Interstate 291 Connecticut

Routing

Interstate 291 is a connector between Interstates 91 and 84 north of Hartford. The freeway turns into Connecticut 218/Wolcott Avenue west of Interstate 91. Interstate 291 crosses the Bissell Bridge on its way east from Interstate 91 to Interstate 84.

History

Originally, Interstate 291 was planned to be part of a larger beltway around the Hartford metro area. Most of the beltway was never completed, and in fact, the section of Interstate 291 that has been completed was built rather recently as it opened in the early 1990s. The Bissell Bridge was one of the first components of the beltway constructed; it opened in the late 1950s. However, the connection from the Bissell Bridge and Interstate 84 was not completed until some 40 years later, in September 1994. For much of the time while the bridge did not connect to Interstate 84, the route was designated as Connecticut 291. The north-south connection from Interstate 84 south to Interstate 91 was never constructed, with the exception of the Connecticut 3/William Putnam Bridge.

Go to Kurumi's Connecticut Interstate 291 for more information and history on this route.

Highway Guides

• Connecticut

Mileage

State	Mileage	Cities	Junctions
Connecticut	6.02	Hartford	Interstate 91, Interstate 84
Source: October 31, 2002 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

Western Terminus - Interstate 91 - Windsor, Connecticut
Perspective from Interstate 91 South
	The last Windsor interchange joins Interstate 91 with Connecticut 218 (Putnam Highway) and Interstate 291 at Exits 35B/A. Connecticut 218 stems west from Connecticut 159 (Windsor Avenue) along Interstate 291 to Interstate 91 and Blue Hills and south Bloomfield. Interstate 291 represents the northeast bypass route of Hartford between Interstates 91 and 84-384. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman & Carter Buchanan (08/09/04).
	Drawing to within one half mile of Exits 35B/A with Interstate 291 east and Connecticut 218 (Putnam Highway). Connecticut 218 consists of 7.00 miles of pavement between Windsor and U.S. 44 (Albany Avenue) in West Hartford. The alignment roughly parallels the unconstructed path of Interstate 291. Interstate 291 was a planned 270-degree beltway around Hartford between Interstate 84 at Manchester and Interstate 91 at Rocky Hill. The freeway was never built west of Interstate 91. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman & Carter Buchanan (08/09/04).
	Exit 35A serves the eastbound beginning of Interstate 291. Interstate 291 crosses the Captain John Bissell Bridge over the Connecticut River between Windsor and South Windsor. The freeway interchanges U.S. 5 (John Fitch Boulevard) and Tolland Turnpike before meeting Interstate 84 at its junction with Interstate 384. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman & Carter Buchanan (08/09/04).
	Interstate 91 southbound at the Exit 35B ramp departure for Connecticut 218 (Putnam Highway). Connecticut 218 intersects Connecticut 187 (Blue Hills Avenue) 1.5 miles west in the Town of Bloomfield. The state highway parallels Interstate 291 east to Connecticut 159 (Windsor Avenue) adjacent to the half-diamond interchange with Deerfield Road. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman & Carter Buchanan (08/09/04).
	Exit 35A loops onto Interstate 291 eastbound for the Bissell Bridge and Town of Manchester. Interstate 291 travels 6.02 miles between Interstate 91 & Connecticut 218 east to Interstate 84 at Buckland. Use Interstate 291 east to Interstate 384 east for the Manchester Town Center. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman & Carter Buchanan (08/09/04).