Introduction

Connecticut has over the past several years designated several sections of its rural two-lane highways as Scenic Roads. This designation not only encourages sightseeing along the road but helps preserve it from modifications that would detract from its appearance, such as rerouting or widening.

A great place to explore these routes is the live map in the state's Scenic Roads App.

Scenic Roads Defined

"Public Act No. 87-280 authorizes the Commissioner of Transportation to designate state highways or portions thereof as scenic roads in consultation with the Commissioners of Environmental Protection and Economic & Community Development.

"A scenic road is defined as any state highway that: 1) passes through agricultural land or abuts land on which is located a historic building or structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the State Register of Historic Places; or 2) affords vistas of marshes, shorelines, forests with mature trees or notable geologic or other natural features.

"The scenic road designation means that any further alteration or improvement on that section will maintain the character of the road."

Connecticut Department of Transportation

The scenic road designation has proven a popular tool to help preserve the rural character of some highways. I do not know what effect it has on commercial or residential development, but it does restrict DOT operations on the road. In March 2001, Pomfret First Selectman David Patenaude, explaining how a proposed designation would affect Route 97 in that town, said that the state, not homeowners, were bound by the rules: namely, "[the DOT] cannot come in and take down trees or disturb stone walls."

In at least one instance (Glastonbury), people have complained that the large "Scenic Route" sign detracts from the very scenery we're supposed to be enjoying. Along Route 160, a local artist erected a bumper-sticker-size sign reading "Ugly state sign" with an arrow pointing to the state's official sign.

Odds and ends

As of 2020, Connecticut has 314.19 miles of state highway designated scenic. (This is about 8.4% of total state road mileage, which as of 2010 is 3,733.20.)

The first highway to receive scenic designation was Route 234, on Feb. 20, 1990.

The most recent highway to join the club is Route 207, on Jun 7, 2022.

No interstate highways are scenic. The Merritt Parkway is the only multi-lane highway on the list. US routes 1, 7, 44, and 202 are on the list, but US 5 and US 6 have no scenic sections.

The Merritt Parkway and Route 169 are also National Scenic Byways.

Route 41, 17.87 miles, is the longest route that is scenic for its entire length (17.86 miles). Route 207 at 16.01 miles is not far behind.

