Wilbur Cross Parkway

Wilbur Cross Parkway
Map of New Haven County in southern Connecticut with Wilbur Cross Parkway highlighted in red
Route information
Length:	29.62 mi (47.67 km)
Existed:	1941 – present
Component highways:	Route 15 from Milford to Meriden
Restrictions:	No commercial vehicles, trailers, towed vehicles, buses, or hearses
Major junctions
South end:	Route 15 / Merritt Parkway in Stratford
North end:	US 5 / Route 15 (Berlin Turnpike) in Meriden
Location
Counties:	New Haven
Highway system
Routes in Connecticut Interstate U.S. State SSR SR

The Wilbur Cross Parkway is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, a former governor of the state (1931–1939). Being classified as a parkway, commercial vehicles, trailers, towed vehicles except as provided in Section 14-298-240, buses, hearses in a procession or cortege, and large vehicles are prohibited from using the road. The Wilbur Cross Parkway had two toll barriers until 1988; these were located in Milford and Wallingford.

The four-lane Wilbur Cross Parkway begins at the Sikorsky Bridge over the Housatonic River at the town line between Milford and Stratford as a direct continuation of the Merritt Parkway. Immediately after crossing the Housatonic River is the exit for the Milford Parkway, which connects to the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) and the Boston Post Road (US 1). The Wilbur Cross Parkway runs east northeast through the towns of Milford, Orange, Woodbridge, and New Haven. At the town line between New Haven and Hamden, the parkway passes through the West Rock Tunnel, which was renamed Heroes Tunnel in 2003 by the State of Connecticut to honor first responders. Heroes Tunnel is the only road tunnel through a natural obstacle in Connecticut. The tunnel is lighted solely using low pressure sodium vapor lamps, rare for the United States. From the West Rock Tunnel, the parkway proceeds north through the towns of Hamden, North Haven, Wallingford, and Meriden. After connecting with I-91 in Meriden, the parkway ends, merging onto North Broad Street (US 5). North of Meriden, Routes 5 and 15 continue as the Berlin Turnpike.