End of US highway 7 |
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Summa
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Mileage: in 1989 AASHTO listed a figure of 309 miles for US 7. That closely matches our own 2020 measurement, which yielded 307.9 miles. Want historic mileages? Our handy reference book includes the mileages that were published in all 13 of AASHO/AASHTO's historic route logs (spanning the years 1927 to 1989).
The original plan for US 7 had it going through only the northwest corner of Connecticut before entering New York and following today's NY hwy. 22 all the way down to its junction with US 1 in Manhattan. At the time, US 1 (later NY 1A) would have run east-west on Houston Street, and US 7 would have run north on Lafayette Street (NY 22)...
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c. 1927, Rand McNally
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...however, New York never signposted US 7 (no US routes were signed at all in New York City until after 1931). And already by April 1927 AASHO's route log showed US 7 rerouted to go through western Connecticut and end in Norwalk. Until some time after 1951, US 7 ended on Main Street at the intersection with Wall Street (today's US 1 was formerly US 1A, while mainline US 1 traffic used Wall). Here is an historic view of that intersection:
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c. 1955, from a redevelopment booklet
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(detail, showing US 7 marker and a Merritt Parkway shield)
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During this era, Connecticut used colored US markers through the cities: US 7 was blue, US 1 was red. At some point (no later than 1959), US 1 was rerouted to its current path through Norwalk. So then US 7 began where CT hwy. 123 begins today:
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Kerr, Jan. 2002
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Interestingly, there was still a US 7 shield installed, directing traffic north on Main -- that probably dates back to when US 7 really did begin to the left. But US 7 has not used Main since the 1980s, when US 7 traffic was diverted over to today's freeway. Now the south end of US 7 is at its interchange with the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike (I-95). Just before that interchange, the last southbound sign is posted:
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Mortell, May 2007
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"End US 7" would be a more appropriate assembly at that point (since the route essentially ends at the sign bridge just ahead), but that does function as a confirming assembly for US 1 drivers who have just entered US 7. A close-up of the signage ahead is shown in this photo...
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Nitzman, June 2005
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...although that was taken before "Maritime Aquarium" was changed to a brown panel (that center lane leads to a local road). This shot shows a sign on northbound I-95 for the south beginning of US 7...
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Nitzman, July 2004
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...and here is signage from southbound I-95...
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Kerr
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Karners, Aug. 2010
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Drivers who take that exit will soon see the first northbound marker...
Karners, Aug. 2010
...and the last such marker is located about 300 miles ahead, shown here:
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Bourey, Jul. 2019
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About six miles further ahead, the north end of US 7 was originally at the Canada border, outside Highgate Springs...
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c. 1966, courtesy of Doug Bassett
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...however, the northernmost segment of US 7 was paved over when I-89 was built, and now the designation has been truncated to the northernmost interchange on I-89 (exit 22). Heading northbound on I-89 and taking that last exit, travelers are greeted with the signage shown here:
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Field, Aug. 2007
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From that, one could easily get the impression that US 7 must continue up to the Canada line. However, as one takes that left turn, US 7 immediately curves west over the interstate (just south of the customs facility), and then curves again, back around to the south. On that last curve, this sign was posted...
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Field/Nitzman, July 2000 (still there as of 2007)
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...which was a bit prior to the actual terminus of US 7 just ahead, at the on-ramp that leads back southbound, via I-89:
Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007
In 2010 a new assembly combining both signs was posted at that junction. So yes, when one reaches the north terminus of US 7, they are actually heading south:
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Bourey, Jul. 2019
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To the right is a visitor center, and straight ahead dead-ends in a country club. This photo was taken more or less across the road, looking the opposite direction:
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Field/Nitzman, July 2000
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Bourey, Jul. 2019
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Despite the sign, we are actually facing north there; US 7 crosses I-89 to the right and keeps curving until it commences a more southerly direction of travel. This view was looking north from that overpass:
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Field/Nitzman, July 2000
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That is the north end of I-89, and it is also where the historic north end of US 7 was located. Today southbound US 7 continues to the right from this overpass, and then curves south into Highgate Springs.
Research and/or photo credits: George Bourey; Andy Field; Karin and Martin Karner; Doug Kerr; Dan Moraseski; Robert Mortell; Alex Nitzman; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa
Page originally created 2000;
last updated Feb. 19, 2021.
last updated Feb. 19, 2021.
