View source for Merritt Parkway

{{short description|Parkway in Connecticut}}
{{Distinguish|Connecticut Route 15}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=CT
|type=Merritt
|alternate_name=
|map={{maplink-road|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Merritt Parkway}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=Merritt Parkway highlighted in red
|length_mi=37.67
|length_ref=<ref name=routelog/>
|established=June 29, 1938
|allocation={{jct|state=CT|CT|15}} entire length
|tourist=[[File:MUTCD D6-4.svg|20px|alt=A Map of the Merritt Parkway|link=]] Merritt Parkway
|restrictions=No commercial vehicles<ref name=restrictions/>
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=NY|Parkway|Hutchinson River}} at the [[New York (state)|New York]] state line
|junction=
* {{Jct|state=CT|US|7}} in [[Norwalk, Connecticut|Norwalk]]
* {{Jct|state=CT|CT|25}} in [[Trumbull, Connecticut|Trumbull]]
* {{Jct|state=CT|CT|8|CT|108}} in Trumbull
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=CT|CT|15}} / [[Wilbur Cross Parkway]] / [[Milford Parkway (Connecticut)|Milford Parkway]] in [[Milford, Connecticut|Milford]]
|counties=[[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield]], [[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven]]
|system1={{infobox road/browselinks/USA|type=NSB}}
|embedded={{Infobox NRHP
| embed        = yes
| name         = Merritt Parkway
| nrhp_type    =
| architect    = Connecticut Highway Department; ''et al.''
| architecture = Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Modern Movement
| added        = April 17, 1991<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
| refnum       = 91000410
}}
}}

The '''Merritt Parkway''' (also known locally as "'''The Merritt'''") is a [[controlled-access highway|controlled-access]] [[parkway]] in [[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield County]], [[Connecticut]], with a small section at the northern end in [[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven County]]. Designed for Connecticut's [[Gold Coast (Connecticut)|Gold Coast]], the parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. As one of the first, oldest parkways in the United States, it is designated as a [[National Scenic Byway]] and is also listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/CT/Fairfield/districts.html |title = Connecticut: Fairfield County Historic Places |publisher = National Register of Historic Places |access-date = August 24, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170817123716/http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ct/fairfield/districts.html |archive-date = August 17, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=NRHP-91000410>{{cite web |last = Shannahan |first = John W. <!--[CT] State Historic Preservation Officer --> |title = National Register of Historic Places in America |date = April 17, 1991 |quote = National Park Service Certification I, hereby, certify that this property is: entered in the National Register [signed Beth L. Savage] 4-17-91[...]The Merritt Parkway, Connecticut's ''ALL-YEAR GATEWAY TO NEW ENGLAND'', Welcome to our State. We want you to enjoy your stay here and to come again. [signed [[Raymond E. Baldwin]] ] Governor |url = https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/96eb4fba-acde-4e35-be75-4016e832b170#page=81 |access-date = March 14, 2020 }}</ref> Signed as part of [[Route 15 (Connecticut)|Route 15]], it runs from the [[New York (state)|New York]] state line in [[Greenwich, Connecticut|Greenwich]], where it serves to continue the [[Hutchinson River Parkway]], to exit&nbsp;37 in [[Milford, CT|Milford]], where the [[Wilbur Cross Parkway]] begins. Facing bitter opposition, the project took six years to build in three different sections, with the Connecticut Department of Transportation constantly requiring additional funding due to the area's high property value. The parkway was named for U.S. Congressman [[Schuyler Merritt]]. In 2010, the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]] called the Merritt Parkway one of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places".<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/northeast-region/merritt-parkway.html |title = America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places |publisher = National Trust for Historic Preservation |access-date = May 23, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100522153049/http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/northeast-region/merritt-parkway.html |archive-date = May 22, 2010 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

Trucks, buses, trailers, towed vehicles, and all vehicles {{convert|8|ft|m}} tall or taller are not allowed on any part of the parkway due to its low bridges, narrow lanes, and tight curve radii.

The roadway sign of the Merritt features a blue shield with white lettering, along with the foliage of ''[[Kalmia latifolia]]'', commonly known as the mountain laurel, the [[List of U.S. state and territory flowers|state flower]] of Connecticut.

==Route description==
{{main|Connecticut Route 15}}
[[File:Bridge MerrittPkwy.jpg|thumb|left|[[Connecticut Route 59| Route 59 Easton Turnpike]] bridge over the Merritt Parkway at Exit 28 in [[Fairfield, Connecticut|Fairfield]].|alt=A bridge over the Merritt Parkway]]

