Connecticut Roads - US 7 - Danbury-Brookfield

US 7, , Danbury to Brookfield



Wooster Heights Rd. WB at the Danbury Airport exit.


Miry Brook Rd. EB, which turns into Wooster Heights Rd. at US 7. By the way, the southbound onramp is at the end of Sugar Hollow Rd., which is the old surface alignment of US 7.


A complete account of northbound signage on the freeway, with blank exit tabs meant to hold numbers for the completed freeway. Judging from the Federal Rd. and US 202 exit numbers north of Danbury, these likely would have been 7-8-9. In the one daylight photo you see US 7's rust color for the gantry pole.


The original version of the US 7 NB signage, taken in 1969 by Michael Summa. Lake Ave. was left off of the BGS's, and US 7 was separated from I-84, perhaps to list more destinations, or perhaps to keep traffic on the left side of the multiplex. The destination missing on the left BGS was Newburgh - I assume it was taken off once I-84 was completed through New York.


And southbound signs, which are sparser because there's no freeway looming at the end. Click on the second photo to see a daylight version that shows the gantry pole in US 7's rust color.


Park Ave. WB where it turns into Backus Ave., and then on the Park Ave. onramp (Backus Ave. doesn't get credit from the US 7 freeway, so it doesn't get credit for the onramp).


NB heading out of Danbury (from I-84) and down the Exit 11 ramp. As strange as it seems, both directions do lead to Federal Road in a loop, but it's a lot quicker to get there by making a left.


Continuing NB to the end of the third US 7 freeway section, which (unlike the other sections) had pavement stubs for the extension north of US 202 that remained unbuilt for decades. This discontinuous piece of freeway was numbered as if the freeway would be completed south to Norwalk, even though the piece south of I-84 (scroll up) was unnumbered or denumbered. First of all, Exit 11 (Federal Road) actually is where US 202 leaves the freeway, but that goes unmentioned. Second of all, Exit 11 actually leads to Candlewood Lake Road (or even White Turkey Road Extension), not Federal. Third of all, Exit 12 says TO US 202, when in fact it again goes directly to US 202. Was 202 on a different set of roads back in the 1970's? Fourth and finally, what no sign mentioned is that all US 7 traffic was forced off Exit 12 (graciously widened to two lanes so you couldn't tell what's going on), and then returned to a US 7/202 duplex (the two routes were together on I-84/US 6). However...


Finally, ConnDOT got their act together and extended the freeway northward just a little bit around the west side of Laurel Hill, plus they upgraded US 7/202 north of that point. So click to drive the then-new freeway northbound (in January 2010).


The southbound stub beginning of the northern Danbury freeway before it was extended. I don't understand why the two lanes on the exit ramp (now mainline US 7 SB) had to merge into one just to merge with the two ghost lanes of the southbound unbuilt freeway. Why not restripe the two lanes straight into the freeway mainline? It's all moot now anyway.


Southbound signs on the freeway. First of all, why are only the 1 and 3 button copy in that last photo? Second of all, why is the I-84 interchange numbered Exit 13, when Federal Road and US 202 are numbered Exits 11 and 12? I'd have to think I-84 was meant to once be Exit 10, but why number it at all if the rest of the freeway isn't complete to Norwalk?


Original button copy on White Turkey Rd. Extension SB from Candlewood Lake Road.

And NB.


Federal Rd. itself NB and SB at the US 7 (US 202)/I-84 (US 6) interchange. There's one spare ramp in addition to the freeway ramps, and it's an onramp from here to US 7 SB right before it merges into I-84 WB. The "next left" SB, incidentally, is to head back up White Turkey to Exit 11 again.

Continue north on US 7
Continue south on US 7
I-84/US 6 EB and US 7 NB
I-84/US 6 WB and US 7 SB
Back to US 7 main page


Onto I-84
US 7 freeway on Steve Anderson's nycroads.com
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