Route 34 (Connecticut) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Route 34 is a primary state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

in the U.S. state of Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

. Route 34 is 24.37 miles (39.2 km) long, and extends from Washington Street near I-84/US 6 in Newtown

Newtown, Connecticut

Newtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 27,560 at the 2010 census. Newtown was founded in 1705 and incorporated in 1711.-Government:...

to the junction of I-95 and I-91 in New Haven

New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

. The highways connects the New Haven and Danbury areas via the Lower Naugatuck River Valley. The portion of the route between New Haven and Derby

Derby, Connecticut

Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...

was an early toll road known as the Derby Turnpike.

Route description

Route 34 begins as the two-lane Berkshire Road in the Sandy Hook section of the town of Newtown

Newtown, Connecticut

Newtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 27,560 at the 2010 census. Newtown was founded in 1705 and incorporated in 1711.-Government:...

, as a continuation of Washington Street (a town road). The road crosses under I-84 after a tenth of a mile, then intersects after another 0.8 mi (1.3 km) with Wasserman Way (SSR 490), which leads to ramps to/from I-84 at Exit 11. The road then heads east towards the Stevenson section of the town of Monroe

Monroe, Connecticut

Monroe is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census. The current first selectman is Steve Vavrek....

, where the road name changes to Roosevelt Drive at the town line. After intersecting Route 111 (leading to Monroe center), Route 34 crosses the Housatonic River

Housatonic River

The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...

via the Stevenson Dam Bridge

Stevenson Dam Bridge

The Stevenson Dam Bridge carries Connecticut Route 34 over the Housatonic River in the U.S. state of Connecticut, connecting the town of Monroe to the town of Oxford....

into the town of Oxford

Oxford, Connecticut

Oxford is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,272 at the 2010 Census. There are several areas in Oxford: Quaker Farms, Riverside and Oxford Center. Oxford belongs to the Naugatuck Valley Economic Development Region and the Central...

. Route 34 then follows the east banks of the Housatonic River as it traverses the towns of Oxford and Seymour

Seymour, Connecticut

Seymour is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named for Governor Thomas H. Seymour. The population was 15,454 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

. Route 34 soon enters the city of Derby

Derby, Connecticut

, where it becomes Main Street after the intersection with Bridge Street (State Road 712), which leads to Route 110 in downtown Shelton

Shelton, Connecticut

Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,559 at the 2010 census.-Origins:Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639...

. In downtown Derby, Route 34 has a junction with 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...

at Exit 15 near the Derby-Shelton train station.

Beyond this junction, Route 34 expands into a four-lane divided highway, crossing over the Naugatuck River

Naugatuck River

The Naugatuck River is a river in the US state of Connecticut. It carves out the Naugatuck River Valley. The river flows from northwest Connecticut southward into the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. One of the river's main uses is hydropower, which is used to power industrial plants...

. It intersects Route 115 (for Ansonia

Ansonia, Connecticut

Ansonia is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, on the Naugatuck River, immediately north of Derby and about northwest of New Haven. The population was 19,249 at the 2010 census. The ZIP code for Ansonia is 06401. The city is serviced by the Metro North railroad...

and Seymour center) right after the bridge then turns southward as New Haven Avenue as it continues towards the town of Orange

Orange, Connecticut

Orange is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,233 at the 2000 census. A 2007 Census Bureau estimate puts the population at 13,813. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen.-History:...

. In Orange, the road becomes Derby Turnpike and has intersections with Route 121

Route 121 (Connecticut)

Route 121 is a state highway in southern Connecticut running from U.S. Route 1 in Milford to Route 34 near the Orange-Derby line.- Route description:...

(for Milford

Milford, Connecticut

Milford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...

) and Route 152

Route 152 (Connecticut)

Route 152 is a state highway in Connecticut running entirely within the town of Orange. It serves to connect the town center with U.S. Route 1 and Route 34.-Route description:...

for Orange center. Along the way, it also has a junction with the Wilbur Cross Parkway

Wilbur Cross Parkway

The Wilbur Cross Parkway is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, a former governor of the state...

(Exit 57-58). Route 34 soon enters the northern edge of West Haven

West Haven, Connecticut

West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 52,721.-History:...

, intersecting with Route 122

Route 122 (Connecticut)

Route 122 is a primary, minor arterial highway beginning at Interstate 95 in West Haven. It runs north of West Haven center and roughly follows the path of the West River. It then enters the Westville neighborhood of New Haven and ends at Route 63...

(for Westville

Westville, Connecticut

Westville is a neighborhood of the city of New Haven, Connecticut located in the western part of the city west of the West River. The official neighborhood planning area for Westville is defined to be the area bordered by the neighboring town of Woodbridge, Connecticut on the west , by the Amity...

and West Haven center. Soon after, the road downgrades to an undivided four lane road and crosses into New Haven

New Haven, Connecticut

where the road name changes to Derby Avenue. Route 34 then leaves Derby Avenue and joins Route 10 along Ella Grasso Boulevard for 0.3 mi (0.482802 km). East of Route 10, Route 34 is split into two one-way streets. Eastbound Route 34 turns onto Legion Avenue, later becoming South Frontage Road (former Oak Street), while westbound Route 34 uses North Frontage Road. The eastbound section running along Legion Avenue and South Frontage Road (1.03 miles) is town-maintained. The corresponding westbound section along North Frontage Road is officially designated as State Road 706 but is signed as Route 34 West.

