Massachusetts

[PHLBOS]

Here's what the old sign looked like.

Since the above-GSV from 2014; Southshore720, was its replacement a large D6 paddle, the smaller D8 sign or equivalent?  The older sign looked like a knock-off of a DPW-spec'd sign rather than the genuine article or even an MDC-spec'd sign; the vintage looks like it's from the mid-70s.

In theory, TO 128 is still technically correct; but one has to use I-93 (& IMHO, I-95) in order to get to it. 

This is the only remaining official Route 128 sign left east of I-95, on the ramp to I-93 from Washington St in Braintree as seen in GSV in July 2015, and still there today (and, I guess, technically still correct too):
https://goo.gl/maps/H6vLy1yaJXA2

Not the same; the difference being that there is no TO banner on that NORTH 128 trailblazer sign.

[spooky]

Wase took me through Quincy's secondary roads this morning.  Along the way, I noticed a new paddle sign at Adams St. and Furnace Brook Pkwy that stated "To 128" in the direction that FBP takes you to I-93.  Why on Earth is this sign here? Why wouldn't the sign say "To I-93/US 1?" 128 *technically* starts in Canton.  I get how some people (namely traffic reporters) still consider Exits 1-6 on I-93 "128," but NEW signage should not be referring to anything east of Canton as 128!

Most likely an 'in kind' replacement put up by either the City or a private developer.

Here's what the old sign looked like.

Since the above-GSV from 2014; Southshore720, was its replacement a large D6 paddle, the smaller D8 sign or equivalent?  The older sign looked like a knock-off of a DPW-spec'd sign rather than the genuine article or even an MDC-spec'd sign; the vintage looks like it's from the mid-70s.

In theory, TO 128 is still technically correct; but one has to use I-93 (& IMHO, I-95) in order to get to it. 

This is the only remaining official Route 128 sign left east of I-95, on the ramp to I-93 from Washington St in Braintree as seen in GSV in July 2015, and still there today (and, I guess, technically still correct too):
https://goo.gl/maps/H6vLy1yaJXA2

I was sitting in traffic next to this sign yesterday; up close it is very battle-worn (dents and scars from things thrown at it by plows, I assume.)

[southshore720]

Wase took me through Quincy's secondary roads this morning.  Along the way, I noticed a new paddle sign at Adams St. and Furnace Brook Pkwy that stated "To 128" in the direction that FBP takes you to I-93.  Why on Earth is this sign here? Why wouldn't the sign say "To I-93/US 1?" 128 *technically* starts in Canton.  I get how some people (namely traffic reporters) still consider Exits 1-6 on I-93 "128," but NEW signage should not be referring to anything east of Canton as 128!

Most likely an 'in kind' replacement put up by either the City or a private developer.

Here's what the old sign looked like.

Since the above-GSV from 2014; Southshore720, was its replacement a large D6 paddle, the smaller D8 sign or equivalent?  The older sign looked like a knock-off of a DPW-spec'd sign rather than the genuine article or even an MDC-spec'd sign; the vintage looks like it's from the mid-70s.

In theory, TO 128 is still technically correct; but one has to use I-93 (& IMHO, I-95) in order to get to it. 

It's a large D6!  And it looks like a newer D6 because there was a thin black border around the state shield.

[berberry]

I'm just back from a vacation here in the US. I met up with an old friend in Cincinnati. We went first to the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, then to Pittsburgh and then to Boston. I have a question about my trip to Boston. My GPS routed me down the MassPike, or I-90, into the Boston metro toward my hotel in the Bunker Hill neighborhood. Along the way I saw signs saying that if I don't have a transponder I will be billed for the tolls. We drove all the way in and and out of the city and the state on I-90. The bill has not arrived as of today's mail (this was just last week). Does anyone have an idea what my total bill will be? I don't need a specific number, just a rough idea of what I should expect. Thanks in advance!

[spooky]

I'm just back from a vacation here in the US. I met up with an old friend in Cincinnati. We went first to the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, then to Pittsburgh and then to Boston. I have a question about my trip to Boston. My GPS routed me down the MassPike, or I-90, into the Boston metro toward my hotel in the Bunker Hill neighborhood. Along the way I saw signs saying that if I don't have a transponder I will be billed for the tolls. We drove all the way in and and out of the city and the state on I-90. The bill has not arrived as of today's mail (this was just last week). Does anyone have an idea what my total bill will be? I don't need a specific number, just a rough idea of what I should expect. Thanks in advance!

https://www.ezdrivema.com/TollCalculator

$10.50 or $11.50 each way, depending on where you got on and off in the city.

