Трасса 5 США: История и маршрут в Новой Англии

Highway in the United States

U. S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfield, Massachusetts. From Hartford northward to St. Johnsbury, Vermont, the road closely follows the route of the Connecticut River. The entire route of US 5 is closely paralleled by Interstate 91 (I 91). US 5 now serves as the local business route and alternate route for the Interstate Highway. The northern terminus of US 5 is in Derby Line, Vermont, at the Canada–United States border, where it continues past the Derby Line–Stanstead Border Crossing into Quebec as Route 143, which was Route 5 until renumbered in the mid 1970s. Its southern terminus is in New Haven, Connecticut, at an intersection with I 91.

lengths table|length ref= In the mid 1950s, US 5 was instead routed through the Mill River neighborhood ending at East Street and Forbes Avenue. The modern New Haven to North Haven designation was also in place around this time. When I 91 opened in 1967, the alignment was truncated to its current terminus at exit 5 of I 91.

The Massachusetts Highway Commission noted in 1912 that between Longmeadow and Agawam, the traffic between the Pioneer Valley and Connecticut was heavier on the east side. The western route from Hartford to West Springfield, via what is now River Road in Agawam and Route 159 in Connecticut, was designated US 5 Alternate. The main route, US 5, was originally designated to run on the east side of the river from Hartford into downtown Springfield, over the Memorial Bridge, along Memorial Avenue, up a four lane Main Street, and then to Park Street (and Park Avenue going in the opposite direction), and up what is now Elm Street, to Riverdale Street. Riverdale Street at that time followed the northern part of the current Elm Street and ended at Witch Path. In 1938, due to congestion in the West Springfield town center, US 5 was moved to a newly constructed bypass from the North End Bridge to East Elm Street, where it continued north along the modern Elm Street and Riverdale Road. In 1941–1942, a four lane highway was built from East Elm Street to the current Elm Street fork just south of Morgan Road. The designations of both Riverdale Road and US 5 were moved to the new more easterly route. In 1952–1953, construction was started on the modern four lane highway from the new South End Bridge in Agawam to the existing bypass at the North End Bridge. Tunnels were built under the rotaries at the Memorial and North End bridges so US 5 traffic and local traffic would not intersect. In 1971, the Riverdale Road portion of US 5 was upgraded to a divided highway, with the installation of a steel median, and in 1987–1988, a new lane was added to accommodate the new Riverdale Shops at Daggett Drive.

US 5 in Vermont mostly followed the Route 2 alignment when it was first designated. Minor deviations from the current route are found in the urban compacts of White River Junction, Burke, Coventry, and Derby Center. From 1927 to 1929, US 5 was temporarily routed into New Hampshire along part of what is now New Hampshire Route 12 between North Walpole and Charlestown. The US 5 designation was removed when the road opposite the Connecticut River in Vermont had been improved. In 1931, US 5 in Vermont was taken over by the state, which began paving the road. Over the years a few minor reroutings within populated centers have taken place. The current alignment was in place by 1975.

U. S. Route 5 Alternate (St. Johnsbury, Vermont)
U. S. Route 5 Alternate (Derby Line, Vermont)
U. S. Route 5 Alternate (Newport, Vermont)