Most of those left exits and entrances are actually 'ghost' interchanges for freeways that were planned, but never built. They instead now connect with local streets.

The designers of the 1960s never dreamed these highways would have so much traffic. A little bit further and you would have passed the Blue Colony Diner, a favorite of many people.

Nice ride Jim- great music to go with the tunes- loved seeing the mix of the old with the new- meaning the upgraded sections and the non-upgraded sections of highway! Always makes it interesting- also loved seeing the view of downtown Hartford and of Waterbury! Nice ride- East coast highways sure do have their charms if you ask me!

Ah yes the Connecticut left exit epidemic as my father once called it. I'm pretty sure I learned a certain 4 letter word from him while on this road. Good times.

thanks freeway Jim, I love your videos and the history behind each highway.

I grew up here.Thanks for the video.Wish the ride from Hartford to Waterbury was that quick.lol

Ah yes, the infamous Waterbury Mixmaster, crumbling underneath our very wheels. (On a better note, ConnDOT is actually widening I-84 through Waterbury as we speak. The widening project is scheduled to be completed by 2020.)

They're making the highway entering Waterbury from the east wider. The project will take about 4 to 5 years to finish. Then after they're finished with that the mixmaster that connects I-84 with route 8 will get a makeover too. Traffic is even more hellish than it already was....hopefully when everything is done. Traffic will be a lot more smoother.

thanks for the video Jim. Keep up the good work !!....reminded me about my days in CT and the evening rush hour traffic in I-84 west bound.

Good video on a highway I have driven about a million times. If you drove 43 miles in 40 minutes, you averaged 64.5mph on roads that mostly had 50 and 55mph speed limits. 😎 This helps you blend in better with the local drivers. 😆 I agree that my home state has too many left-lane entrances and exits, but it would be a really expensive fix.

good drive!!! Love it. I-290 in Oak Park Illinois has those left exits and entrances--really messes up the traffic on I-290

Jane Marie: Thank you, glad you enjoyed the ride. The camera is mounted on a tripod in the front seat area, it also has a amazing Image Stabilization feature which keeps it very steady.

Love your videos, Jim, keep up the great work.

Nice, very informative informative about Hartford and it's hwy systems. Thank You!

Been on this road sooo many times.

I would like a Hartford to Springfield ride one day. Lol great job as always. I wish I could do videos like this due to all the adventures that I go on.

Such a crisp sharp picture with great content make for a fabulous ride; enjoyed the ride along.

New England certainly has some interesting and unique freeways. I kind of like the left hand exits and the stack at the end certainly qualifies for name of "malfunction junction". All and all nice ride.

10:07 The hospital where I was born in July 1967! (St Mary's)

5:05 Probably because it is half abandoned! I was surprised that you didn't mention this but the sliproads to the north are unused as well as the mainline. Only the southern slips to CT-9 are used.

Loved the crossing of the downtown and also the first stretch including the HOV lanes. That's a very large carriageway!

Left exits are not only confined to Connecticut. The I-490 in Rochester NY has a few left exits on it. The I-309/I-490 interchange on the western edge of Rochester can be a real nightmare since all the ramps go off from the left.

I actually checked out this video, and another one by another user, just so I could see the old setup of the Waterbury area again. I saw it for the first time in 2014, and a couple of times after that before the project started. Was not disappointed! How it is now is really nice, but I do miss that concrete stretch for Westbound, it was all paved over a few months ago. Eastbound still has it, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before it will be paved over.

I MISS CT SOO MUCH ALWAYS REPRESENTING #860- #203

A 15 mph left-side freeway-to-freeway exit? What could possibly go wrong?

I-691 is what I like to call the Meriden Lateral Expressway.

I lived in Bristol from 1990-1994, and that traditional four level stack didn't actuality open until the early part of the 90s. The DOT did a route number realignment when it opened. Route 9 was extended to it's current terminus at 84 and CT 72 was truncated near Plainville and Middletown.

There used to be a few left exit ramps on the 101 Freeway around San Jose, CA. They were certainly hair-raising. I think they're all gone now. A couple of years ago, the last left off ramp from the Santa Ana Freeway near LA finally closed. Thank goodness! There were a lot of bad wrecks because of these ramps.

The GREAT USA Beautiful

3:51 Yes, I've noticed. Connecticut also has a central exit-number tab fetish.

great vids jim keep up the great work just one question are you a truck driver or just doing it for fun either way love the vids keep em coming

IIRC, just shortly after the HOV lane begins, there was a *Nice & Easy* deli/diner located at one of the exits somewhere. Is it still in existence, by any chance?

Belíssimo passeio. Interessante aquele trecho da ponte do final do vídeo.

