Connecticut Route 137
Route 137 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Map of Fairfield County in southwestern Connecticut with Route 137 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by CTDOT | ||||
| Length | 9.33 mi[1] (15.02 km) | |||
| Existed | 1932[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  I-95 in Stamford | |||
 US 1 in Stamford  Route 15 / Merritt Parkway in Stamford | ||||
| North end |  NY 137 in Pound Ridge, NY | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Connecticut | |||
| Counties | Fairfield | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Route 137 is a main highway running north/south through the city of Stamford, Connecticut. It runs for about 9.3 miles (15.0 km) from Downtown Stamford up to North Stamford and then to New York state line in the town of Pound Ridge, New York.
Route description
Route 137 begins as a 4-lane/6-lane divided arterial road from US 1 in downtown Stamford, heading north to an interchange with Route 15 (Merritt Parkway). The route then continues as a 2-lane road all the way to the New York state line in the town of Pound Ridge, New York. Past its south end at US 1, the roadway of Route 137 continues for another 0.3 miles (0.48 km) to I-95, designated as Special Service Road 493 (SSR 493).
The section of Route 137 along High Ridge Road from Bull's Head to the state line is designated the Yankee Division Highway.[3]
The ramp from Route 137 north to the Parkway southbound has one of the few jughandle ramps in Connecticut.
History
In the 19th century, the approximate path of much of what is now Route 137 was known as North Stamford Road, named for being the main road to North Stamford from (downtown) Stamford. In the 1920s, Connecticut designated State Highway 318 along this corridor from the intersection of Long Ridge Road, Summer Street, and Bedford Street (also known as "Bull's Head") northward to the New York state line. As part of taking over maintenance, the state set about improving the road which included straightening it out in several places. Most significantly, approximately 3/4 mile of new alignment were constructed in the vicinity of where the Merritt Parkway would later be built. What is today known as Turn of River Road is the pre-modern alignment of the road through this area. The historic village center of North Stamford was also bypassed; the old road through the village center is still known as North Stamford Road to this day. The rest of what became State Highway 318 was renamed High Ridge Road.
In 1932, as part of a major renumbering throughout the state of Connecticut, State Highway 318 was redesignated Route 137.[2] In 1976, as part of a major urban renewal project in downtown Stamford, Route 137 was extended south along a newly widened Cold Spring Road and then onto newly-created Washington Boulevard to end at also newly-created Tresser Boulevard (US 1) in front of the Stamford Government Center. Route 104, which originally extended south into downtown Stamford using Bedford Street, was cut back to end at its current southern terminus at the same time.
A freeway upgrading of Route 137 was proposed in 1969 connecting downtown Stamford and the town center of Pound Ridge but was never implemented due to local opposition. The road also might have continued south to a proposed bridge to Long Island (see Long Island Sound link).[4]
Major intersections
The entire route is in Stamford, Fairfield County.
| mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | 0.00 | I-95 / Washington Boulevard – New Haven, New York City | Exit 7 on I-95 (Connecticut Turnpike); I-95 north access via State Street (SSR 493) | ||
| US 1 (Tresser Boulevard) | Former Boston Post Road | ||||
| 1.76 | 2.83 |   Route 104 north (Long Ridge Road) | Southern terminus of Route 104 | ||
| 4.56 | 7.34 | Route 15 / Merritt Parkway – New Haven, New York City | Exit 35 on Route 15 / Merritt Parkway | ||
| 9.33 | 15.02 | NY 137 north | Continuation into New York | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
- ^ a b Connecticut State Highway Log Archived 2015-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Road Conditions in Connecticut". The Hartford Daily Courant. May 27, 1932. p. 14. Retrieved December 24, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ State Roads and Bridges with Names Commemorating Veterans Organizations or Groups
- ^ Connecticut Routes, Route 137