora , Mexico and Alberta , Canada. Political opposition from residents canceled many freeway projects around
3480-407: Is water. It is the second-largest county in Connecticut by land area. The county is divided into two unequal parts by the Connecticut River , and watered by Farmington , Mill , Podunk , Scantic , and other rivers. The surface is very diverse: part of the river valleys are alluvial and subject to flooding, while other portions of the county are hilly and even mountainous. In Connecticut, there
3600-707: The Caledonia County communities of Ryegate , Barnet and Waterford , before coming to its next major intersection in St. Johnsbury at the northern terminus of I-93 , providing access to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Greater Boston area. Along this stretch of highway between White River Junction and St. Johnsbury, towns in Grafton County, New Hampshire , on the other side of
3720-535: The Charter Oak Bridge . I-91 then has an interchange with I-84, where all other transitions to and from I-84 take place. Before leaving the city limits, a high-occupancy vehicle lane begins that has its own set of interchanges up to exit 38. I-91 then enters Windsor and meets the western end of its other Connecticut spur route, I-291 . At the Windsor– Windsor Locks town line, it meets
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3840-474: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas, and an I-35W and I-35E that run through Minneapolis and Saint Paul , Minnesota, still exist. Additionally, due to Congressional requirements, three sections of I-69 in southern Texas will be divided into I-69W , I-69E , and I-69C (for Central). AASHTO policy allows dual numbering to provide continuity between major control points. This is referred to as
3960-560: The Eastern Townships . As with Connecticut and Massachusetts, US 5 closely parallels I-91 for their entire lengths in Vermont. While paralleling I-91 in Vermont, US 5 is never concurrent with the freeway but remains its own two-lane road, except for a portion in White River Junction where it is a four-lane divided surface arterial. Traffic and the population of each successive town tend to diminish as
4080-552: The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law. Under the act, the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the cost of construction of Interstate Highways. Each Interstate Highway was required to be a freeway with at least four lanes and no at-grade crossings. The publication in 1955 of the General Location of National System of Interstate Highways , informally known as the Yellow Book , mapped out what became
4200-630: The Grand Forks area have higher speed limits of 75 mph (120 km/h). As one of the components of the National Highway System , Interstate Highways improve the mobility of military troops to and from airports, seaports, rail terminals, and other military bases. Interstate Highways also connect to other roads that are a part of the Strategic Highway Network , a system of roads identified as critical to
4320-880: The Interstate Highway System , or the Eisenhower Interstate System , is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States . The system extends throughout the contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii , Alaska , and Puerto Rico . In the 20th century, the United States Congress began funding roadways through the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , and started an effort to construct
4440-529: The Lincoln Highway , the first road across America. He recalled that, "The old convoy had started me thinking about good two-lane highways... the wisdom of broader ribbons across our land." Eisenhower also gained an appreciation of the Reichsautobahn system, the first "national" implementation of modern Germany's Autobahn network, as a necessary component of a national defense system while he
4560-743: The Long Island Expressway (I-495), as well as to the Hamptons via New York State Route 27 (Sunrise Highway). The various proposals for this never-built extension were ultimately dropped after a 1979 study of the concept. Following this, officials proposed to connect the New Haven and Shoreham –Wading River areas by means of ferry service across the Long Island Sound—however, the plans to implement these cross-sound ferry services were ultimately mothballed, as well. Despite
4680-611: The New York State Department of Transportation in 2018. All interchanges in Massachusetts were to be renumbered to milepost-based numbers under a project scheduled to start in 2016. However, this project was indefinitely postponed until November 18, 2019, when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) confirmed that, beginning in the middle of 2020, the exit renumbering project will begin. On March 1, 2021, MassDOT confirmed that
4800-671: The Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts paralleling the Connecticut River . I-91 serves as the major transportation corridor through three Massachusetts counties, linking the cities of Springfield , Northampton , and Greenfield . These three cities serve as the control cities listed on guide and mileage signs, along with Brattleboro, Vermont , beginning with the first northbound conventional mileage sign (63 miles [101 km]) in Longmeadow. In Springfield, I-91 has an interchange with I-291 at exit 6 (old exit 8),
