Named Numbered Routes
These are named highways in the state which also carry numbered designations. Some are simply names of streets which carry a numbered route(s). Roads named after people/organizations were generally done so ceremoniously, after the numeric designation(s) already existed. Others carry more general names, such as the Southeast Expressway and Central Artery in Boston (which both refer to the same continuous span of I-93).
Several named highways cover the entire length of a given route in the state; for example, all of Interstate 90 in Massachusetts is the Massachusetts Turnpike, and the entire length of Route 213 is the Loop Connector.(*) denotes that the named highway spans the entire length of the numbered route in the state.
| Name | Route number designation(s) | Length (mi) | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alewife Brook Parkway | Route 16 | 2.05 | Cambridge | Runs from Concord Avenue to the Mystic Valley Parkway. |
| American Legion Highway | Route 177* | Westport | Runs through Tiverton, Rhode Island; Fall River, Massachusetts; Westport, Massachusetts | |
| Amvets Memorial Highway (Fall River Expressway) |
Route 24* | 40.91 | Fall River to Randolph | Route 24 is a connector between the Fall River/New Bedford area east of Rhode Island to the Boston metropolitan area, connecting the major freeways of the area: I-195 in Fall River and I-93/US-1 near I-95 in Randolph. - Route 79 runs along the highway between Exits 7 and 9, concurrent with Route 24. - I-195 has a brief concurrency with Route 24 in Fall River. |
| Boston Post Road | U.S. Route 20 | Marlborough to Weston | Most of US-20 between Marlborough and Weston runs along the Boston Post Road. | |
| Henry E. Bodurtha Highway | Route 57 | 5.0 | Agawam | Freeway comprises the eastern 5 miles (8.0 km) of Route 57, connecting Route 187 to U.S. Route 5 and I-91. |
| Boston-Worcester Turnpike | Route 9 | Worcester to Boston | Route 9 between Worcester and Boston is mostly a divided full-access highway with traffic light-controlled intersections which serves as one of the main alternatives to the Massachusetts Turnpike. Many shopping centers, car dealers, full-service restaurants and businesses line the roadway on this stretch, especially in Framingham, such as Barnes & Noble, Marshalls, T.G.I. Fridays, Kohl's, Toys "R" Us, Best Buy, Olive Garden and Walmart. This stretch of the roadway is also encompassed in the Golden Triangle district of Massachusetts. | |
| Central Artery (John F. Fitzgerald Expressway) |
Interstate 93 U.S. Route 1 Route 3 |
3.18 | Boston | The Central Artery is the portion of I-93 in downtown Boston, which runs from Massachusetts Ave. (just south of Exit 20) north to U.S. Route 1's departure at Exit 27. Route 3 leaves the Artery at Exit 26. |
| Commonwealth Avenue | Route 30 U.S. Route 20 Route 2 |
Newton, Boston | Stretches from Weston/Newton line to the Boston Public Garden. | |
| East Boston Expressway | Route 1A | 1.2 | Boston | The East Boston Expressway comprises the first 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of Route 1A's northern segment. It stretches from I-93 Exit 24 at the southern end of the Callahan Tunnel (northbound) and the Sumner Tunnel (southbound) to just northeast of the interchange with Route 145 in East Boston, near the eastern end of the Mass Pike. |
| Grand Army of the Republic Highway | U.S. Route 6* | 117.46 | Seekonk to Provincetown | The cross-country U.S. Route 6 is designated Grand Army of the Republic Highway over its entire length, which spans 3,205 miles (5,158 km). |
| Horseneck Beach Connector | Route 88* | 13.03 | Westport | Route 88 serves as a connector running from the Horseneck Beach Reservation north to I-195 Exit 18 in Westport. |
| Loop Connector | Route 213* | 3.56 | Methuen | Route 213 was designated "Loop Connector" when the Methuen Mall was renamed "The Loop." It serves as a freeway connection between Interstates 93 and 495 in Methuen. |
| Lydia Taft Highway | Route 146A* | 3 | Uxbridge | Route 146A in Massachusetts is designated as the Lydia Taft Highway, which runs from the Rhode Island state border to Route 122 in Uxbridge. |
| Massachusetts Turnpike | Interstate 90* | 138.1 | West Stockbridge to Boston |
The Mass Pike is a toll road running from the New York state border to downtown Boston. It serves as the main cross-state freeway connecting the western and eastern portions of the state. The "Pike" carries the easternmost 138 miles (222 km) of cross-country Interstate 90. |
| Memorial Drive | U.S. Route 3 Route 3 Route 2 |
