MassHighway uses large diagrammatical signs regularly along its freeways for interchange elements such as loop ramps and in this instance, a collector/distributor roadway. This particular sign resides along Interstate 95 northbound ahead of the trumpet interchange with U.S. 3 (Exits 32A/B). The c/d roadway serves not only interests to the U.S. 3 freeway north, but also to the nearby folded-diamond interchange with Middlesex Turnpike. Note that U.S. 3 south joins Interstate 95 north to make the jump from its freeway onto its original alignment on Cambridge Street (Exit 33).

Interstate 93 north carried us back to the Loop Connector (Massachusetts 213) east to Interstate 495 north. Interstate 495′s northernmost extent includes just four lanes and the lightest amount of traffic that we saw. Though that is an understatement, it was a welcome concept given the overall Massachusetts’ and Southern New England traffic woes.

I neglected to go to the east end of New Hampshire 101 and Atlantic Coast in 2005, so we decided to make that a stop this year. New Hampshire 101 appears as a freeway with an interchange with U.S. 1 on some maps. This is gravely incorrect, as the highway narrows to two lanes across tidal marshes west of Hampton Beach before partitioning into a one-way one-lane street couplet in the town itself. State maintenance ends near the couplet partition no less.

U.S. 1 (Ocean Boulevard) northbound at the westbound beginning of New Hampshire 101 (Church Street) in Hampton Beach. Church Street carries one lane of N.H. 101 west to the confluence with Highland Avenue (N.H. 101 east). From there New Hampshire 101 crosses marshland to a signalized intersection with Landing Road. After that at-grade intersection, the New Hampshire 101 freeway begins as a super-two expressway.

Hampton Beach was shrouded in some late morning low cloudiness this day, but was bustling with tourists and beach goers none the less. Densely built beach cottages line U.S. 1 southbound and the adjoining narrow street grid. U.S. 1 otherwise constitutes a divided highway with parallel parking slots in its median through here. Sand on the adjacent beach is more orange than anything else. Overall, we thought it was a quaint place, that worthy of a return visit…

New Hampshire 101 took us west to Manchester. The freeway is much less traveled then its Massachusetts counterparts and offers a direct link between the coast and mountains with Interstates 93 and 89. The corridor historically is that of Interstate 92, though the freeway itself was not fully completed until the early 2000s.

In Manchester, finding a stand-alone Interstate shield or reassurance marker of any kind can be quite a task. That is, as mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, overlapped routes are signed in a green box. This makes it next to impossible to find a single Interstate 293 shield as the Manchester loop shares pavement with the F.E. Everett Turnpike, New Hampshire 101, and New Hampshire 3A along its routing. Otherwise construction is still present at the Granite Street diamond interchange and Interstate 293 north to Amoskeag Street. Crews are essentially modernizing the highway through there.

Classic button copy overheads on U.S. 3 (Hooksett Road) southbound at its split with New Hampshire 28. New Hampshire 28 follows the one-way street couplet of Beech Street (south) and Maple Street (north) between U.S. 3 and Willow Street. U.S. 3 meanwhile turns west on Webster Street to Elm Street south and the Manchester central business district.

We poked around downtown Manchester from Bridge Street east and U.S. 3 north. For a small city, there appears to be many entertainment spots, including a full scale arena. Though other parts of Manchester remind me of Scranton…

Leaving Manchester, Interstate 93 briefly becomes the F.E. Everett Turnpike on the drive to junction Interstate 89 and Concord. Concord, the state capital, is similar to Montpelier with a dense downtown and its overall layout.

Looking west at the New Hampshire State Capital Complex from U.S. 3-202 & New Hampshire 9 (Main Street).

Construction involving the repaving of Interstate 89 hampered us and all other northbound drivers over the course of the first three miles leaving Interstate 93. I was once told that DOT’s in northern New England repave their freeways every two to three years. As we would later discover on Interstate 89 between White River Junction and Barre, repaving was underway in Vermont as well.

Interstate 89 parallels U.S. 202 west from Concord before veering northwest to Lebanon. A bulk of the traffic departs via U.S. 202 en route to Henniker and Keene, leaving Interstate 89 to the mountains. Pictured here is the Interstate 89 north & New Hampshire 10 west approach to eastern Lebanon.

