Driving in Boston before the Big Dig

[Alps]

Besides what SectorZ already mentioned, I-95 as planned would have also negatively impacted the Lynn Woods.

Understood to both of you, but it's not people being displaced or community being disrupted, which I inherently rank lower than the SW.

[Roadgeekteen]

Besides what SectorZ already mentioned, I-95 as planned would have also negatively impacted the Lynn Woods.

Understood to both of you, but it's not people being displaced or community being disrupted, which I inherently rank lower than the SW.

You said that you couldn't think of a good argument. That is an argument.

[cpzilliacus]

I also can't think of a good argument against the NE leg of I-95.

I don't recall if I have mentioned this before here, but the environmental road blocks on that thru Revere and Saugus were significant. My aunt who lived in Revere was one of the ringleaders in stopping it, to the point that she has a plaque at Rumney Marsh (near the US 1/Lynn St interchange) noting her work on stopping 95 being built thru there.

So the stopped I-95, but U.S. 1 north of the Tobin Bridge nearly as far north as Danvers is treated as if it were I-95 by Massachusetts drivers (in other words drive fast and have no expectation of having to come to a halt).

[Roadgeekteen]

I also can't think of a good argument against the NE leg of I-95.

I don't recall if I have mentioned this before here, but the environmental road blocks on that thru Revere and Saugus were significant. My aunt who lived in Revere was one of the ringleaders in stopping it, to the point that she has a plaque at Rumney Marsh (near the US 1/Lynn St interchange) noting her work on stopping 95 being built thru there.

So the stopped I-95, but U.S. 1 north of the Tobin Bridge nearly as far north as Danvers is treated as if it were I-95 by Massachusetts drivers (in other words drive fast and have no expectation of having to come to a halt).

Just need to get rid of the at grade interchanges.

[zzyzx]

Sort of related content here, from WGBH Archives. Their twitter account has a couple of raw video footage driving in the area.

Here's Route 1 North of Boston from 1979: (Looks like an unfinished stub ramp at 0:16, what would that be for?)

[tweet]1403712128620630018[/tweet]

Here's another one leaving Boston south on 93, around 1970s:

[tweet]1398288248213016583[/tweet]

[froggie]

Here's Route 1 North of Boston from 1979: (Looks like an unfinished stub ramp at 0:16, what would that be for?)

That unfinished stub is the original plan where the aforementioned I-95 would have continued northeast through Lynn then north to 128.

[NJRoadfan]

US-1 north of Boston to I-95/128 is a classic Jersey Freeway. No traffic lights, just a ton of driveways, but better signing then most.

[The Ghostbuster]

What is traffic like on US 1 between the terminus of the Northeast Expressway at Squire Rd. (MA 60)/Copeland Circle, and Interstate 95/MA 128 at Exit 63 (former Exit 44/30)? If the Northeast Expressway had been completed to MA 128, I wonder how much less traffic the existing US 1 roadway would have seen?

[Alps]

What is traffic like on US 1 between the terminus of the Northeast Expressway at Squire Rd. (MA 60)/Copeland Circle, and Interstate 95/MA 128 at Exit 63 (former Exit 44/30)? If the Northeast Expressway had been completed to MA 128, I wonder how much less traffic the existing US 1 roadway would have seen?

It's trafficked but usually doesn't back up. But your life is in your hands if you need to use a driveway or ramp in that stretch. The U-turn jughandle north of 128 can cause peak period delays, since most locals will stay on 1 north to 95 instead of taking the trumpet to 95 at 128.

[PHLBOS]

I also can't think of a good argument against the NE leg of I-95.

I don't recall if I have mentioned this before here, but the environmental road blocks on that thru Revere and Saugus were significant. My aunt who lived in Revere was one of the ringleaders in stopping it, to the point that she has a plaque at Rumney Marsh (near the US 1/Lynn St interchange) noting her work on stopping 95 being built thru there.

FWIW, most of the Northeast Expressway through Revere itself was already built. IIRC, the embankment for the would-be I-95 through the Rumney Marsh in Saugus was already present & remained for decades after the plan to build the roadway there & further north was cancelled.  Had the Lynn Woods (see below) issue not happened/been addressed differently, the highway would've been fully built IMHO.

Besides what SectorZ already mentioned, I-95 as planned would have also negatively impacted the Lynn Woods.

