Massachusetts milepost exit numbering conversion contract

[Ben114]

Email just got sent out that US 3 will be next up, with renumbering starting on 1/20 and go for 2 weeks.

[kramie13]

Because they are renumbering the exits on the southbound side first, then working their way back north.  SOP for the renumberings is to start at the north/easternmost point and work south/westbound, then work back north/eastbound.  It's only temporary.

I thought MassDOT required the contractors to entirely complete work on an interchange before moving to the next one.  That would mean for MA 24, renumbering the I-93 interchange first, then MA 139 in both directions, then the Harrison Blvd/Central St exit in both directions, etc.

[bob7374]

Because they are renumbering the exits on the southbound side first, then working their way back north.  SOP for the renumberings is to start at the north/easternmost point and work south/westbound, then work back north/eastbound.  It's only temporary.

I thought MassDOT required the contractors to entirely complete work on an interchange before moving to the next one.  That would mean for MA 24, renumbering the I-93 interchange first, then MA 139 in both directions, then the Harrison Blvd/Central St exit in both directions, etc.

This is how RI and CT have done it. Apparently, not in MA. I thought the point of starting at the northern and eastern ends were to prevent confusion by changing exits in both directions at once. By only doing one direction at a time you do prevent duplicate exits in that direction, but you have a problem when returning in the opposition direction. Case in point, the work on MA 24 has been completed southbound and Waze reported they were returning in the northern direction last night. If they renumbered only the first two exits last night, then 8A became 8 and 8B became 10. Drivers today would see Exits 8, 10, 9, 10 heading north from Fall River. Yes, this is only a short term problem (to be replaced by a different one tomorrow), but could have been avoided entirely if MassDOT did what was done in its neighboring states.

With the announcement of US 3 being the next route renumbered under the Districts 4-6 contract, I predict the order of the remaining routes under the contract will be MA 128, I-93 and I-95.

[The Ghostbuster]

One thing I have found interesting during highways having their exits converted from sequential to mileage-based is that sometimes the exit sequence reverses direction following the renumbering. Whereas the sequential numbers may have risen from say, north-to-south or east-to-west, when they become mileage-based, the exits rise in the opposite direction. The only highway in Massachusetts that will have its exit sequence reverse direction is MA 128, the portion that didn't become part of Interstates 93 and 95 in the 1970's. Excluding the traffic circle and two intersections that had numbers, the exit sequence started at 12, rising as one goes west, and continued to 29 (and historically continued to 69 when MA 128's terminus was at the freeway junction between Interstate 93 and MA 3). Now the exits will start at 37, rise as one goes east, and continue to 55.

[kramie13]

If they renumbered only the first two exits last night, then 8A became 8 and 8B became 10. Drivers today would see Exits 8, 10, 9, 10 heading north from Fall River. Yes, this is only a short term problem (to be replaced by a different one tomorrow), but could have been avoided entirely if MassDOT did what was done in its neighboring states.

Fun fact: the exit for Airport Rd was Exit 8 until 2012, when it got renumbered to 8A with the opening of the Innovation Way exit, now with the mile-based system it's back to being exit 8.  I'm not sure why Mass DOT didn't assign exit number 8A to Innovation Way in the first place - it cost them more money to renumber an existing exit in addition to adding a new exit at the time.  Thankfully, this is something mile-based exits "fixes".

[Alps]

One thing I have found interesting during highways having their exits converted from sequential to mileage-based is that sometimes the exit sequence reverses direction following the renumbering. Whereas the sequential numbers may have risen from say, north-to-south or east-to-west, when they become mileage-based, the exits rise in the opposite direction. The only highway in Massachusetts that will have its exit sequence reverse direction is MA 128, the portion that didn't become part of Interstates 93 and 95 in the 1970's. Excluding the traffic circle and two intersections that had numbers, the exit sequence started at 12, rising as one goes west, and continued to 29 (and historically continued to 69 when MA 128's terminus was at the freeway junction between Interstate 93 and MA 3). Now the exits will start at 37, rise as one goes east, and continue to 55.

That confirms that 128 begins at 95/93 and no longer exists out to 3. Interesting that they had another opportunity to de-designate it by starting at "1" at the northern 95 junction and chose not to.

[Ben114]

One thing I have found interesting during highways having their exits converted from sequential to mileage-based is that sometimes the exit sequence reverses direction following the renumbering. Whereas the sequential numbers may have risen from say, north-to-south or east-to-west, when they become mileage-based, the exits rise in the opposite direction. The only highway in Massachusetts that will have its exit sequence reverse direction is MA 128, the portion that didn't become part of Interstates 93 and 95 in the 1970's. Excluding the traffic circle and two intersections that had numbers, the exit sequence started at 12, rising as one goes west, and continued to 29 (and historically continued to 69 when MA 128's terminus was at the freeway junction between Interstate 93 and MA 3). Now the exits will start at 37, rise as one goes east, and continue to 55.

