This Is The Worst Highway In Connecticut, According To Locals
Despite being the third smallest state in the United States, Connecticut is still notable for several reasons. It has a place in history as one of the original 13 British colonies, and it boasts all kinds of must-try cuisine. With that said, like any state, it's no paradise, with its share of drawbacks preventing it from being the perfect place to live. For example, unfortunately, some of the roads can be a challenge to navigate, with many locals ranking one highway as the absolute worst to drive on.
On the Connecticut subreddit, user u/1959memehusky made a thread with a poll on the matter of the state's worst highways. With a whopping 338 of 523 votes, I-95 firmly stood as the worst to get stuck driving on. "95 is just miserable in CT, it's a permanent feature," commented u/Burwylf in another thread on the infamous highway. A now-deleted Reddit user explained that it's a poorly designed stretch of road, favoring local traffic and having far too many exits in close proximity. "There is just much traffic for 95 to handle that's the issue. All our roads are over crowded unfortunately," u/Mobile_Builder_4261 added.
These assessments paint Connecticut's I-95 as an absolute nightmare, full of issues to report on the Google Maps app for those hoping to warn other motorists. But efforts have been made by the state to improve the highway's conditions in some way.
Efforts are being made to improve the flow of I-95 in Connecticut
Based on the testimonials of locals, the horrors of Connecticut's I-95 are far from new, and it is counted among the most dangerous highways in the United States. Folks have been loud about it long enough to actually create change, and in October 2024, sources including NBC New York revealed that the highway was up for some much-needed quality-of-life improvements. The $76 million endeavor includes plans to extend ramps on I-95 from Exit 6 to Exit 7 running both north and south in Stamford, ideally improving flow for commuters who would otherwise be stuck in traffic.
"I've been driving this road for 50 years, I've been cursing at traffic. I've been howling at the moon and finally at long last we are doing something about it," Governor Ned Lamont said of the project. Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto chimed in as well, explaining that the idea is to improve drivers' ability to merge. By making exits longer, it will give more time to drivers needing to change lanes to reach their exit ramp. Ideally, the expansion will also cut down on hard braking and the crashes that can stem from it — further reducing the amount of congestion.
It'll likely take time for the reputation of I-95 to improve among Connecticut residents, but any effort to make it easier to drive on is surely appreciated. At the same time, Connecticut roads as a whole are far from perfect, and local drivers haven't shied away from voicing their feelings on them.
I-95 isn't the only Connecticut motorway drivers don't love
It's one thing to deal with the I-95, but there's more to driving in the state than the highway. Connecticut is full of side streets, backroads, and other non-highway means of navigation. While one might think that getting to know and traversing these would be more ideal than trudging along I-95 day in and day out, it's not the trick that it seems. Just as folks online have made it clear that Connecticut's highways aren't for the faint of heart, many have also taken to the internet to shed light on the state's poor roads in general. A prime instance of this came in a Reddit thread regarding Connecticut's roadways and their rough nature.
"I'll admit my commute had at least 5 'I can feel my car breaking' potholes prior to the insane volume of infrastructure work CT did last year," commented u/ObiOneKenobae, explaining that while the roads have improved somewhat, they weren't great. Other drivers in the thread note that Connecticut roads still aren't perfect, but this is to be expected given factors like the climate of the state and number of drivers. Thus, as bad and complaint-worthy as the roads can be, many, including u/BubblySmell4079, seem to understand why they're so bad: "With our diverse weather, there's no road in the world that can withstand that much variation. Personally, the gripe shouldn't be on why do we have potholes and cracks, but on finding a way to fix them quicker."
From I-95 to backroads, Connecticut roadways are far from pristine. At least it's not the U.S. state with the worst drivers, making these roads marginally more manageable.