4920-506: The US Department of Defense . The system has also been used to facilitate evacuations in the face of hurricanes and other natural disasters. An option for maximizing traffic throughput on a highway is to reverse the flow of traffic on one side of a divider so that all lanes become outbound lanes. This procedure, known as contraflow lane reversal , has been employed several times for hurricane evacuations. After public outcry regarding
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5040-470: The US Highways , which increase from east to west and north to south). This numbering system usually holds true even if the local direction of the route does not match the compass directions. Numbers divisible by five are intended to be major arteries among the primary routes, carrying traffic long distances. Primary north–south Interstates increase in number from I-5 between Canada and Mexico along
5160-553: The West Coast to I‑95 between Canada and Miami, Florida along the East Coast . Major west–east arterial Interstates increase in number from I-10 between Santa Monica, California , and Jacksonville, Florida , to I-90 between Seattle, Washington , and Boston, Massachusetts , with two exceptions. There are no I-50 and I-60, as routes with those numbers would likely pass through states that currently have US Highways with
5280-537: The William H. Putnam Memorial Bridge over the Connecticut River . From there to St. Johnsbury, Vermont , I-91 parallels the river, never more than five miles (8.0 km) from its west bank. I-91 then enters the Hartford city limits; in that city, it has a set of interchanges with US 5/Route 15 ( Wilbur Cross Highway ), which provides access from I-91 north to I-84 east, and from I-84 west to I-91 south via
5400-875: The Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2010, the Urban Land Institute made recommendations for how Springfield might reconnect with its riverfront, in order to revitalize the area through urban renewal , suggesting the most cost-effective but also the most development-limiting strategy (constructing pathways beneath I-91). No decision has been reached regarding those recommendations. As of 2011, academic and civic studies are still underway. Preliminary findings indicate that I-91's placement negatively impacts tourism in Springfield's Metro Center—the site of many of Springfield's historic, cultural, and entertainment venues. Springfield's most popular tourist attraction,
5520-576: The Congress Hotel in Chicago. In the plan, Mehren proposed a 50,000-mile (80,000 km) system, consisting of five east–west routes and 10 north–south routes. The system would include two percent of all roads and would pass through every state at a cost of $ 25,000 per mile ($ 16,000/km), providing commercial as well as military transport benefits. In 1919, the US Army sent an expedition across
5640-607: The Hartford- East Hartford - Middletown metropolitan statistical area . On June 6, 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau formally recognized Connecticut's nine councils of governments as county equivalents instead of the state's eight counties. Connecticut's county governments were disbanded in 1960, and the councils of governments took over some of the local governmental functions. Connecticut's eight historical counties continue to exist in name only, and are no longer considered for statistical purposes. Hartford County
5760-609: The Interstate (in this case, US 5, for a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) spur near the Springfield–Longmeadow town line and Route 2, for approximately three miles (4.8 km) in Greenfield). I-91 traverses the entire length of Vermont and serves as a major transportation corridor for eastern Vermont and western New Hampshire . Due to its routing along the Connecticut River separating the two states, many exits along Vermont's length of I-91 feature New Hampshire towns on
5880-515: The Interstate Highway System. Assisting in the planning was Charles Erwin Wilson , who was still head of General Motors when President Eisenhower selected him as Secretary of Defense in January 1953. Some sections of highways that became part of the Interstate Highway System actually began construction earlier. Three states have claimed the title of first Interstate Highway. Missouri claims that
6000-424: The Interstate Highway program. The Interstates of Alaska and Puerto Rico are numbered sequentially in order of funding without regard to the rules on odd and even numbers. They also carry the prefixes A and PR , respectively. However, these highways are signed according to their local designations, not their Interstate Highway numbers. Furthermore, these routes were neither planned according to nor constructed to