The Merritt is one of a handful of United States highways listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is acknowledged for the beauty of the forest through which it passes, as well as the architectural design of its overpasses; at the time of its construction, each bridge was decorated in a unique fashion so that no two bridges on the parkway looked alike.<ref name="nom">{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=91000410}} |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Merritt Parkway |access-date=February 12, 2015 |first1=Catherine |last1=Lynn|first2=Christopher |last2=Wigren |format=PDF |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |date=February 22, 1991}} {{NRHP url|id=91000410|title=Photos |photos=y}}</ref> Newer overpasses used at exit 39 ([[U.S. Route 7 in Connecticut|US 7]]), though, did not maintain this tradition, and as a result, exit 39 on the parkway is now spanned by several ordinary modern bridges constructed using undecorated [[concrete]]-on-[[steel]] [[Beam (structure)|I-beams]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Steel Structure |url = http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dpublications/highway/Chapter_13.pdf |publisher = Connecticut Department of Transportation |access-date = July 12, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170221185858/http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dpublications/highway/Chapter_13.pdf |archive-date = February 21, 2017 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

The parkway has two lanes in each direction. Due to its age, it was originally constructed without the merge lanes, long on-ramps, and long off-ramps that are found on modern freeways. Some entrances have perilously short and/or sharp ramps; some entrances even have stop signs, with no merge lane whatsoever; this leads to some dangerous entrances onto the highway. Most have since been modernized, with the interchange of [[Route 111 (Connecticut)|Route 111]] in [[Trumbull, Connecticut|Trumbull]] featuring [[Connecticut]]'s first [[single-point urban interchange]] (SPUI). The stretch of road between exit 42 in [[Westport, Connecticut|Westport]] and exit 44 in [[Fairfield, Connecticut|Fairfield]] is a very long stretch, roughly {{convert|5+1/2|mi|km}} long without a single exit, referred to by local traffic reports as the "No Exit Zone"<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.dimebrothers.com/article.php?do=article&id=5 |title = Traffic: A Guide to the Pure Chaos of the Merritt Parkway |publisher = DimeBrothers |access-date = February 18, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110710125821/http://www.dimebrothers.com/article.php?do=article&id=5 |archive-date = July 10, 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref> or "No Man's Land".<ref>{{Cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=zJRcBMXmhmsC&pg=PA84 |title = The Merritt Parkway |last = Radde |first = Bruce |location = New Haven, Connecticut |publisher = [[Yale University Press]] |year = 1993 |pages = 84 |isbn = 0-300-05379-7 |access-date = February 18, 2008 }}</ref> An exit 43 was planned in the middle of this stretch, but was never built because it would have connected to a northerly extension of the Sherwood Island Connector, which itself was never built to that point.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Why-is-there-no-Exit-43-on-the-Merritt-Parkway-13717306.php |title = Why is there no Exit 43 on the Merritt Parkway? |work = [[The News-Times]] |date = March 26, 2019 |access-date = April 6, 2019 |first = Jordan |last = Fenster |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190406221106/https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Why-is-there-no-Exit-43-on-the-Merritt-Parkway-13717306.php |archive-date = April 6, 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Vehicles {{convert|8|ft|m}} tall or taller in height, weighing {{convert|8000|lb|kg}} or more, towing a trailer, or having more than four wheels are not allowed on the parkway. Under extenuating circumstances, however, ConnDOT may issue permits for oversized vehicles to use the parkway.<ref name="ctparkways">{{Cite web |title = Connecticut Parkways: Vehicles Prohibited from Connecticut Route 15 (Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway) between the New York State Line & I-91 in Meriden, CT and State Route 796 (Milford Parkway) |url = https://portal.ct.gov/dot/travel-gateway/roads-and-highways/parkway-restrictions |publisher = Connecticut Department of Transportation |language = en |access-date = March 14, 2020 |date = January 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200314070009/https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Commissions/STC/Connecticut-Parkways |archive-date = March 14, 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=restrictions>{{cite web |url = http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=2137&Q=294976 |title = What is allowed to travel on the Merritt Parkway? |publisher = Connecticut Department of Transportation |access-date = August 24, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171103015419/http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=2137&Q=294976 |archive-date = November 3, 2017 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:15 ent.jpg|thumb|An entrance sign to the Merrit Parkway with the white-on-green and sawtooth border|alt=A sign stating Route 15 south to New Haven to the left: It also states Route 15 north is straight ahead.]]
The Merritt Parkway is one of the oldest scenic [[parkway]]s in the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Connecticut Scenic Drives: Merritt Parkway |url = https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/scenic-drive-in-connecticut-merritt-parkway-ga.htm |website = HowStuffWorks |access-date = July 12, 2018 |language = en |date = April 12, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180712183818/https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/scenic-drive-in-connecticut-merritt-parkway-ga.htm |archive-date = July 12, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref> The portion from Greenwich to Norwalk was opened on June 29, 1938.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/369892616/ |title = The Merritt Parkway |newspaper = Hartford Courant |page = 10 }}{{full|date=August 2024}}</ref> The section from Norwalk to Trumbull was completed in November 1939, and in 1940, it was finished to the [[Housatonic River]] in Stratford. The parkway was named for U.S. Congressman [[Schuyler Merritt]], who was instrumental in enacting legislation allowing the parkway to be built. The Merritt Parkway is the first leg of what later became  modern Route 15. Built between 1934 and 1940, the Merritt Parkway runs for {{convert|37|mi|km}} from the New York state line in Greenwich to the Housatonic River in Stratford. It was conceived as a way to alleviate congestion on the [[Boston Post Road]] ([[U.S. Route 1 (Connecticut)|U.S. Route 1]]) in [[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield County]].<ref>{{cite web |title = CT's In A Jam, But More Road Capacity Isn't The Answer |url = http://www.courant.com/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-our-traffic-jams-worst-in-nation-20150831-story.html |work = Hartford Courant |access-date = July 12, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180712190035/http://www.courant.com/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-our-traffic-jams-worst-in-nation-20150831-story.html |archive-date = July 12, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref> After the parkway fully opened in 1940, travelers commonly stopped to [[picnic]] along the side of the road.<ref>{{Cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=diB_6jR_gpIC&pg=PA82 |title = Trumbull |isbn = 978-0-7385-3458-9 |author1 = Trumbull Historical Society |date = February 19, 2004 |publisher = Arcadia }}</ref> The Merritt Parkway Advisory Commission (later the Merritt Parkway Advisory Committee) decided to ban horses and buggies, bicycles, pedestrians, billboards, and U-turns, while a system of horse trails along the parkway was developed, but later abandoned.<ref>{{cite book |last = Radde |first = Bruce |title = The Merritt Parkway |location = New Haven, Connecticut |publisher = Yale University Press |year = 1993 |page = 83 |isbn = 0-300-05379-7 }}</ref> To ease objections from county residents, who feared an influx of New Yorkers on their roads, in their towns, on their beaches, and through their forests, highway planners called on engineers, landscape architects, and architects to create a safe and aesthetically pleasing limited-access highway, one with exit and entrance ramps, but no intersections, that would not spoil the countryside.<ref name="landscape">{{Cite web |url = https://portal.ct.gov/dot/highway-design/merritt-parkway-preservation--landscape |title = Merritt Parkway Preservation Landscape |publisher = Connecticut Department of Transportation |language = en |access-date = March 14, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="fazzalaro2002">{{Cite book |url = https://www.cga.ct.gov/2002/rpt/2002-R-0501.htm |title = Merritt Parkway Traffic Accident Analysis |id = 2002-R-0501 |last = Fazzalaro |first = James J. |date = May 17, 2002 |publisher = [[Connecticut General Assembly]] Office of Legislative Research |access-date = March 14, 2020 }}</ref> The bridges played a prominent role in the design. Architect George L. Dunkelberger designed them all. They reflected the popularity of the Art Deco style, with touches of neoclassical and modern design.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/CT/200002790.html |title = Local Legacies&nbsp;— The Merritt Parkway |publisher = Library of Congress |year = 2000 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071004222447/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/CT/200002790.html |archive-date = October 4, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="later changes" /><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-asked0124.artjan24,0,5131371.story?coll=hc-utility-local |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130119215808/http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-asked0124.artjan24,0,5131371.story?coll=hc-utility-local |url-status = dead |archive-date = January 19, 2013 |title = A Scenic Roadway that Bridges Many Divides |work = [[Hartford Courant]] |access-date = January 24, 2007 }}</ref> Some of these bridges were constructed by the [[Works Progress Administration]].

