Massachusetts

[bob7374]

The MassDOT board has approved the latest 5-Year Capital Improvement Program which includes funds to help with Cape Cod bridge construction, the remainder of the I-90/I-495 interchange project, the future I-90 Allston relocation project and more:
https://www.mass.gov/news/massdot-board-approves-167-billion-five-year-capital-investment-plan

[pderocco]

The MassDOT board has approved the latest 5-Year Capital Improvement Program which includes funds to help with Cape Cod bridge construction, the remainder of the I-90/I-495 interchange project, the future I-90 Allston relocation project and more:
https://www.mass.gov/news/massdot-board-approves-167-billion-five-year-capital-investment-plan

I'm particularly interested in the Allston Multimodal Project. Somehow, a quarter of a billion seems low, unless it's only for I-90, Soldiers Field Rd, and the transit station, with nothing for the network of new streets.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I will be well into retirement by the time the Allston multimodal project is completed.

[bob7374]

MassDOT's ProjectInfo site indicates the US 3 sign replacement project from Burlington to Tyngsborough is complete, though earlier media reports indicated it would not be finished until the fall. I am planning a road trip soon to check out whether this is true or not.

Meanwhile, the site also reports that the I-495 sign replacement project between Wareham and Raynham was given the notice to proceed on July 1. This project, unlike other recent sign replacements, "will replace and update the existing guide and traffic signs, including support structures and posts, along Interstate 495 between I-195/Route 25 in Wareham and Route 24 in Raynham, with new signs and supports/posts." Therefore it will probably take around 2 years to complete.

[SectorZ]

MassDOT's ProjectInfo site indicates the US 3 sign replacement project from Burlington to Tyngsborough is complete, though earlier media reports indicated it would not be finished until the fall. I am planning a road trip soon to check out whether this is true or not.

Meanwhile, the site also reports that the I-495 sign replacement project between Wareham and Raynham was given the notice to proceed on July 1. This project, unlike other recent sign replacements, "will replace and update the existing guide and traffic signs, including support structures and posts, along Interstate 495 between I-195/Route 25 in Wareham and Route 24 in Raynham, with new signs and supports/posts." Therefore it will probably take around 2 years to complete.

Not only not complete you can still see a pile of uninstalled signs off the side of 3 N/B in Tyngsboro. Still have all the old (and off by 3/4 mile) mileposts as well that apparently aren't being replaced.

[sprjus4]

The day has finally come... the notorious 55 mph zone on US-3 north of Boston is being increased to 65 mph. The change affects the entire 20 mile freeway in Massachusetts.

MassDOT to Implement New Speed Limit on Route 3

Effective Monday, July 22, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will increase the speed limit on Route 3 between I-95 and the NH border from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour.

Residents are advised that effective Monday, July 22, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will increase the speed limit on Route 3 between I-95 and the NH border from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour.

In order to accommodate this change,  MassDOT will close the shoulder on Route 3 North and South beginning in the overnight hours on Sunday and lasting into Monday morning to change all of the speed limit signs.

Please use caution and remember to move over for emergency crews and roadside workers.

[SectorZ]

The day has finally come... the notorious 55 mph zone on US-3 north of Boston is being increased to 65 mph. The change affects the entire 20 mile freeway in Massachusetts.

MassDOT to Implement New Speed Limit on Route 3

Effective Monday, July 22, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will increase the speed limit on Route 3 between I-95 and the NH border from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour.

Residents are advised that effective Monday, July 22, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will increase the speed limit on Route 3 between I-95 and the NH border from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour.

In order to accommodate this change,  MassDOT will close the shoulder on Route 3 North and South beginning in the overnight hours on Sunday and lasting into Monday morning to change all of the speed limit signs.

Please use caution and remember to move over for emergency crews and roadside workers.

About freakin' time. I have been complaining about this for 20 years since the widening was finished, especially since state police camp on it to get speeders yet are never seen on parallel I-93 with the 65 MPH limit.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I thought the speed limit in the US-3 freeway was 60. Or is it MA-3 south of Boston?

[fwydriver405]

I thought the speed limit in the US-3 freeway was 60. Or is it MA-3 south of Boston?

The current 60mph limit is on MA Route 3 south of Boston, from near Exit 40 (Union St) to the US Route 6 interchange just before the Sagamore Bridge.