6120-506: The US to determine the difficulties that military vehicles would have on a cross-country trip. Leaving from the Ellipse near the White House on July 7, the Motor Transport Corps convoy needed 62 days to drive 3,200 miles (5,100 km) on the Lincoln Highway to the Presidio of San Francisco along the Golden Gate . The convoy suffered many setbacks and problems on the route, such as poor-quality bridges, broken crankshafts, and engines clogged with desert sand. Dwight Eisenhower , then
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#17327811272466240-631: The United States, including: In addition to cancellations, removals of freeways are planned: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has defined a set of standards that all new Interstates must meet unless a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is obtained. One almost absolute standard is the controlled access nature of the roads. With few exceptions , traffic lights (and cross traffic in general) are limited to toll booths and ramp meters (metered flow control for lane merging during rush hour ). Being freeways , Interstate Highways usually have
6360-413: The act was signed, and paving started September 26, 1956. The state marked its portion of I-70 as the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Pennsylvania Turnpike could also be considered one of the first Interstate Highways, and is nicknamed "Grandfather of the Interstate System". On October 1, 1940, 162 miles (261 km) of
6480-407: The age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.1% were non-families, and 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 39.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 62,590 and the median income for
6600-427: The age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.60% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under
6720-466: The age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 50,756, and the median income for a family was $ 62,144. Males had a median income of $ 43,985 versus $ 33,042 for females. The per capita income for
6840-423: The cancelation of the bridge, many Long Islanders are still in favor of building one. In 2000, a survey was conducted by News 12 Networks and Newsday , which found that the majority (63 percent) of Long Islanders were in support of such a project. In 2016, the proposal was again renewed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo , as either a bridge or a tunnel. However, these plans were also dropped, as announced by
6960-399: The cancellation of the Somerset Freeway . This situation was remedied when the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project started in 2010 and partially opened on September 22, 2018, which was already enough to fill the gap. However, I-70 remains discontinuous in Pennsylvania , because of the lack of a direct interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at
7080-406: The choice of routing destroyed many well-established neighborhoods, often intentionally as part of a program of " urban renewal ". In the two decades following the 1956 Highway Act, the construction of the freeways displaced one million people, and as a result of the many freeway revolts during this era, several planned Interstates were abandoned or re-routed to avoid urban cores. Construction of
7200-426: The city of Waterbury . Leaving Meriden, I-91 enters Middlesex County as it briefly travels through the western part of Middletown before entering Cromwell , where it has an interchange with the Route 9 expressway. It then enters Hartford County in the town of Rocky Hill and then enters Wethersfield, meeting the Route 3 expressway, which leads to Glastonbury and the Route 2 expressway via
7320-538: The city. In some locations, low speed limits are the result of lawsuits and resident demands; after holding up the completion of I-35E in St. Paul, Minnesota , for nearly 30 years in the courts, residents along the stretch of the freeway from the southern city limit to downtown successfully lobbied for a 45 mph (70 km/h) speed limit in addition to a prohibition on any vehicle weighing more than 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) gross vehicle weight . I-93 in Franconia Notch State Park in northern New Hampshire has
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#17327811272467440-401: The collection of tolls, some Interstate routes are toll roads , either because they were grandfathered into the system or because subsequent legislation has allowed for tolling of Interstates in some cases. As of 2022 , about one quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country used the Interstate Highway System, which has a total length of 48,890 miles (78,680 km). In 2022 and 2023,
7560-431: The construction and improvement of highways. The nation's revenue needs associated with World War I prevented any significant implementation of this policy, which expired in 1921. In December 1918, E. J. Mehren, a civil engineer and the editor of Engineering News-Record , presented his "A Suggested National Highway Policy and Plan" during a gathering of the State Highway Officials and Highway Industries Association at
