Massachusetts

[kramie13]

Is there a reason why the Mass Pike mile markers are in the median instead of on the right like other highways?

Also, why do the I-495 signs on the Pike read Portsmouth NH, Taunton?  Other on-ramps for 495 in that area sign it as Lowell, Cape Cod!  That makes a lot more sense!

And to add to all the chaos, I was on this stretch of highway recently and the I-495 exit from the Pike EB has a damaged gore sign that still reads "Exit 11A", when it should read "Exit 106".
Google Maps Street View also shows this error.

[PurdueBill]

Is there a reason why the Mass Pike mile markers are in the median instead of on the right like other highways?

Also, why do the I-495 signs on the Pike read Portsmouth NH, Taunton?  Other on-ramps for 495 in that area sign it as Lowell, Cape Cod!  That makes a lot more sense!

And to add to all the chaos, I was on this stretch of highway recently and the I-495 exit from the Pike EB has a damaged gore sign that still reads "Exit 11A", when it should read "Exit 106".
Google Maps Street View also shows this error.

MassPike had the center milemarkers back when it was its own agency and the DPW/MassHighway did their own thing.  It probably goes with that tradition. 

The 495 gore sign was updated to Exit 106 (view from across the road: https://goo.gl/maps/mT83VzHRoDk5pHEP8 ) but got hit and the top and bottom of the panel came off and what was left was mounted on one post. 

[kramie13]

The 495 gore sign was updated to Exit 106 (view from across the road: https://goo.gl/maps/mT83VzHRoDk5pHEP8 ) but got hit and the top and bottom of the panel came off and what was left was mounted on one post.

This is at least the 3rd "knocked down" gore sign I've seen this calendar year, all occurring after the exits were renumbered.  The other 2 are exit 28B on I-93 north (for I-95/MA 128 south) and exit 97B on I-495 north (for I-93 north).

The exit 28B sign was re-posted with the previously knocked down sign, but with very small "28B" lettering (and you can see the outline of the old exit, 37B).  The exit 97B sign was also re-posted with the previously knocked down sign, yet it still looks good, presentation-wise.

Is there a way exit gore signs can be protected from damage?

[SectorZ]

Is there a way exit gore signs can be protected from damage?

Yes, but they are probably likelier to kill the person hitting it. You would need something that rapidly decelerates a vehicle, and that G-load is not good for the human body. Crash attenuators are possible, like where they are used at exit gores, but that's usually to protect a vehicle from hitting something far worse than an exit sign.

[PurdueBill]

The 495 gore sign was updated to Exit 106 (view from across the road: https://goo.gl/maps/mT83VzHRoDk5pHEP8 ) but got hit and the top and bottom of the panel came off and what was left was mounted on one post.

This is at least the 3rd "knocked down" gore sign I've seen this calendar year, all occurring after the exits were renumbered.  The other 2 are exit 28B on I-93 north (for I-95/MA 128 south) and exit 97B on I-495 north (for I-93 north).

The exit 28B sign was re-posted with the previously knocked down sign, but with very small "28B" lettering (and you can see the outline of the old exit, 37B).  The exit 97B sign was also re-posted with the previously knocked down sign, yet it still looks good, presentation-wise.

Is there a way exit gore signs can be protected from damage?

At least Mass seems to make an effort to replace knocked-down gore signs.  My experience in Ohio indicates that many knocked-down ones seem never to be replaced or put back up.

[MATraveler128]

The 495 gore sign was updated to Exit 106 (view from across the road: https://goo.gl/maps/mT83VzHRoDk5pHEP8 ) but got hit and the top and bottom of the panel came off and what was left was mounted on one post.

This is at least the 3rd "knocked down" gore sign I've seen this calendar year, all occurring after the exits were renumbered.  The other 2 are exit 28B on I-93 north (for I-95/MA 128 south) and exit 97B on I-495 north (for I-93 north).

The exit 28B sign was re-posted with the previously knocked down sign, but with very small "28B" lettering (and you can see the outline of the old exit, 37B).  The exit 97B sign was also re-posted with the previously knocked down sign, yet it still looks good, presentation-wise.

Is there a way exit gore signs can be protected from damage?

Speaking of which, the Exit 111 overhead sign eastbound on I-90 which was knocked down in an accident a few months ago still hasn’t been replaced yet although the support and the Old Exit 12 sign still remain. I wonder what MassDOT will do with that since sign replacement on the Mass Pike was done 4-5 years ago.

[kramie13]

Speaking of which, the Exit 111 overhead sign eastbound on I-90 which was knocked down in an accident a few months ago still hasn't been replaced yet although the support and the Old Exit 12 sign still remain. I wonder what MassDOT will do with that since sign replacement on the Mass Pike was done 4-5 years ago.

Looks like the sign is still on the ground as of Aug. 2022.

Also, the Exit 111 gore sign is standing awkwardly with the "old exit 12" sign knocked down.