Interstate 91 northeast of Interstate 89 is one of the more beautiful freeways in the northeast. The difference between it and Interstate 89 northwest of Montpelier is that there is less traffic, which anymore is becoming an increasing problem in Vermont with the influx of vacationers. Jay Hogan, formerly of New England Turnpikes, wrote earlier this year that VTrans was undertaking a sign replacement project along Interstate 91 leading north from White River Junction. The results of that project were clear in the form of a complete sign overhaul along the route between Interstate 89 and one exit south of Interstate 93. Crews were in the process of replacing signs at St. Johnsbury of both Interstates 91 and 93 that week no less. Further north, original signs are still in use, some of which have lost all of their green and now appear gray…

One of the many hills along Interstate 91 between White River Junction and St. Johnsbury. Breathtaking vistas into the parallel Connecticut River Valley are afforded to the east periodically. This view looks at the freeway south of Exit 17.

Original guide sign along Interstate 91 northbound proclaiming the highest elevation along the entire route (1,856 feet).

Our final stop before heading west across the Green Mountains to Lake Champlain took us to Newport and Derby Line, Vermont. Interstate 91 defaults into the Canadian Port of Entry, ahead of Quebec Autoroute 55. A connector street stems west along the Canadian border to U.S. 5 at its northern end, which is another Port of Entry. The next town south along U.S. 5 is Newport.

Vermont 191, which appears as a freeway on some maps, provides access to Interstate 91 from Newport. Like the “Interstate Access Road” in St. Albans, Vermont 191 is a controlled access surface road connecting the parent freeway with the nearby town. Vermont 191 ends at a stop light with junction U.S. 5 & Vermont 105 and sees a few at-grade intersections along the way. Thus it is not a freeway, nor even an expressway.

U.S. 5 north & Vermont 105 east (Causeway) at junction Vermont 191. Vermont 191 spurs east to Western Avenue, Crawford Farm Road, Citizens Road, and the Exit 27 partial-cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 91. The traffic light between the two highways is permanently set to flash caution for U.S. 5 & Vermont 105.

Further south, cloverleaf ramps between Interstates 95 and 495 are being slightly altered to improve their curvature. It is amazing to us as to how many full cloverleaf interchanges remain in service between two Interstates, let alone freeways of any kind. It reminds me of the interchanges I experienced in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area..

Interstate 495, for as long as the highway is, carries six lanes throughout most of its length. It is a testament to the far reaching suburbs of Boston and the increasing weekend beach and mountain-bound traffic to have that much capacity on a freeway so far from the city center. Unfortunately the only modern interchange along the route that comes to mind is the Exit 23C directional to Simarano Drive at Marlborough, officially known as Joseph A. Ferrecchia Connector Road.

Finding a state-named Interstate shield in either Massachusetts or New Hampshire is next to impossible, but thanks to our friend Jake, we were able to locate this 18″ wooden trailblazer for Interstate 495 in Upton.

One stop along the northward drive along Interstate 495 took us into the city of Lowell via the Lowell Connector. Once upon a time this freeway spur received the designation Business Spur Interstate 495 (one junction shield still remains). Nowadays it is simply signed as the “Lowell Connector” or “To Interstate 495 & U.S. 3″. A complex series of loop and directional ramps join both the Lowell Connector and the U.S. 3 freeway with Interstate 495 via Exits 35A-B-C. Spurring north from U.S. 3 just south of Interstate 495, the six-lane freeway even receives its own set of sequential exit numbers.

Nearing the northern end of the Lowell Connector at the partition between Exits 5B (Massachusetts 3A north) and 5C (Central Lowell via Gorham Street). “Road Ends” signs are a bit misleading in our opinion. Having seen them as far south as Rhode Island and as far north as Essex Junction, Vermont, they are somewhat standard in the New England states.

Continuing northeast on Interstate 495, the freeway next meets Interstate 93 near Lawrence. Lawrence, Lowell’s sister city if you will, has its own connector in the form of the Loop Connector. Like the Lowell Connector, the Loop Connector also has its own sets of exit numbers but receives the designation Massachusetts 213. Massachusetts 213 carries four overall lanes as it joins Interstate 495 to the east with Interstate 93 to the west.

