Merritt Parkway
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Merritt Parkway is a limited-access highway in Connecticut, designated an National Scenic Byway. Signed as Connecticut State Route 15, it runs from the New York state line in Greenwich, where it serves as the continuation of the Hutchinson River Parkway, to the Housatonic River in Stratford, where the Wilbur Cross Parkway begins. However, it is the nearly-universal habit of local residents when giving directions to describe the entire length of Route 15 as the "Merritt," which often confuses visitors and new residents since most printed maps label the segments of Route 15 by their official names.
The Merritt Parkway is one of the oldest parkways in the United States and is acknowledged for the beauty of the forest that it passes through as well as the architectural design of its overpasses. At the time of its construction, each bridge was decorated in a unique fashion so no two bridges on the parkway looked alike. Recent reconstruction and widening did not maintain this tradition and the highway is now spanned by several ordinary bridges constructed using undecorated concrete on steel I-beams. There are two lanes in each direction and some of the entrances have stop signs, leading to some very exciting entrances to the highway. Vestiges of old picnic areas can still be seen along the highway.
The highway was named after U.S. Congressman Schuyler Merritt. The section from Greenwich to Norwalk opened in 1938 and the section from Norwalk to the Housatonic River opened in 1940. In the past, the highway was a toll road but the several toll barriers have since been removed. The highway still contains several service areas.