Merritt Parkway Conservancy
PO Box 17072
Stamford, CT 06907
203.661.3255
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"This great highway is not being constructed primarily for rapid transit but for pleasant transit. This county [Fairfield County] is fortunate in having such beautiful backcountry and it is our great duty to see that these beauties are preserved."
Completed in 1940, the Merritt Parkway was Connecticut’s first divided-lane, limited-access highway and was hailed as the “Road of the Future” at the 1939 World’s Fair. It holds landmark status for its successful integration of engineering with landscape and architectural design. The Merritt Parkway is a 37.5 mile scenic byway from Greenwich to Stratford with a bucolic landscape designed by Weld Thayer Chase and 69 iconic bridges designed by the architect George Dunkelberger in a range of styles, most notably Art Deco and Art Moderne.
The Parkway was primarily built to ease traffic congestion in southwestern Connecticut, particularly along U.S. Route 1, also known as the Boston Post Road. Surveying for the new road began in the late 1920s, followed by land acquisition in 1931. Beyond its transportation role, the Parkway played a vital part in providing employment during the Great Depression, when road construction was a key public works initiative. It also helped spur the growth and development of Fairfield County.
In 1935, the parkway was named after Congressman Schuyler Merritt, a strong advocate for its construction. At the groundbreaking ceremony on May 23, 1934, in Greenwich, his words captured the Parkway’s enduring vision and now serve as the Conservancy’s mission:
"This great highway is not being constructed primarily for rapid transit but for pleasant transit. This county [Fairfield County] is fortunate for having such beautiful backcountry and it is our great duty to see that these beauties are preserved."
"I prefer to consider the individuality of structure from the standpoint of what I think would be most pleasing to the general public in an architectural sense."
- George Dunkelberger
The 69 bridges on the Merritt were designed by the Highway Department’s visionary architect George L. Dunkelberger. They represent a range of styles, including French Renaissance, Gothic, Rustic, Art Deco, Art Moderne, and Neoclassicism. There is no overall theme or program — each bridge is an independent work of art and most of them are in concrete, unusual for a parkway. Partly done as a cost-saving measure, Dunkelberger rose to the challenge by tinting concrete numerous colors, carving into it, adding sculptures, and by maximizing the dramatic possibilities of each of the bridges’ locations.
Kenneth Lynch who created the gargoyles and fittings on the Chrysler Building in 1930 and the Atlas rings on the Rockefeller building produced all the metalwork on the Merritt Bridges. One of the most decorative bridges is the Lake Avenue Bridge in Greenwich with its arches are covered in cast-iron vines. The frames, railings, grapevine grills, urns and scrolls were originally painted contrasting and varied colors. Recent restoration in 2020 brought the historic ironwork back to life. The Conservancy sponsored the analysis of the original 1940 paint colors and the successful collaborative restoration with CT DOT earned the project awards from the National Scenic Byway Foundation and Preservation Connecticut.
Merwin’s Lane Bridge (1940) in Fairfield displays the most whimsical design. Each 7-foot panel of the metal railings depicts a cobweb with a spider and borders featuring butterflies on stalks. Large precast butterflies perch on triangular shapes on the pylons with smaller butterflies at the corners.
"My aim was to heal the landscape so Dame Nature could pull it together in time."
- Weld Thayer Chase
Dunkelberger joined forces with another young talent, the landscape designer Weld Thayer Chase. Chase, who was inspired by the approach of English landscape designers as well as Frederick Law Olmsted. From 1935 to 1942, Chase planned and supervised the planting of 22,000 trees and 40,000 shrubs, protecting as many native trees as possible, fulfilling his vision that the road reflect the natural beauty of southern Connecticut. During excavation, native trees and plants, including maples and birch were preserved and replanted when the road was completed. Chase contracted for 47,700 laurels, 3,777 dogwoods, 6,459 pines, 3,095 cedars and, 2,037 hemlocks. In addition, Fairfield County garden clubs helped with the landscaping, donating thousands more flowering trees and shrubs. Upon completion of the parkway, he was asked what he had done, which to him was the greatest complement, since he wanted the landscape to look natural.
We advocate for the Merritt Parkway to achieve a balance between its functionality as a major thoroughfare and the preservation of this unique and treasured historic asset.
The Merritt Parkway Conservancy is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working in partnership with the CT Department of Transportation to protect, revitalize, and steward this distinctive National Register-listed historic district and National Scenic Byway. The Conservancy was created at the suggestion of out-going DOT Commissioner Emil Frankel, who became its first chairman in 2002.
The Conservancy solicits and underwrites professional services for design and review projects on the Parkway. We accompany CT DOT on right-of-way and bridge and tree inspections in an effort to preserve the character-defining features of the Parkway. The MPC together with members of the Connecticut American Society of Landscape Architects, architectural firms, and engineering firms have worked on many projects, including bridge and service area restoration and landscape and interchange design.
Signage Policy: Regarding signs erected on private land abutting the Merritt right of way and visible from its travel lanes, we adhere to Fairfield's Zoning Ordinance section 29.8.2 “Connecticut Turnpike and Merritt Parkway. Where a lot abuts the right of way or access road of the Connecticut Turnpike or Merritt Parkway, no sign on such lot shall be erected which faces or is primarily intended to be visible from the Connecticut Turnpike or Merritt Parkway.”
Viewshed Protection: We recognize and support the need for diverse and vibrant economic development in the cities and towns along the Merritt Parkway and work in collaboration with these communities to preserve the beautiful views and green space for the enjoyment of all.
As a measure of oversight and stakeholder involvement in the rehabilitation effort, former Commissioner Frankel established the Merritt Parkway Advisory Committee (MPAC) whose purpose is to advise CT DOT on all matters relative to the Merritt Parkway. The MPAC is comprised of representatives from the 8 towns the Parkway traverses, DOT disciplines, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), State Police Troop G Commander, CT Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, CT Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects, CT Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Merritt Parkway Conservancy