7680-407: The contiguous United States, primary Interstates—also called main line Interstates or two-digit Interstates—are assigned numbers less than 100. While numerous exceptions do exist, there is a general scheme for numbering Interstates. Primary Interstates are assigned one- or two-digit numbers, while shorter routes (such as spurs, loops, and short connecting roads) are assigned three-digit numbers where
7800-516: The county was $ 26,047. About 7.10% of families and 9.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.90% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 894,014 people, 350,854 households, and 227,831 families living in the county. The population density was 1,216.2 inhabitants per square mile (469.6/km ). There were 374,249 housing units at an average density of 509.1 per square mile (196.6/km ). The racial makeup of
7920-401: The county was 72.4% white, 13.3% black, 4.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 7.1% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic origin made up 15.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 15.9% were Italian , 15.6% were Irish , 10.7% were Polish , 9.4% were English , 8.8% were German , and 2.5% were American . Of the 350,854 households, 31.9% had children under
8040-734: The county. The population density was 1,166 inhabitants per square mile (450/km ). There were 353,022 housing units at an average density of 480 per square mile (190/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 76.90% White , 11.66% Black or African American , 0.23% Native American , 2.42% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 6.43% from other races , and 2.31% from two or more races. 11.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.2% were of Italian, 11.2% Irish, 9.1% Polish , 6.5% English, 5.7% French and 5.3% German ancestry. 78.4% spoke English, 10.3% Spanish, 2.6% Polish , 1.9% French and 1.6% Italian as their first language. There were 335,098 households, out of which 31.30% had children under
8160-567: The discontinuity, but they have been blocked by local opposition, fearing a loss of business. The Interstate Highway System has been expanded numerous times. The expansions have both created new designations and extended existing designations. For example, I-49 , added to the system in the 1980s as a freeway in Louisiana , was designated as an expansion corridor, and FHWA approved the expanded route north from Lafayette, Louisiana , to Kansas City, Missouri . The freeway exists today as separate completed segments, with segments under construction or in
8280-448: The dissemination of public information. As a result, the 2005 evacuation of New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina ran much more smoothly. According to urban legend , early regulations required that one out of every five miles of the Interstate Highway System must be built straight and flat, so as to be usable by aircraft during times of war. There is no evidence of this rule being included in any Interstate legislation. It
8400-445: The eastern end of the concurrency near Breezewood . Traveling in either direction, I-70 traffic must exit the freeway and use a short stretch of US 30 (which includes a number of roadside services) to rejoin I-70. The interchange was not originally built because of a legacy federal funding rule, since relaxed, which restricted the use of federal funds to improve roads financed with tolls. Solutions have been proposed to eliminate
8520-418: The eastern terminus of the Route 20 expressway, which provides direct access to Bradley International Airport . A couple of miles further north, I-91 crosses the Connecticut River on the Dexter Coffin Bridge into East Windsor . After traveling through East Windsor and Enfield , it crosses the state line, at milepost 58, into Longmeadow, Massachusetts . I-91 extends 55 miles (89 km) through
8640-450: The economy. Not just as a public works measure, but for future growth. Clay's committee proposed a 10-year, $ 100 billion program ($ 1.13 trillion in 2023), which would build 40,000 miles (64,000 km) of divided highways linking all American cities with a population of greater than 50,000. Eisenhower initially preferred a system consisting of toll roads , but Clay convinced Eisenhower that toll roads were not feasible outside of
8760-424: The establishment of several more towns resulted in minor adjustments in the bounds of the county. The final adjustment resulting in the modern limits occurred on May 8, 1806, when the town of Canton was established. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, the county had a total area of 751 square miles (1,950 km ), of which 735 square miles (1,900 km ) is land and 16 square miles (41 km ) (2.1%)
8880-492: The existing, largely non-freeway, United States Numbered Highways system. By the late 1930s, planning had expanded to a system of new superhighways. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Thomas MacDonald , chief at the Bureau of Public Roads, a hand-drawn map of the United States marked with eight superhighway corridors for study. In 1939, Bureau of Public Roads Division of Information chief Herbert S. Fairbank wrote
