Interstate 691

Interstate 691
	Henry D. Altobello Highway
Route information
	Maintained by ConnDOT
Length:	8.92 mi (14.36 km)
Existed:	1988 (completed) – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-84 at the Southington-Cheshire line
East end:	I-91 in Meriden; (continues as Route 66)
Highway system

Interstate 691 (abbreviated I-691) is a portion of the Interstate Highway System in Connecticut beginning at Interstate 91 in Meriden and ending at Interstate 84 near the Cheshire-Southington town line. It is 8.92 miles (14.36 km) in length, including 0.54 miles (0.87 km) of the exit ramp to the merge with westbound I-84.

I-691 is also known as the Henry D. Altobello Highway for its entire length.

[edit] Route description

I-691 is the main east–west highway of the city of Meriden. The freeway actually begins in Middlefield as Route 66, technically becoming I-691 at the junction with I-91 (Exit 11). However, westbound signage indicates I-691 begins at the start of the freeway (just west of Exit 13), while eastbound signage shows I-691 ending at the Route 15 interchange (at eastbound Exit 10 about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) west of the interchange with I-91). To go from I-91 northbound to I-691 westbound (or from I-691 eastbound to I-91 southbound), one must actually use Route 15.

[edit] History

In the 1940s, the I-691 routing was part of a planned US 6A Expressway from Southington to Willimantic. A section of the expressway (from its Middlefield terminus west to Exit 8) first opened in 1966. By 1968, the US 6A designation was dropped in favor of Route 66. The highway was extended west to Exit 4 by 1971. The connection to I-84 was eventually completed in 1987, with the renumbering to I-691 done at the same time. The portion east of I-91 remained as Route 66. Environmental and community groups successfully blocked attempts to extend the freeway east of its present terminus due to potential impacts on a reservoir that provides drinking water for the local area. A compromise was reached in the late 1990s allowing CONNDOT to convert Route 66 from a 2-lane road to a 4-lane divided highway from the eastern end of the I-691 freeway to Route 9 in Middletown. Construction on the Route 66 widening project was completed in 2005.

[edit] Exit list

County	Location	Mile^[1]	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Hartford – New Haven	Southington– Cheshire	8.38		I-84 west – Waterbury, Danbury	Unsigned exit, westbound only
Hartford – New Haven	Southington– Cheshire	7.89	2	I-84 east – Hartford	Eastbound only
New Haven	Cheshire	7.03	3	Route 10 – Cheshire, Milldale
Hartford – New Haven	Southington– Meriden	4.79	4	Route 322 west (West Main Street) – Southington
New Haven	Meriden	2.92	5	Route 71 (Chamberlain Highway) – Kensington	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance
		2.37	6	Lewis Avenue To Route 71	Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
		1.95	7	Columbia Street, State Street – Downtown Meriden	Eastbound exit to State St Ext, on-ramp from Lewis Ave; Westbound exit to Columbia St, on-ramp from Colony St; Milepost at Colony Street overpass
		1.32	8	US 5 (Broad Street) to Route 15 north
		0.50	9	Route 15 north (Berlin Turnpike)	Westbound exit only
		0.50	10	Route 15 south (Wilbur Cross Parkway) to I-91 south – New Haven, Wallingford	Eastbound exit signed as Route 15; westbound exit signed as I-91; no eastbound entrance
		0.00	11	I-91 north – Hartford	Westbound exit 11 is part of Route 66
			12	Preston Avenue	Eastbound exit only
Middlesex	Middlefield		13	East Main Street	Westbound exit only
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus • Closed/former • Incomplete access • Unopened