Wilbur Cross Parkway

Infobox road
state=CT
marker_

highway_name=Wilbur Cross Parkway
alternate_name=
length_mi=29.46
length_round=2
established=1941
direction_a=South
starting_terminus=
direction_b=North
ending_terminus=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 the former governor of the state, Wilbur Lucius Cross. Being classified as a parkway, commercial vehicles are prohibited from using the road. The Wilbur Cross Parkway had two toll barriers until 1988; these were located in Milford and Wallingford.

Route description

The four-lane Wilbur Cross Parkway begins at the Sikorsky Bridge over the Housatonic River at the town line between Milford and Stratford as a direct continuation of the Merritt Parkway. Immediately after crossing the Housatonic River is the exit for the Milford Parkway, which connects to the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) and the Boston Post Road (US 1). The Wilbur Cross Parkway runs east northeast through the towns of Milford, Orange, Woodbridge, and New Haven. At the town line between New Haven and Hamden, the parkway passes through the West Rock Tunnel, which is the only road tunnel through a natural obstacle in Connecticut. The tunnel is lighted solely using low pressure sodium vapor lamps, rare for the United States. From the West Rock Tunnel, the parkway proceeds north through the towns of Hamden, North Haven, Wallingford, and Meriden. After connecting with I-91 in Meriden, the parkway ends, merging onto North Broad Street (US 5). North of Meriden, Routes 5 and 15 continue as the Berlin Turnpike.

On the parkway, there are two service stations. They are located in Orange and North Haven. There are also three abandoned rest areas along its length. These were located in Woodbridge, New Haven, and Meriden.

History

The Wilbur Cross Parkway was originally planned in 1937 as route from US 1 in Milford to the Massachusetts state line in Union. The portion of the parkway south of Meriden was built largely as planned. Construction began in 1939 when federal funds were secured. The first section of the parkway to open was the Milford to Orange segment, from the Housatonic River (Exit 54) to Route 34 (Exit 57-58). Subsequent construction was delayed by World War II. After the war, two more sections of the parkway opened: the segment from US 5 in Wallingford (Exit 66) to US 5 in Meriden (Exit 68), bypassing the city center opened in 1946; and the segment from Route 10A in Hamden (Exit 61) to US 5 in Wallingford opened in 1947. In 1948, the parkway was designated as part of a new Route 15, connecting New York to Massachusetts. Because the New Haven segment had not yet been completed, motorists were directed to temporarily follow Route 34, US 5, and Route 10A. In November 1949, the New Haven segment, from Exit 57-58 to Exit 61, including the West Rock Tunnel opened. The entire parkway was a toll road when it opened in 1941. Tolls were removed from both the Merritt and Wilibur Cross Parkways in 1988.

Exit list

Note: Exit numbers and mileposts continue those of the Merritt Parkway

References

* [http://www.ct.gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dpolicy/hwylog/hwylog.pdf Connecticut state highway route log, 2006]
* [http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/wcp.html kurumi.com - Wilbur Cross Parkway]
* [http://www.nycroads.com/roads/wilbur-cross/ nycroads.com - Wilbur Cross Parkway]