9000-455: The exit renumbering on I-91 will start on March 3, and it will last for two weeks. In 2020, Vermont added "milepoint exit" numbers to existing signs, essentially marking each interchange with two exit numbers. Connecticut will not implement the new exit numbers on I-91 until approximately 2027. Interstate Highway System [REDACTED] The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways , commonly known as
9120-426: The federal government, Interstate Highways are owned by the state in which they were built. With few exceptions , all Interstates must meet specific standards , such as having controlled access, physical barriers or median strips between lanes of oncoming traffic, breakdown lanes , avoiding at-grade intersections , no traffic lights , and complying with federal traffic sign specifications. Interstate Highways use
9240-467: The first three contracts under the new program were signed in Missouri on August 2, 1956. The first contract signed was for upgrading a section of US Route 66 to what is now designated Interstate 44 . On August 13, 1956, work began on US 40 (now I-70) in St. Charles County. Kansas claims that it was the first to start paving after the act was signed. Preliminary construction had taken place before
9360-614: The first time sought to target these funds to the construction of a national road grid of interconnected "primary highways", setting up cooperation among the various state highway planning boards. The Bureau of Public Roads asked the Army to provide a list of roads that it considered necessary for national defense. In 1922, General John J. Pershing , former head of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during
9480-604: The freeway. After alterations, exit 44 connected to US 5 for all traffic to get on and off. As a result, exit 43 was shut down and closed in that same time frame. Exit 43 was a northbound exit/southbound entrance on Route 510 /Main Street in East Windsor, which was about 1,050 feet (320 m) away from exit 44. After the September 11 attacks , a seldom-staffed temporary border patrol checkpoint
9600-577: The guide signs (for example, exit 3, which lists Brattleboro and Keene, New Hampshire , as the points of access). The length of I-91 within Vermont is 177 miles (285 km) and has two lanes in each direction the entire way from the Massachusetts state line to the Canada–United States border (nearly two-thirds of I-91's length) with 29 Vermont interchanges. The highway's rural character and long distances between exits in Vermont are in stark contrast to its south, where exits are more frequent and
9720-556: The highest speed limits in a given area. Speed limits are determined by individual states. From 1975 to 1986, the maximum speed limit on any highway in the United States was 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), in accordance with federal law. Typically, lower limits are established in Northeastern and coastal states, while higher speed limits are established in inland states west of the Mississippi River . For example,
9840-553: The highly populated coastal regions. In February 1955, Eisenhower forwarded Clay's proposal to Congress. The bill quickly won approval in the Senate, but House Democrats objected to the use of public bonds as the means to finance construction. Eisenhower and the House Democrats agreed to instead finance the system through the Highway Trust Fund , which itself would be funded by a gasoline tax. In June 1956, Eisenhower signed
9960-617: The highway now designated I‑70 and I‑76 opened between Irwin and Carlisle . The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania refers to the turnpike as the Granddaddy of the Pikes, a reference to turnpikes . Milestones in the construction of the Interstate Highway System include: The initial cost estimate for the system was $ 25 billion over 12 years; it ended up costing $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 425 billion in 2006 or $ 618 billion in 2023 ) and took 35 years. The system
10080-570: The highway's vicinity. Springfield's portion of the Interstate was widely regarded as positive progress when it was built. However, by the 2010s, it would come to be perceived as disrupting the urban fabric of riverfront neighborhoods while effectively disconnecting the Connecticut River , the Connecticut River Walk Park and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame from everything east of
10200-426: The highway—the majority of the city. I-91 was erected without tunnels, footbridges or other paths, a design choice which poses logistical problems for travel between the riverfront and the remainder of the city. This, in turn, poses problems for businesses that would like to set up along the riverfront. The placement of I-91 has left Springfield's riverfront virtually undeveloped, aside from the sliver of land surrounding
10320-459: The inefficiency of evacuating from southern Louisiana prior to Hurricane Georges ' landfall in September 1998, government officials looked towards contraflow to improve evacuation times. In Savannah, Georgia , and Charleston, South Carolina , in 1999, lanes of I-16 and I-26 were used in a contraflow configuration in anticipation of Hurricane Floyd with mixed results. In 2004, contraflow