[berberry]

https://www.ezdrivema.com/TollCalculator

$10.50 or $11.50 each way, depending on where you got on and off in the city.

Thank you!

[Alps]

I'm just back from a vacation here in the US. I met up with an old friend in Cincinnati. We went first to the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, then to Pittsburgh and then to Boston. I have a question about my trip to Boston. My GPS routed me down the MassPike, or I-90, into the Boston metro toward my hotel in the Bunker Hill neighborhood. Along the way I saw signs saying that if I don't have a transponder I will be billed for the tolls. We drove all the way in and and out of the city and the state on I-90. The bill has not arrived as of today's mail (this was just last week). Does anyone have an idea what my total bill will be? I don't need a specific number, just a rough idea of what I should expect. Thanks in advance!

https://www.ezdrivema.com/TollCalculator

$10.50 or $11.50 each way, depending on where you got on and off in the city.

Now wait a minute. Did he get on from the NY Thruway, or did he take I-84 through CT?

[hotdogPi]

I'm just back from a vacation here in the US. I met up with an old friend in Cincinnati. We went first to the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, then to Pittsburgh and then to Boston. I have a question about my trip to Boston. My GPS routed me down the MassPike, or I-90, into the Boston metro toward my hotel in the Bunker Hill neighborhood. Along the way I saw signs saying that if I don't have a transponder I will be billed for the tolls. We drove all the way in and and out of the city and the state on I-90. The bill has not arrived as of today's mail (this was just last week). Does anyone have an idea what my total bill will be? I don't need a specific number, just a rough idea of what I should expect. Thanks in advance!

https://www.ezdrivema.com/TollCalculator

$10.50 or $11.50 each way, depending on where you got on and off in the city.

Now wait a minute. Did he get on from the NY Thruway, or did he take I-84 through CT?

Thruway, since he entered and left the state on I-90. (Double "and" not intentional.)

[Alps]

I'm just back from a vacation here in the US. I met up with an old friend in Cincinnati. We went first to the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, then to Pittsburgh and then to Boston. I have a question about my trip to Boston. My GPS routed me down the MassPike, or I-90, into the Boston metro toward my hotel in the Bunker Hill neighborhood. Along the way I saw signs saying that if I don't have a transponder I will be billed for the tolls. We drove all the way in and and out of the city and the state on I-90. The bill has not arrived as of today's mail (this was just last week). Does anyone have an idea what my total bill will be? I don't need a specific number, just a rough idea of what I should expect. Thanks in advance!

https://www.ezdrivema.com/TollCalculator

$10.50 or $11.50 each way, depending on where you got on and off in the city.

Now wait a minute. Did he get on from the NY Thruway, or did he take I-84 through CT?

Thruway, since he entered and left the state on I-90. (Double "and" not intentional.)

Why would the GPS go that way? Must have been particularly bad traffic on I-84 (or commute period).

[PHLBOS]

I'm just back from a vacation here in the US. I met up with an old friend in Cincinnati. We went first to the Frank Lloyd Wright house Fallingwater, then to Pittsburgh and then to Boston. I have a question about my trip to Boston. My GPS routed me down the MassPike, or I-90, into the Boston metro toward my hotel in the Bunker Hill neighborhood. Along the way I saw signs saying that if I don't have a transponder I will be billed for the tolls. We drove all the way in and and out of the city and the state on I-90. The bill has not arrived as of today's mail (this was just last week). Does anyone have an idea what my total bill will be? I don't need a specific number, just a rough idea of what I should expect. Thanks in advance!

https://www.ezdrivema.com/TollCalculator

$10.50 or $11.50 each way, depending on where you got on and off in the city.

Now wait a minute. Did he get on from the NY Thruway, or did he take I-84 through CT?

Thruway, since he entered and left the state on I-90. (Double "and" not intentional.)

Why would the GPS go that way? Must have been particularly bad traffic on I-84 (or commute period).

There's also on ongoing construction project in Waterbury between Exits 23 (CT 69) and 25A (Austin Rd.).  Whenever there's a construction-related lane closure; traffic can back up for miles in both directions.