After encircling Lawrence, we headed back south along Interstate 93 to Interstate 95 & Massachusetts 128. Unfortunately the junction between these two busy and pivotal roadways is facilitated by a full-cloverleaf interchange. A much better interchange lies to the north between Interstate 93 and Commerce Way (Exit 37C) in the form of a tri-level stack. Thank the completion of the Anderson RTC (Commuter Rail Station) for that high-speed connection, but what is being considered for junction Interstate 93 and 95? The Interstate 93 / 95 Interchange Transportation Study recommendations involve constructing directional ramps, perhaps as flyovers, from Interstate 95 north onto Interstate 93 north and Interstate 95 south onto Interstate 93 south. Cost estimates range between $160 and $249 million on the two preferred alternates mentioned in the study. No time table is set on this project, but the sooner, the better considering the single-lane ramps between the two Interstates.

Back in downtown Boston, the view above the Interstate 93 Big Dig from Causeway Street looking south. The green swath represents the location of the former Fitzgerald Expressway. Interstate 93 sinks into the tunnel from the Zakim Bridge over the Charles River behind this scene adjacent to the TD Banknorth Garden, home of the NBA Boston Celtics.

A short distance east of the Interstate 93 Zakim Bridge is the Massachusetts 99 Charles River Bridge. Massachusetts 99 on an expressway-style alignment between the central business district and Massachusetts 16. Rotary interchanges and others join the multi-lane divided highway with primary cross streets in lieu of large at-grade intersections.

Massachusetts 99′s urban expressway features a cut and cover tunnel among its features through north Boston. The tunnel exists just south of the Sullivan Square rotary at Mishawum Street.

The Mystic River draw bridge went up as we approached along Massachusetts 99 northbound. Time spent waiting for the single leaf bascule to raise allowed for this view of the distance U.S. 1 Tobin Bridge.

Interstate 95 carried us northward into New Hampshire and southern Maine. EZ Pass lanes are now in operation along the New Hampshire Turnpike, a change from our 2005 trip. Additionally the eight-lane toll road was resurfaced recently. The turnpike collects tolls adjacent to the New Hampshire 101 interchange (Exit 2). Those departing or entering from N.H. 101 are levied 50 cents. All others must pay $1.00. Interstate 95 becomes a freeway highway south of Exit 1 (New Hampshire 286) and north of Exit 3 (New Hampshire 33).

We exited Interstate 95 north just shy of the Maine Turnpike beginning (Exit 7) and doubled back south along U.S. 1 and U.S. 1 Bypass through Kittery. With beach traffic quite fierce, this was the better route across the Piscataqua River. Interesting enough, the Maine Welcome Center along Interstate 95 northbound provides access to and from parallel U.S. 1.

U.S. 1 Bypass spans the Piscataqua River across this two-lane lift bridge. The route was the first connection between the Maine and New Hampshire Turnpikes. Still serving as a viable through route. U.S. 1 Bypass splits from U.S. 1 near the Exit 3 interchange with Interstate 95 in Maine en route to the Portsmouth Circle with U.S. 4 in New Hampshire.

Venturing northwest, we followed the Spaulding Turnpike beyond its split with U.S. 4 to Dover and Rochester. A pair of 50 cent toll plazas lie along the tolled sections of the highway. North of Exit 12, the four-lane divided highway narrows into a super-two expressway.

A handful of classic button copy signs remain in use along the Spaulding Turnpike at Rochester. The two lane section includes a striped center line laden with rumble strips. U.S. 202 incidentally is signed as east-west through much of New Hampshire.

Since the Spaulding Turnpike is co-signed with another route throughout its entire length, NHDOT places reassurance markers in a green box along with the corresponding routes. This is standard practice for route overlaps in the Granite State. Just north of the Exit 18 folded-diamond interchange with New Hampshire 125 is the end sign for the Spaulding Turnpike. New Hampshire 16 continues northward as the primary route into the White Mountains from Portsmouth and points south.

Started things off by heading northward into the Big Dig and then northeast across the Tobin Bridge to the U.S. 1 Northeast Expressway. A repainting job is underway along the Tobin Bridge at mid-span. U.S. 1 was once touted as part of the through-city routing of Interstate 95 through Boston. A section of the highway is a full fledged freeway between Interstate 93 and Lynn Street at the Suffolk/Middlesex County line. From there northward, U.S. 1 exists as an expressway devoid of cross-traffic or intersections, but lined on either side with an array of businesses and shopping plazas. This unsual configuration lasts the entire northward drive from Boston to junction Interstate 95/Massachusetts 128 and Peabody. Intersections along the routing are replaced with interchanges. Right-hand turns are permitted but there are no traffic lights. A jersey or guard rail median segregates the north-south movements and prohibits left-hand turns.

