Route 85 marker

Route 85

Map of eastern Connecticut with Route 85 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CTDOT
Length37.38 mi[1] (60.16 km)
Existed1932[2]–present
Major junctions
South end US 1 in New London
Major intersections
North end US 6 / US 44 in Bolton
Location
CountryUnited States
StateConnecticut
CountiesNew London, Tolland
Highway system
  • Connecticut State Highway System
I-84 Route 87

Route 85 is a northsouth 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.

The section of Route 85 between Route 82 in Salem and Interstate 95 (I-95) in Waterford is a major thoroughfare that serves traffic between the Hartford and New London areas. This section travels through what is known as the Route 11 Corridor, named for the unfinished expressway that was to run parallel to Route 85 in this area. Currently, the Route 11 expressway ends abruptly in Salem, and all traffic is forced to exit and directed onto Route 85 (via Route 82).[3]

Route description

Route 85 begins as a four-lane urban arterial road at U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in New London, with junctions with I-95 and I-395 in Waterford. Route 85 continues north through the towns of Montville and Salem as a 2-lane rural arterial road up to the junction with Route 82. The road continues further north into the towns of Colchester, Hebron, and Bolton as a collector road (with arterial sections near the Route 2 and Route 16 junctions). There is a brief concurrency with Route 16 in Colchester. Route 85 ends in Bolton at US 6 and US 44 with a partial interchange with I-384 just before its terminus.[1]

History

The section of Route 85 south of Colchester can be traced to the 19th century Hartford and New London Turnpike (also called Governor's Road)[1] This portion of the former turnpike was designated as State Highway 102 in 1922, when state highways were first signed in Connecticut. The northward continuation from Colchester to Hebron was assigned as State Highway 366. Modern Route 85 was established in the 1932 state highway renumbering from old Highways 102 and 366, with an extension north via Bolton center to Route 83 in Manchester (using Campmeeting Road and Charter Oak Street).[2] In 1950, the northern terminus was moved to its current location at US 6 (along former SR 807). The northern terminus was moved back to its original location in 1954, then shifted again to its current location in 1963. The original northern end became SR 534.[4]

Junction list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
New LondonNew London0.000.00 US 1 New London, Waterford
Waterford0.981.58 I-95 New London, New HavenExit 82 (I-95)
3.505.63 I-395 / Conn. Turnpike Norwich, New HavenExit 2 (I-395/Connecticut Turnpike)
Montville6.9611.20
Route 161 south Flanders, Niantic
Salem11.2718.14 Route 82 East Haddam, NorwichTraffic circle
Colchester18.0229.00
Route 2 west Hartford
18.2429.35
Route 354 south Salem
19.0430.64
Route 16 west East Hampton
Southern end of Route 16 overlap
19.1130.75
Route 16 east Lebanon
Northern end of Route 16 overlap
TollandHebron23.7138.16
Route 207 east Lebanon
25.5241.07 Route 66 Columbia, Marlborough
30.2748.71
Route 94 west Glastonbury
Bolton36.9759.50
I-384 west Manchester, East Hartford
Exit 7 on I-384; partial interchange
37.3860.16 US 6 / US 44 Manchester, Coventry, AndoverRoad continues north as SSR 533
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Connecticut State Highway Log Archived 2015-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 "Road Conditions in Connecticut". The Hartford Daily Courant. September 17, 1932. p. 18. Retrieved December 24, 2019 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ConnDOT map of Salem
  4. Connecticut Routes, Route 85
Template:Attached KML/Connecticut Route 85
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Media related to Connecticut Route 85 at Wikimedia Commons

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