In 1948, the road was signed as part of [[Connecticut Route 15]]. Originally, the road had the unsigned designation of '''Connecticut Route 1A'''. Also around this time, exit numbers were posted on the road. In December 1949, a connection to the Wilber Cross Parkway was opened to traffic.<ref name="nyc roads">{{cite web |last = Anderson |first = Steve |url = http://www.nycroads.com/roads/merritt/ |title = NYCRoads }}</ref>

In 1955, exit 30, an at-grade intersection with Butternut Hollow Road that crossed traffic in both directions, was permanently closed. It had already been declared a safety hazard.<ref>{{cite news |title = Crossover to be Closed |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77401505/butternut-hollow-november-16-1955/ |access-date = May 9, 2021 |work = The Daily Item |date = November 16, 1955 |location = Port Chester, New York |page = 6 |via = Newspapers.com }}</ref>

[[File:Merritt3.jpg|thumb|Tree canopy over the Merritt Parkway, and grassy median|alt=Trees in the center of the Merritt Parkway road]]
In 1957, trees inside the median were cut down for the first time, and a median was installed on a treacherous curve that often got slippery when wet. These followed serious accidents caused by tree related crashes.<ref name="history">{{cite web |last = Gombar |first = Richard |url = http://www.themerrittparkway.com/history.php |title = History |website = The Merritt Parkway - Connecticut's Historic Bridges }}</ref>

The road was initially maintained by the '''Merritt Parkway Commission''', though in 1959, this was absorbed into CDOT and renamed the '''Merritt Parkway Committee'''.<ref>{{cite news |first = Jim |last = Cameron |date = August 6, 2019 |url = http://ctmirror.org/2019/08/06/the-merritt-parkway-conservancy/ |title = Opinion: The Merritt Parkway Conservancy |work = CT Mirror |access-date = August 12, 2025 }}</ref>

