Connecticut Turnpike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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| Connecticut Turnpike | |
Map of southern Connecticut with Connecticut Turnpike highlighted in red
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| Route information | |
| Maintained by ConnDOT | |
| Length | 128.47 mi (206.75 km) |
| Existed | 1958–present |
| Component highways |
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| Major junctions | |
| West end |  I-95 at the New York state line in Greenwich |
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| East end |  US 6 at the Rhode Island state line in Killingly |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, New London, Windham |
| Highway system | |
| Routes in Connecticut Special Service Roads • State Roads |
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The Connecticut Turnpike is a major highway in Connecticut. It is also known as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike. This special road is a "freeway," which means you can drive on it without stopping for traffic lights.
The turnpike helps people travel across Connecticut. It stretches from Byram to South Killingly. The entire road is about 135 miles long.
Contents
What is the Connecticut Turnpike?
The Connecticut Turnpike is made up of different parts of other big roads. About 94 miles of it are part of Interstate 95. Another 37 miles are part of Interstate 395. A small section, about 4 miles long, is known as State Route 695.
This highway connects many important towns. It runs through five different counties in Connecticut. These include Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, New London, and Windham counties.
History of the Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike first opened in 1958. It was built to be the state's main highway. When it first opened, drivers had to pay tolls to use the road. Tolls are fees you pay to drive on certain roads.
Why Were the Tolls Removed?
Over time, the state collected enough money from tolls to pay for the road. Also, there were several accidents near the toll booths. These accidents happened because cars had to slow down or stop to pay the tolls.
Because of these reasons, the tolls were removed from the road in 1985. This made the turnpike a free road for everyone to use.
Renaming the Road
Soon after the tolls were removed, the turnpike was renamed. It was named after former Governor John Davis Lodge. He was a governor of Connecticut from 1951 to 1955.
Today, you might not see many signs calling it the "Connecticut Turnpike." The section that is Route 695 doesn't even have "CT 695" signs. Instead, it just says "To US 6" if you're going east, or "To I-395" if you're going west.
Images for kids
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Northbound exit 48 offramp from the I-95 section, before the reconstruction of the I-95/I-91 interchange
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Northbound I-95 in Stamford
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Fairfield Service Plaza southbound
