# U.S. Route 6 in Connecticut

U.S. Route 6 (US 6) within the state of Connecticut runs for 116.33 miles (187.21 km) from the New York state line near Danbury to the Rhode Island state line in Killingly. West of Hartford, the route either closely parallels or runs along Interstate 84 (I-84), which has largely supplanted US 6 as a through route in western Connecticut. East of Hartford, US 6 serves as a primary route for travel between Hartford and Providence.

## Route description
### Western Connecticut

US 6 enters Connecticut paired with US 202 from the town of Southeast, New York, just east of the village of Brewster. The concurrency runs for 3.8 miles (6.1 km) through the city of Danbury as a minor arterial road before it forms a 3.3-mile (5.3 km) four-way concurrency with I-84 and US 7 from I-84 exit 4 to exit 7. At exit 7, US 7 and US 202 split to the north, while US 6 stays duplexed with I-84 for another 0.8 miles (1.3 km) before returning to surface roads at exit 8. The route then goes through the towns of Bethel and Newtown. In Newtown, it has a 2.8-mile (4.5 km) concurrency with Route 25 before turning east toward the village of Sandy Hook, where it enters I-84 once again for 6.4 miles (10.3 km) between Newtown and Southbury (from exits 10 to 15).
After exiting I-84 in Southbury, US 6 once again becomes a surface road and is duplexed with Route 67 for 2.7 miles (4.3 km). It then passes through the northern Waterbury area suburbs of Woodbury, Watertown, and Thomaston. US 6 has a one-mile (1.6 km) overlap with the Route 8 freeway in Thomaston.

### Hartford area

After leaving the Route 8 freeway, US 6 continues as an alternating two- and four-lane surface road through the towns of Plymouth, Bristol, and Farmington. In Farmington, it once again joins I-84 at exit 38 for 13.4 miles (21.6 km), passing through West Hartford, Hartford, and East Hartford. US 44 joins for 0.25 miles (0.40 km) to cross the Connecticut River on the Bulkeley Bridge from Hartford to East Hartford toward Bolton just past the eastern terminus of I-384.

### Eastern Connecticut

In Bolton, US 6 and US 44 split. US 44 follows a more northerly route while US 6 continues through Bolton, Coventry, Andover, and Columbia. It intersects with Route 316 and Route 87 along the way and mostly follows the Hop River.
The US 6 Willimantic bypass begins in Columbia, at a four-way at-grade intersection with Route 66. The freeway starts out heading northeast and immediately crosses into Coventry. After crossing the town line, the eastbound and westbound sides of US 6 split, with a hill in between them. At the split, the eastbound side of the freeway curves and heads east. At this point, Hop River State Park Trail passes under both sides of the freeway. Soon after, the westbound lane also curves, and the two sides of the freeway soon become parallel again. The freeway then passes over Flanders River Road about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) east. The freeway then crosses the Willimantic River and enters the town of Windham. Right after entering Windham, it overpasses the New England Central Railroad. Immediately after this, there is an interchange with Route 32. After the interchange, the freeway enters Mansfield and passes under Mansfield Avenue before encountering another interchange for Route 195. The eastbound exit and westbound entrance use Mansfield City Road, while the westbound exit accesses Route 195 via North Frontage Road and eastbound access to US 6 is from Route 195 itself. Soon after the eastbound entrance ramp joins US 6, the freeway crosses the Natchaug River and once again enters Windham. The US 6 Willimantic bypass ends 0.5 miles (0.80 km) after entering Windham at an interchange with the eastern end of Route 66, whose roadway US 6 assumes east of the interchange. US 6 then continues as a surface road through the towns of Chaplin, Hampton, and Brooklyn. In Killingly, US 6 becomes an expressway in the vicinity of its junction with I-395 in Killingly, part of which (0.34 mi or 0.55 km) is duplexed with Route 12, before reverting to a two-lane surface road. Just before the Rhode Island state line, SR 695, the unsigned portion of the Connecticut Turnpike, merges into US 6 eastbound as it enters the town of Foster.