10440-443: The interchange with Route 15 . The three cities also serve as Connecticut's control points along its length of the Interstate. I-91 begins just east of Downtown New Haven at an interchange with I-95 ( Connecticut Turnpike ). At the bottom of the ramp for exit 5, US 5 begins at the first of its many interchanges with the freeway. Leaving New Haven, I-91 follows a northeastward trek into North Haven , where it meets
10560-400: The jurisdiction of New Haven County in 1722, was transferred to Hartford County by 1738. All of northwestern Connecticut was later constituted as the new Litchfield County in 1751. In 1785, two more counties were established in what was now the U.S. state of Connecticut: Tolland and Middlesex. This mostly resulted in the modern extent of Hartford County. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries,
10680-431: The last two digits match the parent route (thus, I-294 is a loop that connects at both ends to I-94 , while I-787 is a short spur route attached to I-87 ). In the numbering scheme for the primary routes, east–west highways are assigned even numbers and north–south highways are assigned odd numbers. Odd route numbers increase from west to east, and even-numbered routes increase from south to north (to avoid confusion with
10800-454: The mainline. Some auxiliary highways do not follow these guidelines, however. The Interstate Highway System also extends to Alaska , Hawaii , and Puerto Rico , even though they have no direct land connections to any other states or territories. However, their residents still pay federal fuel and tire taxes. The Interstates in Hawaii, all located on the most populous island of Oahu , carry
10920-753: The maximum speed limit is 75 mph (120 km/h) in northern Maine, varies between 50 and 70 mph (80 and 115 km/h) from southern Maine to New Jersey, and is 50 mph (80 km/h) in New York City and the District of Columbia. Currently, rural speed limits elsewhere generally range from 65 to 80 miles per hour (105 to 130 km/h). Several portions of various highways such as I-10 and I-20 in rural western Texas, I-80 in Nevada between Fernley and Winnemucca (except around Lovelock) and portions of I-15 , I-70 , I-80 , and I-84 in Utah have
11040-404: The number of fatalities on the Interstate Highway System amounted to more than 5,000 people annually, with nearly 5,600 fatalities in 2022. The United States government's efforts to construct a national network of highways began on an ad hoc basis with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , which provided $ 75 million over a five-year period for matching funds to the states for
11160-434: The official Interstate Highway standards . On one- or two-digit Interstates, the mile marker numbering almost always begins at the southern or western state line. If an Interstate originates within a state, the numbering begins from the location where the road begins in the south or west. As with all guidelines for Interstate routes, however, numerous exceptions exist. Hartford County, Connecticut Hartford County
11280-561: The original Interstate Highway System was proclaimed complete in 1992, despite deviations from the original 1956 plan and several stretches that did not fully conform with federal standards . The construction of the Interstate Highway System cost approximately $ 114 billion (equivalent to $ 618 billion in 2023). The system has continued to expand and grow as additional federal funding has provided for new routes to be added, and many future Interstate Highways are currently either being planned or under construction. Though heavily funded by
11400-546: The original path suggested, Riverdale Road, and, least obtrusive but still requiring a great deal of work, a plan to construct numerous walkways beneath the elevated highway to better integrate the neighborhoods with the waterfront despite the highway's presence. Between the 1950s and 1970s, officials proposed extending I-91 across the Long Island Sound from its current terminus at the I-91/ I-95 interchange in New Haven, Connecticut , to Wading River, New York , by means of
11520-656: The planning phase between them. In 1966, the FHWA designated the entire Interstate Highway System as part of the larger Pan-American Highway System, and at least two proposed Interstate expansions were initiated to help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Long-term plans for I-69 , which currently exists in several separate completed segments (the largest of which are in Indiana and Texas ),
11640-411: The prefix H . There are three one-digit routes in the state ( H-1 , H-2 , and H-3 ) and one auxiliary route ( H-201 ). These Interstates connect several military and naval bases together, as well as the important communities spread across Oahu, and especially within the urban core of Honolulu . Both Alaska and Puerto Rico also have public highways that receive 90 percent of their funding from