In the late 1960s, the segment of roadway from Stamford to Greenwich was reconstructed in order to make the roadway straighter.<ref name="history"/>

In July 1976, the toll at the Greenwich Toll Plaza was increased from a nickel to 25 cents.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

In the late 1970s, a project to replace the Huntington Turnpike exit as well as the original Route 8 exit with new ramps was undertaken. The old ramps were demolished by 1979,<ref name="later changes">{{cite web |last = Roth |first = Charles R. |url = https://www.trumbullhistory.org/the-merritt-parkway---the-queen-of-all-parkways.html |title = The Merritt Parkway: The Queen of All Parkways |publisher = Trumbull Historical Society }}</ref> with the new exits opened in 1983.<ref name="nyc roads"/>
 
[[File:MerrittToll1955.jpg|thumb|left|Toll booth in 1955|alt=A toll booth with several cars at it on the Merritt Parkway]]
Tolls were eliminated at the Greenwich Toll Plaza on June 27, 1988, as part of a mandate that abolished tolls on all of Connecticut's roads. The toll plaza is preserved in [[Stratford, Connecticut|Stratford's]] [[Boothe Memorial Park]] near Exit 53, complete with still-flashing lights over each toll lane.

In 1992, a new interchange with US 7 was opened, which involved rebuilding another portion of roadway.<ref name="later changes"/>

In 1999, a project to reconstruct exit 44 and eliminate exit 45 was completed at the cost of $4.6 million. In addition, exit 53 was reconstructed into a standard diamond interchange; it was originally a seven ramp configuration.<ref name="nyc roads"/>

In April 2001, a complete reissuance of the parkway's signs was carried out, instituting a uniform white-on-green [[color scheme]] and a sawtooth border.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://portal.ct.gov/DOT/General/History/Historical-Merritt-Parkway-Images |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200922181737/https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/General/History/Historical-Merritt-Parkway-Images |url-status = dead |archive-date = September 22, 2020 |title = Historical Merritt Parkway Images |publisher = [[Connecticut Department of Transportation]] |language = en |access-date = March 14, 2020 |year = 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = http://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Construction-News-from-the-Connecticut-Department-of-Transportation/2017/Merritt-Parkway-Signage-to-be-Replaced |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200922174215/https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Construction-News-from-the-Connecticut-Department-of-Transportation/2017/Merritt-Parkway-Signage-to-be-Replaced |url-status = dead |archive-date = September 22, 2020 |title = Merritt Parkway Signage to be Replaced |date = April 13, 2017 |publisher = [[Connecticut Department of Transportation]] |language = en |access-date = March 14, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-plans-to-replace-signs-on-Merritt-Parkway-11067830.php |title = State plans to replace signs on Merritt Parkway |last = Shay |first = Jim |date = April 12, 2017 |work = [[Connecticut Post]] |access-date = March 14, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170416024850/https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/State-plans-to-replace-signs-on-Merritt-Parkway-11067830.php |archive-date = April 16, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In 2004, a project to rebuild exit 48 from a standard diamond interchange into a [[Single-point urban interchange|Single-point urban interchange (SPUI)]] was completed. Also as part of this project, a new overpass was built to replace the old one (it was not wide enough for a SPUI), though this new overpass replicated the aesthetics of the old one.<ref name="nyc roads"/>

After years of environmental studies, the [[Connecticut Department of Transportation]] awarded an $87 million contract to [[Balfour Beatty Construction]] to build the replacement Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19046524&BRD=1347&PAG=461&dept_id=432990&rfi=6 |title = New bridge wins praise |first = Jill K. |last = Dion |newspaper = Milford Mirror |date = November 21, 2007 |access-date = December 22, 2007 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  The southern half of the replacement bridge opened in 2003; the old bridge was demolished in 2004.  In February 2004, the load unexpectedly shifted on a crane that was removing structural steel from the old bridge. The crane overturned and fell into the partially frozen Housatonic River, killing its operator. The remaining half of the bridge was completed in 2006, two years behind schedule.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://highways.dot.gov/about/field-offices |title = What's New - Connecticut Division |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |date = August 11, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nycroads.com/roads/merritt/ |title = Merritt Parkway &mdash; Historic Overview |publisher = Eastern Roads |year = 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.metropool.com/constructioninformation/construction_cp_sbrp.html |title = Sikorsky Bridge Replacement Project |publisher = MetroPool |year = 2006 |access-date = September 19, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040429033627/http://www.metropool.com/constructioninformation/construction_cp_sbrp.html |archive-date = April 29, 2004 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The new bridge has a concrete deck, with an asphalt surface, three lanes in each direction, full left and right shoulders, a sidewalk for pedestrians, [[wrought-iron]] railing, and aesthetic lighting.  The bridge also includes a system of concrete [[Bridge protection systems|fenders]] that protects the bridge piers from ship collisions, a feature that was absent from the original span.

