Nice job with the video Jim! It really made my day. I did start back school today so it was nice to see this video after getting home. Keep on rolling! I also find it odd that the I-91 New Haven interchange has been going on for years.
The I-91/95 interchange with the new "Q"/Pearl Harbor Bridge was completed in 2018, on time and on budget. The largest single construction project in CTDOT history. I had read that the reason for all the left exits in the 1960s was to save money on bridges. Now they are slowly straightening many of those out. I-84 through Waterbury is now straight as an arrow and 3 lanes each way. Just completed in 2019. Small state with big infrastructure.
Hartford... the home of the former Whalers hockey team- sorry could not resist that one- nice ride and great tune for the ride! Hartford is an interesting area- it also has an interesting skyline too- really enjoyed the vid! Nice green trees, excellennt traffic- and just a fun ride! Loving seeing places I more than likely will never get to visit! Awesome!
Your vids have always been some of my favorite in the genre. Great combination of music and video pacing. As a followup to talk about the 95/91 interchange, it's (finally) been finished as of 2017 or thereabouts. While nothing special by the standards of some of the infrastructure you see around the country, it's something pretty unusual in New England - a high traffic interchange built with some elegance and seemingly with fully modern highway standards. No more lane reduction on 95, no more left-split to get on 91. That and the updates to 84 in the area approaching Waterbury would be two things to look at if you find yourself up this way again in the 2020s.
I love I-91, the ride is nice. I live near the area, and that massive construction project has caused nothing but insane backups on that stretch of I-95 you filmed (even during off-peak hours). Thanks for sharing!
You got the Fog Area sign!!! Years ago, the local pop FM station KC101 had a "mascot" named the "Mayor of Foggaria". At one time, they had a contest as to where the Mayor of Foggaria resided. After a lengthy guessing period, about 2-3 months, someone finally guessed it to be "Fog Area". I still drive that stretch and to this day still think of that contest from years ago! Great video, I hope you are able to come back and do the 91-95 interchange when it is completed. It should be done in 2016, and is currently ahead of schedule.
The I-91-95 interchange was completed in July 2016. I-95 North is now left two lanes; I-91 North right two (the opposite of what it has been since the mid-1960s). GPS and navigation systems should not be used thru this area until all road database updates are completed and implemented. Much smoother traffic flow.
I-91 is a main Interstate throughout the New England region. It travels 290.37 mi. from New Haven, CT connecting the New Haven Mixmaster via I-95 & US 1 to the Canadian border to Quebec connecting A-55 just nearly 50 km south of Sherbrooke.
@@Freewayjim I wish that you would use THEN CAME YOU by Dionne Warwick or TURN THE BEAT AROUND by Vickie Sue Robinson or two by Gordon Lightfoot - SUNDOWN and CAREFREE HIGHWAY. Just suggestions
@@65wiseman I've used Gloria Estefan version of Turn the Beat around in Miami and Carefree Highway here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fFIOTEySoxs.html
I looked up New Haven county and found that it's population is approx. 862K. The metro area includes Waterbury and Meriden, the latter town shares its northern border with Hartford County's Town of Southington. Watching your Hartford videos and New Haven videos really takes me back as I'm originally from Southern New England and you, "FreewayJim", are originally from Northern New England.
+Steven Baldi Thanks, I never found "City Populations" to be an accurate reflection of the area, for Example, El Paso is the 19th largest city with 680K, Atlanta is 39th with 456K, but Metro El paso is only a little over 1 Million, Metro Atlanta is over 6 Million, see the difference?.
@ReturnoftheBrotha Connecticut is part of New England and the unofficial "capital" of that US province(yes I know it's technically a region) is Boston which is the Mass state capital.
Yes, it is a shame the original plans to construct the I-291/I-491 beltway around Hartford was never done. Only the "quarter" I-291 northeast piece which includes the Bissell Bridge was completed. Many tried to get at least the southwest piece starting in Rocky Hill after Exit 23 North going, and they actually did for a short time circa 1973 but injunctions halted that after construction began. The towel was eventually thrown in on that entire project, and around 1999 the crossover bridge from what would have been Exit 23A (likely) over the southbound lanes was unceremoniously taken down (during an I-91 improvement project). Would have been a nice road actually. The much-needed southwest Hartford bypass from I-91 to I-84 eventually was incorporated into the Route 9 completion (maybe a 3-digit interstate someday, maybe). Nothing was ever done regarding the northwest part of the loop though some wanted to incorporate part of route 218 (which naturally went nowhere). The new northbound I-84 east left-hand exit ramp helped immensely with traffic in the Capitol region.
Splendid video Jim, my wife and I had driven to Hartford Connecticut once, back in 2013 and it is a lovely drive. Since I was the one and only driver, I didn't get much of an opportunity to spectate and observe the scenery. Once again, Awesome job and your music selection is on point for the journey!!!
Correct. I-291 was a unilateral wet-dream, conceived in the 1950s as a beltway around Hartford (with I-491 - which was never built). The CT-9 expressway, which does connect I-91 in Cromwell with I-84 in Farmington, incorporates some pieces of the 291 originally built. Today only a small section of I-291 exists (in Windsor/So Windsor incorporating the Bissell Bridge).
Well it is different and unique. Im sure you heard the stories of Interstate 84 to Providence and Interstate 86 from Sturbridge to Wethersfield. Theres a whole lot of history around here with canceled freeways. Anyways cant wait to see what else you have in store
@@Ibelikemj Oh yeah, plenty of history regarding roads planned but never built or partially built. It has kinda been a hobby of mine now for the past 10 years researching them (going back to old DOT maps) and then finding out the "what happened". You could write a book regarding the I-84 to Providence tied to the I-84/I-86 renaming fiasco. Another good one was the planned tunnel to be drilled through East Rock where I-91 Exit 6 would have kept going straight to Whitney Avenue in Hamden. Also the so-called Ring Road around New Haven, the Route 22 and Route 10 freeways, I-484, and on and on. Fun stuff.
Just returned. Got Footage Of Lake Charles, Alexandria, LA, Jackson, Huntsville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Birmingham! Hope you like what is coming!!!
I have a mix tape containing "Synchronicity," before "Synchronicity II" myself. Somehow, I don't think I'm the only person who has done that. Yes, that's right; I said HAVE, not had!
It's so strange why I-91 parallels US 5 for it's entire length. That's something. Some Interstates parallel portions of US routes as we check the maps.
@@Freewayjim CT had wanted to replace all it's left-hand exits some years back. I remember when I had first heard of this crazy plan on the local TV news, I figured somebody must have been smoking something real good. That's how nuts I knew this idea was. The plan was left-hand exit replacement would be tackled on a priority-type basis. However, state DOT soon found that many were originally built that way because logistics (land availability, topography, etc.) dictated left-exit as situational-most-practical or only option available. As a matter of fact, the new I-91 north exit to I-84 east via the Charter Oak Bridge went from a right-hand to a left-hand exit (highway split actually, but still on the left). As the late great Mel Allen would say: "How about that?".
If you were able to look to your right at the first second of this video, you would see the house I bought in 1987 and lived in until my divorce 13 years later. Of all the millions of miles of highway available to start your recording, you chose that exact spot! 27 Oleander St. West Haven, CT. Google it. Mind blown!