The Three Worst Spots Where My Car Broke Down in Connecticut

My car wouldn't start over the weekend, but I didn't panic. It was in my driveway, at my house, and I do have AAA. Most of the time my car decides to break down in the most inconvenient time and spot possible. I started thinking about the three worst spots where my car broke down in Connecticut over my almost 40 years of driving, here they are.

The single worst place to break down in all of Connecticut is on Rt. 15/Wilbur Cross Parkway in Hamden. It's now known as Heroes Tunnel, but it will always be the West Rock Tunnel in my mind. It's an amazing achievement, they bored a 4-lane highway through West Rock in Hamden/New Haven, but they didn't have the foresight to build breakdown lanes. Once you're in, you're in, there is nowhere to go. I broke down on the Southbound side around 3/4 of the way through and had to wait 20 minutes before someone showed up to get me out of the way. I will never forget the angry faces that were behind me, waiting for someone in the open lane to let them sneak by my stupid Mercury Sable. Awful place to break down.

The second worst spot that my car broke down at in Connecticut was on 91 Northbound just after the 84 interchange in Hartford. My engine blew and I was able to make it to the razor-thin right shoulder. Vehicles whizzed by at 70-90 MPH as I waited the excruciating hour for the wrecker to show up, even he was terrified at the prospect of getting out of his vehicle onto that highway. Awful.

My third choice is I-84 Eastbound at the bottom of the big hill from Middlebury into Waterbury approaching Exit 17. My car pooped out on the way down the hill, and I was able to coast along on the right shoulder almost to the exit. Tractor trailers were flying by at 80MPH and vehicles drifted into the shoulder a few times as I watched behind for the tow truck to show up.