Prior to 2025, exits were numbered sequentially, not mileage-based, like most highways in Connecticut, however though the state is gradually transitioning to milepost-based exit numbers on most of their highways over the next few years.<ref>{{Cite web |title = Exit Renumbering |url = https://portal.ct.gov/dot/traffic-engineering/exit-renumbering?language=en_US |access-date = December 4, 2024 |publisher = Connecticut Department of Transportation |language = en }}</ref> The Merritt Parkway's transition from sequential exit numbers to mileage-based exit numbers began on July 28, 2025.<ref name="WTNH-TV 2025">{{cite web |title = Renumbering of Merritt Parkway beginning at New York border underway |location = New Haven, Connecticut |publisher = WTNH-TV |date = July 29, 2025 |url = https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/fairfield/renumbering-of-merritt-parkway-beginning-at-new-york-border-underway/ |access-date = July 30, 2025 }}</ref>

==Service plazas==
Six rest areas/service plazas, featuring parking lots, gas stations, and convenience stores, were also built along the Merritt Parkway so that drivers would not have to exit to refuel. Pairs of plazas are located opposite each other on either side of the parkway in Fairfield (near exit 28), New Canaan (near exit 14), and Greenwich (just beyond the CT-NY state line). The northbound-side plaza in Greenwich also houses a Connecticut welcome center. The plazas were originally constructed during the parkway's days as a tolled highway, but remained even after the tolls were removed in 1988, making the parkway one of only a few toll-free highways with service plazas along its length. Between 2011 and 2015, all six of the service plazas (along with the four located further north along the Wilbur Cross Parkway) were completely renovated. The renovations preserved the original brick-and-stone façade of the buildings, but completely redesigned and modernized the interiors. The plazas now include more modern gas pumps, Alltown convenience stores, and a [[Dunkin' Donuts]] shop at each location; three of the Merritt's six plazas also include a [[Subway (restaurant)|Subway]] shop. Prior to the renovations, no fast-food service had previously been available at the plazas. The renovation project was completed during the summer of 2015, when the New Canaan plazas were reopened.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

In 2013, electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations for [[Tesla Motors|Tesla]] automobiles were added to both the northbound and southbound Greenwich service plazas, with four [[Tesla Supercharger|Superchargers]] installed in each direction. In addition, charging for [[CHAdeMO]]-equipped EVs was added to the northbound Greenwich service plaza. The parking/charging stalls are some of the first in the U.S. to be designated "shared use" - EVs may use the stall for up to 45 minutes to charge, or internal-combustion engine <!-- (ICE) --> vehicles may park for up to 15 minutes.<!-- picture to follow--><ref>{{cite web |title = EV Charging Stations |url = http://roadmapforth.org/program/presentations15/RichardHanley.pdf |access-date = June 5, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190605191617/http://roadmapforth.org/program/presentations15/RichardHanley.pdf |archive-date = June 5, 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref>

==Safety==
[[File:Entering the Merritt Parkway in Greenwich.jpg|thumb|left|Welcome sign on the northbound side in Greenwich near exit 19B on the NY-CT state border.|alt=A sign stating "Welcome to Connecticut and the Merritt Parkway"]]
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2020}}
One of the Merritt's aesthetic features is also a potential danger to its drivers.  Trees that line either side of the parkway, and often in the center median, grow branches that cover the roadway, and occasionally fall during severe weather, or with natural aging. Stretches of the parkway also lack guardrails on the right shoulders, creating a risk of tree-impact accidents if cars veer off the pavement.

In 2007, after complaints were voiced about the danger of the trees along the parkway, state officials announced they would trim and eliminate some of them more aggressively. A large, seemingly healthy tree fell on a car near exit 42 in [[Westport, Connecticut|Westport]] in June 2007, killing a couple from [[Pelham, New York]]. On June 23, 2011, a driver was killed in [[Stamford, Connecticut|Stamford]] when a tree fell onto his car.<ref name=Sandy>{{cite news |last = Cassidy |first = Martin B. |title = State eliminates storm-weakened Merritt trees |url = http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/State-eliminates-storm-weakened-Merritt-trees-4121421.php |access-date = December 17, 2012 |newspaper = Danbury News-Times |date = December 15, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140226172954/http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/State-eliminates-storm-weakened-Merritt-trees-4121421.php |archive-date = February 26, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref>

A state study of fatalities on Connecticut highways showed that from 1985 to 1992, about 10 people died every three years in tree-related accidents, although no other state roadway averaged more than one in three years.

