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Route 11 (Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
Route 11 is a state highway in east-central Connecticut, serving traffic between the Hartford
and New London
areas (via Route 2
). It was originally planned to be a freeway from Colchester
to Waterford
. However, only about half of the freeway was constructed and it ends in Salem
. The delays, and eventual effective cancellation of the project in 2009, were due to funding and environmental issues. However, there has recently been a push to complete the remaining half. This would be done by eventually installing tolls on the newly completed Route 11 to make up for the expenses.
in Colchester
and the Connecticut Turnpike
in New London
had been planned as far back as the 1950s. It was originally designated the Route 85
Expressway. Construction began in 1966 but was halted due to lack of funding. The half-finished expressway opened in 1972 as Route 11.
Plans to finish Route 11 were revived in the late 1990s due to increased traffic in the area (primarily due to Foxwoods Resort Casino
and Mohegan Sun
). Contrary to local opposition
to new highways, most of the residents of the area were in favor of completing the highway. Subsequently, Route 11 was submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation for inclusion on the federal government's "fast-track" streamlining process, designed for federal agencies to quickly complete necessary steps on stalled projects, and was approved in August 2004. Funding for Route 11 has also been included in the proposed 2006 Connecticut state transportation bill. The State of Connecticut purchased, and still owns, the right-of-way for the project in Salem.
. It proceeds northward, soon crossing the Eight Mile River. The road continues about 2.3 miles (3.7 km) crossing over Witch Meadow Road (Exit 5) at a diamond interchange
, which leads to Salem center. Route 11 soon crosses into the town of Colchester
, then has an interchange with Lake Hayward Road (Exit 6) about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) after crossing the town line. Lake Hayward Road, an unsigned state highway known as State Road 637, provides access to eastbound Route 2
, Route 85
, and Route 354. Northbound Route 11 merges onto westbound Route 2 0.6 miles later.
Employees Memorial Highway.
plan for Route 11, and expressed it still favored the Route 82/85 upgrade over extending Route 11. Because the EPA has veto power over Army Corps of Engineers permits, EPA opposition could have forced the delay or cancellation of the Route 11 extension.
In December 2007, Federal Highway Administration extended the FEIS review period through the end of January 2008 to provide the EPA with a detailed environmental mitigation plan. Additionally state and federal elected officials requested the FHWA and CONNDOT present a detailed financial management plan for activities related to the extension.
versus the wide median on the existing Route 11 section. Secondly, the greenway was being planned to have curve radii that would have been tighter than what is allowed by Interstate standards, although it would have still had a design speed
of 70 mi/h. With these two features, Route 11 would have been built using a footprint that is less than half the size required for an expressway built to Interstate standards.
The Route 11 Greenway Authority was created by the state legislature in 2000 as a committee designated with the responsibility of purchasing land on either side of the completed Route 11 to be preserved as hiking and biking trails and open space. As of 2010, the Authority still holds monthly meetings and the funds from the State of Connecticut still exist to purchase land for the Greenway, despite the near certainty the expressway itself will never be completed. The Authority does not have the power of eminent domain. The cross-section profile for the Route 11 Greenway would have been similar to that of the Route 8
expressway through the Naugatuck State Forest between Beacon Falls and Naugatuck.
An interchange with Interstate 95
and Interstate 395 was also planned to be built as part of the highway extension, and accounted for about half of the $1 billion cost of the project.
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
and New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
areas (via Route 2
Route 2 (Connecticut)
Route 2 is a state highway in Connecticut and is in length. It is a primary state route, with a freeway section connecting Hartford to Norwich and a non-freeway section extending to Stonington.-Route description:...
). It was originally planned to be a freeway from Colchester
Colchester, Connecticut
Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005 it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live" in all of the United States, conducted by CNN...
to Waterford
Waterford, Connecticut
Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,152 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place .-Geography:...
. However, only about half of the freeway was constructed and it ends in Salem
Salem, Connecticut
Salem is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,858 at the 2000 census.- Pre-incorporation :The area was originally inhabited by Mohegans. The very first settlement of European origin in present-day Salem was deeded in 1664. In the early 18th century, more...
. The delays, and eventual effective cancellation of the project in 2009, were due to funding and environmental issues. However, there has recently been a push to complete the remaining half. This would be done by eventually installing tolls on the newly completed Route 11 to make up for the expenses.
History
An expressway connecting Route 2Route 2 (Connecticut)
Route 2 is a state highway in Connecticut and is in length. It is a primary state route, with a freeway section connecting Hartford to Norwich and a non-freeway section extending to Stonington.-Route description:...
in Colchester
Colchester, Connecticut
Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005 it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live" in all of the United States, conducted by CNN...
and the Connecticut Turnpike
Connecticut Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike, known now as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Killingly. It is signed as Interstate 95 from the New York state line at Greenwich to East Lyme, and then as Interstate 395 from East Lyme to Plainfield...
in New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
had been planned as far back as the 1950s. It was originally designated the Route 85
Route 85 (Connecticut)
Route 85 a north–south state highway in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Connecticut linking the city of New London to the town of Bolton.-Route description:...
Expressway. Construction began in 1966 but was halted due to lack of funding. The half-finished expressway opened in 1972 as Route 11.
Plans to finish Route 11 were revived in the late 1990s due to increased traffic in the area (primarily due to Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel-casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Together with the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, it is one of the largest casino complexes in the world in terms of floor space for gaming. The entire resort comprises of space. The casino has over 380 gaming tables...
and Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...
). Contrary to local opposition
NIMBY
NIMBY or Nimby is an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard". The term is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies...
to new highways, most of the residents of the area were in favor of completing the highway. Subsequently, Route 11 was submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation for inclusion on the federal government's "fast-track" streamlining process, designed for federal agencies to quickly complete necessary steps on stalled projects, and was approved in August 2004. Funding for Route 11 has also been included in the proposed 2006 Connecticut state transportation bill. The State of Connecticut purchased, and still owns, the right-of-way for the project in Salem.
