Connecticut Route 218

Route 218
Route information
Maintained by ConnDOT
Length:	7.00 mi[1] (11.27 km)
Existed:	1935 – present
Major junctions
West end:	US 44 in West Hartford
	I-291 in Windsor I-91 in Windsor
East end:	Route 159 in Windsor
Highway system
Routes in Connecticut Special Service Roads • State Roads ← Route 217 Route 219 →

Route 218 is a Connecticut state highway in the northwestern suburbs of Hartford, running in an "L" pattern from West Hartford to Windsor.

Route description

Route 218 begins as North Main Street at an intersection with US 44 in West Hartford and heads north about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) into the town of Bloomfield, becoming Hall Boulevard. In the vicinity of the town line, Route 218 briefly becomes a four-lane road for about 0.4 miles (0.64 km) as it intersects with Route 185. Hall Boulevard continues north through southern Bloomfield following along Tumble Brook, then turns east at Cottage Grove Road. Route 218 becomes a partially controlled-access divided four-lane highway for about four miles (6 km) as it runs east through southern Bloomfield. Along the way, it intersects with Route 189 and Route 187, also passing through the Blue Hills community. Route 218 soon reaches the Windsor town line where the road becomes undivided but still four lanes wide. In Windsor, it continues east, intersecting the ramps to and from I-291 near its western end. The road then runs parallel to I-291 and soon crosses over I-91 (at Exit 35) at the I-91/I-291 junction. It continues east for another half mile to end at an intersection with Route 159.^[1]

Special Designation

The easternmost 0.60 miles (0.97 km) of Route 218 are designated the Putnam Memorial Highway.^[1]

History

Route 218 was commissioned in 1935 from previously unnumbered state roads, running from the current route of Route 189 in West Hartford (via modern Route 185) to the current route of Route 187 in Bloomfield. In 1963, the southern sections of Routes 185 and 218 were exchanged, resulting in the current western terminus of Route 218 at US 44. In 1982, it was rerouted along the Mount St. Benedict connector to the current intersection with Route 187. In 1992, Route 218 was extended to its current eastern terminus in preparation for the construction of I-291 from 1992 to 1994.^[2]

Route 218 serves the corridor that was to be part of the northwest quadrant of the I-291 Hartford Beltway that was canceled in the 1970s due to environmental and community opposition.

Junction list

Location	Mile[1]	Destinations	Notes
West Hartford	0.00	US 44 (Albany Avenue) – Hartford, Avon
Bloomfield	1.44	Route 185 – Weatogue, Simsbury, Hartford
	2.68	Route 189 – Bloomfield, Hartford
	4.97	Route 187 – East Granby, Hartford
Windsor	6.01	I-291 east – South Windsor, Manchester	I-291 Exit 1
	6.60	I-91 – Hartford, Windsor Locks	I-91 Exit 35
	7.00	Route 159 – Windsor Locks, Windsor
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Connecticut portal

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Connecticut State Highway Log
2. ^ Connecticut Routes, Route 218