In 2015, the I-395 exit numbers were changed to a mileage-based system reflecting their distance from the split from I-95, effectively removing the defining element of the turnpike.

The Connecticut Turnpike officially ends at US 6 (Danielson Pike) in Killingly, which continues on towards Providence, Rhode Island.

SR 695 is the 4.49-mile (7.23 km) unsigned portion of the turnpike from I-395 in Plainfield to US 6 at the Rhode Island state line in Killingly.

[5] Intended to relieve congestion on US 1 and Route 15 (the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways), design work began in 1954.

The turnpike was renamed after former Connecticut Governor John Davis Lodge on December 31, 1985, two months after the tolls were removed.

The worst of these was a serious incident on January 19, 1983, in which a tractor trailer after a brake failure collided with four cars at the Stratford toll plaza, killing seven people and injuring several others.

[9] 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.

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.

With additional segments of I-95 that opened in the 1960s connecting to Providence and Boston, the turnpike became an essential route for transporting people and goods throughout the Northeast.

Additionally the turnpike passes through areas with some of the highest property values in the country, making land acquisition for expanding the highway extremely expensive.

In 2000, one ConnDOT official commented during a public meeting on expanding I-84 (an Interstate that parallels I-95 about 20 miles [32 km] further inland), "If we had tried to build I-95 today, it would be impossible because of the sensitive ecosystems it passes through.

[14] Following the collapse, Governor William A. O'Neill initiated an $8 billion program to rehabilitate Connecticut's highways.

Furthermore, O'Neill directed ConnDOT to develop a viable plan for addressing safety and congestion on the state's roads.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, ConnDOT developed a comprehensive plan to improve the turnpike through Fairfield and New Haven counties.

The program included the complete reconstruction of several turnpike segments, including replacing bridges, adding travel lanes, reconfiguring interchanges, upgrading lighting and signage, and implementing the intelligent transportation system with traffic cameras, a variety of embedded roadway sensors, and variable-message signs.

Corridor 65 also includes the 24-mile (39 km) section of I-95 from Waterford to the Rhode Island state line that was built in 1964, which is not part of the Turnpike.

Additionally, unlike other toll roads which featured widely spaced interchanges and generally ran along the outskirts of major urban centers, the Connecticut Turnpike was built through the middle of several large cities (notably Stamford, Bridgeport, and New Haven) and has over 90 interchanges along its 129-mile (208 km) length—50 of which are along the 50-mile (80 km) stretch between the New York state line and New Haven.

During the economic recession of the early 1990s, legislators studied reinstating tolls on parts of the Connecticut Turnpike and portions of highways around Hartford to make up for budget deficits.

State Representative Tony Guerrera estimated a $5 toll at Connecticut's borders could generate $600 million in revenue.

All feature a Subway, a Dunkin' Donuts, a convenience store and fuel service provided by ExxonMobil (branded as Mobil).

In July 2016, the rest area was closed due to budget cuts and barriers were placed on the highway blocking access to the facility.

In September 2019, the rest area was reopened on a seasonal basis, being closed from November until mid May (with no access during that time).

[20] Exits were renumbered to mile-based numbering on the I-395 and SR 695 portions of the turnpike as part of a sign replacement project in 2015.