U.S. 1 transitions into an expressway (Frank P. Bennett Memorial Highway) at Malden, north of the Lynn Street. Interchanges exist along the northward drive to Peabody including those at Essex Street, Main Street, and Lynns Fells Parkway at Saugus.

We doubled back southward along Interstate 95 & Massachusetts 128 around the city of Boston. A busy six-lane freeway, Massachusetts 128 predates the Interstate system in construction and was grand fathered in as Interstate 95 when it was determined that I-95 would not be built through the city. Signs refer to both highways as Interstate 95 and Massachusetts 128 throughout their shared alignment. Massachusetts 128 east of Interstate 93′s southern terminus however was eliminated in 1997.

U.S. 1 joins Interstate 95 in a wrong-way overlap between Exit 15 and junction Interstate 93. This cosigning creates a situation where Interstate 95 south & U.S. 1 north sharing the same carriageway. A similar configuration occurs with U.S. 3 and Interstate 95′s brief overlap between Exits 32 and 33. U.S. 1 follows Interstate 95 south and Interstate 93 north between Dedham and the Tobin Bridge.

Construction is present at the Interstate 95, Interstate 93, and U.S. 1 junction at Canton, Massachusetts.Work began April of 2004 and should be completed in Fall of 2007. The project includes the addition of one general purpose lane per direction within the median of both Interstates 93 and 95 leading east and west of the interchange. Widening also includes the building of full left-hand shoulders and auxiliary lanes.

Additionally the Interstate 95 southbound ramp leading away from Massachusetts 128 will be widened to two lanes. Interstate 95 & Massachusetts 128 bridges over the Neponset River, Amtrak, and University Avenue were already replaced during this project.

Shifting northward through Quincy and Boston, Interstate 93-U.S. 1 join with Massachusetts 3 between downtown Boston and Exit 7. The eight-lane freeway between the Massachusetts 3 (Exit 7) interchange and the Big Dig includes a time-variable HOV-2 lane. Depending on whether it is the in-bound morning peak hours or out-bound evening peak hours, a zipper jersey barrier is moved to convert the left-hand lane of Interstate 93-U.S.1-Massachusetts 3 into a carpool lane. The barriers prevent lane changing and reduce the number of general purpose lanes from four to three of the direction affected.

Interstate 93, U.S. 1, and Massachusetts 3 pass through a cut and cover tunnel below Boulevard Street in Milton. The freeway sinks below grade between Exits 9 and 11. No shoulder or break down lanes exist here.

We looped east along Interstate 90 through the Ted Williams Tunnel and northeast via Massachusetts 1A to Massachusetts 16 west to U.S. 1 (Tobin Bridge) south and Interstate 93 south.

We looped east along Interstate 90 through the Ted Williams Tunnel and northeast via Massachusetts 1A to Massachusetts 16 west to U.S. 1 (Tobin Bridge) south and Interstate 93 south. This view is afforded to southbound drivers as they cross the Charles River across the cable-stayed Zakim Bridge. The green swath of land in the background represents the former location of the Fitzgerald Expressway viaduct. Much of the demolition and conversion of the land into a green space park is complete.

Next on our drive was a trip down Massachusetts 3 toward Plymouth, an amazingly busy four-lane freeway joining metro Boston with the Cape Cod region via the Sagamore Bridge. This road and Interstates 495 and 195 become increasingly busy during the Summer months with traffic headed to the coast for weekend trips. Portable VMS recommended avoiding travel on all three routes toward the Cape between 2 and 7 pm on Sunday.

A new freeway exists in southeastern Massachusetts that carries U.S. 44 west from Plymouth to junction Massachusetts 58 at Carver. With the new highway, U.S. 44 now shares a mile with the Massachusetts 3 freeway between Exits 6 (Samoset Street) and 7 (the new freeway). We traveled west on the entire length of the sleek four-lane highway to its end at the Massachusetts 58 diamond interchange. West of there, the highway transitions into median separated super-two expressway to a signalized at-grade intersection with junction Massachusetts 105.

