{{Short description|State highway in New London County, Connecticut, US}} {{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox road |state=CT |type=CT |route=161 |map={{maplink-road}} |map_custom=yes |map_notes=Map of New London County in southeastern Connecticut with Route 161 highlighted in red |length_mi=8.03 |length_round=2 |length_ref=<ref name=ctlog>[http://www.ct.gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dpolicy/hwylog/hwylog.pdf Connecticut State Highway Log] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905063334/http://www.ct.gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dpolicy/hwylog/hwylog.pdf |date=2015-09-05 }}</ref> |established=1932<ref name="1932renum">{{cite news |title=Road Conditions in Connecticut |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41009589/1932_ct_renumbering_may_27_1932/ |accessdate=December 24, 2019 |work=The Hartford Daily Courant |date=May 27, 1932 |page=14|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> |direction_a=South |terminus_a={{Jct|state=CT|Route|156}} in East Lyme |junction={{Jct|state=CT|I|95}} in East Lyme |direction_b=North |terminus_b={{Jct|state=CT|Route|85}} in Montville |counties=New London |previous_type=Route |previous_route=160 |next_type=Route |next_route=162 }}
'''Route 161''' is a state highway in southeastern Connecticut, running from the shoreline village of Niantic in East Lyme to the village of Chesterfield in Montville.
==Route description== Route 161 begins as Pennsylvania Avenue at an intersection with Route 156 in the village of Niantic in East Lyme. It proceeds north for {{convert|1.1|mi|km}}, curving left then turning right onto Flanders Road. Route 161 continues north for another {{convert|1.8|mi|km}} until it reaches the interchange with I-95 (at exit 74). After crossing under I-95, it continues for another {{convert|0.4|mi|km}} to the Boston Post Road US 1 in the village of Flanders, where it becomes Chesterfield Road. In this area, one can access East Lyme High School and the Flanders Shopping Plaza from Route 161. The road continues north through the northeastern portion of the town of East Lyme for {{convert|3.5|mi|km}} before entering the town of Montville, where the road name changes to Flanders Road. The road turns northeast for another {{convert|1.1|mi|km}} to end at an intersection with Route 85 in the village of Chesterfield.<ref name=ctlog/>
==History== The Niantic-Flanders-Chesterfield road was a primary state highway in the 1920s known as '''Highway 188'''. In the 1932 state highway renumbering,<ref name="1932renum" /> Route 161 was created from the northern half of old Highway 188, running from US 1 in Flanders to Route 85 in Chesterfield. In 1950, Route 161 was extended south to Niantic along former SR 669. At an unconfirmed time after 1965, a section near East Pattagansett Road in East Lyme was rerouted for safety reasons.<ref>[http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/ct161.html Connecticut Routes, Route 161]</ref>
==Junction list== {{jcttop|state=CT|county=New London|length_ref=<ref name=ctlog/>}} {{CTint |location=East Lyme |lspan=4 |mile=0.00 |road={{Jct|state=CT|Route|156|city1=Old Lyme|city2=Waterford|areadab2=CDP}} |notes=Southern terminus }} {{CTint |mile=3.00 |road={{Jct|state=CT|I|95|city1=New London|city2=New Haven}} |notes=Exit 74 on I-95}} {{CTint |mile=3.37 |road={{Jct|state=CT|US|1|city1=Old Lyme|city2=Waterford|areadab2=CDP}} }} {{CTint |type=unbuilt |mile=5.22 |road={{Jct|state=CT|Route|11|city1=New London|city2=Colchester}} |notes=Proposed }} {{CTint |location=Montville |mile=8.03 |road={{Jct|state=CT|Route|85|city1=Salem|city2=Waterford}} |notes=Northern terminus }} {{jctbtm|keys=unbuilt}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=inline,title}} {{Portal|Connecticut}}
161 Category:Transportation in New London County, Connecticut