I enjoyed it very much, nice ride in a place I've never been to. I never cared for that second cut when it was first released but it really is a good tune. Worked well in the video.

4:38 Speaking of this traditional stack, as I may recall, people don't want their homes and jobs replaced by freeways and that stack is unusual and I-291 CT was planned to be a ¾ beltway, but people in West Hartford don't want their suburban areas linked or replaced by that and then the plan was cancelled in 1979 and I-291 CT is planned as a bypass route of I-84 (east portion) to Boston and I-91 to Springfield, MA and that freeway portion linking near Middletown, New Britain and near West Hartford used to be part of I-291 CT and is now marked as part of CT-9.

Great approach into Waterbury. Aren't there plans to rebuild that interchange?

I can’t believe they kept 84 from Farmington to Waterbury at 55 mph all those years after the state officially raised the speed limit to 65. A good stretch of that is rural. They finally raised those areas up to 65 mph, well drops to 55 once you get into Waterbury.

I84 through Hartford is 4 lanes with an HOV. HOV lanes are very rare, only in bigger cities like la, Atlanta, NYC (li expressway) so it's surprising it's in a city as small but populated as hartford

The 55 MPH zones from Route 9 to the Waterbury city line are now 65, and the 50 MPH zone near Route 72 is now 55.

Sorry, but I couldn't watch this whole thing, I love how all wide loads have to be routed through Prospect because the mixmaster is deemed no longer safe for them, but it's ok for all 18 wheelers and box cars and vehicles?

FreewayJim, you always deliver a sensational ride, (not your fault), but the guy in the red Mitsubishi gallant made a terrible move cutting in front of you at highway speed at (9:52), just to get into the right lane, none the less, you handled it like a pro! Great Drive!!

Hey Jim... How ya doing? First of all, kudos to the accuracy of your comments about the history of this freeway. However I do have to correct you on one thing. You stated that the section at the beginning was originally known as the Wilbur Cross Parkway. While Connecticut Route 15 includes the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways to the south as well as the Berlin Turnpike, that piece was designated as the Wilbur Cross Highway and eventually I-84 then I-86. Unlike the Parkways, truck traffic was eventually allowed and the two original lanes slightly widened to accommodate three narrow lanes making it one of the most dangerous stretches I ever had the horror of driving on an almost daily basis. However, it's realignment in the 1980s and 90s transformed it into one of the finest stretches of highway in Connecticut. Also. it's Interstate designation was changed from I-86 back to I-84. The original route for I-84 had it splitting off in Manchester, cutting through Bolton Notch, joining up with a finished stretch near Willimantic and eventually terminating in Providence RI roughly following US-6. Years after that project was cancelled, I-86 was returned to I-84 and the I-86 designation retired. It terminates at the Mass Pike in Sturbridge. I agree that Connecticut had a thing for left entrances/exits in the 60s. Nowhere is that more evident than on I-84 between Hartford and Waterbury. What makes it even more hazardous here is the geology of the area with the hills and resulting curves of the highway. This whole stretch is overdue for a complete overhaul. One section in Waterbury built in the early 50s was so bad, it was completely reconfigured in the late 1970s/early 80s. The eastbound and westbound lanes crossed over each other so opposing traffic was on your right instead of your left. It was very unnerving. Throw in a few left exits and it was utter madness! That former nightmare is now the nice wide stretch (9.51 to 10.10) just before the stacked bridge crossing the Naugatuck River. Did you know? Naugatuck Connecticut was the birthplace of Naugahyde.

The two lane section in Waterbury looks so much different now. I almost forgot how bad it was.

And I love the first song.

You've got to come back to Connecticut this year A lot has changed on Interstate 84 and Interstate 91 in the Hartford area. Lots and lots and lots of construction is going on currently

Just to let you know after traveling the country many times the rte between New York and Waterbury Ct is always well paved and a nice travel

everyone from west hartford to plainville does freaking 80 mph or more now

Funny to see the 1970 map has the I-291 in there as a planned highway but it never got built. My Aunt lives in West Hartford and it would probably be nice and convenient for it to be built but it also might damage the reservoir she likes to walk at. Also, there are not many North-South city bypasses.

Can you do a video with the end of the saw mill river pkwy in mount kisco to I 684 north to I 84 west to I 87?

Keep up the good work!

I don't know how close you got to Newington if you went through it, but it is the home base of an organization I pay yearly membership dues to, the Amateur Radio Relay League.

"HOV-Lane" I had to look that up one up because here it means a lane dedicated to public transportation (such as a regional or interregional bus service ---hoogwaardig openbaar vervoer - basically a kind of BRT system).

