Massachusetts

[Ted$8roadFan]

The "Summer Without Sumner"  closure of the Sumner Tunnel begins today and will continue through the end of August. There will likely be nightmarish traffic for North Shore commuters.

[bob7374]

Shifting back to road-related, I noticed that the "LEFT" exit tabs approaching the 93/95 Canton junction (on both I-93 SB and I-95 SB) were recently neutered.  This has created smaller tabs akin to the last BGS generation with the "sunken" tabs.  Any explanation?

Two of the advance signs for the MA 128 North exit in Peabody, below being the second, were also recently changed, truncated at the bottom with no yellow Left Tab included either, wonder if there's any connection?

I drove on I-95 / MA 128 north just today at Exit 64, and all of the "LEFT" tabs were reinstated* as new tabs on all of the diagrammatics as well as at the actual split. Can't say if LEFT Exit 26 (I-95 South / MA 128 South -> I-93 North) / LEFT Exit 1 A (I-93 South -> I-95 North / MA 128 North), or if I-93 South's LEFT Exit 4 TO MA 24 South got the same treatment as well, or if they are still without a LEFT exit tab.

Also, new signage has started to appear along US Route 1 SB from I-95 Exit 66 to around the MA 60 exit. Not sure about the NB side or if more are on the way (or if the US 1 segment from I-95 Exit 70 to I-95 Exit 66 got new signs as well).

*EDIT: seems like I must have missed Reply #2159 - they must have been reinstated earlier in June, haven't driven much in the area in the month of June.

There has been no change along I-93 or I-95 South in Canton as of today (the tab on the 1/2 mile advance on I-93 South still stands). They have also removed the Left Exit tabs approaching I-93 on MA 24 North as well on I-93 South in Randolph:


Remaining photos are at: https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/MA24photos.html

Traffic prevented me from checking out whether this is also true on I-93 South at the 'Braintree Split.'

[shadyjay]

I wonder if they were worried about the extra LEFT tab's height and strong winds, or the signs not being designed properly for wind loads.   Could this have been related to the fall-out of the random gantry on I-190 that collapsed earlier this year? 

The ones on 128NB approaching I-95 NB in Peabody are smaller than the ones previously, and they were replaced, so they may have been designed with the extra height in consideration.

And while it may not seem like much, I got an e-mail response about why ConnDOT has done away with the "service bar" on recently replaced signs (replacing it with sheet aluminum signs).  The response I got was the extra height of the sign would have had to be redesigned for wind loads and such.  And this was for a ground-mounted sign. 

So that could be what's going on here.  If a strong wind came and hooked the LEFT tab on those giant APLs or other diagrammatics, that's a big sign falling down on a heavily - trafficked road, and they're just now realizing it. 

[pderocco]

If it weren't for signage tweaks, we'd never have anything to talk about in this thread.

[shadyjay]

If it weren't for signage tweaks, we'd never have anything to talk about in this thread.

Well, between that and where should 128 officially end!
:-)

[bluecountry]

Anybody else think the Mass Pike form 84 east needs to be ramped up so:
-It is 8 lanes from 84 to 290, I surmise that volume is actually heavier than it is from 290 east.
-Making the whole road up to interstate standard, at least west of 128?

Fictional.

How?

Anybody else think the Mass Pike form 84 east needs to be ramped up so:
-It is 8 lanes from 84 to 290, I surmise that volume is actually heavier than it is from 290 east.
-Making the whole road up to interstate standard, at least west of 128?

Fictional.

At least the part from 84 to 290 is a traffic question with legitimate concern.

FWIW, here's the data at the Charlton toll gantry from MassDOT's traffic count map:

I want to see the counts for between 84 and 290 vs W of 84 and E of 290.

[PHLBOS]

I wonder if they were worried about the extra LEFT tab's height and strong winds, or the signs not being designed properly for wind loads.   Could this have been related to the fall-out of the random gantry on I-190 that collapsed earlier this year? 

The ones on 128NB approaching I-95 NB in Peabody are smaller than the ones previously, and they were replaced, so they may have been designed with the extra height in consideration.

I believe MassDOT's current sign replacement contracts involve mostly keeping the existing gantries but replacing panels with, mostly, match-in-kind variety in terms of legends.  If wind loads were indeed a concern; why weren't shorter overall panels used for those diagrammatic signs... especially since many of them are only a few years old.  FWIW, the Federal style (from the 2009 MUTCD) LEFT EXIT tabs are actually larger & wider than MassDOT's tabs.

Since wind occurs everywhere; wouldn't this also be an issue elsewhere & not just Massachusetts?

IIRC, placing yellow LEFT banners/tabs on signs is a current MUTCD requirement; will yellow LEFT placards be placed on the main sign panels instead (going a bit more old-school)?

