Route 14A is one of Connecticut's rare surviving alternate routes, and one of its newest (only Route 2A is newer).
Updated Sept 2, 2024
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Route 14A is one of Connecticut's rare surviving alternate routes, and one of its newest (only Route 2A is newer).
Route 14A was created in the Small Renumbering, in 1963. Before that, portions of it had the following numbers:
A three-mile section of Route 14A, from I-395 to the Sterling town line, was reconstructed from summer 2002 through spring 2005. The existing narrow, winding road, known as the Plainfield Pike, had blind curves, winding hills, and (to top it off), heavy truck traffic.
After the $6.5 million project, the reconstructed Route 14A is straighter and less hilly, and a uniform 40 feet wide including shoulders. There's a section of old alignment visible to the north along New Road in Sterling.
"Two projects, one fairly interesting, are continuing in Northeastern Connecticut if anyones taking a road trip in the area soon.
"CT 101 just east of CT 169 is having approx. 1 mile widened & straightened. The road was cut into a hillside, so it's taking quite a bit of fill to straighten. But otherwise kinda unremarkable.
"The more interesting construction is CT 14-A from approx. 1 mile east of I-395 to CT 49 is being rebuilt, and there is still a few sections of the old roadway in place for comparison.
"It's kind of a bummer that 14-A is being rebuilt, as that was on my list of where to drive the first weekend I finally own a BMW :) It was a twisty, up and down road that really gave you a ride, and heavily shaded as well...just a fun road to drive on if you're not trying to go anywhere in particular in any given time.
"It's being rebuilt as a more typical modern state highway, straighter, no up-and-down dips, big curve radiuses, and wide shoulders. Lots of fills, some cuts, and temporary gravel sections."
Thanks to Wm. F. Yurasko for several sources.