The "New England Thruway" Doesn't Exist — But the New York State Thruway Does

Clearing Up the Confusion

There is no highway officially named the "New England Thruway." The term sometimes appears colloquially or in outdated references, but it does not correspond to any current designated route.

What You Probably Mean: The New York State Thruway (I-87/I-90)

The New York State Thruway is a 570-mile (917 km) toll highway system, the longest in the United States. Its main segments:

• I-87 (Major Deegan Expressway / New York Thruway): NYC (Bronx) → Yonkers → Albany → Champlain (Canadian border).
• I-90 (Berkshire Section): Albany → Syracuse → Rochester → Buffalo → Pennsylvania line (continues as Ohio Turnpike).
• I-287 (Cross-Westchester Expressway): Connects I-87 to I-95 (New England Thruway? No—see below).
• I-190 (Niagara Section): Buffalo → Niagara Falls.

The Actual "New England Thruway": I-95 in NY/CT

The New England Thruway is the official name for the 15.5-mile segment of I-95 from the Bronx (at the Bruckner Interchange) northeast to the Connecticut state line at Port Chester. It is part of the New York State Thruway system (maintained by NYSTA), not a separate road. In Connecticut, I-95 continues as the Connecticut Turnpike (no longer tolled) and then the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike to Rhode Island.

Key Facts About the New England Thruway (I-95, Bronx–CT Line)

• Length: 15.5 miles (24.9 km).
• Opened: 1958 (as toll road); tolls removed 1980s (except for commercial vehicles via E-ZPass).
• Major Interchanges: I-278 (Bruckner), I-295 (Cross Bronx), I-678 (Whitestone), Hutchinson River Pkwy, I-287 (Cross-Westchester), US-1, Playland Pkwy, NY-120A (CT line).
• Traffic: ~150,000 vehicles/day — one of the busiest in the Northeast.
• Connects to: Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) → Merritt Pkwy (CT-15) → I-91 → I-84 → Boston (via I-90 MassPike or I-95).

Other "New England" Highways

• Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90): Boston → Albany (connects to NY Thruway).
• I-91: New Haven → Hartford → Springfield → Vermont → Canada.
• I-84: Danbury → Hartford → Worcester → Sturbridge (connects to MassPike).
• I-89: Concord, NH → Montpelier, VT → Canada.
• I-93: Boston → Concord → White Mountains → St. Johnsbury, VT.

Summary

• "New England Thruway" = I-95 in the Bronx/Westchester (15.5 mi, part of NY Thruway system).
• "New York State Thruway" = 570-mi system (I-87, I-90, I-287, I-190).
• No single highway spans all of New England under that name.