The state Department of Transportation commonly sends out work crews twice a year to drive along both sides of the parkway at {{convert|5|mph|km/h}} in search of decrepit trees. Trees that had been scheduled to be cut down in five to 10 years would be removed sooner. Some more trees also would be removed, as the shoulder of the parkway is being widened to {{convert|8|ft|m|}} to give drivers room to pull over.<ref name=trees/>

Following the 2007 and 2011 incidents, the state became more aggressive in closing the parkway in times of severe weather. The parkway was closed during [[Hurricane Irene|Tropical Storm Irene]]<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/weather/severe_weather/irene-sunday-connecticut |title = Irene knocks out power, downs trees on approach |publisher = WTNH-TV |date = August 28, 2011 |access-date = September 1, 2011 |archive-date = September 18, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110918065606/http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/weather/severe_weather/irene-sunday-connecticut |url-status = live }}</ref>  and the [[2011 Halloween nor'easter|Halloween nor'easter]] in 2011, and [[Hurricane Sandy]] in 2012. With each of those storms, many trees and limbs fell across the parkway. After Sandy, the state began a large effort to remove unhealthy trees, and in the process created much wider clearances between the roadside and forest.<ref name=Sandy/>

In addition to numerous trees along the Parkway, interchanges were originally designed with [[Right-in/right-out]] (RIRO) ramps with no acceleration or deceleration lanes. Crashes were common at Parkway onramps, as vehicles entering the Parkway would have to stop at the top of the ramp and wait for a break in traffic, then rapidly accelerate to meet highway speeds on the heavily-traveled roadway. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has made progress in improving safety at interchanges by revising ramp configurations and adding acceleration/deceleration lanes, although a few of the original RIRO interchanges remain.

The Merritt Parkway Advisory Committee meets quarterly.<ref name=trees>{{cite news |last = Ginocchio |first = Mark |title = Merritt trees to face the ax |work = [[The Advocate (Stamford)|The Advocate]] |location = Stamford, Connecticut |date = July 27, 2007 |edition = Norwalk |pages = 1, A4 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title = Merritt Parkway Preservation Landscape |url = https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Highway-Design/Merritt-Parkway-Preservation--Landscape |access-date = November 15, 2020 |publisher = Connecticut Department of Transportation  |language = en }}</ref>

==Exit list==
Prior to 2025, exit numbers on the Merritt Parkway continued from the original sequential exits of the [[Hutchinson River Parkway]], which ended at 27.<ref name=NRHP-91000410/>{{rp|15}}

The Hutchinson River Parkway switched to a mileage-based system in 2021, with New York State's exit numbers ending at 19A.<ref name="Pelham Examiner 2019">{{cite web |title = Old numbers make their exit on Hutchinson River Parkway |website = Pelham Examiner |date = July 23, 2021 |url = https://pelhamexaminer.com/37795/announcing/old-numbers-make-their-exit-on-hutchinson-river-parkway/ |access-date = August 5, 2021 }}</ref> King Street ([[New York State Route 120A|NY 120A]]), which travels along the state border, is served by exit 19B (formerly exit 27) on the Merritt Parkway and exit 19A on the Hutchinson River Parkway. Because additional interchanges had been added on the New York side, exit 19A on the Hutchinson River Parkway was numbered as exit 30.<ref name="Pelham Examiner 2019">{{cite web |title = Old numbers make their exit on Hutchinson River Parkway |website = Pelham Examiner |date = July 23, 2021 |url = https://pelhamexaminer.com/37795/announcing/old-numbers-make-their-exit-on-hutchinson-river-parkway/ |access-date = August 5, 2021 }}</ref>

The Connecticut Department of Transportation began transitioning from sequential exit numbers to mileage-based exit numbers on the Merritt Parkway on July 28, 2025.<ref name="WTNH-TV 2025"/>

{{jcttop|old|length_ref=<ref name=routelog>{{cite web |url = https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DOT/documents/dpolicy/traflog/TrafficLog12pdf.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200127225912/https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DOT/documents/dpolicy/traflog/TrafficLog12pdf.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-date = January 27, 2020 |title = 2012 Traffic Volumes, State Maintained Highway Network |author = Connecticut Department of Transportation |date = 2012 |publisher = Connecticut Department of Transportation |access-date = January 27, 2020 }}</ref>}}

