Connecticut Route 85

Route 85
290x172px Map of eastern Connecticut with Route 85 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ConnDOT
Length:	37.38 mi (60.16 km)
Existed:	1932 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 1 in New London
	I-95 in Waterford I-395 in Waterford Route 2 in Colchester I-384 in Bolton
North end:	US 6 / US 44 in Bolton
Location
Counties:	New London, Tolland
Highway system
Routes in Connecticut Interstate U.S. State SSR SR ← I-84 Route 87 →

Route 85 a north–south state highway in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Connecticut linking the city of New London to the town of Bolton.

Route description

Route 85 begins as a four-lane urban arterial road at US 1 in New London, with junctions with I-95 and I-395 in Waterford. Route 85 continues north through the towns of Montville and Salem as a 2-lane rural arterial road up to the junction with Route 82. The road continues further north into the towns of Colchester, Hebron, and Bolton as a collector road (with arterial sections near the Route 2 and Route 16 junctions). There is a brief overlap with Route 16 in Colchester. Route 85 ends in Bolton at US 6 and US 44 with a partial interchange with I-384 just before its terminus.

Route 85 is designated Governor's Road from its southern terminus to the intersection with Route 2 in Colchester.

History

The section of Route 85 south of Colchester can be traced to the 19th century Hartford and New London Turnpike. This portion of the former turnpike was designated as State Highway 102 in 1922, when state highways were first signed in Connecticut. The northward continuation from Colchester to Hebron was assigned as State Highway 366. Modern Route 85 was established in the 1932 state highway renumbering from old Highways 102 and 366, with an extension north via Bolton center to Route 83 in Manchester (using Campmeeting Road and Charter Oak Street). In 1950, the northern terminus was moved to its current location at US 6 (along former SR 807). The northern terminus was moved back to its original location in 1954, then shifted again to its current location in 1963. The original northern end became SR 534.

Junction list

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
New London	New London	0.00	0.00	US 1 – New London, Waterford
	Waterford	0.93	1.50	I-95 – New London, New Haven	I-95 Exit 82
		3.55	5.71	I-395 – New Haven, Norwich	I-395 Exit 2
	Montville	6.97	11.22	Route 161 south – Flanders
	Salem	11.27	18.14	Route 82 – Hadlyme, Montville
	Colchester	18.24	29.35	Route 354 south – Salem
		19.04	30.64	Route 16 east – Lebanon	Eastern end of CT 16 overlap
		19.11	30.75	Route 16 west – Westchester	Western end of CT 16 overlap
Tolland	Hebron	23.91	38.48	Route 207 east – Lebanon
		25.52	41.07	Route 66 – Columbia, Marlborough
		34.27	55.15	Route 94 west – Glastonbury
	Bolton	36.90	59.38	I-384 west – East Hartford	I-384 Exit 5, partial interchange
		37.38	60.16	US 6 / US 44 – Manchester, Coventry, Andover
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Notes

The section of Route 85 between Route 82 in Salem and I-95 in Waterford is a major thoroughfare that serves traffic between the Hartford and New London areas. This section travels through what is known as the Route 11 Corridor, named for the unfinished expressway that will run parallel to Route 85 in this area. Currently, the Route 11 expressway ends abruptly in Salem, and all traffic is forced to exit and dumped onto Route 85 (via Route 82).