[bob7374]

Wase took me through Quincy's secondary roads this morning.  Along the way, I noticed a new paddle sign at Adams St. and Furnace Brook Pkwy that stated "To 128" in the direction that FBP takes you to I-93.  Why on Earth is this sign here? Why wouldn't the sign say "To I-93/US 1?" 128 *technically* starts in Canton.  I get how some people (namely traffic reporters) still consider Exits 1-6 on I-93 "128," but NEW signage should not be referring to anything east of Canton as 128!

Most likely an 'in kind' replacement put up by either the City or a private developer.

Here's what the old sign looked like.

Since the above-GSV from 2014; Southshore720, was its replacement a large D6 paddle, the smaller D8 sign or equivalent?  The older sign looked like a knock-off of a DPW-spec'd sign rather than the genuine article or even an MDC-spec'd sign; the vintage looks like it's from the mid-70s.

In theory, TO 128 is still technically correct; but one has to use I-93 (& IMHO, I-95) in order to get to it. 

It's a large D6!  And it looks like a newer D6 because there was a thin black border around the state shield.

Here's a photo of the sign I took this afternoon. Definitely looks up to MassDOT specs, even if it was put up by the city:

[Beeper1]

The new ramp from the MassPike WB to I-95/Route 128 will open tonight.  This ramp is now located west of the Park Road overpass, and will eliminate the really tight weave where the existing ramps merge and split, causing constant backups.   

[roadman]

It's a large D6!  And it looks like a newer D6 because there was a thin black border around the state shield.

Here's a photo of the sign I took this afternoon. Definitely looks up to MassDOT specs, even if it was put up by the city:

My understanding is that earlier this morning (Friday 6/23), the DCR's sign contractor went out and changed the 128 shield on this sign to an I-93 one.

[bob7374]

It's a large D6!  And it looks like a newer D6 because there was a thin black border around the state shield.

Here's a photo of the sign I took this afternoon. Definitely looks up to MassDOT specs, even if it was put up by the city:

My understanding is that earlier this morning (Friday 6/23), the DCR's sign contractor went out and changed the 128 shield on this sign to an I-93 one.

That's good news, though maybe not to 128 fans. I have some more bad news, however. The Division 5 Retroreflective Sign Replacement Project has made it to Hingham. As I pointed out in an earlier post, the plans included replacing several MA 228 shields that should have been taken down more than 15 years ago. I tried to contact the project engineer about the issue, but had no success. Today, new 228 shields have appeared at the Whiting Street (MA 53) and Derby Street intersection. These signs include new trailblazers and this reassurance marker:


The entire set of photos I took today can be found at:
http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/miscsigns.html#southshore

Another error I spotted on Thursday was on 3A South at Route 228 were the new planned trailblazer is missing a right arrow, so it appears to be a reassurance marker on the wrong route. Perhaps the error was corrected today.

[bob7374]

It's a large D6!  And it looks like a newer D6 because there was a thin black border around the state shield.

Here's a photo of the sign I took this afternoon. Definitely looks up to MassDOT specs, even if it was put up by the city:

My understanding is that earlier this morning (Friday 6/23), the DCR's sign contractor went out and changed the 128 shield on this sign to an I-93 one.

That's good news, though maybe not to 128 fans. I have some more bad news, however. The Division 5 Retroreflective Sign Replacement Project has made it to Hingham. As I pointed out in an earlier post, the plans included replacing several MA 228 shields that should have been taken down more than 15 years ago. I tried to contact the project engineer about the issue, but had no success. Today, 4 new 228 shields have appeared at the Whiting Street (MA 53) and Derby Street intersection. These signs include new trailblazers and this reassurance marker:


The entire set of photos I took today can be found at:
http://www.malmeroads.net/mass21c/miscsigns.html#southshore

Another error I spotted on Thursday was on 3A South at Route 228 were the new planned trailblazer is missing a right arrow, so it appears to be a reassurance marker on the wrong route. Perhaps the error was corrected today.

The sign in Quincy has been updated:


As per the 228 signs, as suggested in a previous post, perhaps they could be re-used, either along East Street in Hingham, which has mostly 1980s vintage signs, or in Hull where there are not 228 signs of any kind northbound nor southbound at the beginning of the route at George Washington Blvd.

[southshore720]

That's awesome that they changed the 128 to an I-93 shield at FBP & Adams!  Bob, are they ever going to remove those new erroneous 228 trailblazers, or are we stuck with them for another 15+ years?

[kkt]

Bob, are they ever going to remove those new erroneous 228 trailblazers, or are we stuck with them for another 15+ years?

I dunno, are they ever going to concede that there are good reasons for the whole beltway having the same number?

