Extension of MA 2A?

[Pete from Boston]

The Wikipedia page has also been wrong for a while with the ultimate secret section of MA 2A in Evring. Old State Rd, an almost 2 mile long older routing of MA 2 itself, has 3 separate mile markers (a whole number, 2 tenths) that correspond to the 2A distance starting at I-91/MA 2 in Greenfield. There is no street view of it, and I realized it on a bicycle ride out there. I have no idea what is really correct, 2A is just supposed to be a silent concurrency from Greenfield to Erving east of this stretch, but the mile markers are there and new since they correspond to the distance after removing the Shelburne Falls section.

How new? I was never aware of this being state-maintained, let alone part of 2A.

EDIT: Checked http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TrafficTravelResources/OfficialTransportationMap.aspx - no trace as of 2012.

I know this road only from the two points it meets Route 2, but it looks like one of countless "Old Route X" bits, most of which today serve as glorified service roads for residential driveways.  If it looks like a town street, and it smells like a town street...

[SectorZ]

I've lived in central Mass since 2006, and I realized it on a bike ride in late 2007 which is the apparent year the route was truncated to start in Greenfield. If I can get out there again soon I'll take some pix to show it. I would not be surprised if the markers aren't supposed to be on there, but I would imagine if anyone did it the state did as that route is a very lightly traveled town road in a very small town.

[Beeper1]

Not sure about it being part of 2A, but according to MassDOT's roadway jurisdiction map for Region 2, Old State Road in Erving is a state maintained highway.

http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/17/docs/MapCatalog/Maps/Jurisdiction-District2.pdf

[Alps]

Not sure about it being part of 2A, but according to MassDOT's roadway jurisdiction map for Region 2, Old State Road in Erving is a state maintained highway.

http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/17/docs/MapCatalog/Maps/Jurisdiction-District2.pdf

I never knew about these jurisdiction maps. Confirms that there's surprisingly little correlation between state maintenance and signed highways.

[NE2]

I never knew about these jurisdiction maps. Confirms that there's surprisingly little correlation between state maintenance and signed highways.

Mass and RI are the only two states that have this level of noncorrelation AFAIK. Though most through state-maintained highways in Mass are state-numbered, one major exception being Putnam Hill/Singletary in Sutton. A 1937 map at the MassHighway HQ has "M" RTE 178 handwritten along this route, but I know not what this means.

[mass_citizen]

I believe the "M" routes are non-numbered Municipal roads that are state maintained. Middlesex rd in Tyngsboro is one that comes to mind. It used to be 3A I believe until 3A was re-routed across the river but the state continued to maintain it while the town of Tyngsboro maintains the "new" 3A across the bridge to NH.

[NE2]

I believe the "M" routes are non-numbered Municipal roads that are state maintained.

According to the MassDOT road inventory, Middlesex Road is "NMR067", but most of the "NMR" routes are locally maintained, and all are in Lowell or nearby towns. Putnam Hill/Singletary has a null RouteNumbe [sic] field.

The Lowell Connector, by the way, is N087 northbound and N482 southbound.

[bob7374]

I took a detour through the Back Bay and South End to avoid any I-90 tunnel congestion trouble this evening returning from NH. It appears all the MA 2A signs on Mass Ave south of Huntington Ave to Melnea Cass Blvd have been removed. The one remaining 2A sign I saw between Huntington and Boylston St had its wrong-way East banner changed to a 'To'. The infamous pairing of a West MA 2A trailblazer pointing opposite to the arrow on the MA 2A paddle sign at Mass Ave and Comm Ave has been fixed by having the West banner on the trailblazer switched to a 'Jct' and the arrow at the bottom removed. It was evening so I didn't get any decent photos, perhaps next time.

[spooky]

I took a detour through the Back Bay and South End to avoid any I-90 tunnel congestion trouble this evening returning from NH. It appears all the MA 2A signs on Mass Ave south of Huntington Ave to Melnea Cass Blvd have been removed. The one remaining 2A sign I saw between Huntington and Boylston St had its wrong-way East banner changed to a 'To'. The infamous pairing of a West MA 2A trailblazer pointing opposite to the arrow on the MA 2A paddle sign at Mass Ave and Comm Ave has been fixed by having the West banner on the trailblazer switched to a 'Jct' and the arrow at the bottom removed. It was evening so I didn't get any decent photos, perhaps next time.

Fox 25 had a follow-up report last night noting that even after signs were fixed, there were still signs wrong. They were talking about the MA 2A signs on Mass Ave and on the streets intersecting Mass Ave south of Comm Ave. The report suggested that signs were first "fixed" and then taken down once MassDOT told the city that MA 2A ends at Comm Ave.

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25149131/city-demands-action-from-jacobs-engineering-over-sign-snafu

[bob7374]

I took a detour through the Back Bay and South End to avoid any I-90 tunnel congestion trouble this evening returning from NH. It appears all the MA 2A signs on Mass Ave south of Huntington Ave to Melnea Cass Blvd have been removed. The one remaining 2A sign I saw between Huntington and Boylston St had its wrong-way East banner changed to a 'To'. The infamous pairing of a West MA 2A trailblazer pointing opposite to the arrow on the MA 2A paddle sign at Mass Ave and Comm Ave has been fixed by having the West banner on the trailblazer switched to a 'Jct' and the arrow at the bottom removed. It was evening so I didn't get any decent photos, perhaps next time.

Fox 25 had a follow-up report last night noting that even after signs were fixed, there were still signs wrong. They were talking about the MA 2A signs on Mass Ave and on the streets intersecting Mass Ave south of Comm Ave. The report suggested that signs were first "fixed" and then taken down once MassDOT told the city that MA 2A ends at Comm Ave.

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25149131/city-demands-action-from-jacobs-engineering-over-sign-snafu

Thanks for the post. I think the city is still deciding what to do about Jacobs since they had a role in the 'snafu' by approving the wrong plans and not inspecting the work after it was done. Several people dropped the ball in this project, and it will be interesting if anyone at BTD is deemed partly responsible.

[mass_citizen]

curious massdot waits until the city supposedly fixes the 2A signs on mass ave. to tell them 2A doesn't exist on that stretch. especially when a user on this board emailed them months ago about this situation.

[spooky]

curious massdot waits until the city supposedly fixes the 2A signs on mass ave. to tell them 2A doesn't exist on that stretch. especially when a user on this board emailed them months ago about this situation.

From what I recall, the user emailed them and asked who was putting up the signs, but didn't necessarily point out that they were in error. massDOT reacted to the bad publicity, same reason why BTD had already "fixed" the signs.

[Alps]

One lesson from the engineering industry: It is never good when the general public knows your company's name. We're never remembered for the good things.

[bob7374]

Took a drive up and down Mass Ave from Melnea Cass to Comm Ave yesterday. I can confirm all the MA 2A signs have been removed after Comm Ave, with the exception of the following:

As you can see, the directional banner has been changed (I guess twice, according to the TV report), to a 'To' banner for the sign that still stands just to the west of Symphony Hall by the Christian Science Plaza. You can see the original sign, plus several other photos of correct and still incorrect signage on my Mass Sign Photo Page:
http://www.gribblenation.net/mass21/miscsigns.html (at the bottom).
The signs indicating an 'extension' of MA 30 to Kenmore Square still are up. Maybe if they were featured in either TV report, they too would have been fixed by this time.