Massachusetts milepost exit numbering conversion contract

[Roadgeekteen]

So how are the exit numbers determined relative to the milepost? Because on Route 2, exit 129 is pretty much at mile 130, exit 128 is within mile 129, and missing a great opportunity, exit 127 is within mile 128 (and at Route 128).

Is there a logic that I am missing, or did some bitter MassDOT engineers refuse to give 128 any encouragement?

Do they always round down?

[paul02474]

So how are the exit numbers determined relative to the milepost? Because on Route 2, exit 129 is pretty much at mile 130, exit 128 is within mile 129, and missing a great opportunity, exit 127 is within mile 128 (and at Route 128).

Is there a logic that I am missing, or did some bitter MassDOT engineers refuse to give 128 any encouragement?

Do they always round down?

They round down (avoiding an Exit 0). They also fudge the numbers when exits are close together in order to avoid suffixes on exit numbers, even in Suffolk County.

[hotdogPi]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

[SkyPesos]

I'm not sure what the general way to round exit numbers is (Ohio also rounds down like MA), though my preferred option is to round up on 0.5 and above, round down on 0.4 and below.

[paul02474]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

That's silly. The old exit numbers had Route 60 at Exit 59; Lake Street (Exit 60) is less than a mile away, and there was confusion with folks looking for Route 60 ending up on Lake Street. Using Exit 128 for I-95 (which corresponds to the adjacent mile marker) would have created less confusion.

[Pete from Boston]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

People have an unusual idea of what constitutes confusion.

[SkyPesos]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

People have an unusual idea of what constitutes confusion.

"Not having a perfect US highways grid confuses drivers ability to navigate"
- A very special forum member here

[Roadgeekteen]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

People have an unusual idea of what constitutes confusion.

"Not having a perfect US highways grid confuses drivers ability to navigate"
- A very special forum member here

He's been real quiet lately.

[abqtraveler]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

That's illogical. I can name plenty of interchanges around the country where the exit number just happens to the same as the route number of the road the freeway intersects. The most notable example I can think of being on the northeast side of Indianapolis, Exit 37 on I-465 also being for I-69/SR-37 North.

And there's also in Connecticut: I-84 Exit 7 serves US-7 North and US-202 East.

So why would someone find it confusing to have an interchange with Route 128 be numbered Exit 128?

[machias]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

That's illogical. I can name plenty of interchanges around the country where the exit number just happens to the same as the route number of the road the freeway intersects. The most notable example I can think of being on the northeast side of Indianapolis, Exit 37 on I-465 also being for I-69/SR-37 North.

And there's also in Connecticut: I-84 Exit 7 serves US-7 North and US-202 East.

So why would someone find it confusing to have an interchange with Route 128 be numbered Exit 128?

I find this baffling as well. Having Route 128 numbered as Exit 128 if probably as logical as one can get with interchange/route number combinations. To add another to the list: on I-86/NY 17 Exit 79 is for NY Route 79.  It's a shame this will go away when NYSDOT (eventually) moved to distance based numbers on the rest of the interstates.

[vdeane]

Isn't this location a spot where the numbers are fudged to avoid a suffix?

[SectorZ]

Isn't this location a spot where the numbers are fudged to avoid a suffix?

It is. Exits 127-135 are between MMs 128.5-134.1

[5foot14]

Are they serious with this? I hope they fix these mistakes...

I-495 NB, Exit 100A

SM-A515U

[kefkafloyd]

Didn't someone on this forum tell MassDot not to have Exit 128 be Route 128 (as it was in the initial plan) because of confusion?

That's illogical. I can name plenty of interchanges around the country where the exit number just happens to the same as the route number of the road the freeway intersects. The most notable example I can think of being on the northeast side of Indianapolis, Exit 37 on I-465 also being for I-69/SR-37 North.

And there's also in Connecticut: I-84 Exit 7 serves US-7 North and US-202 East.

So why would someone find it confusing to have an interchange with Route 128 be numbered Exit 128?

Until very recently, exit 38 on I-495 was for MA 38!

[The Ghostbuster]

Now that is one goofy-looking exit sign! Hopefully the next sign replacement will include an exit sign wide enough to include all three digits.

[PurdueBill]

Are they serious with this? I hope they fix these mistakes...

I-495 NB, Exit 100A

SM-A515U

That is so baffling considering how many narrow digit greenouts they made for signs that were already made wide enough for the new numbers (e.g., "111" in series B (!) with very tight kerning so as to be basically illegible when wider font and normal kerning would have had plenty of room, even on a regular-width gore sign, never mind the wide one that was waiting.

[roadman]

Are they serious with this? I hope they fix these mistakes...

I-495 NB, Exit 100A

SM-A515U

I have it on reliable authority that this is being fixed.

[southshore720]

The gore signs are usually a snow plow or wayward driver's favorite target, so hopefully many of these wonky paste-overs will be replaced with proper gore signage in years to come!

[SkyPesos]

Are they serious with this? I hope they fix these mistakes...

I-495 NB, Exit 100A

SM-A515U

I was more expecting that from O(klahoma)DOT, not MASSDOT.

[abqtraveler]

Are they serious with this? I hope they fix these mistakes...

I-495 NB, Exit 100A

SM-A515U

I was more expecting that from O(klahoma)DOT, not MASSDOT.

That would be something I would expect to see out here in New Mexico.

[bob7374]

I finally had a chance to check out exit renumbering along the Mass Pike west of Sturbridge on my (roundabout) way to the Wilmington Road Meet. I've posted the new photos, such as for the I-91 exit


on my New England Exit Renumbering Central site:
https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/neexitrenumbering.html#i90signs3

I also checked out I-91 South from the Mass Pike to the CT border, here's two approaching I-291:


The rest can be found at: https://malmeroads.net/mass21c/neexitrenumbering.html#i91signs1

[abqtraveler]

They have to be getting near the end of the conversion to mile-based exit numbering in Massachusetts. How much do they have left to do?

[jp the roadgeek]

They have to be getting near the end of the conversion to mile-based exit numbering in Massachusetts. How much do they have left to do?

I-290/I-395 and that's pretty much it.

One other note on an older post: Exit 7 for US 7/202 would remain the same when I-84 in CT joins the other 3 states it passes through and is converted.

[shadyjay]

Last week, I travelled I-395/I-290, I-190, as well as I-495 from Marlboro up to the NH state line.  For photos of the new exit numbers, you can hit here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/collections/72157659357861836/

Next to nothing as far as sign replacement on the Bolton-to-Lowell project.  Progress being made on I-290 from Auburn to Worcester, mostly north and south of the city center. 

[5foot14]

Breaking news! I-395/290 conversion starts this Sunday.

Text from the email:

Statewide Exit Renumbering Project Notification


Please be advised that MassDOT is in the process of converting all exit numbers on freeways to a milepost-based numbering system, per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements. The final two corridors, Interstate 290 and Interstate 395, will begin conversion this Sunday:

Corridors: Interstate 290 and Interstate 395

Approximate start date: Sunday, August 1, 2021

Approximate construction duration: 2 weeks

Location: Marlborough to Webster

Hours of operation: 8:00 PM - 5:00 AM


MassDOT has completed the conversion of the exit numbers to a milepost-based numbering system on the following corridors:

SM-A515U