[DrSmith]

Gore exit signs get knocked down all the time. The signs are located in a spot where if people aren't paying attention they can easily hit it. Sometimes there isn't significant damage and it can be set back up easily enough. Other times the brackets can be damaged or the sign destroyed. Some of the ones that look a more ragged have been knocked down before.

Between the curves and exit location, the 91 South Exit 1 sign is repeatedly knocked down. Sometimes it isn't up too long before it's down again. And it's been a temporary exit sign for a while now. If you look back in time you can see it leaning or propped up.
https://goo.gl/maps/X9vQRxkmkxmp7Hym6

During the exit renumbering on 91 there were some missing and so temporary sheet metal signs were fabricated with the new number https://goo.gl/maps/hQ9ex385AN6dH94t7

And for the Chicopee exit off the Pike, there was a temporary sign there without a number, only had an arrow. When the renumbering occurred, the put the number over the arrow so now there is still this one up
https://goo.gl/maps/g1pcX4GQwCKAvZzS9

[Ted$8roadFan]

Speaking of which, the Exit 111 overhead sign eastbound on I-90 which was knocked down in an accident a few months ago still hasn't been replaced yet although the support and the Old Exit 12 sign still remain. I wonder what MassDOT will do with that since sign replacement on the Mass Pike was done 4-5 years ago.

Looks like the sign is still on the ground as of Aug. 2022.

Also, the Exit 111 gore sign is standing awkwardly with the "old exit 12" sign knocked down.

I wonder if part of the problem could be caused by drivers who swerve to access the exit because they're unfamiliar (or too distracted to notice) with the lane configuration and hit the sign. On my way home on Sunday, I saw a couple of drivers exit at 495 by cutting over two lanes.

[PHLBOS]

...what is up with this very bizarre MA 38 shield in Woburn? There's another leading south from I-95 too. Not sure if this one is town maintained as well.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5020757,-71.1584705,3a,75y,8.18h,90.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFFjeMQrxFYqCcDCbxXppIQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Wisconsin wanna-be. 

Salem uses that font all over.

MA 114 near Marblehead, https://goo.gl/maps/z6m44SCcpUdVT7Jm6

May St (with bonus subscript), https://goo.gl/maps/WmFdoErxd4AxTkcm9

There are many other street blades in the city like May St, that was the only one I recall off the top of my head. I've seen more than a few on various bike rides thru the city.

Oddly enough, Massachusetts does use the font for one particular sign, https://goo.gl/maps/DfvttFyuhgt4guaAA

The font on that state sign is not the same font as those Salem installs.

Also, why do the I-495 signs on the Pike read Portsmouth NH, Taunton?  Other on-ramps for 495 in that area sign it as Lowell, Cape Cod!  That makes a lot more sense!

Since Cape Cod is a region and not an actual city; MassDOT was simply following the MUTCD standard for using actual cities or towns for its control city listings.  The selection of Portsmouth, NH instead of Lowell at this location was due to:

1. Previous signage actually used NH-Maine; see above-MUTCD reasoning for listing actual cities rather than state names and/or regions.

2. MassDOT, and the Turnpike Authority before it, was considering long-distance travelers in mind.

It is worth noting that Lowell & Cape Cod are listed on supplemental signage.

About 1-1/2 miles in advance of the interchange and just after exiting I-90 eastbound.

[roadman65]

Is this the segment end of Route 1A in Dedham?
https://goo.gl/maps/6ke85KWTUUMeL8KRA

I see no MA 1A shield telling motorists to turn here to complete connection to both US 1 and I-95. 

[Rothman]

Is this the segment end of Route 1A in Dedham?
https://goo.gl/maps/6ke85KWTUUMeL8KRA

I see no MA 1A shield telling motorists to turn here to complete connection to both US 1 and I-95.

Heh.  Relying upon MassDOT to properly shield a route or mark it on their SGSes is not advised.  That said, someone'll have to look at a log to figure this out.

[bjcolby50]

If I remember correctly, MA 1A is a silent concurrency between Dedham and East Boston, following I-95, I-93 and US 1 to Boston, and isn't signed.

Where this segment of MA 1A actually ends, however, is a mystery.  By rights, it should end at Elm St and Boston-Providence Hwy, right at the entrance of I-95/US 1 north.

[Alps]

If I remember correctly, MA 1A is a silent concurrency between Dedham and East Boston, following I-95, I-93 and US 1 to Boston, and isn't signed.

Where this segment of MA 1A actually ends, however, is a mystery.  By rights, it should end at Elm and Providence - Boston Hwy, right at the entrance of I-95/US 1 north.

Or not a concurrency but the mileage is counted anyway. That's been my take.

[southshore720]

MA 1A is terribly signed, esp. on the Boston/Prov Highway.  There is conflicting signage that says Elm St. is definitely Rte. 1A, and then signage later down the road that says "To 1A" near Eastern Ave, implying that Eastern Ave. will take you to 1A.