U.S. 44 “tip-hat” shield posted west of the interchange with Commerce Way on the 2005-opened freeway. With increased coastal growth expected at Plymouth and the high speeds along U.S. 44, upgrading the highway into a full freeway all the way west to Interstate 495 is a good idea, though we are not aware of any plans.

A three mile long back-up resulted from beach-bound traffic along the Bourne Bridge and freeway leading north from Massachusetts 28 at Buzzards Bay to the U.S. 6 interchange at Bourne. That is as far southeast as we pushed along the six-lane Massachusetts 25 freeway between Interstates 195 & 495 and Massachusetts 28. We opted to head west to Rhode Island instead.

Resurfacing was underway along Interstate 195 through the city of Fall River. This project follows redecking of the Charles Braga Bridge across the Taunton River in 2005. Massachusetts 24 ties into Interstate 195 here between its freeway legs southward to Rhode Island and northward to Taunton. Massachusetts 24 took us south to Rhode Island 24 and its end at junction Rhode Island 114 at Portsmouth.

Rhode Island 114 spans Mt. Hope Bay between Portsmouth and Bristol via the two-lane Mt. Hope suspension Bridge. This bridge was built between 1927 and 1929 and includes ornate lighting fixtures. Cable lights accent the bridge at night.

Further west within the capital city of Providence, work continues on the new Interstate 195 alignment and Providence River Bridge. Significant progress was made since our 2005 trip through Rhode Island. Arches of the new signature span for Interstate 195 are now visible and flyovers are partially constructed at the future Interstate 95 and 195 junction south of downtown. Upon completion, a high-speed interchange will join the two highways near the confluence of the Providence and Seekonk Rivers, over one half mile south of the present Interstate 195 western terminal.

Looking southwest from Interstate 195 at the new Providence River Bridge from near the Washington Bridge over the Seekonk River. New Interstate 195 will veer southwest over India Point Park to Interstate 95. The original right-of-way will be converted into new parkland upon completion of the project.

New flyovers rise above Interstate 95 southbound that will join with Interstate 195 and parallel Eddy Street.

Interchange work and the new Interstate 195 Providence River Bridge and alignment should be completed by late 2009. Additional work involving upgrading Interstate 95 within the vicinity and removing the old Interstate 195 alignment will continue to mid-2012.

Meanwhile crews are replacing all aged signs along the entire alignment of Interstate 295 to the west and north of Providence. Gone now are the dual exit/mile tabs at some of the Interstate 295 interchanges. So Interstate 295 and Rhode Island will remain a sequential-exit numbering state with no reference to the milepost at any of its exits.

Stacks of decommissioned signs set beside new reflectorized signs awaiting installation on Interstate 295 between Exits 9 and 10.

After a jaunt westward to New London, Connecticut and southward onto the Rhode Island 4 freeway, we returned north. Night fell upon us by the time we returned to Quincy by way of Interstate 95 north, Interstate 495 south, Massachusetts 24 north, and Interstate 93 north. Cutout fans will find a set of U.S. 1 shields at the north end of Massachusetts 24. The cutouts are merely signs normally placed on overheads, not vintage or old-style designs.

We started our journey just south of the Pennsylvania state line, beginning first with a visit to the Pennsylvania Welcome Center to obtain the latest copy of the Pennsylvania State Highway Map. Construction is present along all of Interstate 95 in Delaware County between the state line and junction Interstate 476. PennDOT is in the process of again resurfacing the highway with asphalt. At the time, the previous coat of asphalt was milled down to the original concrete roadway. This project would hamper us a over a week later with a 30-minute back-up at 11 pm on a Saturday night…

Continuing east into New Jersey, we entered the New Jersey Turnpike by way of New Jersey 168, the only connection between the toll road and parallel Interstate 295 close enough to act as the junction between the Turnpike and Interstate 76/New Jersey 42 (North South Freeway). New Jersey 168 offers two lanes laden with traffic lights on the short drive between the respective interchanges. There are no plans to provide a direct connection between the two pivotal roads in South Jersey…

Northward, Turnpike travelers heading southbound this day (Friday July 27) were greeted with what seemed to be a 15-20 mile back-up between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension and New Brunswick. It was unclear as to what caused the congestion, but the Turnpike does reduce from a four-carriageway configuration into a six-lane freeway on this stretch.