I-84 in Connecticut looks fresh and well designed (as well as the HOV lanes) near the metropolitan area of Hartford. Also, how many left exits are there?

Great ride, but boy does some of those old bridges give Pennsylvania a run for its money. And that 55 mph limit is criminal. But also a nice dig through the crates Jim!

Just noticed when this was posted lol i was confused why there was an exit 24 and noticed that it was 2 lanes around that area

Great shooting of some old highways on I-84. I see that you played some tunes from The Style Council. Paul Weller was of course the lead singer in The Jam. Too bad he never made it big over here.

Can you please make a video of the raymond e baldwin bridge and I-95 new haven?

Side note: Interstate 84 goes through two state capital cities, Hartford, Conn and Boise, Idaho.

mhm apparently the bridges in connicut don't make sounds like in other states.. it jus sounds like regular asphalt. me personally I like bridges that make sounds.. with the tanish asphalt.. and btw I love your videos freewayjim

3:16 I think there is an alternate route I-84 could take. Back at Exit 57, I-84 could follow Route 15 up until I-91 where the 2 Interstates form a concurrency southbound. Then, it follows the route of I-691 before reuniting with its old route at Exit 27.

I liked it. :)

Could've also gotten to NYC and I-678 by staying on I-84 until I-684 shortly past the state line then taking that to I-287 East to I-95 South.

I see what you mean with the left exits. That seems dangerous as you are exiting from the outside or overtaking lane which typically has higher speed traffic. Also enjoying the 80's new wave sound track.

Maybe when you get back to Illinois, make a video of the Illinois 390

Connecticut's charms do tend to get overlooked because it is inbetween Boston and New York so it is a good thing you are gave the state double exposure. Already anticipating New York my stomping grounds next week

If you drive this now you’ll pass by the beautiful Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Double A Hartford Yard Goats, completed 2017

what city is that, that you have as your video intro? it looks nice at night

Oh jeez try the PA Turnpike winter There's a crash every Friday

Nice work FWJ

It would have cost way more to build a right exit and an overpass across a 6 lane highway than a left exit that uses a small cliff as it's base. Left exits are only dangerous when you're approaching them, but they feel way safer once you're on the ramp.

I'm guessing that postcard didn't read "Wish You Were Here..."

Besides the left exits, the morons added right (low) lanes up hills instead of left (passing) lanes so slow moving vehicles have to merge back into the travel lanes at the tops of inclines when they're moving the slowest.

Not to mention the I-84/CT 72 interchange shuffle.

I live in New Britain CT

Please be careful when driving through Hartford while on I 84. The curves created by this stretch of highway are nothing less than dangerous!

I live in Hartford

Expressways of the USA are quite good. and the musical is quite good.

Interstate 70 Indiana indianapolis

Actually Connecticut has decided to remove the bridges that Interstate before uses over the city streets and plans to have the the highway go at ground level and by downtown Hartford the highway is going to go underneath the Connecticut River they're going to get rid of the bulkeley Bridge

I was almost killed on this highway.

3:58 what’s old and outdated about it?

CT should invest in a Capital Beltway by making I-291 into at least a half circle freeway.

i exit 60 in i-84

Overall, very nice drive, but that's one UGLY stack interchange west of Hartford. The Waterbury one isn't much better. Geesh! And SOMEONE dug into the crates for those tunes. #ThumbsUp

0:47 Sign On Top Right Doesn't Match The Exit With CT-30 And CT-83

The section in waterbury looks nothing like it does now

Reylyn

Left lane exit fetish, indeed. Not unlike Connect-i-cut's political proclivity.

3:49... To me, left-lane exits make roadways more interesting from time to time.

Mariah Carey is from Connecticut I'm surprised you didn't play any of her music 🤔😁

You didn't venture up I-91 North to Springfield? Well then you missed out on lotsa footage of stopped traffic! LOL

Springfield ma to New York NY

Makes me wonder, I bet most who wish 84 to be torn down, that 84 was there before they were born.

Drove through this in 2013. One of the worst designed freeways I have ever been on. H-1 in Honolulu is another one.

why 55mph on this highway? it should be 65mph. 55mph is too slow for this three lanes

BoybandPH

Do you and your family a service don't move to Connecticut!. It sucks and the taxes are way too high and you don't get anything from those tax dollars honestly they just take them.. The roads suck, the politicians suck and the people suck so just drive straight on through and never look back.. I'm serious BTW!.

Going south on the Wilbur Cross Pkwy becomes the Merritt Pkwy when the highway crosses the Connecticut River. The southern terminus of the Merritt is the NY state line at Greenwich.