I-384 officially begins at I-84 eastbound exit 59 at the East Hartford–Manchester town line, as the right two lanes of traffic split from the I-84 mainline.

Since May 31, 1996, the segment of I-384 "running from the junction of Interstate Route 84 in Manchester in a general easterly direction to Route 6 in Bolton" has been officially known as the State Trooper Russell A. Bagshaw Highway, in memory of a Connecticut State Police trooper who was killed in the line of duty in 1991.

The corresponding stretch of US 6 is known as "Suicide 6" because of sharp turns and intersections had been the site of numerous fatal accidents and was the main reason supporting construction of the bypass.

It is unlikely the 11-mile (18 km) freeway between I-384 and the Windham Bypass will ever be built because of irresolvable disagreements over the routing of the freeway: state and local officials prefer more northerly alignment that minimizes disruption to developed areas along US 6, while federal officials insist on a more southerly alignment that minimizes environmental impacts to the Hop River ecosystem.

[citation needed] A proposed extension of the CTfastrak bus rapid transit line would run in the HOV lanes in I-84 and I-384.