[2] The highways connects the New Haven and Danbury areas via the Lower Naugatuck River Valley.

Route 34 begins as two-lane Berkshire Road in the Sandy Hook section of the town of Newtown, as a continuation of Washington Avenue.

The road crosses under I-84 after a tenth of a mile, then intersects after another 0.8 mi (1.3 km) with Wasserman Way (SSR 490), which leads to ramps to/from I-84 at Exit 11.

Route 34 then follows the east banks of the Housatonic River as it traverses the towns of Oxford and Seymour.

Beyond this junction, Route 34 expands into a four-lane arterial road, crossing over the Naugatuck River.

It intersects Route 115 (for Ansonia and Seymour center) right after the bridge then turns southward as New Haven Avenue as it continues towards the town of Orange.

The Oak Street Connector appeared in state highway plans in the mid-1950s and the present freeway opened in 1960.

Parking is planned beneath the new development to take advantage of the low grade of the former travel lanes.

New bridges are also planned to reconnect streets disconnected by the highway, providing bike lanes and sidewalks, as well as pedestrian access to adjacent development.

[7] In the early-2020s, Route 34 was undesignated from the former eastern terminus at I-95/I-91 to CT 10, removing its designation along the entire Oak Street Connector.

[8] In March 2019, officials demolished four formerly commercial buildings along Route 34 to make room for the widening.