## History

Before the creation of the U.S. Numbered Highway System in 1926, most of the proposed routing in Connecticut was part of New England Route 3 (Route 3). There were two places where Route 3 and US 6 were not overlapped. Route 3 began in Bedford, New York, at New York State Route 22, entering Connecticut via modern Route 35. Route 3 continued north to Danbury via the old non-expressway alignment of US 7. US 6, on the other hand, went east from Brewster on its current alignment, meeting with Route 3 in downtown Danbury.
Another difference in routing is between Manchester and Windham. US 6 originally used a more northern alignment via Coventry, running along present US 44 then modern Route 31. Route 3 used current US 6 for its routing. East of Windham, the routes overlapped into Rhode Island. Between 1926 and 1932, Route 3 and US 6 were cosigned where they overlapped. Route 3 was finally deleted in 1932.

### Willimantic bypass

I-84 was to be an expressway that would connect the modern I-384 with the modern US 6 Willimantic bypass. From here, I-84 would continue to Providence, Rhode Island. This idea was planned in the 1960s but abandoned in 2005.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) had planned since the 1960s to upgrade the segment between Bolton and Columbia to an expressway, connecting I-384 to the existing expressway segment in Windham. However, this particular segment of US 6 passes through an environmentally sensitive area centered around the Hop River. Construction had been planned to begin in the late 1980s, but federal, state, and local officials could not reach an agreement on a feasible route that avoided the Hop River wetlands and development within the towns of Andover, Bolton, Coventry, and Columbia. The affected towns, CTDOT, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) favored a northern alignment (Alternative 133B), which would avoid the town centers and nearby wetlands. The Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) favored a southerly alignment (Alternative 133 18/25) that would cut through residential and commercial areas as well as the Hop River's adjoining wetlands.
Despite opposition from CTDOT, DEP, and affected towns, the FHWA issued a record of decision and USACE issued required permits for Alternative 133 18/25 (southern alignment) in 2001. State and local officials continued to press USACE to approve the northern alignment. Due to the impasse between state, local, and federal officials, federal funds for the bypass were withdrawn in 2003. In 2005, the Capitol Region Council of Governments and CTDOT removed the US 6 bypass from planning, hence CTDOT effectively abandoned further study of the bypass in lieu of upgrading the existing road.
In 2007, CTDOT began making safety improvements and capacity upgrades to the existing US 6 through Andover, Bolton, and Columbia.