{{CTint|old
|county=Fairfield
|cspan=25
|location=Greenwich
|lspan=6
|mile=0.00
|type=concur
|old=—
|exit=–
|road={{jct|state=NY|Parkway|Hutchinson River|dir1=south|location1=[[w:New York City|New York City]]}}<br>{{jct|state=CT|CT|15|dir1=begins}}
|notes=Continuation into [[New York (state)|New York]]; southern terminus of Route 15
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=27
|exit=19B
|mile=0.05
|road={{Jct|state=NY|NY|120A|dir1=north|name1=King Street|location1=[[Armonk, New York|Armonk, NY]]}}
|notes=Access to NY 120A south via Hutchinson Parkway exit 19A; Armonk not signed northbound; exit no. corresponds to Hutchinson Parkway
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=28
|exit=3
|mile=3.39
|road=Round Hill Road
|notes=To Greenwich Business District
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=29
|exit=4
|mile=4.16
|road=Lake Avenue
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=30
|exit=—
|type=closed
|mile=
|road=Butternut Hollow Road
|notes=Intersection closed 1955
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=31
|exit=5
|mile=5.71
|road=North Street
|notes=To Greenwich Business District
}}
{{CTint|old
|location=Stamford
|lspan=3
|old=33
|exit=8
|mile=8.89
|type=incomplete
|road=Den Road
|notes=[[Right-in/right-out]] connections only
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=34
|exit=9
|mile=9.22
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|104|name1=Long Ridge Road}}
|notes=To Downtown Stamford and [[w:University of Connecticut|University of Connecticut]] Stamford Campus
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=35
|exit=10
|mile=10.40
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|137|name1=High Ridge Road}}
}}
{{CTint|old
|location=New Canaan
|lspan=2
|old=36
|exit=13
|mile=13.15
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|106|name1=Old Stamford Road}}
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=37
|exit=14
|mile=13.89
|mile2=14.10
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|124|city1=New Canaan|city2=Darien}}
}}
{{CTint|old
|location=Norwalk
|lspan=3
|old=38
|exit=16
|mile=16.01
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|123|name1=New Canaan Avenue}}
|notes=To [[w:Norwalk Community College|Norwalk Community College]]
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=39
|exit=16-17A
|mile=16.87
|mile2=17.31
|type=incomplete
|road={{Jct|state=CT|US|7|city1=Norwalk|city2=Danbury}}
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 16 (US 7 south) and 17A (US 7 north); exit 3 on US 7; redesign in proposal stage<ref name=7-15Norwalk>{{cite news |title = Route 7/15 Norwalk Project |url = http://7-15norwalk.com/ |access-date = May 22, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190328030115/http://7-15norwalk.com/ |archive-date = March 28, 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref>
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=40
|exit=17
|mile=17.53
|mile2=17.63
|road={{jct|state=CT|road|Main Avenue|name1={{jct|state=CT|SR|719}}|US|7|to2=yes|city1=Norwalk|city2=Danbury}}
|notes=Signed as exits 17A (US 7 south) and 17B (US 7 north) southbound, exits 17B (Main Avenue south) and 17C (Main Avenue north) northbound; signed for US 7 southbound, Main Avenue northbound
}}
{{CTint|old
|location=Westport
|lspan=2
|old=41
|exit=20
|mile=20.73
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|33|city1=Westport|city2=Wilton}}
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=42
|exit=21
|mile=21.59
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|57|name1=[[Connecticut Route 136|Route 136]]|city1=Westport|city2=Weston}}
|notes=Route 136 not signed 
}}
{{CTint|old
|location=Fairfield
|lspan=2
|old=44
|exit=27
|mile=26.95
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|58|city1=Fairfield|city2=Redding}}
|notes=To Fairfield Business District and [[w:Fairfield University|Fairfield University]]
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=46
|exit=28
|mile=28.58
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|59|city1=Fairfield|city2=Easton}}
|notes=To West Campus of [[w:Sacred Heart University|Sacred Heart University]]; access via [[Connecticut Route 713|SR&nbsp;713]]/[[List of State Roads in Connecticut|SR&nbsp;726]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040227140048/http://www.ct.gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dpolicy/policymaps/tru/pdf/050_tru.pdf ConnDOT Map of Fairfield]</ref>
}}
{{CTint|old
|location=Trumbull
|lspan=6
|old=47
|exit=29
|mile=29.31
|road=Park Avenue
|notes=To [[w:University of Bridgeport|University of Bridgeport]] and [[w:Sacred Heart University|Sacred Heart University]]
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=48
|exit=30
|mile=30.37
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|111|dir1=north|name1=Main Street}}
|notes=Southern terminus of Route 111; [[single-point urban interchange]]
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=49
|exit=32A
|mile=31.64
|mile2=32.69
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=CT|CT|25|city1=Bridgeport|city2=Danbury}}
|notes=No southbound access to Route 25 south; signed as exits 31 (Route 25 south)  32 (Route 25 north) northbound; exit 5 on Route 25
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=50
|exit=32B
|mile=32.99
|type=incomplete
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|127|city1=Trumbull}}
|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=51
|exit=33
|mile=33.51
|type=incomplete
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|108|name1=Nichols Avenue}}
|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance
}}
{{CTint|old
|old=52
|exit=34
|mile=33.77
|mile2=34.57
|type=incomplete
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|8|CT|108|city1=Bridgeport|city2=Waterbury}}
|notes=No northbound access to Route 8 south/Route 108; exits 5 and 6 on Route 8
}}
{{CTint|old
|location=Stratford
|old=53
|exit=36
|mile=36.54
|road={{Jct|state=CT|CT|110|city1=Stratford|city2=Shelton}}
}}
{{jctbridge|old
|river=[[w:Housatonic River|Housatonic River]]
|mile=37.53
|bridge=[[Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge]]
}}
{{CTint|old
|county=New Haven
|cspan=2
|location=Milford
|lspan=2
|mile=37.67
|mspan=2
|old=54
|exit=37
|road={{jct|state=CT|I|95|US|1|to1=yes|city1=Milford|city2=New London}}
|notes=Access via [[Milford Parkway (Connecticut)|Milford Parkway]] and Exits 3A and 3B on Milford Parkway
}}
{{CTint|old
|mile=none
|old=–
|exit=–
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=CT|CT|15|dir1=north|name1=[[Wilbur Cross Parkway]]|city1=Hartford}}
|notes=Continuation north; northern end of Route 15 concurrency
}}
{{jctbtm|old|keys=concur,incomplete}}