11760-518: The river can also be easily accessed. Just after exit 19, there are three exits for St. Johnsbury, including a major intersection with US 2 . Along westbound US 2, the capital of Vermont, Montpelier , is eventually reached from I-91, although I-89 provides Montpelier with immediate Interstate access. I-91 continues northward, now following the Passumpsic River valley. It travels through Vermont's Northeast Kingdom region and
11880-413: The riverfront Basketball Hall of Fame, is separated from Metro Center by a 20-foot (6.1 m) stone wall, buttressing an elevated portion of the six-lane I-91 and greatly discouraging travel between the two areas. Academic suggestions that involve the demolition of the current highway and moving it to a less obtrusive site in the city have been proposed, including the demolition of the highway and following
12000-496: The road carries four lanes of traffic in each direction at some points. The major control cities in Vermont are Brattleboro, White River Junction , St. Johnsbury , and Newport . When entering northbound I-91 at exit 28 in Derby , the control city sign is for Canada. Of these destinations, only Newport is a city, although the other towns are sizable. In general, the road parallels its predecessor, US 5. I-91 enters Vermont in
12120-448: The road proceeds northward. The average daily traffic count for 2015 in Vermont were—St. Johnsbury (34,000), Lyndon (17,900), Barton (13,500), and Derby (Canada–United States border) (10,300). A limited-access highway replacement for US 5 was planned at the federal level starting in 1944. A 1953 Massachusetts plan was funded by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 , along with spur I-291 (but not I-391 ). The Vermont section of I-91
12240-602: The road, just north of milemarker 150 on Sheffield Heights, elevation 1,856 feet (566 m). After leaving Sheffield Heights, it enters Orleans County and follows the Barton River valley north with exits in Barton , Orleans , and Derby . Exit 29 is the final US exit on I-91 just after milemarker 177 at Derby Line. Beyond the exit ramp, northbound motorists enter Canada Customs at Stanstead, Quebec , and continue into Canada on Quebec Autoroute 55 through
12360-474: The route, without regard to the route number. For instance, I-190 in Massachusetts is labeled north–south, while I-195 in New Jersey is labeled east–west. Some looped Interstate routes use inner–outer directions instead of compass directions, when the use of compass directions would create ambiguity. Due to the large number of these routes, auxiliary route numbers may be repeated in different states along
12480-419: The same numbers, which is generally disallowed under highway administration guidelines. Several two-digit numbers are shared between unconnected road segments at opposite ends of the country for various reasons. Some such highways are incomplete Interstates (such as I-69 and I-74 ) and some just happen to share route designations (such as I-76 , I-84 , I‑86 , I-87 , and I-88 ). Some of these were due to
12600-503: The same roadway are signed as traveling in opposite directions; one such wrong-way concurrency is found between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell , Virginia, where I‑81 north and I‑77 south are equivalent (with that section of road traveling almost due east), as are I‑81 south and I‑77 north. Auxiliary Interstate Highways are circumferential, radial, or spur highways that principally serve urban areas . These types of Interstate Highways are given three-digit route numbers, which consist of
12720-551: The southern end of the Route ;40 expressway. It travels through the eastern part of Wallingford before entering the eastern part of the city of Meriden . In Meriden, about halfway between Hartford and New Haven, I-91 sees a complex set of interchanges with the Wilbur Cross Parkway ( Route 15 ), the Route 66 expressway, and its first spur route, I-691 . I-691 provides a westward link to I-84 and
12840-466: The town of Lyndon . Two exits in Lyndon serve the village of Lyndonville and Lyndon State College . After exit 24, I-91 departs US 5, which it had been closely paralleling since the Massachusetts state line. I-91 follows the valley of Miller Run, and there are no convenient services until Barton at exit 25. The Interstate proceeds through Sheffield . Here, it reaches the highest point on
12960-537: The town of Simsbury was established, extending Hartford County to the Massachusetts border. In the late 17th to early 18th centuries, several more towns were established and added to Hartford County: Waterbury in 1686 (transferred to New Haven County in 1728), Windham in 1694 (transferred to Windham County in 1726), Hebron in 1708 (transferred to Tolland County in 1785), Coventry in 1712 (transferred to Windham County in 1726), and Litchfield in 1722 (transferred to Litchfield County in 1751). In 1714, all of
13080-706: The town of Guilford. Just before exit 1 in Brattleboro is the Vermont Welcome Center in Guilford. The first three Vermont exits (northbound) serve the town of Brattleboro. At exit 1, northbound US 5 provides access to stores and a small industrial area before reaching the south end of the town's center, where a bridge crosses the Connecticut River into Hinsdale, New Hampshire , via New Hampshire Route 119 (NH 119). Exit 2 ( Vermont Route 9 [VT 9]) provides access to
