Willimantic River Walk - I-84 Welcome Center
The Center/Central Turnpike from Wellesley, MA to Tolland, CT was constructed in the early 1800s to provide an efficient route for stagecoach and freight travel between Boston and Hartford. The Center Turnpike connected with the Tolland Turnpike to reach Hartford. The combination of the Central/Center Turnpike and the Tolland Turnpike paralleled, and in some places was built upon, the route of the Old Connecticut Path.In the 20th century, the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) and Merritt Parkway (I-84) became the modern replacement for the old Center/Central & Tolland turnpikes that had replaced the Old Connecticut Path.
VIDEO
An unexpected pleasure can be found at the Connecticut Welcome Center located on Interstate 84 westbound in Willington. A short path from the Visitor Center leads down to the banks of the Willimantic River to the site of the "Red Bridge" on the Center Turnpike. This area is a little gem for those who need a quiet break from driving on the Interstate.
The short video (1 min:48 sec) provides a brief introduction to the path along the Willimantic River leading to the site of the "Red Bridge" that carried the Center Turnpike over the river. Note: This video is low definition to keep the file size small. A high definition video will be filmed and produced at a future date.
DIRECTIONS
The Connecticut Welcome Center is located in Willington on I-84 west toward Hartford approximately 0.5 mile west of Exit 70/CT RT 32.The entrance to the path is located on the west side of the Visitor Center. Look for the "Cole Wilde Trout Management Area" sign. Go down hill to the gate. Pass through the gate and continue a short distance to the Willimantic River. Turn left to walk downstream to the site of the "Red Bridge". Distance is less than 0.2 mile to the bridge site. At this time, there are no loops in the trail. Return following the upstream along the river retracing your steps to the Visitor Center.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE
The landscape of Willington at the site of the "Red Bridge" crossing of the Willimantic River has changed dramatically since the 1934 aerial survey of Connecticut. The route of the Center Turnpike and the "Red Bridge" can be seen in the 1934 photo (left) heading west to North River Road in Tolland. The Connecticut Welcome Center appears in the 2012 satellite photo (right).