Route 34 then continues along the Oak Street Connector

Oak Street Connector

The Oak Street Connector, officially known as the Richard C. Lee Highway, is a long freeway section of Route 34 that is located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut...

, a six-lane freeway that connects to I-91 and I-95. The freeway portion has three westbound exits and eastbound entrances, with mainline westbound traffic forced onto the last exit. The east end of the expressway involves an interchange for I-95 south, I-91 north, and I-95 north. The mainline of Route 34 is designated on the ramps for I-95 north and officially ends at the northbound I-95 merge.

History

The Derby Turnpike Company was chartered to build a toll road from New Haven

New Haven, Connecticut

to Derby

Derby, Connecticut

on May 1798. It ran from downtown New Haven, beginning at York Street, and followed Chapel Street to Derby Avenue, which connected to modern Route 34 and continued to downtown Derby. The Derby Turnpike was the longest-lived of the state's early toll roads and only stopped collecting tolls in 1895. West of downtown Derby, another turnpike corporation, the Ousatonic Turnpike, was chartered also in 1795 to build a toll road between Derby and New Milford

New Milford, Connecticut

New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...

following the east bank of the Housatonic River

Housatonic River

. Unlike the Derby Turnpike, the Ousatonic proved to be unprofitable. In 1813, the portion between Southbury

Southbury, Connecticut

Southbury is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, USA. Southbury is located north of Oxford and Newtown; it also is east of Brookfield. Southbury's population was 18,567 at the 2000 census....

and New Milford was discontinued as a toll road. In 1834, the northern half of the remaining portion (north of the present Stevenson Dam) was given to another company, the River Turnpike Company, to try and make the road profitable. In 1841, however, the River Turnpike road reverted back to the Ousatonic, and the Ousatonic company itself was dissolved the following year in 1842. The portion of the old Ousatonic road north of Stevenson Dam is now mostly submerged as a result of the damming of the Housatonic to form Lake Zoar

Lake Zoar

Lake Zoar is a reservoir on the Housatonic River in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is formed by Stevenson Dam. The towns of Monroe, Newtown, Oxford, and Southbury border Lake Zoar.-Lake Zoar Authority:...

and Lake Lillinonah

Lake Lillinonah

Lake Lillinonah is located in Fairfield and Litchfield counties of western Connecticut, in the northeastern United States. It is the second largest lake in Connecticut, smaller only than Lake Candlewood. The lake is bordered by six towns: Brookfield, Bridgewater, Newtown, New Milford, Roxbury, and...

.

The state took over the road at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1922, when route numbers were first publicly signed in the New England region, the route from New Haven to the village of Sandy Hook was designated as State Highway 117. The road followed the Derby Turnpike and the remaining portion of the Ousatonic Turnpike to the village of Stevenson, then the rest of modern Route 34 to Sandy Hook. In the 1932 state highway renumbering

1932 state highway renumbering (Connecticut)

In 1932, the Highway Department of the U.S. state of Connecticut , decided to completely renumber all its state highways. The only exceptions were the U.S. Highways and some of the New England Interstate Routes. Between 1922 and 1932, Connecticut used a state highway numbering system shared with...

, old Highway 117 was renumbered to Route 34 with an additional westward extension to the city of Danbury

Danbury, Connecticut

Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....

. At the time, Route 34 overlapped with US 6 into the borough of Newtown

Newtown (borough), Connecticut

Newtown is a borough in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, within the town of Newtown. The population was 1,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...

, then used modern Route 302 to Bethel

Bethel, Connecticut

Bethel is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, about sixty miles from New York City. Its population was 18,584 at the 2010 census. The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...

and modern Route 53

Route 53 (Connecticut)

Route 53 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut, connecting the cities of Norwalk and Danbury. Most of the route has been made redundant by U.S...

to downtown Danbury. In 1935, US 202 was established and used the original path of Route 34 between Danbury and Newtown. Route 34 was cut back to end at US 6 in Sandy Hook.

The four-lane section in Derby, Orange, and West Haven was opened in 1940. In the 1940s, Route 34 ended at Sherman Avenue (former US 5 and Route 10). The Oak Street Connector appeared in state highway plans in the mid-1950s and the present expressway opened in 1960. When the expressway opened, Route 34 was designated on it. Route 34 was assigned onto city streets (Chapel Street and George Street) to connect with the original eastern end. When North Frontage Road was completed, Route 34 was relocated onto it via an overlap with current Route 10.

In December 2008, the City of New Haven received nine proposals for design/engineering services for the planned boulevardization of the Downtown New Haven (limited access) section of Route 34. Plans for redeveloping the highway's western section in New Haven (in a neighborhood also demolished for a limited access highway, but where the highway was never built) have undergone significant public discussion as part of the City of New Haven's MDP process for re-using the 36 acres (145,687 m²) of empty land.

Route description

History

Junction list

See also