I don’t think we talk enough about how driving through Connecticut is the worst.
The drive from Boston to Akron, OH is about 9.5 or 10 hours, depending on how you go/what time of day you start to drive. One of the available routes will take you to the middle of Massachusetts and then drop you down through the entirety of Connecticut before dipping through New York, all capped off by driving through Pennsylvania for roughly an eternity. But before you ever get the pleasure of praying for death on I-80 from Wilkes-Barre to the Ohio border, you will first have to survive the gauntlet of hateful construction and terrible drivers that is Connecticut.
Going east to west, here are the obstacles, or as some call them "cities," going through Connecticut:
1. Hartford: This is the insurance capitol of the country and is characterized by two narrow lanes of I-84 and many people driving at brisk 40 mph in the left lane. If you end up here anywhere near rush hour, you will enjoy the beautiful sights of the river and science center for approximately 6 years. The portion of the highway west of the city has been under construction since about 1782.
2. Waterbury: Waterbury, Connecticut is my own personal slice of hell. No matter what time of day, no matter how careful planned a trip is to avoid being stuck in standstill traffic, I get stuck in Waterbury for at least 40 minutes without fail. This is because the highway narrows to two lanes of traffic and was designed by brain geniuses who decided that drivers need but a extravagant 50 feet of on-ramp to merge into fast-moving traffic. At least over the past five years, the constant construction feels personally vindictive.
3. Danbury: The final Connecticut trap to prevent people from escaping New England, Danbury slowdowns are constant and feel somewhat desperate. Please. Let me leave. I’ve been driving through Connecticut for weeks. I just want to go.
Unfortunately, the alternative to driving through Connecticut is to take longer driving all the way through New York and paying about $600 in tolls. You can pay the cost of getting to Ohio in money or in your sanity, but you’re not getting there for free.