Garden State Parkway northbound at the Metrowest trumpet interchange (Exit 131B) near Iselin. The Parkway is untolled between the New Jersey Turnpike and a point just south of junction Interstate 78. Several button copy signs remain in use along this stretch of freeway.

Eastward, we opted for the Holland Tunnel into Lower Manhattan and Canal Street southeast to the Manhattan Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge is historical in nature as far as Interstates are concerned as it was one time planned to be a part of Interstate 478 between the unconstructed Lower Manhattan Expressway (Interstate 78) and Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway). As it exists, the Manhattan Bridge carries seven lanes of traffic and four Metro tracks; vehicles partition between separate two lane upper carriageways on the outside of the suspension bridge span and a three-lane lower carriageway on the inside of the bridge. Since Interstate 78 was never built east of the Holland Tunnel, Interstate 478 was removed from the Manhattan Bridge and reapplied on the nearby Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in an unsigned fashion. The Manhattan Bridge along with the Brooklyn and Queensboro Bridges are the only three untolled spans across the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn/Queens.

Southbound on the upper carriageway or the Manhattan Bridge. Like other Manhattan area bridges, no shoulders or break-down lanes are provided. The span ends at Tillary Street in Brooklyn on the south side with connections provided to Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) via surface streets (Jay Street north / Sand Street east).

A brief jaunt southward took us to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel northbound onto FDR Drive. FDR Drive represents a north-south freeway along the eastern periphery of Manhattan Island between Battery Park at the south and junction Interstate 95 (George Washington Bridge) and the Washington Bridge (West 181st Street) to the north. This freeway passes under several high-rises along its journey, including a portion of the United Nations Building. As with many Manhattan and New York City freeways, the northernmost two miles were accompanied with a 20-minute back-up caused by congestion on the George Washington Bridge to New Jersey.

FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) Drive northbound initially travels southbound from West Street and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel portal southward underneath Battery Park. The configuration allows for an usual situation where two subterranean roadways pass over one another.

After a few turns in the Bronx, including a short stretch along the poorly signed U.S. 1, we ended up on Interstate 87 (Major Deegan Expressway / New York Thruway) north to Interstate 287. Interstate 87 was clogged northbound leading to its interchange with Interstate 95 (because of the GWB again), but was free flowing north to Interstate 287 (Cross Westchester Expressway). At this point it was after 3 pm, and traffic volume showed it. All of westbound Interstate 287 between Interstate 87 and Interstate 95 was jammed and Interstate 95 northbound from the Connecticut line was similarly slow-moving. VMS along the former toll road indicated “Delay Next 25 miles to Exit 24 ” and later “Delay Six Miles Exits 41 – 48″. It was simply amazing to encounter more or less 50 miles of traffic delays, a sad accepted situation on a pivotal stretch of road. Total time to traverse 50 miles of I-95 in CT, 1 hour and 45 minutes…

U.S. 1 (Webster Avenue) southbound at its turn onto Interstate 95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) southbound. U.S. 1 follows Interstate 95 across the George Washington Bridge into Fort Lee, New Jersey. An original state-named shield joins a weathered U.S. 1 trailblazer at the Webster Avenue intersection with Ittner Place and the on-ramp.

Construction is a factor and will be for several more years at the south end of Interstate 91 and the Q Bridge (Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge) at New Haven, Connecticut. Work focuses on the east side of the Q Bridge at present in preparation for the bridge replacement project. Work to upgrade the Interstate 91 and 95 interchange is schedule to commence in 2009. Fortunately however the widening of Interstate 95 through Bridgeport is complete, and the brief eight-lane segment there (Exit 26 to 27A) allowed for a brief reprieve from the otherwise congested ride.

Interstate 395 northbound nearing the split with the Connecticut Turnpike (Exit 90). Interstate 395 continues north to Putnam and Worcester, Massachusetts. The Turnpike spurs east as unsigned Connecticut 395 to junction U.S. 6 near the Rhode Island state line. Had Interstate 84 been construction between Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island as envisioned, it would have utilized the east-west Turnpike spur between Interstate 395 and the state line.

Once east of New Haven, traffic flow increased dramatically, though volumes remained somewhat high. We opted for Interstate 395 northeast to Worcester, Massachusetts. As mentioned in Justin’s May 10, 2007 blog post, MassHighway is presently upgrading the Massachusetts 146 roadway into an expressway connection with Interstate 290 in Worcester, a $300-million project begun in 2004.

