# Connecticut Route 17

Route 17 is a primary north–south state route beginning in New Haven, through Middletown, and ending in Glastonbury, with a length of 36.33 miles (58.47 km).

## Route description

Route 17 officially begins about 0.1 miles (0.16 km) west of its interchange with Interstate 91 (at Exit 8). Route 80 begins at the interchange and continues eastward while Route 17 turns northward. Route 17 is a four-lane surface road, becoming 2 lanes as it passes through North Haven, Northford (where it briefly overlaps with Route 22), and Durham. In Middletown it becomes a four-lane freeway for 0.6 miles (0.97 km) leading to an interchange with the Route 9 freeway. Route 17 duplexes with Route 9 for about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) on a four-lane expressway from Exit 13 to Exit 16, where Route 17 exits and shortly thereafter begins a 3.0 miles (4.8 km) concurrency with Route 66 as it crosses the Connecticut River from Middletown into Portland on the Arrigoni Bridge. Just after the bridge, it spawns a 3.02-mile-long (4.86 km) alternate, Route 17A, which leads to the center of town. Routes 17 and 66 become a four-lane surface road for the rest of the concurrency, where Route 17 turns north and becomes a two-lane surface road. After meeting the northern end of Route 17A, it enters Glastonbury, passing through the South Glastonbury Historic District and gradually becoming more suburban. Route 17 briefly becomes a two-lane freeway, before becoming a four-lane freeway for the last 1.4 miles (2.3 km), which ultimately merges into Route 2 West at Exit 7.
The southern surface section from New Haven to Middletown is also known as George Washington Memorial Highway. The 0.6-mile (0.97 km) freeway section from South Main Street to Route 9 in Middletown is known as the Catholic War Veterans Memorial Highway. A 1.4-mile (2.3 km) section in Durham, from the junction with Route 77 to just north of the junction with Route 68, is a designated state scenic road.

## History

The road between New Haven and Middletown via Durham was one of the routes used by the Boston Post Road in colonial times. In 1813, the road became a private turnpike known as the Middletown, Durham and New Haven Turnpike. The turnpike corporation was dissolved in the late 19th century. By 1922, Connecticut had numbered roads that were maintained by the state, which included all of modern Route 17. The roads were designated as Highway 114 from New Haven to Durham; part of Highway 112 from Durham to Middletown; and Highway 104 from Middletown to Glastonbury.
In the 1932 state highway renumbering, the road from New Haven to Glastonbury became part of the newly established Route 15. At that time, Route 15 used all of modern Route 17, then continued north along Main Street in East Hartford, then northeast via modern Route 30, Route 190, and Route 171 to the Massachusetts state line. In 1948, the Route 15 designation was reassigned to the Merritt Parkway, Wilbur Cross Parkway, Berlin Turnpike, and Wilbur Cross Highway. The old Route 15 south of Glastonbury was renumbered to Route 17.

## Junction list

Exit numbers are currently unnumbered, but will receive mile-based exit numbers starting in 2021 as part of ongoing sign replacement projects.
| County | Location | mi | km | Old exit | New exit | Destinations | Notes |
| New Haven | New Haven | 0.00 | 0.00 | | | Middletown Avenue | Continuation south |
| New Haven | New Haven | 0.14– 0.21 | 0.23– 0.34 | | | I-91 / Route 80 east – New Haven, Hartford, Foxon | Western terminus of Route 80; exit 2B on I-91 |
| New Haven | North Haven | 1.70 | 2.74 | | | Route 103 – North Haven, East Haven | |
| New Haven | Northford | 6.98– 7.04 | 11.23– 11.33 | | | Route 22 – North Haven, North Branford | |
| Middlesex | Durham | 14.98 | 24.11 | | | Route 77 south – North Guilford, Guilford | Northern terminus of Route 77 |
| Middlesex | Durham | 15.14 | 24.37 | | | Route 79 south – Madison | Northern terminus of Route 79 |
| Middlesex | Durham | 16.00 | 25.75 | | | Route 68 west – Wallingford | Eastern terminus of Route 68 |
| Middlesex | Durham | 16.58 | 26.68 | | | Route 147 north – Middlefield, Meriden | Southern terminus of Route 147 |
| Middlesex | Middletown | 19.95 | 32.11 | | | Route 155 east – Middletown, Higganum | Western terminus of Route 155 |
| Middlesex | Middletown | | | Southern end of limited-access section | Southern end of limited-access section | Southern end of limited-access section | Southern end of limited-access section |
| Middlesex | Middletown | | | — | 21A | Main Street Extension | Signed as exit 21 southbound |
| Middlesex | Middletown | 21.97 | 35.36 | 13 | 21B (NB) 23A (SB) | Route 9 south – Old Saybrook | No southbound entrance; southern end of Route 9 concurrency |
| Middlesex | Middletown | 22.33 | 35.94 | 14 | 23B | deKoven Drive – Harbor Area | Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| Middlesex | Middletown | 22.57 | 36.32 | 15 | 23C | To Route 66 west – Middletown, Meriden | At-grade intersection; access via SR 545; signed as exit 23 northbound |
| Middlesex | Middletown | 22.97 | 36.97 | 16 | 24 | Route 9 north – New Britain | At-grade intersection; northern end of Route 9 concurrency |
| Northern end of limited-access section ||||
| Middlesex | Middletown | 23.14 | 37.24 | | | Route 66 west – Middletown | Southern end of Route 66 concurrency |
| Middlesex | Connecticut River | 23.70 | 38.14 | Arrigoni Bridge | Arrigoni Bridge | Arrigoni Bridge | Arrigoni Bridge |
| Middlesex | Portland | 24.17 | 38.90 | | | Route 17A north (Main Street) | Southern terminus of Route 17A |
| Middlesex | Portland | 26.12 | 42.04 | | | Route 66 east – Cobalt, Colchester, Willimantic | Northern end of Route 66 concurrency |
| Middlesex | Portland | 28.15 | 45.30 | | | Route 17A south (Main Street) | Northern terminus of Route 17A |
| Hartford | Glastonbury | 32.63 | 52.51 | | | Route 160 west – Rocky Hill | Eastern terminus of Route 160; via Rocky Hill–Glastonbury ferry (April 1–November 30) |
| Hartford | Glastonbury | | | Southern end of freeway section | Southern end of freeway section | Southern end of freeway section | Southern end of freeway section |
| Hartford | Glastonbury | | | — | 34 | Hubbard Street | Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| Hartford | Glastonbury | | | — | 35 | New London Turnpike – Glastonbury Center, East Glastonbury | Signed as exits 35 (west) and 36 (east) southbound |
| Hartford | Glastonbury | 36.41 | 58.60 | — | — | Route 2 west – Hartford | Northern terminus; exit 5 on Route 2 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access ||||||||

## Route 17A

Route 17A is an alternate route running for 3.02 miles (4.86 km) from Route 17 and 66, through Portland center, and back to Route 17. It serves as the Main Street of the town. The original Route 17 (then Route 15) used the 17A alignment. The main route bypassed the town center by 1940 and Main Street became Route 15A. When Route 15 was relocated and the route through Portland became Route 17, Route 15A was also renumbered to 17A.