==In popular culture==
* The [[Willem de Kooning]] [[Oil painting|oil-on-canvas]] painting ''Merritt Parkway'' (1959) is owned by the [[Detroit Institute of Arts]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.davidrumsey.com/amica/amico651927-39331.html |title = Willem de Kooning, Merritt Parkway, 1959 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923222904/http://www.davidrumsey.com/amica/amico651927-39331.html |archive-date = September 23, 2015 |publisher = Art Museum Images from Cartography Associates Library }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.dekooning.org/documentation/words/content-is-a-glimpse |title = Content is a Glimpse: March 1960: Interview with David Sylvester, recorded March 1960 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150518094922/http://www.dekooning.org/documentation/words/content-is-a-glimpse |archive-date = May 18, 2015 |publisher = Willem de Kooning Foundation }}</ref>
* Lisa Seidenberg, a filmmaker from Westport, produced a [[documentary film]], ''The Road Taken...The Merritt Parkway'' (2008).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://westporthistory.org/whs-events/the-road-taken-the-merritt-parkway/ |title = The Road Taken...The Merritt Parkway |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150518102121/http://westporthistory.org/whs-events/the-road-taken-the-merritt-parkway/ |archive-date = May 18, 2015 |publisher = Westport Historical Society |date = October 6, 2008 }}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="130">
File:Merritt Parkway (west segment).jpg|Map (western segment)
File:Merritt Parkway (east segment).jpg|Map (eastern segment)
File:TalmadgeHillStationBridgeOverMerrittPkwy2007.jpg|Talmadge Hill Metro-North station over the Merritt in New Canaan
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Connecticut|U.S. Roads}}
* [[Merritt Parkway Bridges]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut]]
* [[Connecticut Route 15]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last = Radde |first = Bruce |title = The Merritt Parkway |location = New Haven, Connecticut |publisher = [[Yale University Press]] |date = 1993 |isbn = 0-300-06877-8 }}
* {{Cite book |last = Larned |first = Larry |title = Traveling the Merritt Parkway |location = Charleston, S.C. |publisher = Arcadia |date = 1998 |isbn = 0-7524-0946-8 }}
{{refend}}
{{hidden begin|toggle=left|title=[[Historic American Engineering Record]] (HAER) documentation}}
All of the following are filed under Fairfield County, CT:
* {{HAER |survey=CT-63 |id=ct0484 |title=Merritt Parkway, Beginning in Greenwich & running 38 miles to Stratford |photos=119 |dwgs=21 |data=160 |cap=8 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-131 |id=ct0552 |title=Merritt Parkway, Greenwich (Northbound) Service Station |photos=2 |data=3 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-132 |id=ct0553 |title=Merritt Parkway, Greenwich (Southbound) Service Station |photos=2 |data=3 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-133 |id=ct0554 |title=Merritt Parkway, (Northbound) New Canaan Service Station |photos=1 |data=3 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-134 |id=ct0555 |title=Merritt Parkway, (Southbound) New Canaan Service Station |photos=1 |data=3 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-135 |id=ct0556 |title=Merritt Parkway, (Southbound) Maintenance Garage |photos=4 |data=5 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-136 |id=ct0557 |title=Merritt Parkway, (Northbound) Fairfield Service Station |photos=3 |data=3 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-137 |id=ct0558 |title=Merritt Parkway, (Southbound) Fairfield Service Station |photos=2 |data=3 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-138 |id=ct0559 |title=Merritt Parkway, Toll Booth, Boothe Memorial Park, Stratford |photos=1 |cap=1 |link=no}}
* {{HAER |survey=CT-139 |id=ct0563 |title=Merritt Parkway, Visitor's Center, Greenwich |photos=2 |cap=1 |link=no}}
{{hidden end}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{Commons category|Connecticut Route 15}}
{{Commons category|Merritt Parkway}}
* [http://www.cslib.org/merritt/ Merritt Parkway Exhibit (Connecticut State Library)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081013192542/http://www.merrittparkway.org/default.asp Merritt Parkway Conservancy]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203182456/http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/2452/photos.html Photos of the parkway at byways.org]
* [https://portal.ct.gov/dot/travel-gateway/roads-and-highways/parkway-restrictions Connecticut Dept of Transportation rules about what vehicles are allowed on the parkway]
* [https://www.eastcoastroads.com/states/ct/state/ct15 CT 15 (East Coast Roads)]

[[Category:National Scenic Byways]]
[[Category:Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut]]
[[Category:State highways in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Transportation in Fairfield County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Parkways in the United States]]
[[Category:Former toll roads in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Works Progress Administration in Connecticut]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut]]
[[Category:1938 establishments in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Transportation in New Haven County, Connecticut]]