[kramie13]

If MA 1A is supposed to be a silent concurrency with its parent (US 1) between segments, that means that 1A north now travels south from the intersection with Elm St and Boston/Providence Highway in Dedham, then makes a 270 degree loop to join its parent (and a wrong-way concurrency with I-95 and MA 128)!

Also, because of the Big Dig, MA 1A is discontinuous in downtown Boston.  The Callahan and Sumner Tunnels are 1A north and south but there's no longer a direct connection from 93/1 north to the Callahan Tunnel, or from the Sumner Tunnel to 93/1 south!

[MATraveler128]

Something I've noticed today in Peabody, I found this maintenance facility built into the overpass at Lowell Street at MA 128.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5336361,-70.9504968,3a,75y,279.74h,83.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sj5xHn_QTIVaKfR9rFMbqmA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

How common is this in Massachusetts? I've never seen this sort of thing anywhere else.

[SectorZ]

Something I've noticed today in Peabody, I found this maintenance facility built into the overpass at Lowell Street at MA 128.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5336361,-70.9504968,3a,75y,279.74h,83.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sj5xHn_QTIVaKfR9rFMbqmA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

How common is this in Massachusetts? I've never seen this sort of thing anywhere else.

I've been meaning to post that for years and anytime I've gone by I've forgotten by the time I got home. I don't even know if it's active anymore since the doors have always been closed anytime I've gone by.

In my travels, that's the sole one I've ever seen, Massachusetts or anywhere else.

[PurdueBill]

Something I've noticed today in Peabody, I found this maintenance facility built into the overpass at Lowell Street at MA 128.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5336361,-70.9504968,3a,75y,279.74h,83.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sj5xHn_QTIVaKfR9rFMbqmA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

How common is this in Massachusetts? I've never seen this sort of thing anywhere else.

I've been meaning to post that for years and anytime I've gone by I've forgotten by the time I got home. I don't even know if it's active anymore since the doors have always been closed anytime I've gone by.

In my travels, that's the sole one I've ever seen, Massachusetts or anywhere else.

Grew up in Peabody; did a lot of Lowell Street back in the day; had a school bus that went through there twice a day for 2 years in the 80s; never saw the doors open although there was sometimes evidence that they had been open.

The more recent street view showing new doors between 2015 and 2019 suggests they at least know of them still. 

[pderocco]

Something I've noticed today in Peabody, I found this maintenance facility built into the overpass at Lowell Street at MA 128.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5336361,-70.9504968,3a,75y,279.74h,83.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sj5xHn_QTIVaKfR9rFMbqmA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

How common is this in Massachusetts? I've never seen this sort of thing anywhere else.

That's unusual for being embedded in the embankment. I've seen quite a few urban locations where road departments use space under elevated roads for their parking lots and storage areas.

[DrSmith]

The old hard left turn off the Mass Pike onto I-291 is gone. Final lane markings weren't down as of Friday and some signage doesn't look to be up yet. The new traffic light and geometry has a more gentle left turn onto 291 and looks like 2 lanes from 291 to the ramps for the Pike as well.

[kramie13]

I was traveling along I-95 south yesterday evening.  MassDOT has finally replaced the gore signs for the MA 140 exit in Foxborough!  The only problem is... they're flip-flopped going south.  The gore sign for 140 North reads Exit 13A when it should be exit 13B, and the gore sign for 140 south reads Exit 13B.

Here is a picture of one of the incorrect signs:
https://imgur.com/a/CIay0QU

How do I report this to MassDOT?  Someone could get lost or confused.

[SectorZ]

How do I report this to MassDOT?  Someone could get lost or confused.

Here you go...

https://www.mass.gov/forms/contact-massdot

[shadyjay]

Could someone please explain to me the purpose of a "Truck Turnout" ramp?  There's one on MA 128 (I-95) SB in Dedham.  Here's a shot I got yesterday:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/52482479958/in/datetaken/

There's no parking and the ramp is wide enough for one vehicle to briefly exit the interstate, then immediately reenter. 

What purpose does it serve?  (I may have asked this years ago, and with the add-a-lane project happening a few years back, I thought for sure it would fall by the wayside, but there it is, still open to the public).

[Alps]

Could someone please explain to me the purpose of a "Truck Turnout" ramp?  There's one on MA 128 (I-95) SB in Dedham.  Here's a shot I got yesterday:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/52482479958/in/datetaken/

There's no parking and the ramp is wide enough for one vehicle to briefly exit the interstate, then immediately reenter. 

What purpose does it serve?  (I may have asked this years ago, and with the add-a-lane project happening a few years back, I thought for sure it would fall by the wayside, but there it is, still open to the public).

Sometimes a truck driver is running out of time and they can use this for the mandatory stop. There's a reason I-287 NB truck area at MP 32 exists and is overcrowded at night with trucks all over the shoulders (same along I-80 and other highways in NJ).