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MassPike - new interchange?

Started by SidS1045, July 21, 2017, 06:43:16 PM

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Beeper1

Except for the several thousand people who, you know, do.  The population of Blandford, Chester, Otis, Becket, Russell, and Huntington is around 10,000.  Not counting all the seasonal folks who have lake cabins in Otis and Becket in the summer, and the people heading to Jacob's Pillow or Blandford Ski Area. 

Is there a particular reason you seem so determined that this project is a bad idea? 


kefkafloyd

#26
Quote from: Rothman on July 26, 2017, 06:39:41 PM
Nobody lives in those hilltowns, though, and how do you know what the State can and cannot afford?

Between the various towns that border the turnpike from Lee to Westfield there's over ten thousand people just along the turnpike, not counting some other towns that are a little further out, or CT border towns. The state just spent a ton of money on AET and one of the touted benefits, not just for Western Mass but the rest of the state, would be flexibility of adding new interchanges over time (and rebuilding current ones to make them better).

"Nobody" lives in Whately or Hatfield, but they have simple exits on 91. There's other low density towns along freeways in the state that got considerable boosts from having exits. Would Oxford or Webster even have their level of population (20K each) if their access to Worcester and parts east wasn't helped by I-395? Look at Vermont, there's a whole lot of nothin' between Brattleboro and White River Junction, but there's still reasonable levels of exits to serve the towns on both sides of the VT/NH border.

The reasons for adding the interchanges (eliminating the gap, servicing these towns, relieving Westfield) are all together a pretty reasonable argument for adding at least one exit. They're even willing to compromise and get access from the gates at the service plazas. Aiming to close a 30 mile gap inbetween exits isn't a lot for these towns to ask for, especially since they would be paid for with turnpike toll revenue. We'll have to wait for the study to conclude, but I can't imagine adding ramps to already existing overpasses on state owned land and some signs would get into the tens of millions of dollars.

I don't live in the Berkshires anymore, but it would still be a sensible improvement.

Rothman

Quote from: Beeper1 on July 26, 2017, 07:12:35 PM
Except for the several thousand people who, you know, do.  The population of Blandford, Chester, Otis, Becket, Russell, and Huntington is around 10,000.  Not counting all the seasonal folks who have lake cabins in Otis and Becket in the summer, and the people heading to Jacob's Pillow or Blandford Ski Area. 

Is there a particular reason you seem so determined that this project is a bad idea? 

I just don't see the point of the proposed placement at the Blandford Rest Area, that's all.  Helping 10,000 people out or somehow helping Westfield out just aren't compelling reasons to me.  A location at US 20 / MA 8 would seem to serve a broader section of the traveling public.

The fact of the matter is that I bet MA is strapped for cash just like almost every other state.  Local roads in western MA are a shambles, although they are finally undertaking way overdue repairs.  Still, it seems that any meaningful amount of state funding (or federal funds funneled through the state) gets sucked to the I-91 viaduct in that dark place we don't like to talk about: Springfield.  Still have no idea why they went through that ramp reversal project and it seems to have been under construction off and on ever since.

Anyway, I would think that MA has higher priorities than worrying about 10,000 people in the hilltowns (which run more conservative...) when there are 6.8m other people that need to be served by keeping more necessary infrastructure maintained.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

kefkafloyd

Quote from: Rothman on July 26, 2017, 09:34:26 PM
A location at US 20 / MA 8 would seem to serve a broader section of the traveling public.


I mean, I've been advocating for building both exits in my previous posts on the subject. There's utility to both exits, but if you could only build one and had to build it as cheaply as possible, somewhere in Blandford's the one because it's closest to being equidistant from Lee to Westfield. Either way, with AET the 30 mile gap in itself is untenable and needs to be closed one way or the other.

QuoteAnyway, I would think that MA has higher priorities than worrying about 10,000 people in the hilltowns (which run more conservative...) when there are 6.8m other people that need to be served by keeping more necessary infrastructure maintained.

I won't begrudge those town's requests when it seems more likely to happen than my pet issue (55 MPH speed limit on US 3) being resolved. The state's been on a bit of a road building / improvement spree over the past year and MassDOT's been gloating about all their current and ongoing road improvement projects. If the interchanges are paid for with tolls from the western turnpike, the rest of the state shouldn't have much to complain about.

cl94

Quote from: kefkafloyd on July 27, 2017, 08:25:57 AM
If the interchanges are paid for with tolls from the western turnpike, the rest of the state shouldn't have much to complain about.

Western Massachusetts has been complaining about the lack of improvements sans the Springfield nonsense for a while. It would be a great political move to throw them a bone.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

Conn. Roads

I come from Plainville, Conn., but now live in Saratoga Springs, NY. I also have a cousin, whom I am close with in Huntington, Mass. To either destination, a new interchange would make an improvement.

Both the Blanford, and Chester/Becket interchanges have merit. This would best serve my route to Huntington, since my Plainville route avoids the Pike, and 8 altogether. This is because I find 8 to have too many curves, and therefor slow speed limits, between Winsted, and Chester. This is why the preferred route is CT44, US7, MA/NY71, and NY22. All these roads are much better designed, and except for towns, have fairly high speed limits (at least for Conn, and Mass).

RobbieL2415

I endorse a new Pike interchange at US 20 in Westfield, but where would the runaway truck ramp go?  Would it be safe to remove it?  Could they build around it?

If MA and CT went up to bad for Interstate funding for CT/MA 8, an interchange with the Pike would probably be the terminus.  I don't even know what you would number that.  491?  487?

jp the roadgeek

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on September 03, 2017, 11:33:52 PM
I endorse a new Pike interchange at US 20 in Westfield, but where would the runaway truck ramp go?  Would it be safe to remove it?  Could they build around it?

If MA and CT went up to bad for Interstate funding for CT/MA 8, an interchange with the Pike would probably be the terminus.  I don't even know what you would number that.  491?  487?

Could be either an x84, x90, or x95 since it would connect to those interstates.
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

Alps

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on September 03, 2017, 11:33:52 PM
I endorse a new Pike interchange at US 20 in Westfield, but where would the runaway truck ramp go?  Would it be safe to remove it?  Could they build around it?

If MA and CT went up to bad for Interstate funding for CT/MA 8, an interchange with the Pike would probably be the terminus.  I don't even know what you would number that.  491?  487?
Doesn't matter. CT 8 is so substandard that you would never be able to fix it. All the towns would have to be bypassed.



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