[fwydriver405]

Got to capture some of Exit 4 at the 1.6 km (1.0 mile), 800 m (0.5 mile) and at the exit with no exit tabs on I-93 SB on Friday 7 July, here they are. It looks like the EXIT 4 tab is new, however I can't confirm this as I couldn't read the date stamp at all.





The LEFT tab on the 800 m (0.5 mile) sign to I-93 South Exit 1 A-B remains as of last Friday.

Traffic prevented me from checking out whether this is also true on I-93 South at the 'Braintree Split.'

Also want to say that the signs at least at the exit were removed but can't confirm. Route 3 North at Exit 43 A-B: I-93 / Braintree Split may have also had their tabs removed as well. However, Google Maps suggests that this is true at I-93 South Exit 7:
1.6 km (1.0 mile)
800 m (0.5 mile)
At the exit

[bob7374]

Got to capture some of Exit 4 at the 1.6 km (1.0 mile), 800 m (0.5 mile) and at the exit with no exit tabs on I-93 SB on Friday 7 July, here they are. It looks like the EXIT 4 tab is new, however I can't confirm this as I couldn't read the date stamp at all.





The LEFT tab on the 800 m (0.5 mile) sign to I-93 South Exit 1 A-B remains as of last Friday.

Traffic prevented me from checking out whether this is also true on I-93 South at the 'Braintree Split.'

Also want to say that the signs at least at the exit were removed but can't confirm. Route 3 North at Exit 43 A-B: I-93 / Braintree Split may have also had their tabs removed as well. However, Google Maps suggests that this is true at I-93 South Exit 7:
1.6 km (1.0 mile)
800 m (0.5 mile)
At the exit

Got photos of some of the MA 3 exit signs showing tabs removed as well, First along I-93 South:


Then along along MA 3 North:

[SidS1045]

The overhead BGS on I-93 north in Somerville, which fell onto a vehicle last year, has been replaced...with the "Exit Only" arrow over the wrong lane.

Yes, MassDOT, quality control is actually a thing.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The overhead BGS on I-93 north in Somerville, which fell onto a vehicle last year, has been replaced...with the "Exit Only" arrow over the wrong lane.

Yes, MassDOT, quality control is actually a thing.

They're trying......

[kramie13]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

[Rothman]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

In other news, water is wet.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

I've noticed this as well on my afternoon drives in this corridor. My guess is that, in addition to local commuters, you were joined by lots of folks heading to the Cape or RI to begin their weekends early. Plus lots of interstate traffic traveling from NH-ME to other parts of the NE corridor that follow the I-95 designation even though there are better ways IMO to do that (495). The extra lane added in the 2010s was much needed and is a huge improvement, but it may have also spurred additional traffic.

[Roadgeekteen]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

I've noticed this as well on my afternoon drives in this corridor. My guess is that, in addition to local commuters, you were joined by lots of folks heading to the Cape or RI to begin their weekends early. Plus lots of interstate traffic traveling from NH-ME to other parts of the NE corridor that follow the I-95 designation even though there are better ways IMO to do that (495). The extra lane added in the 2010s was much needed and is a huge improvement, but it may have also spurred additional traffic.

I-495 is too far out to be a RI-ME bypass- it's like I-840. Also public transit, though quite good in metro Boston compared to most metro areas, is not helpful for the suburb to suburb traffic that I-95/128 generates.

[pderocco]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

Yes, it was six lanes until the teens. It was six lanes in the 1970s when I started driving, and we were allowed to drive in the breakdown lane during rush hour. And some of us drove in the breakdown lane even when it wasn't rush hour. In other words, they should have widened it to eight lanes in the 1970s. Then, they could have widened it to ten lanes in the teens. But as I've said before, Massachusetts has a toy road department.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

I've noticed this as well on my afternoon drives in this corridor. My guess is that, in addition to local commuters, you were joined by lots of folks heading to the Cape or RI to begin their weekends early. Plus lots of interstate traffic traveling from NH-ME to other parts of the NE corridor that follow the I-95 designation even though there are better ways IMO to do that (495). The extra lane added in the 2010s was much needed and is a huge improvement, but it may have also spurred additional traffic.

I-495 is too far out to be a RI-ME bypass- it's like I-840. Also public transit, though quite good in metro Boston compared to most metro areas, is not helpful for the suburb to suburb traffic that I-95/128 generates.

