Connecticut Route 20
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|||||||||||||
| Route 20 |
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
| Length: | 31.56 mi[1] (50.79 km) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formed: | Main route: 1932 Connector: 1961 |
||||||||||||
| West end: |  Route 8 in Winchester |
||||||||||||
| East end: |  I-91 at the Windsor Locks–Windsor town line |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Route 20 is a 31.56 mile state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It extends from Route 8 in rural Winchester to I-91 in Windsor. Route 20 consists of two distinct sections: a long, winding scenic road, and a freeway linking I-91 to Bradley International Airport.
Contents |
[edit] Route Description
Route 20 begins at an intersection with Route 8 in Winchester and heads northeastward to Barkhamsted.[1] It then cuts across the northwest corner of Barkhamsted to Hartland.
In Hartland, Route 20 continues northeastward to meet Route 181, then turns north to curve around the Barkhamsted Reservoir. East of the reservoir, it turns southeast to meet Route 179 and continues into Granby.
In Granby, Route 20 continues southeastward to meet Route 219, then turns eastward to briefly overlap Route 189 and cross US 202 and Route 10 before leaving Route 189 and continuing into East Granby.
In East Granby, Route 20 continues eastward to meet Route 187, then turns southeastward along the boundary of Bradley International Airport to meet Special Service Road 401 at the Windsor Locks town line.
At this point, Route 20 becomes the Bradley Airport Connector freeway. It continues southeastward along the Windsor Locks-Windsor town line, intersecting with Route 75 before ending at an intersection with I-91 at the southern tip of Windsor Locks.
[edit] Special Designations
The portion of Route 20 within East Granby is known as the Connecticut Air National Guard Memorial Highway.[2] The Bradley Airport Connector, including the portion designated as SSR 401, is also known as the 82nd Airborne Memorial Highway.
[edit] History
In 1922, the alignment of modern Route 20 was designated as two separate state highways: Highway 133 from Route 8 in Colebrook to Route 10 in Granby, and Highway 343 from Route 187 in East Granby to Route 159 in Windsor Locks. In the 1932 state highway renumbering, Route 20 was established as a single route incorporating old Highways 133 and 343, with an additional extension east of the Connecticut River along old Highway 105 (modern Route 190) to Stafford Springs (ending at what was then Route 15). Route 20 crossed the Connecticut River on Bridge Street and overlapped US 5 into Thompsonville.
The Barkhamsted Reservoir was filled in the 1940s causing Route 20 to be relocated to go around the north end of the reservoir.[3] Route 20 was also shifted southward near Windsor Locks around the same time to make way for an air base, which is now Bradley International Airport. The relocation of Route 15 in 1948 to the new Wilbur Cross Highway (then a four lane surface road) also resulted in an eastward extension of Route 20 to end at the new highway.
An expressway connecting the airport to I-91 was constructed and opened in 1961. Route 20 was relocated to use most of the Connector and was truncated to end at I-91. Route 140 was extended west across the Connecticut River to use the former Route 20 alignment in Windsor Locks and Route 190 was extended east to use to use the former alignment between Enfield and Union.
[edit] Bradley Airport Connector
The Bradley Airport Connector was the original name of the 5 mile stretch of freeway built to connect Bradley International Airport to I-91, in Windsor, for faster and easier access to the airport.
The project to build this connector was proposed in the early 1950s, but was not started until 1958. Three years later, on July 3, 1961, the four-lane expressway was open to traffic.
The highway cost $3.9 million to construct.
The Route 20 designation runs along only the first 3.9 miles of the freeway. The 1.1-mile stretch of road from Route 20 to Bradley Airport is part of Special Service Road 401 (or SSR 401).
SSR 401 continues beyond Bradley Airport (for another 1.2 miles) as a 4-lane surface road (Schoephoester Road), to connect with Route 75 in Windsor Locks. These "secret" SSR or SR roads are only named so that state workers can identify them; the roads are unsigned.
On October 10, 1999, the connector was renamed the 82nd Airborne Memorial Highway. According to ConnDOT, the connector carries about 50,200 vehicles per day.[4]
[edit] Expansion of Route 20
Since the 1960s, it was suggested that the connector be elongated to serve other northern Connecticut towns. The highway would extend westward to U.S. Route 44 in Barkhamsted and go eastward over I-91 and along Route 190 to I-84. This proposal never went anywhere.
Another similar proposal was made in 1967. This one stated that the expressway would go west into Granby center and east to I-84. This proposal also never followed through.
[edit] Junction List
| Town | Road names | Major junctions | Milepost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester (0.90 miles)[1] |
Riverton Road[5] | Route 8 | 0.00 |
| Barkhamsted (1.74 miles)[1] |
Riverton Road, Main Street, East River Road[6] | No major junctions | |
| Hartland (13.79 miles)[1] |
Riverton Road, Center Street, Morrison Hill Road, North Hollow Road, Granville Road, Hartland Boulevard[7] | Route 181 | 5.80 |
| Route 179 | 14.42 | ||
| Granby (7.59 miles)[1] |
Hartland Road, West Granby Road, North Granby Road, East Granby Road[8] | Route 129 | 18.47 |
| Route 189 (Begin concurrency) | 21.87-21.88 | ||
| US 202, Route 10, and Route 189 (End concurrency) | 22.13 | ||
| East Granby (4.70 miles)[1] |
Turkey Hills Road, Rainbow Road[9] | Route 187 | 25.58 |
| Special Service Road 401 (Begin Freeway) | 27.48-28.11 |
[edit] Exit List
| Town | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Granby-Windsor Locks line[1] | 27.69 | Route 20 – East Granby, Granby | Westbound Route 20 exits freeway. Freeway continues as SSR 401 to Bradley International Airport |
| Windsor | 28.42 | Hamilton Road South | |
| 29.01 | Route 75 – Suffield, Poquonock | Access to Bradley International Airport long-term parking lots | |
| 30.30 | Old County Road | ||
| Windsor-Windsor Locks line | 31.30 | I-91 – Hartford, Springfield | Eastbound Route 20 continues on ramp for northbound I-91 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Connecticut State Highway Log
- ^ State Roads and Bridges with names Commemorating Veterans Organizations or Groups
- ^ Connecticut Roads, Route 20
- ^ ConnDOT Traffic Log
- ^ ConnDOT Map of Winchester
- ^ ConnDOT Map of Barkhamsted
- ^ ConnDOT Map of Hartland
- ^ ConnDOT Map of Granby
- ^ ConnDOT map of East Granby
