Massachusetts

[Rothman]

This has been discussed before, but there really should have been at least one exit constructed between Exits 10 and 41. A 31-mile gap between exits is far too long of a gap. The question would be, where would the best place for a new exit be? And if a location is chosen, would the locals allow the exit to be constructed?

It's been dead for a couple years now... IIRC, the locals that live in the area does not want a new interchange built within that 31-mile gap.

The locals? I wonder how much of a majority feels that way, or if it's just a noisy minority. I would think a lot of people in rural areas need to drive quite a ways to work, and being able to hop on the Pike might be useful.

The logical place would be somewhere around Johnson Rd in Becket, midway between the Lee interchange and the existing Blandford service area. It's not hard to imagine some commercial development springing up there, since there are already quite a few houses.

The last proposal was at MA 23.  IIRC, locals were for that one.  Not sure what happened to that last effort.

Blandford's plaza's been just fine on that stretch. 

When my family moved to MA in the early 1980s, we ended up on US 20 somehow and got confused about how to get on the Pike somewhere east of Lee.  Locals laughed when my father asked for directions and my parents were stunned about the stretch without exits.

Still, if you know it's there, it really isn't a big deal.  I'd imagine there's more people visiting Jacob's Ladder in a year than live in Blandford...

[hotdogPi]

we ended up on MA 20 somehow

Gotta trust those erroneous shields...

[Rothman]

we ended up on MA 20 somehow

Gotta trust those erroneous shields...

D'oh!

[kramie13]

This has been discussed before, but there really should have been at least one exit constructed between Exits 10 and 41. A 31-mile gap between exits is far too long of a gap. The question would be, where would the best place for a new exit be? And if a location is chosen, would the locals allow the exit to be constructed?

It's actually a 29.8 mile gap.  There are "next exit 30 miles" signs in each direction approaching the gap, but Mass DOT chose to number the US 202 exit as "41" when it could have been 40.  Oddly enough, the WB exit 41 ramp exits the Pike at mile 40.6, while the WB exit 10 ramp exits at 10.8.

Blame the town of Blandford for the exit gap.  Exits to North St could easily have been constructed, using the existing service plazas.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The Town of Blandford is indeed a chief opponent of a new interchange between Lee and Westfield.

https://archives.thereminder.com/localnews/hilltowns/slow-but-steady-turnout-rejects-mass-pike-exit-que/

Unsurprisingly, other elected officials aren't eager to push for one given the local opposition.

[RobbieL2415]

Drove the Mass Pike from Charlton to Allston-Brighton and back on Saturday. Resurfacing between Charlton and Worcester is in full swing. Was also pleasantly surprised to see that all the sheet aluminum signs are now mounted on I-beam supports. Also found it odd that they are using full-width supports for the new VMSs instead of mast arms.