Although, I think US Route 3 (Burlington - Tyngsborough) used to have a 60 limit too prior to the 1973 NMSL, raised from 55, though the only source I could find was about this article about the low speed limit on US Route 3.

The speed limit on Route 3 is 55. The speed limit used to be 60. It was raised to 60 over 40 years ago when a study found 55 was too slow. There was never an engineering study supporting a reduction back to 55. It was reduced by executive order in 1973 to comply with the national speed limit. When the national speed limit was repealed in 1995 the highway commissioner ordered the low limit retained because he was afraid the state would be sued or otherwise embarrassed.

[kramie13]

Why is the Wakefield stretch of I-95/Rte. 128 always congested on weekends, in both directions?

This past weekend I took a trip up to NH from south of Boston, following I-95 most of the way.  At 9:30 AM, I hit a slowdown just after the "entering Wakefield" sign going north.  This was on a Saturday morning!

And yesterday, on the way home, there was 9 miles of stall-and-crawl from the start of the 128 concurrency all the way to the I-93 interchange in Woburn.  This was at 2 PM on a Sunday!  What the hell????????

[RobbieL2415]

Why is the Wakefield stretch of I-95/Rte. 128 always congested on weekends, in both directions?

This past weekend I took a trip up to NH from south of Boston, following I-95 most of the way.  At 9:30 AM, I hit a slowdown just after the "entering Wakefield" sign going north.  This was on a Saturday morning!

And yesterday, on the way home, there was 9 miles of stall-and-crawl from the start of the 128 concurrency all the way to the I-93 interchange in Woburn.  This was at 2 PM on a Sunday!  What the hell????????

Looks like there's a high concentration of interchanges on that stretch, book-ended by I-495 and US 1.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Why is the Wakefield stretch of I-95/Rte. 128 always congested on weekends, in both directions?

This past weekend I took a trip up to NH from south of Boston, following I-95 most of the way.  At 9:30 AM, I hit a slowdown just after the "entering Wakefield" sign going north.  This was on a Saturday morning!

And yesterday, on the way home, there was 9 miles of stall-and-crawl from the start of the 128 concurrency all the way to the I-93 interchange in Woburn.  This was at 2 PM on a Sunday!  What the hell????????

Looks like there's a high concentration of interchanges on that stretch, book-ended by I-495 and US 1.

Plus, it's only 6 lanes instead of 8, and it carries lots of interstate traffic from other areas of the northeast to NH/ME, especially during high season.   

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/07/23/massdot-approves-new-route-9-highway-interchange-in-natick-at-a-price-thats-40-percent-over-budget

Massachusetts's first DDI in Natick went 40% overbudget...

"Frank Welch, MassDOT's Deputy Director of Major Projects, told MassDOT board members during its monthly meeting last week that although the agency's engineers had estimated the Natick contract would cost about $71 million this spring, the lowest-price bid that the agency received, from McCourt Construction, ended up being $99 million.

After adding additional costs that are outside the scope of the contract, including additional project engineering work, contingency funds, and traffic police, MassDOT could end up spending $118 million on the new highway interchange (pictured above in a rendering).

Last year's MassDOT capital budget budgeted just $85.4 million for the project.

Welch said that MassDOT engineers and consultants had reviewed McCourt's proposal and found the higher cost "reasonable.""

[Rothman]

They forgot to ask a crucial question: How many bidders there were.

I also wonder if States have just given up trying to investigate collusion amongst contractors.

[SectorZ]

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/07/23/massdot-approves-new-route-9-highway-interchange-in-natick-at-a-price-thats-40-percent-over-budget

Massachusetts's first DDI in Natick went 40% overbudget...

"Frank Welch, MassDOT's Deputy Director of Major Projects, told MassDOT board members during its monthly meeting last week that although the agency's engineers had estimated the Natick contract would cost about $71 million this spring, the lowest-price bid that the agency received, from McCourt Construction, ended up being $99 million.

After adding additional costs that are outside the scope of the contract, including additional project engineering work, contingency funds, and traffic police, MassDOT could end up spending $118 million on the new highway interchange (pictured above in a rendering).

Last year's MassDOT capital budget budgeted just $85.4 million for the project.