Heading northbound on Interstate 290 east at the Massachusetts 146 interchange in Worcester. Massachusetts 146 northbound drivers will be provided a direct ramp onto Interstate 290 east and drivers bound for Massachusetts 146 south to Interstate 90 will be provided a direct southbound off-ramp via I-290 west.

The direct connection (via a partial “Y” interchange) replaces a traffic rotary previously located under Interstate 290 at Massachusetts 146. Massachusetts 146 subsequently will continue north along Quinsigamond Avenue to an end at Southbridge Street.

That project is one element of the Massachusetts 146/Massachusetts Turnpike interchange project, work that will upgrade four miles of Massachusetts 146 between Interstate 290 and Interstate 90. See the map below for additional elements of the project.

Massachusetts 146 reconstruction and upgrade map, courtesy of Worcester Regional Research Bureau.

After nightfall, our routing took us east via Interstate 290, Interstate 495, Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) and Interstate 93 to Quincy, our destination for the weekend.

Sources:

1. “Riveting work.” Worcester Telegram & Gazette Online, January 25, 2004.
2. Worcester’s Link to the Masspike: An Update on the Route 146 Connector. Worcester Regional Research Bureau, March 2003.

We all know about the big dig, and if you don’t, you’re a terrible roadgeek. The main thrust of the project was to take the ugly central artery and replace it with a tunnel beneath downtown. Where the central artery was, was to become a pretty urban park. Let’s see what is going on up on the surface….

(PS its very hard to take pictures in a tunnel!)

Click for larger.

As the Zakim/Bunker Hill bridge whisks drivers to the tunnels under downtown, the legacy of the central artery is soon forgotten while attempting to dodge falling panels of concrete. Up on the street however, the picture is quite a different story.

When the big dig project began in 1991, planners had only a general idea of what to put on top. 75 percent of the new land was designated as open space, and 25 percent was set aside for commercial use. With the removal of the elevated Central Artery structures, 30 acres of prime space was opened up in the center of the busy city. Planners had to be careful to design it properly, it had to be unlike the dehumanizing and windswept brutalist city hall plaza a few blocks west. As you can see above, a lot of it is still piles of dirt, broken glass, and construction equipment.

Suggestions ranged from the simple to the grandiose. Local merchants favored adding some trees and parking space, while the state horticultural Society pushed plans to build a giant enclosed greenhouse covering 4 acres. Finally, a plan was developed that called for a series of inviting public parks. The Rose Kennedy Greenway was dedicated on July 26, 2004. 25 percent of the land is set aside for what planners call “modest” development. Instead of only commercial, the plan has been expanded to include all types of mixed uses – retail, commercial, housing, and tourism.

Today, the Rose Kennedy Greenway consists of a lot of dirt with a chain link fence and jersey barriers surrounding it. It was orginally slated for completion in 2005 but because of the Big Dig’s cost overruns opening is now predicted for 2008.

In looks awful. I know it’s not finished yet but what is there evokes nothing of the leafy pedestrian friendly Boston we all know. It is well removed the buildings surrounding it and there is a wide boulevard on either side. A seemingly better idea would have been to put the road in the center with the parklands off to one or both sides. But hey, the rest of the city is still awesome.

The rest of route 2 is a bit less dramatic than the graceful arch of the French King Bridge. From the northern terminus of I-190 at Leominster, the road stays a multilane freeway for several miles. It is by no means interstate standards, often lacking shoulders or a discernible median. Leominster is notable as the home of both Johnny Appleseed and the pink plastic lawn flamingo.

Route 2 has a short overlap with US 202 west of Templeton. At this point headed west, the road becomes a 2 lane expressway. The center stripe for 2 miles is fitted with these vertical yellow dividers and signs implore drivers (with a “please”!) to keep their lights on. I’m guessing this area may have been the scene of several nasty wrecks to warrant such over the top safety devices.

As US 202 leaves Route 2, the junction is signed really well. At every turn, it would appear, State Route 202 signs replace the US highway ones, as in the case below.

