NORTHEASTERN U.S. trip
June 13-18 2014
PART 8
We left off on I-195's Braga Bridge in Fall River, Mass. Here we enter the town of Somerset. Monty Burns would love this scene.
In this important video, I-195 crosses into another state: Rhode Island, the smallest of the 50 states in area.
I-195 in East Providence, R.I. In the background, the skyline of Providence is peeping up. The dome of the Rhode Island State House (the state capitol) is on the right.
As we cross the Seekonk River into Providence, we look upstream and see the Crook Point Bascule Bridge. Locals call this railway drawbridge the Stuck-Up Bridge because it's been stuck in a lifted position since it was abandoned way back in 1976. It was built in 1908.
I-195 crosses the Providence River Bridge in Providence. This 2007 span is part of a rebuilt section of freeway that replaced part of I-195 that dated from the 1950s.
A good view of Providence. The Point Street Bridge is coming in from the left.
The Point Street Bridge over the Providence River was built in 1927. It was once a swinging bridge, but it no longer swings.
South on I-95 in Providence past a giant blue bug. At least it's not a giant blue boog.
I-95 enters Connecticut. That BGS looks like it's from about 1960.
That truck on I-95 looks like it's hauling the Jolly Green Giant's marshmallows. I saw a truck on another trip that appeared to be hauling his toilet paper roll. With marshmallows that big, no wonder he needs such a big toilet paper roll!
In Groton, Conn., I-95/US 1 is about to cross the Thames River into the city of New London. The mile-long bridge is called the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, which opened in 1943 and became a dual span in 1973. It has a pedestrian path too.
Southbound I-95 has no direct access to I-395. In its stead, one must partake of CT 85. That's what this ancient sign refers to. Along with I-95 from here to the New York line, I-395 from here to Plainfield is the Connecticut Turnpike - now officially the Gov. John Davis Lodge Turnpike - which opened in 1958. It was a toll road until 1985. The tolls were controversial because New York City subway passengers began using the toll tokens in place of subway tokens (for the turnpike tokens cost less).
Looking down the Connecticut River at a rail drawbridge called the Amtrak Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge. As of this writing, Amtrak now owns this 1907 span.
I-95 in New Haven, Conn.
The Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge carries I-95 over the Quinnipiac River in New Haven. It was actually still under construction. One side opened in 2012; the other side was scheduled for opening in 2015. It replaces a bridge that opened in 1958 and had itself been known as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge since 1995. The new bridge is America's first extradosed bridge - something between a cable-stayed and a box girder. The Quinnipiac River lends its name to Quinnipiac University - known for its pollster than invariably overstates Republican support.
Downtown New Haven as seen from the new bridge.
Another view of New Haven. The city's tallest building is the Connecticut Financial Center, the pointed 1990 structure slightly to the left of the center of this photo.
Not sure here. I'm guessing we're on a ramp from I-95 to CT 34. The overpass is probably a ramp to CT 34 from the other side of I-95, and the freeway below is probably I-95. I assume Long Island Sound is in the background.
A horrendous traffic jam near downtown New Haven. We're on CT 34, a mile-long freeway called the Oak Street Connector - officially Richard C. Lee Highway - completed in 1959 or 1960. The purpose of this freeway wasn't so noble: It was designed to decimate a poor neighborhood. Later plans called for making it part of a freeway all the way to Peekskill, N.Y., but that never materialized. The freeway you see here was in the process of being torn down. The tall building at right is the worldwide headquarters of the Knights of Columbus (said to be the source of Brossart's famous deer bookends that were carelessly destroyed).
The traffic jam continues on CT 34.
Westbound CT 34 picks up the frontage road and becomes Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. This is at College Street, which goes over the old freeway path at left.
Congress Avenue at Cedar Street. Congress Avenue goes under a walkway up ahead linking some Yale-related facilities. And why is there a school bus out on June 17?
At right is Yale-New Haven Hospital. Assuming the hospital used this building yet in 1946, this is the birthplace of George W. Bush. I knew something would put a damper on our day.
There may be another hospital-related building up ahead on the right.
This is the building I'm talking about - though it may be just a parking garage.
I-95 in Milford, Conn. I don't know what the center lanes of the freeway or the elaborate rail structures are for.
The bridge seen here with the arches underneath is the US 1 drawbridge crossing the Housatonic River from Milford to Stratford. It's called the Washington Bridge, and it opened in 1921.
I-95 in Bridgeport - the largest city in Connecticut.
A view of downtown Bridgeport, with I-95 soaring in front of it.