That confirms that 128 begins at 95/93 and no longer exists out to 3. Interesting that they had another opportunity to de-designate it by starting at "1" at the northern 95 junction and chose not to.

According to MassDOT when the project was announced at the end of 2019, re-designating 128 "would require an outreach effort and changes to highway signs that is beyond the scope of the current exit renumbering project".

[PHLBOS]

One thing I have found interesting during highways having their exits converted from sequential to mileage-based is that sometimes the exit sequence reverses direction following the renumbering. Whereas the sequential numbers may have risen from say, north-to-south or east-to-west, when they become mileage-based, the exits rise in the opposite direction. The only highway in Massachusetts that will have its exit sequence reverse direction is MA 128, the portion that didn't become part of Interstates 93 and 95 in the 1970's. Excluding the traffic circle and two intersections that had numbers, the exit sequence started at 12, rising as one goes west, and continued to 29 (and historically continued to 69 when MA 128's terminus was at the freeway junction between Interstate 93 and MA 3). Now the exits will start at 37, rise as one goes east, and continue to 55.

That confirms that 128 begins at 95/93 and no longer exists out to 3. Interesting that they had another opportunity to de-designate it by starting at "1" at the northern 95 junction and chose not to.

According to MassDOT when the project was announced at the end of 2019, re-designating 128 "would require an outreach effort and changes to highway signs that is beyond the scope of the current exit renumbering project".

It's worth noting that MassDOT and its predecessors have tried to completely phase out the Rte. 128 designations from the I-95 portion for about 25 to 30 years.  For the most part*, the only 128 signs that appear along the I-95 stretch are trailblazer & reassurance route markers; the latter being either underneath or alongside the I-95 shields.

*Private guidance sign installs in Wakefield feature dual I-95/MA 128 shields on them.

If 128 were to be officially truncated at I-95/Peabody; the major sign alterations, aside from removing said-128 signs along the I-95 stretch, would be to change the direction cardinals to east-west along the Peabody-Gloucester stretch as well as resetting the mile markers to MM 0.0 at I-95 in Peabody.  However, given the past resistance to such; I don't see such happening. 

OTOH, MassDOT might be able to get away with truncating 128 from Canton to the US 1/MA 1A interchange in Dedham/Westwood if the Amtrak/MBTA Route 128 train station was officially renamed to something else.  Such would make 128's mile marker at I-95/Peabody at 34 rather than 37.

[kramie13]

That confirms that 128 begins at 95/93 and no longer exists out to 3. Interesting that they had another opportunity to de-designate it by starting at "1" at the northern 95 junction and chose not to.

If 128 were to be officially truncated at I-95/Peabody; the major sign alterations, aside from removing said-128 signs along the I-95 stretch, would be to change the direction cardinals to east-west along the Peabody-Gloucester stretch as well as resetting the mile markers to MM 0.0 at I-95 in Peabody.  However, given the past resistance to such; I don't see such happening. 

The mile markers on "standalone" Route 128 started at 0 in Peabody in the past - this Google Street View from 2008 confirms it.  When the "enhanced" mile markers were rolled out across Massachusetts (I believe this started in 2009), the mile markers for standalone MA 128 started at 37, which indicated at the time that Mass DOT "officially recognizes MA 128 as concurrent with I-95 between Peabody and Canton".

[PurdueBill]

It's been a long time since they placed the three decimal place mile markers at various points but one prominent one is still on "128" just past where I-95 used to exit up to 1988; mile 0 on independent 128 would have been at the US 1 NB/MA 129 exit where 95 also exited, and this overpass was at mile 0.314 in that scheme.  Evidence of the many times over the years they have half-heartedly tried to get rid of 128 where it lives with 95.  Nowadays, mile 0 would be a little further north.  And they probably will never do that. 

[PHLBOS]

The mile markers on "standalone" Route 128 started at 0 in Peabody in the past - this Google Street View from 2008 confirms it.

Those old mile markers predate the existence of the I-95/MA 128 interchange that was built & fully opened in 1988.  Back then, Mile Marker 0 was at the US 1/MA 129 interchange (then Exit 30, presently Exit 44).  The mile markers from the mid-70s were based on MM 0.0 being at the Braintree Split.

It's been a long time since they placed the three decimal place mile markers at various points but one prominent one is still on "128" just past where I-95 used to exit up to 1988; mile 0 on independent 128 would have been at the US 1 NB/MA 129 exit where 95 also exited, and this overpass was at mile 0.314 in that scheme.  Evidence of the many times over the years they have half-heartedly tried to get rid of 128 where it lives with 95.  Nowadays, mile 0 would be a little further north.  And they probably will never do that. 

Here's another one of those 3-decimal placed mile markers at the MA 114 overpass along MA 128.  3.71 miles from the US 1/MA 129 interchange.  Such were erected around the mid-80s.