IIRC, most of the proposed alignments I saw for the Lynn Woods stretch of I-95 would've had the corridor going through the easternmost portions.  While it certainly would've impacted Lynn Woods to a degree; it wasn't like it was going through the center of the woods.  If one moved the corridor further east, away from Lynn Woods, a lot more homes would've been impacted.  Such was why the corridor location was originally selected.

So the stopped I-95, but U.S. 1 north of the Tobin Bridge nearly as far north as Danvers is treated as if it were I-95 by Massachusetts drivers (in other words drive fast and have no expectation of having to come to a halt).

FWIW, there was a plan, in one of the various reports from the early 70s, to have I-95 built within the US 1 corridor from the Peabody/Danvers line to Copeland Circle (MA 60).  Such would've functioned as a dual-carriageway, express/local highway: Express lanes would be I-95, the Local lanes would be US 1.  Needless to say, that proposal/compromise went nowhere.

Such may have been the reason why the partial I-95/US 1 interchange in Peabody/Danvers (current Exit 66 off I-95) was built the way it was & why the ramp from I-95 southbound meets US 1 southbound on the left.  Originally, the interchange was planned to have the opposite movements (I-95 northbound to US 1 northbound/US 1 southbound to I-95 southbound) of what's there today. 

If one looks very closely, this little driveway-like ramp shown at the left along I-95 southbound would've been where the originally planned ramp from US 1 southbound to I-95 southbound would've ended.

[PHLBOS]

What is traffic like on US 1 between the terminus of the Northeast Expressway at Squire Rd. (MA 60)/Copeland Circle, and Interstate 95/MA 128 at Exit 63 (former Exit 44/30)? If the Northeast Expressway had been completed to MA 128, I wonder how much less traffic the existing US 1 roadway would have seen?

Had I-95 through Lynn & Saugus been fully built; traffic along US 1 in that vicinity would've consisted of mostly local traffic.  Kind of like the stretch between Peabody & Topsfield, where I-95 runs parallel & east of US 1, functions today. 

The below-photo from the early 60s shows what peak traffic along US 1 southbound in Danvers near MA 62 used to look like prior to I-95 being built in the 70s. 

[Roadgeekteen]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

[Alps]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

I-93 does.

[deathtopumpkins]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

Yes, though the planned widening to 6 lanes between Copeland Circle and 99 will help a lot with that.

[Roadgeekteen]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

Yes, though the planned widening to 6 lanes between Copeland Circle and 99 will help a lot with that.

6 lane surface road. Interesting.

[deathtopumpkins]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

Yes, though the planned widening to 6 lanes between Copeland Circle and 99 will help a lot with that.

6 lane surface road. Interesting.

It's not really a surface road. It's substandard but still a freeway almost all the way from Copeland Circle up to 99, and the Jersey freeway north of there is already 6 lanes.

[DJStephens]

I also can't think of a good argument against the NE leg of I-95.

I don't recall if I have mentioned this before here, but the environmental road blocks on that thru Revere and Saugus were significant. My aunt who lived in Revere was one of the ringleaders in stopping it, to the point that she has a plaque at Rumney Marsh (near the US 1/Lynn St interchange) noting her work on stopping 95 being built thru there.

FWIW, most of the Northeast Expressway through Revere itself was already built. IIRC, the embankment for the would-be I-95 through the Rumney Marsh in Saugus was already present & remained for decades after the plan to build the roadway there & further north was cancelled.  Had the Lynn Woods (see below) issue not happened/been addressed differently, the highway would've been fully built IMHO.

Besides what SectorZ already mentioned, I-95 as planned would have also negatively impacted the Lynn Woods.

IIRC, most of the proposed alignments I saw for the Lynn Woods stretch of I-95 would've had the corridor going through the easternmost portions.  While it certainly would've impacted Lynn Woods to a degree; it wasn't like it was going through the center of the woods.  If one moved the corridor further east, away from Lynn Woods, a lot more homes would've been impacted.  Such was why the corridor location was originally selected.

So the stopped I-95, but U.S. 1 north of the Tobin Bridge nearly as far north as Danvers is treated as if it were I-95 by Massachusetts drivers (in other words drive fast and have no expectation of having to come to a halt).

FWIW, there was a plan, in one of the various reports from the early 70s, to have I-95 built within the US 1 corridor from the Peabody/Danvers line to Copeland Circle (MA 60).  Such would've functioned as a dual-carriageway, express/local highway: Express lanes would be I-95, the Local lanes would be US 1.  Needless to say, that proposal/compromise went nowhere.