Welch said that MassDOT engineers and consultants had reviewed McCourt's proposal and found the higher cost "reasonable.""

The bike lane bridge in the middle is one of the most wasteful things I've seen. I ain't using that when it's built. That could save $25M probably in getting rid of it.

[pderocco]

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/07/23/massdot-approves-new-route-9-highway-interchange-in-natick-at-a-price-thats-40-percent-over-budget

Massachusetts's first DDI in Natick went 40% overbudget...

"Frank Welch, MassDOT's Deputy Director of Major Projects, told MassDOT board members during its monthly meeting last week that although the agency's engineers had estimated the Natick contract would cost about $71 million this spring, the lowest-price bid that the agency received, from McCourt Construction, ended up being $99 million.

After adding additional costs that are outside the scope of the contract, including additional project engineering work, contingency funds, and traffic police, MassDOT could end up spending $118 million on the new highway interchange (pictured above in a rendering).

Last year's MassDOT capital budget budgeted just $85.4 million for the project.

Welch said that MassDOT engineers and consultants had reviewed McCourt's proposal and found the higher cost "reasonable.""

The bike lane bridge in the middle is one of the most wasteful things I've seen. I ain't using that when it's built. That could save $25M probably in getting rid of it.

It certainly represents an extra expense, but I wouldn't have any objection to using it, since it separates the bikes/peds from the vehicle traffic for a blessed minute or so.

[SidS1045]

Why is the Wakefield stretch of I-95/Rte. 128 always congested on weekends, in both directions?

This past weekend I took a trip up to NH from south of Boston, following I-95 most of the way.  At 9:30 AM, I hit a slowdown just after the "entering Wakefield" sign going north.  This was on a Saturday morning!

And yesterday, on the way home, there was 9 miles of stall-and-crawl from the start of the 128 concurrency all the way to the I-93 interchange in Woburn.  This was at 2 PM on a Sunday!  What the hell????????

Looks like there's a high concentration of interchanges on that stretch, book-ended by I-495 and US 1.

Plus, it's only 6 lanes instead of 8, and it carries lots of interstate traffic from other areas of the northeast to NH/ME, especially during high season. 

Plus, that's where the 95/128 roadway *narrows* from eight lanes to six (northbound), on top of the way-too-short merge area between the on-ramp from I-93 north and the off-ramp to MA-28 south.  All in all, your basic clusterbleep.

And BTW, 495 crosses 95 twice, but neither of those intersections are on the 128 concurrency.

[Ted$8roadFan]

5. Why are there so many Dunkin Donuts?

There are a lot in Connecticut, too.  I've sometimes wondered how many Dunkin Donuts franchises you'd pass if you drove US 1 from New York City to Boston.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's somewhere on the order of 50.

I figure it's somewhere on the order of 50 just from Providence to Boston.

When I was up in the Boston area this past weekend, I saw something I'd never thought I'd see; a Dunkin Donuts that was closed for good... the one along MA 1A in Revere just north of Bell Circle (MA 16/60 jct.).

There is one of those on VFW Parkway in West Roxbury, about 1/4 mile south of another DD. When I lived in West Roxbury and used Providence Highway/US 1 to get to work, there were 7 DD along my 8 mile commute.

As I've always joked, one of the worst directions you can give anyone in the Boston area: Turn right when you see the Dunkin' Donuts. 

That's only topped by "turn right where the Dunkin Donutes (or some other bygone establishment) used to be".

[pderocco]

That's only topped by "turn right where the Dunkin Donutes (or some other bygone establishment) used to be".

Or "Follow me, and get off at the exit before me."

[kramie13]

I found a video on YouTube of someone driving from Foxborough to Malden along US 1, I-95, and I-93 in May 1989.  You can see the old Foxboro Stadium, the old elevated Central Artery, and even some old highway signs!  You can even see a "128 South Boston" pull-through around where I-93 meets MA 24!  I wonder if that confused any drivers back then...

At the time, US 1 had not been rerouted off the VFW Parkway, and MA 128 had not yet been truncated to Canton, since there were no US 1 reassurance shields along I-93 between Canton and Storrow Drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3B_ylLdgc4

[Vaulter]

The start for Fall River/New Bedford service is now spring 2025 according to the MBTA

[Ted$8roadFan]

I found a video on YouTube of someone driving from Foxborough to Malden along US 1, I-95, and I-93 in May 1989.  You can see the old Foxboro Stadium, the old elevated Central Artery, and even some old highway signs!  You can even see a "128 South Boston" pull-through around where I-93 meets MA 24!  I wonder if that confused any drivers back then...