[echo]

If Massdot was serious about the 128 thing, they should start in Quincy
https://earth.google.com/web/@42.22822927,-71.01516288,36.24130249a,0d,60y,-108.2558h,85.4028t,0r/data=IhoKFjBkdkhkSFRHRFEwTXlSUnRpYWd6S3cQAg?utm_source=earth7&utm_campaign=vine&hl=en

[bob7374]

Took a trip along I-90 in Boston this weekend and it appears the exit renumbering (with the exception of a couple small auxiliary signs) is complete, including the renumbering of the Logan Airport exit, which will now be the highest numbered exit in the state:


The remainder of the new I-90 photos are at:
https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/neexitrenumbering.html#i90exits

I also checked on the progress of the exit renumbering of MA 24. It is completed southbound and was completed up past I-495 northbound as of Sunday, through MA 123 as of last night and the remainder of the exits are being renumbered through tomorrow night. Photos of the MA 24 signs are at the top of the photo section, or at: https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/neexitrenumbering.html#photos

[yakra]

I see that south of Exit 28, MA24 got 295ed.

295 as a transitive verb means to forgo renumbering exits spaced on average about 1 mile apart at the beginning of a highway when the exit numbers don't fully match the mileposts. Named after the 295 upta lopstah country theyah.

Speaking of 295, any word on the one in Mass?

[jp the roadgeek]

I see that south of Exit 28, MA24 got 295ed.

295 as a transitive verb means to forgo renumbering exits spaced on average about 1 mile apart at the beginning of a highway when the exit numbers don't fully match the mileposts. Named after the 295 upta lopstah country theyah.

91 will be 295 on steroids when it is renumbered.  But then you could always get "290'd" , which is similar to being 295'd; the only difference is you've inherited the mileage of a previous highway.

[bob7374]

I see that south of Exit 28, MA24 got 295ed.

295 as a transitive verb means to forgo renumbering exits spaced on average about 1 mile apart at the beginning of a highway when the exit numbers don't fully match the mileposts. Named after the 295 upta lopstah country theyah.

Speaking of 295, any word on the one in Mass?

I-295 was the first highway renumbered in 2021, here's a photo of the US 1 exit. I hope to make a trip down there soon to get the I-95 exit:

[paul02474]

Exit renumbering has begun, with workers on the southbound side of the highway in Tyngsborough transforming Exit 35 into Exit 90.

[5foot14]

Drove north on 128 today.  There is now a VMS just after exit 28 stating that exit numbers change soon. Looks like 128 is next up after US 3 though i don't believe they've made an official announcement yet

SM-A515U

[PHLBOS]

If Massdot was serious about the 128 thing, they should start in Quincy
https://earth.google.com/web/@42.22822927,-71.01516288,36.24130249a,0d,60y,-108.2558h,85.4028t,0r/data=IhoKFjBkdkhkSFRHRFEwTXlSUnRpYWd6S3cQAg?utm_source=earth7&utm_campaign=vine&hl=en

Such is actually in Braintree just south of the Quincy border.

That 128 trailblazer assembly has been there for well over 30 years and predated the official truncation to the I-95 interchange in Canton.  Such occurred at the same time that US 1 was rerouted onto I-93 south of Storrow Drive & onto I-95 between the the I-93 Canton interchange and the US 1/MA 1A interchange in Dedham/Westwood.

[bob7374]

Got to capture the remaining MA 24 signs that renumbered this past week on a drive yesterday, they include those for the I-93 exit:


Also have posted photos of the first few US 3 exits renumbered, courtesy of Paul Schlichtman, which includes the Drum Hill rotary, MA 4 exit:

All the photos are at: https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/neexitrenumbering.html#photos

[bob7374]

Took a trip almost to RI today to check out I-295's renumbered Mass. exits, here's the last one northbound:


The rest are at: https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/neexitrenumbering.html#i295exits

[ran4sh]

I see that south of Exit 28, MA24 got 295ed.

295 as a transitive verb means to forgo renumbering exits spaced on average about 1 mile apart at the beginning of a highway when the exit numbers don't fully match the mileposts. Named after the 295 upta lopstah country theyah.

Speaking of 295, any word on the one in Mass?

The proposed new MUTCD does say that exit numbers can be 1 off if it's done to avoid letter-suffix exits. Including a figure illustrating that idea. But it also says that suffixes may be necessary to avoid numbers being 2 miles off, or if there are more than 2 or 3 exits in a mile.

So it makes sense that the states that are converting now are avoiding letter suffixes.

[Roadgeekteen]

Route 2 should be next. Their exit numbering scheme is a crime to humanity.

[abqtraveler]

Route 2 should be next. Their exit numbering scheme is a crime to humanity.

What's wrong with Route 2's exit numbering scheme? (I haven't seen what the new exit numbers will be)

[Roadgeekteen]

Route 2 should be next. Their exit numbering scheme is a crime to humanity.

What's wrong with Route 2's exit numbering scheme? (I haven't seen what the new exit numbers will be)

It randomly starts with exit 14 on the west end of the expressway section, goes to 42 I think, there is an exit 50 just randomly in the middle, resumes at 52 and goes to 60.