Such may have been the reason why the partial I-95/US 1 interchange in Peabody/Danvers (current Exit 66 off I-95) was built the way it was & why the ramp from I-95 southbound meets US 1 southbound on the left.  Originally, the interchange was planned to have the opposite movements (I-95 northbound to US 1 northbound/US 1 southbound to I-95 southbound) of what's there today. 

If one looks very closely, this little driveway-like ramp shown at the left along I-95 southbound would've been where the originally planned ramp from US 1 southbound to I-95 southbound would've ended.

That would have been a far better solution - combining US 1 and I-95 on the same alignment.  Instead of plowing through the marsh and the Lynn Woods golf course.   From living there in the seventies and eighties, remember some "partial" interchanges along the US - 1 segment, N of the Revere circle.   Also remember the decay of some of those "overpasses" over US 1, with cribbing under the girders, and netting between the girders, to catch any spalling and falling concrete chunks.   Believe most of those partial interchanges were built in the late fifties and early sixties, and featured four span design, square columns, a steel green painted railing, with prominent date imprinted on the parapets, with the bronze state seal pressed into the concrete.  Most of those type parapets were later covered by galvanized guard rail ends.   

[PHLBOS]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

Yes, though the planned widening to 6 lanes between Copeland Circle and 99 will help a lot with that.

IIRC, such has been talked about for years if not decades.  Is the proposal you're referring to a serious one, i.e. approved for eventual construction?

[SectorZ]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

Yes, though the planned widening to 6 lanes between Copeland Circle and 99 will help a lot with that.

IIRC, such has been talked about for years if not decades.  Is the proposal you're referring to a serious one, i.e. approved for eventual construction?

Was this the one they wanted to soften the large curve thru the quarry? I think it was before they put the hundreds of apartments in there.

At least some sort of plan exists, https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=610543

Along with this, https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=611999

[The Nature Boy]

What is traffic like on US 1 between the terminus of the Northeast Expressway at Squire Rd. (MA 60)/Copeland Circle, and Interstate 95/MA 128 at Exit 63 (former Exit 44/30)? If the Northeast Expressway had been completed to MA 128, I wonder how much less traffic the existing US 1 roadway would have seen?

Had I-95 through Lynn & Saugus been fully built; traffic along US 1 in that vicinity would've consisted of mostly local traffic.  Kind of like the stretch between Peabody & Topsfield, where I-95 runs parallel & east of US 1, functions today. 

The below-photo from the early 60s shows what peak traffic along US 1 southbound in Danvers near MA 62 used to look like prior to I-95 being built in the 70s. 

Interesting to see Portland, Maine as a control city in Massachusetts. I can't think of anywhere where that is still the case.

[shadyjay]

Interesting to see Portland, Maine as a control city in Massachusetts. I can't think of anywhere where that is still the case.

Oh, you wouldn't think so, but....

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.844485,-70.8999018,3a,36.5y,282.5h,100.62t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1syE2a7ohkvIIFmbcZrr00kA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DyE2a7ohkvIIFmbcZrr00kA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D20.038286%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Exit 88 (Route 110) in Salisbury


But wait... there's more:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.869427,-70.8833163,3a,35.1y,63.85h,85.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSqTUsCSl0I2qPlh0Tz4oSQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Exit 90 in Salisbury

Still l think "NH-Maine" would be better than the dual "Portsmouth NH/Portland ME", but I guess in this day and age, you need to be more specific.  However, you can get to most NH points via I-95... Exit 2 is signed for Manchester and I think there's auxillary signage for Concord via Exit 4/5.  So it would still apply... if not for the feds...

[deathtopumpkins]

TBH, does US 1 get clogged enough to warrant I-95?

Yes, though the planned widening to 6 lanes between Copeland Circle and 99 will help a lot with that.

IIRC, such has been talked about for years if not decades.  Is the proposal you're referring to a serious one, i.e. approved for eventual construction?

Was this the one they wanted to soften the large curve thru the quarry? I think it was before they put the hundreds of apartments in there.

At least some sort of plan exists, https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=610543

Along with this, https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=611999

Preliminary design was completed in the late-2000s before the state pulled the plug due to budget shortfalls. It is actually required mitigation for the redevelopment of the adjacent quarry.

Improvements are coming to the Salem St / Lynn St interchange soon, funded by the developer, with provisions for the future widening. The HAWK signal and new signage installed last summer on Salem St were the first phase of this. Both the Overlook Ridge developer and the cities of Malden and Revere are still interested in the widening.

I'm not sure I can share any more detail publicly though.