## Junction list

| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 0.00 | 0.00 | | US 6 west / US 202 west | Continuation into New York |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 0.1 | 0.16 | | I-84 – Newburgh, Waterbury | Access via Saw Mill Road; exit 1 on I-84 |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 1.03 | 1.66 | | I-84 – Newburgh, Waterbury | Access via SR 824; exit 2B on I-84 |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 4.15 | 6.68 | Western end of freeway section | Western end of freeway section | Western end of freeway section |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 4.15 | 6.68 | 4 | I-84 west / US 7 south / Lake Avenue – Newburgh, Norwalk | Western end of I-84/US 7 concurrency; no eastbound access to US 7 |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 5.61 | 9.03 | 5 | Route 37 north / Route 39 north / Route 53 south – Downtown Danbury, Bethel | Route 37 not signed westbound |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 6.25 | 10.06 | 6 | Route 37 – New Fairfield | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 7.97 | 12.83 | 7 | US 7 north / US 202 east – Brookfield, New Milford | Eastern end of US 7/US 202 concurrency; exit 10 on US 7 |
| Fairfield | Danbury | 8.26 | 13.29 | 8 | I-84 east / Newtown Road (SR 806 west) – Waterbury | Eastern end of I-84 concurrency |
| Eastern end of freeway section |||
| Fairfield | Town of Newtown | 11.45 | 18.43 | | Route 25 north – Hawleyville, Brookfield, Bridgewater | Western end of Route 25 concurrency |
| Fairfield | Borough of Newtown | 14.26 | 22.95 | | Route 25 south – Bridgeport | Eastern end of Route 25 concurrency |
| Fairfield | Town of Newtown | 15.52 | 24.98 | Western end of freeway section | Western end of freeway section | Western end of freeway section |
| Fairfield | Town of Newtown | 15.52 | 24.98 | 10 | I-84 west / Church Hill Road (SR 816 east) – Danbury | Western end of I-84 concurrency |
| Fairfield | Town of Newtown | 16.33 | 26.28 | 11 | Route 34 to Route 25 – Derby, New Haven, Bridgeport | Access via SSR 490 |
| New Haven | Southbury | 18.93 | 30.46 | 13 | River Road | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| New Haven | Southbury | 20.40 | 32.83 | 14 | Route 172 north – South Britain | Southern terminus of Route 172 |
| New Haven | Southbury | 22.19 | 35.71 | 15 | I-84 east / Route 67 south / Kettletown Road (SSR 487 south) – Waterbury, Southford, Oxford, Seymour, New Haven | Eastern end of I-84 concurrency; western end of Route 67 concurrency |
| Eastern end of freeway section |||
| New Haven | Southbury | 23.76 | 38.24 | | Route 67 north (Roxbury Road) | Eastern end of Route 67 concurrency |
| Litchfield | Woodbury | 25.94 | 41.75 | | Route 64 east – Middlebury, Waterbury | Western terminus of Route 64 |
| Litchfield | Woodbury | 26.90 | 43.29 | | Route 317 west – Roxbury | Eastern terminus of Route 317 |
| Litchfield | Woodbury | 27.60 | 44.42 | | Route 47 north – Hotchkissville, Washington | Southern terminus of Route 47 |
| Litchfield | Woodbury | 31.48 | 50.66 | | Route 61 north – Bethlehem | Southern terminus of Route 61 |
| Litchfield | Watertown | 34.52 | 55.55 | | To Route 63 south – Waterbury | Access via SR 838 |
| Litchfield | Watertown | 34.57 | 55.64 | | Route 63 – East Morris, Waterbury | |
| Litchfield | Watertown | 35.81 | 57.63 | | Route 262 north – Oakville | Southern terminus of Route 262 |
| Litchfield | Thomaston | 38.61 | 62.14 | | Route 109 west / Watertown Road (SR 810 east) – Morris | Eastern terminus of Route 109 |
| Litchfield | Thomaston | 39.40 | 63.41 | Western end of freeway section | Western end of freeway section | Western end of freeway section |
| Litchfield | Thomaston | 39.40 | 63.41 | 38 | Route 8 south / Route 254 north / Watertown Road (SR 810 west) / Waterbury Road (SR 848 south) – Waterbury, Litchfield | Western end of Route 8 concurrency; southern terminus of Route 254 |
| Litchfield | Thomaston | 40.61 | 65.36 | 39 | Route 8 north / Route 222 north – Torrington, Harwinton | Eastern end of Route 8 concurrency; southern terminus of Route 222 |
| Eastern end of freeway section |||
| Litchfield | Plymouth | 41.28 | 66.43 | | Route 262 south – Airport | Northern terminus of Route 262 |
| Litchfield | Plymouth | 44.15 | 71.05 | | Route 72 – Harwinton, Bristol | |
