Berlin Turnpike

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Arterial road in Connecticut, U.S.

title: "Berlin Turnpike" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["state-highways-in-connecticut", "transportation-in-hartford-county,-connecticut", "u.s.-route-5"] description: "Arterial road in Connecticut, U.S." topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Turnpike" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Arterial road in Connecticut, U.S. ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox road"]

Field	Value
state	CT
name	Berlin Turnpike
marker_image	[[File:US 5.svg
map	Berlin Turnpike Map.svg
map_notes	Map of central Connecticut with Berlin Turnpike highlighted in red
maint	ConnDOT
allocation	from Meriden to Wethersfield
in Wethersfield
SR 543 (unsigned) in Wethersfield
length_mi	12.17
established	1909
direction_a	South
terminus_a	in Meriden
junction	in Berlin

| | {{Jct|state | CT|US|5|Route|15}} in Wethersfield | | direction_b | North | | terminus_b | Maple Avenue at the Wethersfield–Hartford line | | counties | New Haven, Hartford | ::

in Wethersfield | direction_b = North | terminus_b = Maple Avenue at the Wethersfield–Hartford line | counties = New Haven, Hartford

The Berlin Turnpike is a 12.17 mi major thoroughfare carrying U.S. Route 5 (US 5) and Route 15 in New Haven County and Hartford County in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The road begins one mile south of the Meriden–Berlin town line where Route 15 on the Wilbur Cross Parkway merges with US 5 along North Broad Street in Meriden and terminates at the Wethersfield–Hartford town line. The local name of the street varies as it passes through multiple towns.

1.07 mi south of the Hartford city line, US 5 and Route 15 leave the turnpike and follow the Wilbur Cross Highway northeast through Hartford towards the Charter Oak Bridge. The Berlin Turnpike continues north as a two-lane undivided road as part of Route 314 for 0.69 mi, and then as SR 543 for 0.38 mi before entering Hartford as the municipally-maintained Maple Avenue.

Route description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Berlin_Tpk_1.jpg" caption="A view of the Berlin Turnpike"] ::

The Berlin Turnpike begins at a fork interchange between Route 15, which continues south as the controlled-access Wilbur Cross Parkway, and US 5, which continues south as a local road named Broad Street. The turnpike is the only segment of Route 15 that is not a freeway, as it is an arterial road with multiple at-grade intersections, some with traffic lights, as well as businesses on both sides of the road. The turnpike has grade-separated interchange with Route 9 and Route 372 in Berlin, as well as Route 175 on the border between Newington and Wethersfield.

In Wethersfield, US 5 and Route 15 leave the turnpike for the controlled-access Wilbur Cross Highway heading towards Hartford. This is the western terminus of Route 314, which takes a right turn onto Jordan Lane soon after to actually proceed in the eastbound direction. From Jordan Lane to the city line, the turnpike is unsigned SR 543. At the city line, the road becomes Maple Avenue and continues north towards Downtown Hartford.

Speeding issues

The long straight trajectory of the Berlin Turnpike has allowed it to become prone to excessive speeding and deadly accidents. In June 2007, a driver was clocked driving at a speed of 97 mph, despite a posted speed limit of 50 mph.

History

The Hartford and New Haven Turnpike was a toll road chartered in 1798 and built in 1798-99 to connect the cities of New Haven and Hartford in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The turnpike was built to connect the courthouses of New Haven and Hartford in as straight a route as was allowed by the terrain. Its southern terminus was at Grove Street, which forms the northern boundary of the original nine squares of New Haven. The road's straight line principle caused several intermediate town centers to be bypassed.

Since the turnpike's original construction, the roadway has been realigned and substantially widened to become the Berlin Turnpike that it is today — a major commercial thoroughfare. Many parts of the original alignment are maintained as local roads or unsigned state roads.

Junction list

References

{{google maps. link
De La Torre, Vanessa. (June 26, 2007). "Police Have Eyes On Road". The Hartford Courant.
William Phipps Blake. (1888). "History of the Town of Hamden, Connecticut". Price, Lee & Company.

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