They get it right when it matters the most, though. Oklahoma and Kansas, I’ve noticed, are also really bad at signing US routes as state. Route 2 through here, and indeed west to New York is known as the Mohawk Trail. It’s a very scenic route that eventually takes drivers through the Berkshire Mountains. The road was carved from an earlier indian path in the 1700s for Pioneers headed west. Indeed the area it passes through is also known as the Pioneer Valley. Route 2 also has the distinction of being America’s very first officially designated scenic route – in 1914.

A typical town view. Route 2 is undergoing updating in several areas especially around Erving, which sits just east of the Connecticut River. I noticed Massachusetts often puts route numbers on guide signs without a shield, shown above. One thing the Pioneer Valley is noted for is being a region full of used book stores. Perhaps the shieldless numbered signs are a tribute to avid local readers

West of Erving and the French King bridge, Route 2 follows the Connecticut River. The next large town along the route is Turners Falls. Turners Falls is famous for its “Power Canal” which was originally constructed in 1798 and rebuilt in 1869. The canal was built to provide navigation past a large waterfall called Turners Falls. The bridge shown above is not Route 2 but just off of it, and is known as the Gill bridge. The bridge was finished in 1938 and is really in need of rehabilitation. The pavement is pockmarked and the bridge is full of rust. While decrepit, it is still impressive to look at.

The road continues westbound as a local road, then a super-2 expressway, and finally it has a few miles of full freeway just before hitting I-91.

The interchange with I-91 is fully directional. Route 2 continues westbound through some impressive mountain scenery. That is the meat of Mohawk Trail, and i’m sure it gets very busy during the fall foliage season.

Route 146 leaves Providence as a fairly major freeway. The six lanes give way to four just as the northern suburbs are at their peak. Route 146 has the distinction of being Rhode Island’s first divided highway, and was originally constructed way back in the 1940s. In RI, the ROW is fairly dense with the carriageways often separated by a simple guardrail.

The first major freeway intersection north of Providence is with I-295. This is a fairly new interchange and is positively giant by New England standards. RI 146 is positioned between two very long C/D lanes.

Almost immediately the freeway enters the town of North Smithfield. The town’s main drag here is punctuated by a traffic light and very close in retail. The speed limit drops to 35 at one point.

The newer freeway branches off and begins its hilly climb into Mass. north of the light. Rhode Island numbers older routes with an A, and the older business route branches off to serve downtown Woonsocket.

Route 146 enters Massachusetts as a hilly freeway. The main area the freeway runs through is called the Blackstone Valley. Granite outcroppings and hills are common here. The original roadway was two lanes with a center turn lane. Plans were roused as early as 1964 to make the route a freeway but updating did not occur until the 80s. As such, parts of the freeway have a very narrow median.

A typical view in rural Mass. is forested hills with a few houses here and there. The freeway is fairly devoid of any services between Providence and Worcester. Traffic counts through here remain pretty low, as well, and its got a great rural feel. This might be the northeast urban corridor but it’s no I-95.

As the freeway nears Worcester, the median gradually disappears, and the rural feel goes away. As a Texan, i’m always surprised by the seemingly ridiculously low distances between things in New England. I’m used to the next big city being 240 miles away…

The road becomes a freeway again as we hit the Mass Pike. I love the Pilgrim Hat. Construction of this interchange took place from 1996 to 1998, and cost about $100 million. The freeway’s design touches through here are pretty nice. The lights evoke thoughts of the industrial 19th century past of the region, in my opinion.

I’m not one to complain about highway markings that often but come on. Arguably the most historic state in the nation with the richest and most progressive culture out there and a square? In any case, as Route 146 gets closer to Worcester it gets newer and newer. It used to dump traffic onto a minor city street here but has been slowly upgraded to expressway standards.

The bridges throughout the newer freeway section are colored rather brightly. Teal and Blue accents are common and noticeable, as are these red accents on bridges, lights, and fencing.

Construction is ongoing in Worcester to upgrade the road. Traffic is relegated to the future southbound lanes as the northbound lanes are completed. Interestingly, the signage is already up – completion is expected by the end of this year. When the freeway is completed from Providence all the way though to Worcester, it would be a great candidate for an extension of I-190 southward (Also handy would be an actual connection to its parent)…

As Route 146 ends at I-290, the freeway goes down to one lane in each direction, just like the old days. There is still a single pedestrian crossing as well. The bridges here are fuschia, which is a color I cant say I’ve ever seen used much on freeways before. It’s better than plain concrete, though – and thats what makes Route 146 unique.