U.S. Route 7

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Norwalk, CT
Major intersections
  • Norwalk, CT
  • Danbury, CT
  • New Milford, CT
  • North Canaan, CT
  • Pittsfield, MA
  • US 4 in Rutland, VT
  • South Burlington, VT
  • Colchester, VT
North end
Highgate Springs, VT
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesConnecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont
Highway system
←
Route 5

U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south

United States Numbered Highway in western New England that runs for 308 miles (496 km) through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) exit 15 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Its northern terminus is at I-89 exit 22 near the village of Highgate Springs, Vermont, immediately south of the Canada–United States border
.

Route description

Lengths
  mi[1][2][3]
km
CT 78.22 125.88
MA 53.85 86.66
VT 176.29 283.71
Total 308.36 496.26

Connecticut

Main article: U.S. Route 7 in Connecticut

US 7 in Connecticut (also known as Route 7, Ethan Allen Highway, and Super 7) is mostly a surface road but has two short expressway sections in the Norwalk and Danbury areas. US 7 begins in Norwalk with a four-mile (6.4 km) expressway to nearly the Wilton town line. There are three exits on this short section, signed as "The Forty Third Infantry Division Memorial Highway", named after the 43rd Infantry Division. Exit 1, just past I-95 (the southern terminus), leads to the Central Norwalk Business District and US 1. Exit 2 leads to Route 123 which extends from US 1 in Norwalk to the New York state line, passing through the town of New Canaan. After exit 2, the expressway reduces to four lanes from six. Exit 3 leads to Route 15 southbound, also known as the Merritt Parkway. This interchange was half built and only allows southbound access from the expressway; northbound access is gained via Route 123 at exit 2. The expressway section ends at Grist Mill Road in Norwalk, about one-half mile (0.80 km) past exit 3. US 7 then passes through Wilton as a four-lane highway until just after Cannondale, where it becomes a two-lane highway. It continues through Ridgefield as a two-lane highway.

Near Danbury, another expressway section was built beginning one mile (1.6 km) south of I-84 near Danbury Municipal Airport. This section is also signed as "The Forty Third Infantry Division Memorial Highway". Through Danbury proper, US 7 overlaps with I-84 for about four miles (6.4 km). Through this section of expressway, I-84, US 7, US 6, and US 202 are concurrent. US 7 and Route 202 then leave I-84 at exit 7 and travel on their own expressway for approximately eight miles (13 km) to just south of the New Milford town line. On this section there are two exits. At exit 11 (Federal Road), US 202 exits the expressway and at exit 12, US 202 crosses back over US 7. On southbound US 7, the exit for I-84 eastbound is signed as exit 10. There is no exit number for I-84 west because of the concurrency. The US 7 expressway then bypasses Brookfield to the west and terminates at an intersection with US 202 at the Fairfield–Litchfield county line. Construction on the section between I-84 and exit 12 began in 1974 and completed in 1976. The Brookfield bypass segment between exit 12 and the current expressway terminus opened in November 2009, after two years of construction. The former US 7 route through Brookfield is now signed solely as US 202.

US 7 is cosigned with US 202 until central New Milford, where US 202 turns east with Route 67 while US 7 continues north. Recent construction has also made large parts of US 7 between the terminus of the expressway and New Milford a four-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections. North of New Milford center, US 7 remains a two-lane road through the rest of Connecticut and leaves Connecticut in the town of North Canaan.

Massachusetts

Main article: U.S. Route 7 in Massachusetts

US 7 enters Massachusetts in the town of Sheffield and remains a two-lane road until Lenox. There, a four-lane bypass of Lenox was built in two pieces, and the old US 7 is now Route 7A. US 7 continues on as a four-lane road to Pittsfield, where it is then a three-lane road, narrowing to two lanes for a short time, then widening to four lanes in downtown Pittsfield. US 7 leaves downtown Pittsfield as a two-lane surface arterial and continues as a rural highway with occasional three-lane stretches for climbing the grades along the Berkshires. It passes west of Mount Greylock before passing through Williamstown, connecting the Taconic Trail with the Mohawk Trail. The road passes Williams College before entering Vermont.

Like Connecticut, Massachusetts planned a US 7 expressway from the existing bypass in Lenox all the way to Lanesborough. This plan was never initiated, although land takings occurred. The highway was ultimately canceled due to environmental and community opposition.

In Massachusetts, US 7 passes through the towns of Sheffield, Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lee, Lenox, Pittsfield, Lanesborough, New Ashford, and Williamstown, before crossing into Pownal, Vermont.

Vermont

Main article: U.S. Route 7 in Vermont
Original-style Vermont US 7 shield with embossed features
Westward view of Lake Champlain from US 7 in Charlotte, Vermont

US 7 remains a rural two-lane highway from the Massachusetts line to

Rutland. From Rutland north, the road is either two-lane or four-lane undivided, uncontrolled road all the way to the Canada–United States border, except between Shelburne and Burlington, which is a four-lane divided highway. US 7 and US 2 run concurrently from Burlington to Chimney Corners in Colchester
. It is known as the Ethan Allen Highway for much of the path through Vermont.

In Vermont, it passes through the towns of

Swanton and Highgate
before ending at I-89 just south of the customs offices at the Canada–United States border.

History

Prior to the U.S. Numbered Highway System, the alignment of US 7 from

Route 3 to Ridgefield
, and State Highway 126 to Norwalk.

Until the 1970s, US 7 reached the Canada–United States border, with the road continuing as provincial route 7. US 7 was then cut back to the I-89 interchange mentioned above, with I-89 continuing to the Canada–US border and becoming Route 133.

Major intersections

Connecticut
I-95 in Norwalk
US 1 in Norwalk
I-84 in Danbury. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 6 / US 202 in Danbury. US 6/US 7 travel concurrently through the city. US 7/US 202 travel concurrently to Brookfield.
US 202 in Brookfield
US 202 in Brookfield. The highways travel concurrently to New Milford.
US 44 in North Canaan. The highways travel concurrently through the town.
Massachusetts
US 20 in Lenox. The highways travel concurrently to Pittsfield.
Vermont
US 4 in the Town of Rutland. The highways travel concurrently to the City of Rutland.
I-189 on the South Burlington–Burlington city line
US 2 in Burlington. The highways travel concurrently to Colchester.
I-89 in Colchester
I-89 in Georgia
I-89 in Highgate

[5]

See also

Special routes

References

  1. ^ a b "Highway Log - Connecticut State Numbered Routes And Roads" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. December 31, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Executive Office of Transportation - Office of Transportation Planning Roads". Mass.gov. October 16, 2009. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "2004 (Route Log) AADTs State Highways" (PDF). Vermont Agency of Transportation. July 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2006. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  4. ISBN 9780738502564
    . Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  5. ISBN 978-0-528-00771-2
    .

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