Route Listing

Route Towns Date Added Mileage Description
US 1 Madison Oct. 14, 2008 2.30 From Neck Road #2 north to Lovers Lane
US 1 Old Lyme June 8, 2012 1.00 From Lieutenant River Bridge (I-95) to Griswold Avenue
CT 4 Farmington Mar. 26, 2013 1.98 From Huckleberry Hill Road/Perry Street to CT 179
CT 4 Sharon July 26, 1990 3.10 From US 7 west to Dunbar Road
CT 4 Sharon Oct. 22, 1992 0.80 From Dunbar Road west to Old Sharon Road
CT 4 Harwinton July 29,1996 1.60 From Cooks Dam west to Route 118
US 7 Sharon July 26, 1990 4.29 From the Cornwall Bridge crossing of the Housatonic River north to Route 128 at the covered bridge
US 7 Kent Oct. 17, 1991 10.50 From the New Milford town line north to the Cornwall town line
US 7 Cornwall Jan. 3, 2002 3.56 From Kent town line north to the North Canaan town line
US 7 Sharon, Salisbury, Canaan Jan. 3, 2002 10.26 From Route 128 north to the North Canaan town line
CT 10 Farmington April 13, 1999 1.00 From Route 4 south to Tunxis Street
CT 14 Windham, Scotland Jan. 13, 1999 4.40 From the Windham Center School to 0.3 miles east of Scotland Center
CT 14A Sterling Feb. 2, 1995 0.70 From Route 49 east to Porter Pond Road
CT 15 Greenwich to Stratford Jan. 28, 1993 37.50 the Merritt Parkway from the New York state line to the Housatonic River Bridge
CT 17 Durham June 26, 2001 1.40 From Route 77 north to 125 feet north of Talcott Lane
CT 27 Stonington, Groton Aug. 9, 2004 0.83 From 0.25 miles north of Jerry Browne Road north to Route 184
CT 33 Wilton Nov. 3, 1997 4.90 From the Wilton/Ridgefield town line south to the intersection with Old Ridgewood Road #1
CT 41 Sharon July 26, 1990 4.00 From Boland Road north to Cole Road
CT 41 Sharon Oct. 22, 1992 2.20 From Cole Road north to the Sharon/Salisbury town line
CT 41 Sharon Oct. 22, 1992 2.20 From Boland Road south to the New York state line
CT 41 Salisbury Dec. 20, 1993 8.01 From the Sharon/Salisbury town line north to the Massachusetts state line
US 44 Salisbury Dec. 20, 1993 8.83 From the New York state line east to the Salisbury/North Canaan town line
CT 45 Washington June 8, 2010 0.50 From the intersection with US 202 northerly to the southern limit of the section noted below
CT 45 Washington, Warren Dec. 26, 1996 1.59 from south junction of SSR 478 to north junction of SSR 478 (part of Lake Waramaug Loop)
CT 49 North Stonington Feb. 2, 1995 10.90 From Route 184 north to 0.10 miles before Route 165
CT 49 Voluntown Feb. 2, 1995 7.90 From the Boat Launch area north to Route 14A
CT 53 Redding Dec. 18, 1992 2.03 From Redding/ Weston town line north to the southern junction of Route 107
CT 58 Easton May 6, 1994 3.14 From Fairfield/Easton town line north to Freeborn Road
CT 63 Litchfield Jan. 4, 2002 3.37 From Morris town line north to Freeborn Road
CT 67 Roxbury Nov. 14, 1993 0.87 From Ranny Hill Road south to 0.30 miles south of Route 317
CT 67 Roxbury Aug. 23, 1996 2.90 From the Roxbury/Bridgewater town line east to Ranny Hill Road
CT 69 Burlington Mar. 26, 2013 2.64 From the vicinity of Bradley Road, northerly to Saw Mill Road
CT 74 Tolland Sep. 26, 2018 3.10 From the intersection with Merrow Road (Route195) westerly to 200 feet west of Gottier Road
CT 75 Suffield Feb. 23, 2001 4.30 From the southern end of the bridge over Stony Brook north to the Massachusetts state line
CT 77 Guilford May 3, 1991 11.56 From Route 146 north to the Durham/Guilford town line
CT 77 Durham June 26, 2001 2.30 From the Durham/Guilford town line north to Route 17
CT 80 Madison Dec. 17, 2010 2.00 From Killingworth town line westerly to Squire's Road
CT 82 Haddam, East Haddam Feb. 17, 2004 0.29 From the Haddam shoreline of the Connecticut River east to Route 149 (includes the swing bridge)
CT 97 Pomfret April 11, 2001 4.50 From US 44 north to Route 169
CT 109 Washington Mar. 9, 2017 3.30 From Route 47, northerly to the intersection with Wood Creek Road
CT 118 Harwinton July 29, 1996 0.10 From Route 4 west to Cemetery Road
CT 118 Litchfield Jan. 4, 2002 2.77 From Clark Road west to Route 63
CT 136 Westport July 6, 2016 1.82 From US 1 to the intersection with Bridge Street, then westerly to the west abutment of the Sugatuck River Bridge
CT 146 Branford, Guilford May 29, 1990 12.20 From Eades Street, Branford to US 1, Guilford
CT 148 Chester June 5, 2003 1.60 From the Chester shoreline, easterly via the Chester- Hadlyme Ferry to its intersection with Route 82 in Lyme
CT 149 East Haddam Feb. 17, 2004 2.31 From Route 82 north to Creek Row
CT 151 East Hampton Feb. 17, 2004 1.51 From 1.0 mile north of SSR 439/Hurd Park Road north
CT 154 Haddam Jan. 13, 1994 9.16 From the Chester/Haddam town line north to the Haddam/Middletown town line
CT 154 Old Saybrook Dec. 17, 2004 6.10 From US 1 north to Old Boston Post Road
CT 156 East Haddam June 5, 2003 6.24 From Route 82 in East Haddam easterly to the Lyme/Old Lyme town line
CT 160 Glastonbury Jan. 18, 1991 1.06 From the Roaring Brook Bridge west to the Connecticut River
CT 164 Preston Feb. 1, 1994 2.58 From Old Shetucket Turnpike north to the Preston/Griswold town line
CT 169 Lisbon, Woodstock April 15, 1991 32.10 From Rocky Hollow Road in Lisbon north to the Massachusetts state line
CT 179 Canton Feb. 25, 1991 0.30 From the Burlington/Canton town line to the junction with SR 565
CT 179 Farmington Mar. 26, 2013 1.96 From CT 4 to the Burlington/Canton town line (along with a segment of CT 4)
CT 181 Barkhamsted Jan. 10, 1995 1.10 From US 44 north to Route 318
CT 183 Colebrook May 20, 1994 3.10 From Route 182 north to Church Hill Road
CT 195 Tolland Sep. 26, 2018 0.37 From 150 feet south of Cider Mill Connector, northerly to the intersection with Tolland Stage Road (Route 74)
US 202 New Hartford Aug. 12, 1991 5.10 From the Canton/New Hartford town line west to the Bakersville Methodist Church
US 202 Litchfield Jan. 4, 2002 0.47 From Route 118 west to Russell Street
US 202 Washington June 8, 2010 2.80 From Rabbit Hill Road, southerly to Route 45
CT 203 Windham Jan. 13, 1999 1.70 From Route 32 northerly to Route 14, Windham Center Green
CT 207 Hebron, Lebanon, Franklin, Sprague June 7, 2022 16.01 Entire length
CT 219 Barkhamsted Jan. 10, 1995 2.60 From Route 318 south to the end of Lake McDonough Dam
CT 219 New Hartford Sep. 24, 1998 0.70 From Lake McDonough Dam southerly to the south side of the "Green Bridge" (Br. No. 1561)
CT 234 Stonington Feb. 20, 1990 3.16 From North Main Street west to Route 27
CT 244 Pomfret Feb. 21, 2003 3.10 From Route 97 westerly to Ragged Hill Road
CT 254 Litchfield Jan. 4, 2002 3.98 From Camp Hill Road in Northfield west to Route 118
CT 272 Norfolk May 13, 1996 11.00 From the Norfolk/Goshen town line north to the Massachusetts state line
CT 317 Roxbury Nov. 14, 1990 0.40 From Painter Hill Road west to Route 67
CT 318 Barkhamsted Jan. 10, 1995 2.60 From Route 181 to Route 219
SSR 431 Lyme June 5, 2003 0.26 From its intersection with Route 148 in Lyme northerly to the Lyme/East Haddam town line
SSR 431 East Haddam July 24, 2003 0.54 From the Lyme/East Haddam town line northerly to the entrance to Gillette Castle State Park
SSR 478 Washington Dec. 26, 1996 3.08 From the Washington/Kent town line to CT 45
SSR 478 Warren Dec. 26, 1996 2.22 From the Warren/Kent town line to CT 45
SSR 478 Kent Dec. 6, 2000 1.00 From the Washington/Kent town line north to the Warren/Kent town line
SR 565 Canton Feb. 25, 1991 0.70 From CT 179 northeast to Allen Place

The following routes were submitted, but were either declined outright (for which a date is provided if known), or we assume they were declined but we don't have information (aka "pocket veto").

Links

Sources