Lowell Connector - Former Business Spur I-495
The Lowell Connector is a three mile freeway spur stemming north from U.S. 3 and Interstate 495 into the city of Lowell. The four to six-lane route was completed in 1962.1 It was designated Business Spur I-495 and signed as such until a decommissioning in the 1980s. The connector is currently unnumbered.
Lowell in 1969. The Lowell Connector branches north from a wye interchange with U.S. 3. Interchanges along the freeway connect with I-495, Industrial Avenue, Plain Street and Route 3A.
Business Spur I-495 appears on the 1970 Official Massachusetts Highway Map.
Ramps from Interstate 495 come together ahead of the Lawrence city line and Lowell Connector northbound mainline.
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A parclo interchange (Exit 3) follows with Industrial Avenue to adjacent retail, business and industrial park areas.
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The Lowell Connector runs north alongside River Meadow Brook to Route 3A at Thorndike Street. A diamond interchange (Exit 4) joins the freeway with Plain Street next.
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Plain Street connects the Lowell Connector with adjacent Route 110 (Chelmsford Street) and the Meadow Brook Center retail plaza. Parker Street west from Plain Street leads to the Highlands neighborhood.
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Bending northeast, the freeway approaches a parclo interchange (Exits 5A/B) with Route 3A (Thorndike Street).
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The freeway ends at a signalized intersection with Gorham Street in 2,000 feet.
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Exit 5A departs for Route 3A south as it overtakes Gorham Street to Bleachery and south Lowell. The mainline ends at Gorham Street directly.
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Route 3A extends north along Thorndike Street to the Gallagher Intermodal Center and a split diamond interchange with Route 110 (Appleton Street) by South Common park. Route 110 turns east while Route 3A takes Westford Street to the west.
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The Lowell Connector ends as traffic defaults onto Gorham Street north to the city center.
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Gorham Street intersects Elm and Highland Streets just north of the Lowell Connector end at the Middlesex County Superior Courthouse.
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The Lowell Connector travels with six overall lanes from Thorndike Street (Route 3A) south to the trumpet interchange (Exits 2B-A and 1B) with Interstate 495. The freeway runs between Route 110 (Chelmsford Street) and River Meadow Brook south to Industrial Avenue (Exit 3).
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Exit 3 departs from the Connector south to Industrial Avenue. Industrial Avenue angles northwest from a rotary with the south side ramps to Cross Point towers and Route 110. The road east serves an industrial park and links with Swan Street east to Boston Road.
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Crossing over Industrial Avenue, guide signs partition traffic for ramps to Interstate 495 south to Worcester and north to Lawrence. Exits 2B-A depart next to connect with the U.S. 3 freeway north to Nashua, New Hampshire.
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U.S. 3 travels northwest from Lowell to Tyngsborough before entering New Hampshire at Nashua. Motorists taking Exit 2A join the adjacent ramp from I-495 south to U.S. 3 north.
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A loop ramp (Exit 1B) follows from the Lowell Connector mainline to Interstate 495 north to Lawrence, Haverhill and Salisbury. The Connector mainline otherwise defaults onto U.S. 3 south toward Boston via a wye interchange (Exit 1A).
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A lone shield remained for Business Spur I-495 along Plain Street east at Quimby Avenue for the Lowell Connector. This sign was taken down by 2008.
06/27/05
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A diamond interchange connects Plain Street with the Lowell Connector between Avenue C and Turner Street.
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The southbound on-ramps to the Lowell Connector simply reference the connections with Interstate 495 and the U.S. 3 freeway south.
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References:
- Outer Circumferential Highway (I-495). BostonRoads.com.
Photo Credits:
- AARoads: 07/29/07
- Alex Nitzman, Carter Buchanan: 06/27/05
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Page Updated Tuesday September 20, 2016.