Massachusetts Route 28

Massachusetts Route 28

Route 28 is a nominally south–north route and highway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, running from the town of Orleans via Boston to the New Hampshire state line in Methuen. Following the route from its nominally southern end, Route 28 initially heads south to the town of Chatham then turns west to follow along the south shore of Cape Cod. In Falmouth, Route 28 turns north and continues through the western reaches of Plymouth and Norfolk counties, and travels for a while through Route 25. It then cuts through downtown Boston before heading north via Lawrence to the New Hampshire state line, where it continues as New Hampshire Route 28. Route 28 travels through 28 municipalities.

The original form of Route 28 was as a New England interstate route established in 1922 to run from Buzzards Bay to New Hampshire. The route itself was overlaid on several early turnpike roads constructed in the early 19th century. Except for an extension into Cape Cod in 1926, the overall highway layout and routing is largely unchanged from its original design. Route 28 has been realigned in several places when newer, higher quality roads were built. At a length of nearly 152 miles (245 km), Route 28 is the longest state-numbered highway in Massachusetts, and the second-longest highway, behind U.S. Route 20.

Route 28 is supplanted by interstate highways throughout most of the state, and is used mainly as a secondary and local highway. Throughout Cape Cod, particularly in Hyannis and Yarmouth, it passes through heavy development and is the primary navigation route along the south side of the Cape. This causes congestion and gridlock, especially during the summer months, when traffic is at its heaviest. The dense development makes future plans to widen the highway difficult or impossible.