[bob7374]

That's awesome that they changed the 128 to an I-93 shield at FBP & Adams!  Bob, are they ever going to remove those new erroneous 228 trailblazers, or are we stuck with them for another 15+ years?

Hopefully, it won't take that long. I've also posted photos of the signs on some local FB groups and am thinking of forwarding them to the local paper. Perhaps the more noise MassDOT hears about it, the more likely they'll take action.

[bob7374]

MassDOT as of last Saturday (6/24) has advertised for bids on the MA 24 Fall River to Randolph and MA 1A Boston to Revere sign replacement contracts. The winning bid is to be announced on 11/7 for 1A and 11/15 for 24. The project bid pages only have links to Notices to Contractors at this time.

[PHLBOS]

MA 1A Boston to Revere sign replacement contracts.

By Revere, is the northernmost limit at Bell Circle?  Most of the signs along the East Boston Expressway portion as well the East Boston section of MA 1A (McClellan Highway) were added/replaced during the Big Dig.  D6/D8 LGS' at Bell Circle were recently replaced (circa 2016) as well.

One of two newest LGS' to still display the old-school NH-MAINE destination legend.

Additionally, there's no acknowledgement of the Ted Williams Tunnel either; obviously, these replacement LGS' were match-in-kind to their predecessors.

[mariethefoxy]

was the Route 3/4 interchange in Chelmsford ever a rotary? the way they have it set up now means you get stuck at at least 2 red lights before you can get thru to route 3 north from route 4 north.

[Beeper1]

I think it was a standard rotary before US-3 was widened in the 90s.

[shadyjay]

MA 1A Boston to Revere sign replacement contracts.

By Revere, is the northernmost limit at Bell Circle?  Most of the signs along the East Boston Expressway portion as well the East Boston section of MA 1A (McClellan Highway) were added/replaced during the Big Dig.  D6/D8 LGS' at Bell Circle were recently replaced (circa 2016) as well.

One of two newest LGS' to still display the old-school NH-MAINE destination legend.

Additionally, there's no acknowledgement of the Ted Williams Tunnel either; obviously, these replacement LGS' were match-in-kind to their predecessors.

Speaking of "NH-Maine", there's this BGS, while others replaced at the same time for the same exit 1 mile to the south say "Portsmouth NH"....

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5402026,-70.9868201,3a,28.3y,31.22h,86.81t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sxEv_D8UZRl_Rg20TcfYACQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DxEv_D8UZRl_Rg20TcfYACQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D164.2801%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

was the Route 3/4 interchange in Chelmsford ever a rotary? the way they have it set up now means you get stuck at at least 2 red lights before you can get thru to route 3 north from route 4 north.

Pretty sure it was a standard rotary.  I did quite a bit of survey work for the US 3 reconstruction.  That was a scary road to work on.  We initially did work in the shoulder, with only a cop car for protection.  One day we were working in the median when construction started and saw a bumper fly off a car that got hit and ended up in the median.  They had stop signs on the onramps (which noone stopped at), and I think that's what caused the flying debris.  Needless to say, I got the heck out of dodge.

[PHLBOS]

Speaking of "NH-Maine", there's this BGS, while others replaced at the same time for the same exit 1 mile to the south say "Portsmouth NH"....

Despite the button-copy I-95 shield; I believe that BGS is older than its companion US 1 BGS.  Note the use of the taller first letter of the NORTH direction cardinal on the US 1 BGS.  That I-95 BGS was likely erected just prior to MassHighway using Portsmouth, NH en lieu of NH-Maine; very early 90s.

Another newer (2000s), but not new NH-MAINE LGS installation. at Forest St. in Peabody.

[kefkafloyd]

Pretty sure it was a standard rotary.  I did quite a bit of survey work for the US 3 reconstruction.  That was a scary road to work on.  We initially did work in the shoulder, with only a cop car for protection.  One day we were working in the median when construction started and saw a bumper fly off a car that got hit and ended up in the median.  They had stop signs on the onramps (which noone stopped at), and I think that's what caused the flying debris.  Needless to say, I got the heck out of dodge.

Yes, it was a standard Massachusetts highway interchange-type rotary. People still call it the Drum Hill Rotary despite the fact it hasn't been an actual rotary for 10+ years.

The new design has some flaws that aren't helped by its current sorry state of striping (try going from Drum Hill Road to Route 3 south and not have to make a last-minute lane change) but it is a big improvement over the old rotary in terms of safety and throughput, even if you have to wait at some lights.