| Hartford | Bristol | 46.86 | 75.41 | | Route 69 south – Wolcott | Western end of Route 69 concurrency |
| Hartford | Bristol | 47.25 | 76.04 | | Route 69 north – Burlington | Eastern end of Route 69 concurrency |
| Hartford | Bristol | 48.30 | 77.73 | | Route 229 south – Southington, Theme Park | Northern terminus of Route 229 |
| Hartford | Farmington | 50.95 | 82.00 | | Route 177 – Plainville, Unionville | |
| Hartford | Farmington | 52.67 | 84.76 | | To I-84 west / Route 10 – Plainville, Waterbury | Access via SR 552 |
| Hartford | Farmington | 55.13 | 88.72 | | Birdseye Road (SR 549 north) to I-84 west – Waterbury | Access to I-84 via Fienemann Road |
| Hartford | Farmington | 55.92 | 89.99 | | Colt Highway (SR 531) | |
| Western end of freeway section |||
| Hartford | Farmington | 55.92 | 89.99 | 38 | I-84 east – Hartford | Western end of I-84 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Hartford | Farmington | 56.34 | 90.67 | 39 | To Route 4 – Farmington | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access via SR 508 |
| Hartford | Farmington | 56.91– 57.92 | 91.59– 93.21 | 39A | Route 9 south – Newington, New Britain | Northern terminus and exits 40A-B on Route 9 |
| Hartford | West Hartford | 58.19 | 93.65 | 40 | Route 71 (New Britain Avenue) – Corbins Corner | |
| Hartford | West Hartford | 59.15 | 95.19 | 41 | South Main Street (Route 173 south) – Elmwood | |
| Hartford | West Hartford | 59.97 | 96.51 | 42 | Trout Brook Drive – Elmwood | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Hartford | West Hartford | 59.87– 60.32 | 96.35– 97.08 | 43 | Park Road – West Hartford Center | Access via SR 501 |
| Hartford | West Hartford | 61.09 | 98.31 | 44 | Prospect Avenue to Oakwood Avenue | Access via Caya Avenue/Kane Street |
| Hartford | Hartford | 61.85 | 99.54 | 45 | To Flatbush Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access via SR 504 |
| Hartford | Hartford | 62.37– 62.71 | 100.37– 100.92 | 46 | Sisson Avenue | Access via SR 503 |
| Hartford | Hartford | 62.96 | 101.32 | 47 | Sigourney Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Hartford | Hartford | 63.30– 63.69 | 101.87– 102.50 | 48A | Asylum Street | Signed as exit 48 westbound |
| Hartford | Hartford | 63.30 | 101.87 | 48B | Capitol Avenue | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| Hartford | Hartford | 63.91 | 102.85 | 49 | Ann Uccello Street | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; to XL Center |
| Hartford | Hartford | 63.96– 64.55 | 102.93– 103.88 | 50 | I-91 south / US 44 west (Main Street) – Downtown Hartford, New Haven | Western end of US 44 concurrency; I-91/US 44 not signed eastbound; exit 38B on I-91 |
| Hartford | Hartford | 63.96– 64.55 | 102.93– 103.88 | 51-52 | I-91 – New Haven, Springfield, Bradley International Airport | Signed as exits 51 (north) and 52 (south); no westbound access to I-91 south; exits 38A-C on I-91 |
| Hartford | Connecticut River | 64.50– 64.74 | 103.80– 104.19 | Bulkeley Bridge | Bulkeley Bridge | Bulkeley Bridge |
| Hartford | East Hartford | 64.87 | 104.40 | 53 | US 44 east (Connecticut Boulevard) / East River Drive – East Hartford | Eastern end of US 44 concurrency; no westbound exit |
| Hartford | East Hartford | 65.10– 65.41 | 104.77– 105.27 | 54-55 | Route 2 – Norwich, New London, Downtown Hartford | Signed as exits 54 (west) and 55 (east); no eastbound access to Route 2 west; Route 2 west not signed |
| Hartford | East Hartford | 65.10– 65.41 | 104.77– 105.27 | 56 | Governor Street – Downtown East Hartford | Access via SR 500 |
| Hartford | East Hartford | | | – | I-84 east (Restricted Lanes) – Boston | Western terminus of I-84 Restricted Lanes |
| Hartford | East Hartford | 66.56 | 107.12 | 57 | Route 15 south (Wilbur Cross Highway) to I-91 south – Charter Oak Bridge, New York City | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Hartford | East Hartford | 67.13 | 108.04 | 58 | Roberts Street (SR 518) / Silver Lane (SR 502) to Burnside Avenue (US 44) | Westbound exit to Silver Lane from Restricted Lanes |
| Hartford | East Hartford | 68.35 | 110.00 | 59 | I-384 east – Providence | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; western terminus of I-384; former routing of I-84 |