Route description
Route 11's southern terminus is the interchange with Route 82 (Exit 4) in the town of SalemSalem, Connecticut
Salem is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,858 at the 2000 census.- Pre-incorporation :The area was originally inhabited by Mohegans. The very first settlement of European origin in present-day Salem was deeded in 1664. In the early 18th century, more...
. It proceeds northward, soon crossing the Eight Mile River. The road continues about 2.3 miles (3.7 km) crossing over Witch Meadow Road (Exit 5) at a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
, which leads to Salem center. Route 11 soon crosses into the town of Colchester
Colchester, Connecticut
Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005 it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live" in all of the United States, conducted by CNN...
, then has an interchange with Lake Hayward Road (Exit 6) about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) after crossing the town line. Lake Hayward Road, an unsigned state highway known as State Road 637, provides access to eastbound Route 2
Route 2 (Connecticut)
Route 2 is a state highway in Connecticut and is in length. It is a primary state route, with a freeway section connecting Hartford to Norwich and a non-freeway section extending to Stonington.-Route description:...
, Route 85
Route 85 (Connecticut)
Route 85 a north–south state highway in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Connecticut linking the city of New London to the town of Bolton.-Route description:...
, and Route 354. Northbound Route 11 merges onto westbound Route 2 0.6 miles later.
Special designations
Route 11 is also known as the ConnDOTConnecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...
Employees Memorial Highway.
Recent developments
The Final Environmental Impact Statement for extending Route 11 was issued on October 26, 2007. The EIS was published three months behind schedule due to a dispute between CONNDOT and the consulting firm that prepared the EIS—the Macguire Group—over payment for services rendered.Extension Jeopardized by Environmental and Funding Issues
A Record of Decision from federal officials was expected by the end of 2007, but the Environmental Protection Agency had expressed concern over the environmental mitigationEnvironmental mitigation
Environmental mitigation, compensatory mitigation, or mitigation banking, are terms used primarily by the United States government and the related environmental industry to describe projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resource such as a stream,...
plan for Route 11, and expressed it still favored the Route 82/85 upgrade over extending Route 11. Because the EPA has veto power over Army Corps of Engineers permits, EPA opposition could have forced the delay or cancellation of the Route 11 extension.
In December 2007, Federal Highway Administration extended the FEIS review period through the end of January 2008 to provide the EPA with a detailed environmental mitigation plan. Additionally state and federal elected officials requested the FHWA and CONNDOT present a detailed financial management plan for activities related to the extension.
CONNDOT Suspends Work on Route 11
In September 2009, CONNDOT indicated that due to funding constraints, it will indefinitely suspend further work on Route 11.Route 11 Studies Revived, Tolls Proposed
In 2011, Governor Dan Malloy indicated that completing Route 11 to the I-95/I-395 interchange was a high priority for the state and ordered CONNDOT to resume environmental and funding studies. In August 2011, CONNDOT initiated a financial study that focuses on building the Route 11 extension as a toll road, which could potentially accelerate construction of the extension by using a combination of funds from tolls and traditional state and federal highway funds.Route 11 greenway design
The final section of Route 11 was proposed to be built not to Interstate highway standards. While it would have been built as a fully controlled-access freeway, it would not have met Interstate standards due to two key design features: First, opposing lanes of traffic would have been separated by a concrete Jersey barrierJersey barrier
A Jersey barrier or Jersey wall is a modular concrete barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to both minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing crossover in the case of head-on accidents....
versus the wide median on the existing Route 11 section. Secondly, the greenway was being planned to have curve radii that would have been tighter than what is allowed by Interstate standards, although it would have still had a design speed
Design speed
The design speed is a tool used to determine geometric features of a new road during road design. The design speed chosen for a highway is a major factor in choosing superelevation rates and radii of curves, sight distance, and the lengths of crest and sag vertical curves...
of 70 mi/h. With these two features, Route 11 would have been built using a footprint that is less than half the size required for an expressway built to Interstate standards.
The Route 11 Greenway Authority was created by the state legislature in 2000 as a committee designated with the responsibility of purchasing land on either side of the completed Route 11 to be preserved as hiking and biking trails and open space. As of 2010, the Authority still holds monthly meetings and the funds from the State of Connecticut still exist to purchase land for the Greenway, despite the near certainty the expressway itself will never be completed. The Authority does not have the power of eminent domain. The cross-section profile for the Route 11 Greenway would have been similar to that of the Route 8
Route 8 (Connecticut)
Route 8 is the portion of the multistate New England Route 8 within the state of Connecticut. It is a state highway running north–south from Bridgeport, through Waterbury, all the way to the Massachusetts state line where it continues as Route 8...
expressway through the Naugatuck State Forest between Beacon Falls and Naugatuck.
Unused bridges, roadbed, and ramps
The northernmost mile (1.6 km) of Route 11 would have been built more to Interstate standards as it transitions between the Greenway profile and the profile of the existing segment at Exit 4 in Salem. When Route 11 opened to its present-day terminus at Route 82, crews had cleared and graded the roadbed for about a mile beyond Route 82 for the anticipated extension south. The "ghost ramps" built during the 1970s for a southward extension of Route 11 at Route 82 would have been paved as the new roadway was built. The Greenway would have used two rock cuts and a pair of unused bridges over Route 82, just south of the present Route 11 terminus. The bridges and rock cuts were left behind when work stopped on Route 11 in 1972.An interchange with Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
and Interstate 395 was also planned to be built as part of the highway extension, and accounted for about half of the $1 billion cost of the project.