At the time, US 1 had not been rerouted off the VFW Parkway, and MA 128 had not yet been truncated to Canton, since there were no US 1 reassurance shields along I-93 between Canton and Storrow Drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3B_ylLdgc4

Love those videos and the memories they bring back. Amazing how much has changed. Some also have old audio of Red Sox games and long-ago jungles (Star Market, See What Makes Us Shine!). Some others show what driving in through the city itself was like back in the pre-Big Dig, pre-gentrification days.

[pderocco]

I found a video on YouTube of someone driving from Foxborough to Malden along US 1, I-95, and I-93 in May 1989.  You can see the old Foxboro Stadium, the old elevated Central Artery, and even some old highway signs!  You can even see a "128 South Boston" pull-through around where I-93 meets MA 24!  I wonder if that confused any drivers back then...

At the time, US 1 had not been rerouted off the VFW Parkway, and MA 128 had not yet been truncated to Canton, since there were no US 1 reassurance shields along I-93 between Canton and Storrow Drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3B_ylLdgc4

Love those videos and the memories they bring back. Amazing how much has changed. Some also have old audio of Red Sox games and long-ago jungles (Star Market, See What Makes Us Shine!). Some others show what driving in through the city itself was like back in the pre-Big Dig, pre-gentrification days.

I'm pretty nostalgic about it, too, but let's be honest, the 1970s really sucked. My memories of driving around the Boston area included the pungent smell of diesel fumes, the scourge of graffiti, and the big middle finger through the city known as the Central Artery.

[Rothman]

I found a video on YouTube of someone driving from Foxborough to Malden along US 1, I-95, and I-93 in May 1989.  You can see the old Foxboro Stadium, the old elevated Central Artery, and even some old highway signs!  You can even see a "128 South Boston" pull-through around where I-93 meets MA 24!  I wonder if that confused any drivers back then...

At the time, US 1 had not been rerouted off the VFW Parkway, and MA 128 had not yet been truncated to Canton, since there were no US 1 reassurance shields along I-93 between Canton and Storrow Drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3B_ylLdgc4

Love those videos and the memories they bring back. Amazing how much has changed. Some also have old audio of Red Sox games and long-ago jungles (Star Market, See What Makes Us Shine!). Some others show what driving in through the city itself was like back in the pre-Big Dig, pre-gentrification days.

I'm pretty nostalgic about it, too, but let's be honest, the 1970s really sucked. My memories of driving around the Boston area included the pungent smell of diesel fumes, the scourge of graffiti, and the big middle finger through the city known as the Central Artery.

Saturday Night Fever and Rocky displayed the 1970s suckage.

That said, I do have fond memories from the mid to later 1970s.  The innocence of the very youth...

[Plutonic Panda]

I found a video on YouTube of someone driving from Foxborough to Malden along US 1, I-95, and I-93 in May 1989.  You can see the old Foxboro Stadium, the old elevated Central Artery, and even some old highway signs!  You can even see a "128 South Boston" pull-through around where I-93 meets MA 24!  I wonder if that confused any drivers back then...

At the time, US 1 had not been rerouted off the VFW Parkway, and MA 128 had not yet been truncated to Canton, since there were no US 1 reassurance shields along I-93 between Canton and Storrow Drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3B_ylLdgc4

Love those videos and the memories they bring back. Amazing how much has changed. Some also have old audio of Red Sox games and long-ago jungles (Star Market, See What Makes Us Shine!). Some others show what driving in through the city itself was like back in the pre-Big Dig, pre-gentrification days.

I'm pretty nostalgic about it, too, but let's be honest, the 1970s really sucked. My memories of driving around the Boston area included the pungent smell of diesel fumes, the scourge of graffiti, and the big middle finger through the city known as the Central Artery.

Being born in 1993, If I could time travel, I'd like to go back and drive around and see what that was like. I've seen videos of stuff like that. New York City Subway, pulling up completely covered in graffiti. I don't know why, but that just seems completely unbelievable to me that that is real.