13200-487: The unincorporated territory north of the towns of Coventry and Windham in northeastern Connecticut to the Massachusetts border were placed under the jurisdiction of Hartford County. Windham County was constituted in 1726, resulting in Hartford County losing the towns of Windham, Coventry, Mansfield (incorporated in 1702), and Ashford (incorporated in 1714). Northwestern Connecticut , which was originally placed under
13320-495: The war, complied by submitting a detailed network of 20,000 miles (32,000 km) of interconnected primary highways—the so-called Pershing Map . A boom in road construction followed throughout the decade of the 1920s, with such projects as the New York parkway system constructed as part of a new national highway system. As automobile traffic increased, planners saw a need for such an interconnected national system to supplement
13440-400: The western side of the river. Just after the river crossing, exit 11 (old exit 14) is a major interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Then, I-91 enters the city of Holyoke where exit 12 (old exit 15) is located. Just after an interchange with US 202 , (exit 16) I-91 goes from three lanes to two lanes in each direction to the Vermont state line. After
13560-618: The western village of the town ( West Brattleboro ), then continues west to Marlboro , Wilmington , and Bennington . Brattleboro's main retail strip is located at and just south of the exit 3 trumpet interchange and traffic circle . Following VT 9 eastward, one can reach Keene, New Hampshire, in 15 miles (24 km). After exit 3, I-91 heads north to travel through the communities of Dummerston , Putney , Westminster , North Westminster , Bellows Falls , Springfield , Weathersfield , Windsor , Hartland , North Hartland and White River Junction. White River Junction, listed as
13680-479: Was built in stages from 1958 to 1965. In Massachusetts from Bernardston to Northampton , I-91 follows an abandoned right-of-way of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad . To support plans for urban renewal along the "low value" waterfront, the highway crossed the Connecticut River to parallel active New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad tracks on the Springfield side of the river, bypassing West Springfield and Agawam , Massachusetts. Later, this path
13800-551: Was employed ahead of Hurricane Charley in the Tampa, Florida area and on the Gulf Coast before the landfall of Hurricane Ivan ; however, evacuation times there were no better than previous evacuation operations. Engineers began to apply lessons learned from the analysis of prior contraflow operations, including limiting exits, removing troopers (to keep traffic flowing instead of having drivers stop for directions), and improving
13920-609: Was installed near White River Junction, Vermont , about 100 miles (160 km) from the Canada–United States border. In 2005, the Massachusetts Highway Department completed a rebuild of on- and offramps in Springfield to reduce accidents caused by weaving near the tightly spaced exits. During its construction in the 1960s, I-91 sliced through three Springfield neighborhoods: the North End , Metro Center , and South End , which led to urban decay in
14040-499: Was one of four original counties in Connecticut established on May 10, 1666, by an act of the Connecticut General Court. The act establishing the county states: As established in 1666, Hartford County consisted of the towns of Windsor , Wethersfield , Hartford, Farmington , and Middletown . The "Thirty Miles Island" referred to in the constituting Act was incorporated as the town of Haddam in 1668. In 1670,
14160-412: Was perceived as cutting off the city from the river, restricting further commercial development. By 1960, a few miles in Massachusetts were completed, starting from the Connecticut and Vermont state lines. Massachusetts construction was completed from 1960s to 1970. In the 1950s–1970s, there were plans to extend I-91 to Wading River, New York , from its existing terminus in New Haven, Connecticut , via
14280-422: Was proclaimed complete in 1992, but two of the original Interstates— I-95 and I-70 —were not continuous: both of these discontinuities were due to local opposition, which blocked efforts to build the necessary connections to fully complete the system. I-95 was made a continuous freeway in 2018, and thus I-70 remains the only original Interstate with a discontinuity. I-95 was discontinuous in New Jersey because of
14400-494: Was serving as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II . In 1954, Eisenhower appointed General Lucius D. Clay to head a committee charged with proposing an interstate highway system plan. Summing up motivations for the construction of such a system, Clay stated, It was evident we needed better highways. We needed them for safety, to accommodate more automobiles. We needed them for defense purposes, if that should ever be necessary. And we needed them for
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