Interstate 691
Interstate 691 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in Connecticut beginning at I-91 in Meriden and ending at I-84 near the Cheshire–Southington town line. According to the Federal Highway Administration, it is in length; however, the Connecticut Department of Transportation includes the 0.54 miles of the exit ramp that I-691 uses to the merge with westbound I-84, making their recorded length long.
I-691 is also known as the Henry D. Altobello Highway for its entire length.
Route description
I-691 is the main east–west highway of the city of Meriden. The freeway actually begins in Middlefield as Route 66, technically becoming I-691 at the junction with I-91. However, westbound signage indicates I-691 begins at the start of the freeway, while eastbound signage shows I-691 ending at the Route 15 interchange. To go from I-91 northbound to I-691 westbound, one must actually use Route 15. Exit 9 westbound provides access to Route 15 north.West of the I-91/Route 15 interchange, I-691 meets US Route 5, which provides access to Route 15 north for eastbound traffic. Exit 7 provides access to downtown Meriden. Westbound traffic exits onto State Street Extension, while eastbound traffic enters onto Columbia Street. Exits 6 and 5 provide access to Route 71, as well as access to Meriden Mall. Exit 6 exits to Lewis Avenue, while exit 5 exits directly to Route 71. From here, I-691 passes along the north side of Hubbard Park as well as by Castle Craig before it crosses into Southington. It then meets the eastern end of Route 322 at exit 4. It then crosses the Quinnipiac River into Cheshire, where it has an interchange with Route 10, then continues west to end at I-84 at the Southington–Cheshire town line. The highway officially ends as it merges into I-84 west.