| Hartford | Manchester | 70.09 | 112.80 | 60-61 | I-84 east / I-291 west / US 44 west (Middle Turnpike West) – Boston, East Hartford, Windsor | Signed as exits 60 (I-84/US 44) and 61 (I-291); eastern end of I-84 concurrency; western end of US 44 concurrency; no westbound access to I-291 |
| Eastern end of freeway section |||
| Hartford | Manchester | 71.93 | 115.76 | | West Center Street (SR 502 west) | |
| Hartford | Manchester | 72.67 | 116.95 | | Route 83 – Glastonbury, Vernon | |
| Tolland | Bolton | 75.83 | 122.04 | | Route 85 south / Cidermill Road (SR 533 north) – Bolton Center, Gay City State Park | Northern terminus of Route 85 |
| Tolland | Bolton | 76.62 | 123.31 | | I-384 west – Manchester, Hartford | Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; eastern terminus of I-384; former I-84 |
| Tolland | Bolton | 76.95 | 123.84 | | US 44 east – Coventry, Mansfield | Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastern end of US 44 concurrency |
| Tolland | Andover | 82.68 | 133.06 | | Route 316 south – Andover, Hebron | Northern terminus of Route 316 |
| Tolland | Andover | 83.91 | 135.04 | | Route 87 south – Columbia, Norwich | Northern terminus of Route 87 |
| Tolland | Columbia | 87.81 | 141.32 | | Route 66 – Columbia, Middletown, Willimantic | |
| Western end of freeway section |||
| Windham | Windham | 89.72 | 144.39 | 89 | Route 32 – Stafford Springs, Willimantic | |
| Tolland | Mansfield | 91.94 | 147.96 | 91 | Route 195 – Storrs, Univ. of Connecticut | |
| Windham | Windham | 93.15 | 149.91 | Eastern end of freeway section | Eastern end of freeway section | Eastern end of freeway section |
| Windham | Windham | 93.15 | 149.91 | | Route 66 west – Willimantic | Eastern terminus of Route 66 |
| Windham | Windham | 95.00 | 152.89 | | Route 203 south – Windham Center | Northern terminus of Route 203 |
| Windham | Chaplin | 96.96 | 156.04 | | Route 198 north – Chaplin, Phoenixville, Woodstock, Putnam | Southern terminus of Route 198 |
| Windham | Hampton | 101.30 | 163.03 | | Route 97 – Pomfret, Scotland | |
| Windham | Brooklyn | 107.44 | 172.91 | | Route 169 – Pomfret, Canterbury | |
| Windham | Killingly | | | Western end of limited-access section | Western end of limited-access section | Western end of limited-access section |
| Windham | Killingly | 110.96 | 178.57 | – | Route 12 north – Danielson | At-grade intersection; western end of Route 12 concurrency |
| Windham | Killingly | 111.31 | 179.14 | – | Route 12 south – Plainfield | At-grade intersection; eastern end of Route 12 concurrency |
| Windham | Killingly | 111.80 | 179.92 | – | I-395 – Norwich, Worcester | Cloverleaf interchange; no westbound access to I-395 south; exits 37A-B on I-395; former Route 52 |
| Eastern end of limited-access section |||
| Windham | Killingly | | | | South Frontage Road to Westcott Road (SR 607 west) | Interchange; eastbound exit only |
| Windham | Killingly | | | | Westcott Road (SR 607 west) – Danielson | Interchange; no eastbound exit |
| Windham | Killingly | | | | Snake Meadow Road (SR 664 south) – Moosup | |
| Windham | Killingly | 116.04 | 186.75 | | To I-395 south – Norwich | Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access via SR 695 |
| Windham | Killingly | 116.33 | 187.21 | | US 6 east – Providence | Continuation into Rhode Island |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus HOV only Incomplete access Route transition |||||||

## Special routes

There have been several routes signed as US 6A in the state. No special routes currently exist.
* Newtown–Southbury: Original surface routing before creation of expressway later to become I-84; currently SR 816.
* Plymouth–Hartford: Now US 6. At this time, the old US 6 went along Route 64 to downtown Waterbury then along Route 10 to Farmington.
* Woodbury–Willimantic: West of Meriden, this was the original alignment of US 6. When US 6 was reassigned to the former US 6A from Plymouth to Farmington, this became US 6A. This US 6A was subsequently extended through Meriden to Willimantic along modern Route 66. An expressway upgrade was planned for this US 6A. Only a portion of the highway was built and is now I-691. Between Woodbury and Waterbury this section is now Route 64.
* Coventry–Windham: Became US 6A when Route 3 was deleted. Swapped with the old US 6 in 1939 and finally deleted in 1942 when US 6A became Route 31.
* Danielson: Old routing prior to construction of the two-lane freeway.