hard to find single-sided polychrome enameled die cut steel connecticut turnpike trailblazer with reflective surface. likely dates to the late 1950's or early 1960's. the circular sign contains wear consistent with age. measures 20 inches in diameter. the connecticut turnpike, known now as the governor john davis lodge turnpike, is a freeway in connecticut that runs from greenwich to killingly. it is signed as interstate 95 from the new york state line at greenwich to east lyme, and then as interstate 395 from east lyme to plainfield. a short unnumbered section (unsigned state road 695) continues the turnpike where it officially ends at killingly, continuing as u.s. 6 east at the rhode island state line. most of the signage identifying the route as a "unified road" has been taken down in recent years. connecticut turnpike trailblazers can still be found, although there are very few in existence today. one of the original connecticut turnpike trailblazers can be seen while driving along center street in southport. the general route and construction of the turnpike were both mandated by state law. intended to relieve congestion on u.s. route 1 and route 15 (the merritt and wilbur cross parkways), design work began in 1954. the connecticut turnpike opened on january 2, 1958; however, the westernmost portion of the highway connecting greenwich with the new england thruway) opened ten months later. tolls were originally collected through a series of eight toll booths along the route. the state stopped collecting tolls on all portions of the turnpike by december 31, 1985. local legend is the initial phase of turnpike construction in 1954 was so disruptive in heavily republican fairfield county that local voters there turned on incumbent republican governor john davis lodge, leading to his defeat by abraham ribicoff. several accidents prompted the state to eliminate tolls along the turnpike altogether. arguably the most notorious of these was a serious incident on january 19, 1983, in which a truck collided with four cars at the stratford toll plaza, killing seven people and injuring several others. the investigation following the crash determined that the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel just before the crash took place. the turnpike was renamed after former connecticut governor john davis lodge on december 31, 1985, two months after the tolls were removed. in june 1983, a section of the turnpike's northbound mianus river bridge in greenwich collapsed due to corrosion of its substructure, killing three motorists crossing it at the time. on march 25, 2004 a tanker truck carrying fuel swerved to avoid a car that cut the truck off and subsequently overturned, dumping 8,000 gallons of home heating oil onto the howard avenue overpass in bridgeport. passing vehicles kicked up the oil which ignited a towering inferno that subsequently melted the bridge structure and caused the southbound lanes to sag several feet. the northbound lanes, which received less damage from the fire, were opened five days later after being reinforced with temporary scaffolding. the southbound lanes opened on april 1, after a temporary bridge was erected. measures 20 inches in diameter.