Agree w/public transit; the T, even when functioning, isn't really designed for suburb-to-suburb commuting. As for 495, knowing Boston-area traffic, I would have no hesitation whatsoever about using it as a bypass from RI to NH or ME if I didn't have a reason to stop in the Boston area. But I do understand why most would still follow 95.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

Yes, it was six lanes until the teens. It was six lanes in the 1970s when I started driving, and we were allowed to drive in the breakdown lane during rush hour. And some of us drove in the breakdown lane even when it wasn't rush hour. In other words, they should have widened it to eight lanes in the 1970s. Then, they could have widened it to ten lanes in the teens. But as I've said before, Massachusetts has a toy road department.

A toy road department and well-organized NIMBYs throughout the area.

[Rothman]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

I've noticed this as well on my afternoon drives in this corridor. My guess is that, in addition to local commuters, you were joined by lots of folks heading to the Cape or RI to begin their weekends early. Plus lots of interstate traffic traveling from NH-ME to other parts of the NE corridor that follow the I-95 designation even though there are better ways IMO to do that (495). The extra lane added in the 2010s was much needed and is a huge improvement, but it may have also spurred additional traffic.

I-495 is too far out to be a RI-ME bypass- it's like I-840. Also public transit, though quite good in metro Boston compared to most metro areas, is not helpful for the suburb to suburb traffic that I-95/128 generates.

Agree w/public transit; the T, even when functioning, isn't really designed for suburb-to-suburb commuting. As for 495, knowing Boston-area traffic, I would have no hesitation whatsoever about using it as a bypass from RI to NH or ME if I didn't have a reason to stop in the Boston area. But I do understand why most would still follow 95.

As a former local, I also agree with Ted.  I've often thought over the years that yes, I-495 is pretty far out, but it does serve as a good bypass around Boston for those headed to and from the far northeast and Cape Cod.  Summer traffic is very indicative of the traffic flows in this regard.

[MATraveler128]

I drove down I-95/MA-128 south today from Rte. 9 in Wellesley.  It was gridlocked the entire way to the I-95 split in Canton!  All in all, it was about 10 miles of stall-and-crawl, with NO traffic accidents to blame!  Meanwhile, anyone driving north on 95/128 from Canton up to Wellesley at that time had no delays whatsoever!

Didn't this highway get an additional lane added in the 2010s (and get a bit modernized along the way)?  So why is it absolute hell for someone who works in Wellesley and lives in Canton driving home from work, but someone who works in Canton and lives in Wellesley has it smooth sailing in the evenings?

I've noticed this as well on my afternoon drives in this corridor. My guess is that, in addition to local commuters, you were joined by lots of folks heading to the Cape or RI to begin their weekends early. Plus lots of interstate traffic traveling from NH-ME to other parts of the NE corridor that follow the I-95 designation even though there are better ways IMO to do that (495). The extra lane added in the 2010s was much needed and is a huge improvement, but it may have also spurred additional traffic.

I-495 is too far out to be a RI-ME bypass- it's like I-840. Also public transit, though quite good in metro Boston compared to most metro areas, is not helpful for the suburb to suburb traffic that I-95/128 generates.

Agree w/public transit; the T, even when functioning, isn't really designed for suburb-to-suburb commuting. As for 495, knowing Boston-area traffic, I would have no hesitation whatsoever about using it as a bypass from RI to NH or ME if I didn't have a reason to stop in the Boston area. But I do understand why most would still follow 95.

As a former local, I also agree with Ted.  I've often thought over the years that yes, I-495 is pretty far out, but it does serve as a good bypass around Boston for those headed to and from the far northeast and Cape Cod.  Summer traffic is very indicative of the traffic flows in this regard.

I-495 certainly gets a lot of traffic using it. North of Boston, it serves as an important connector between Lowell/Lawrence/Haverhill. It also forms part of a long distance router between Maine and points south.

[kernals12]

The "Summer Without Sumner"  closure of the Sumner Tunnel begins today and will continue through the end of August. There will likely be nightmarish traffic for North Shore commuters.

Don't worry. The anti-car lobby tells us that people will just drive less and traffic won't be any worse than normal.

[Rothman]

The "Summer Without Sumner"  closure of the Sumner Tunnel begins today and will continue through the end of August. There will likely be nightmarish traffic for North Shore commuters.

Don't worry. The anti-car lobby tells us that people will just drive less and traffic won't be any worse than normal.

I drove from Lynn down into Boston recently with the Sumner closed.  It's definitely affecting that flow for the worse.

[roadman65]

Just noticed on the 2023 Rand McNally edition, that the Mass Pike is shown as being a free freeway (in purple) instead of being tolled ( in green) through Springfield.

[RobbieL2415]

Just noticed on the 2023 Rand McNally edition, that the Mass Pike is shown as being a free freeway (in purple) instead of being tolled ( in green) through Springfield.

Wishully thinking that the Pike is still free from Stockbridge to Springfield.

[hotdogPi]

Through Springfield (not Springfield and west)? It's accurate.