4.12 | Cambridge | U.S. Route 3 and MA Route 3 connect to each other on Memorial Drive, which runs from the Fresh Pond Parkway to Main Street. Route 2 travels along Memorial Drive with US-3 and leaves via the Boston University Bridge. |
| Mid-Cape Highway | U.S. Route 6 | 36.6 | Bourne to Orleans | The Mid-Cape Highway is the main highway on Cape Cod, a 36-mile (58 km) long freeway running from Route 3 and the Sagamore Bridge east to the Orleans Rotary. |
| Mohawk Trail | Route 2 | 65 | Williamstown to Orange |
The 65-mile (105 km) Mohawk Trail comprises the western section of Route 2, from the New York border east to Orange, and is regarded as one of the most scenic drives in the area. |
| Mystic Valley Parkway | Route 16 | Arlington, Medford, Winchester |
Runs from the Alewife Brook Parkway to the Revere Beach Parkway. | |
| Northeast Expressway | U.S. Route 1 | 4.1 | Boston, Chelsea, Revere |
This section of U.S. Route 1 runs from I-93 Exit 27 (Tobin Bridge) to an interchange with Route 60 in Revere. This was originally supposed to be part of I-95, but I-95 was cancelled in Boston, with I-93 and US-1 taking its place. |
| Northwest Expressway | U.S. Route 3 | 21.1 | Burlington to Tyngsborough | The Northwest Expressway serves as a freeway connection between I-95/Route 128 (Exit 32A) in Burlington and the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Nashua, NH. |
| Pilgrims Highway | Route 3 | 42.5 | Bourne to Braintree | The Pilgrims Highway is the southern portion of Route 3, a 42-mile (68 km) long freeway which serves as a connector between Cape Cod (via U.S. Route 6) and the Boston metropolitan area (via I-93 and I-95). - U.S. Route 44 runs along the highway between Exits 6 and 7. |
| Southeast Expressway | Interstate 93 U.S. Route 1 Route 3 |
Braintree to Boston | The Southeast Expressway is the section of I-93 between the Route 3 split (Exit 7) and the Mass Ave. interchange (Exit 18), where it continues into Boston as the Central Artery. | |
| Southern Artery | Route 3A Route 53 |
2.13 | Quincy | The Southern Artery is a major arterial in the city of Quincy, running from Quincy Ave to the Furnace Brook Parkway. |
| Taunton-New Bedford Expressway (Alfred M. Bessette Memorial Highway) |
Route 140 | 19.3 | New Bedford to Taunton | The New Bedford Expressway comprises the southern 19 miles (31 km) of Route 140, and serves as a freeway connection between U.S. Route 6 in New Bedford and Route 24 (Exit 12) in Taunton, near I-495. |
| Ted Williams Highway | Route 9 | Framingham | Route 9 in Framingham is named the Ted Williams Highway, in commemoration of late Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Famer Ted Williams who wore the number 9 on his jersey. | |
| Wilbur Cross Highway | Interstate 84* | 8.0 | Sturbridge | I-84 in Massachusetts is designated the Wilbur Cross Highway. It runs 8 miles (13 km) from the Connecticut state border to the Mass Pike at Exit 9. |
| Worcester-Providence Turnpike | Route 146* | 20.99 | Millville to Worcester | Route 146 is a freeway that, along with Rhode Island's Route 146, serves to connect the metropolitan areas of Providence and Worcester. The entire route starts from I-95 in Providence, with the Massachusetts section picking up at the state line in Millville. The highway runs 21 miles (34 km) northward, intersecting the Mass Pike (I-90) in Worcester, and terminating at I-290 shortly thereafter. - Route 122A runs along the highway between Exits 9 and 12, concurrently with Route 146. |
| Yankee Division Highway (Circumferential Highway) |
Route 128* Interstate 95 U.S. Route 1 Interstate 93 |
64.74 | Braintree to Gloucester | The Yankee Division Highway consists of the Route 128 beltway before it was truncated to its southern terminus in Canton, and continues to span its entire length. It stretches from I-93's Exit 7 in Braintree to Route 128's northern terminus at Route 127A in Gloucester. - I-95 runs along the highway between Exits 12 and 45 (concurrent with 128). - I-93 runs along the highway between Exits 1 and 7. - U.S. Route 1 runs along the highway between I-95 Exit 15B and I-93 Exit 7. |
Read more about this topic: Numbered Routes In Massachusetts
Famous quotes containing the words named and/or routes:
“1946: I go to graduate school at Tulane in order to get distance from a “possessive” mother. I see a lot of a red-haired girl named Maude-Ellen. My mother asks one day: “Does Maude-Ellen have warts? Every girl I’ve known named Maude-Ellen has had warts.” Right: Maude-Ellen had warts.”
—Bill Bouke (20th century)
“The myth of independence from the mother is abandoned in mid- life as women learn new routes around the mother—both the mother without and the mother within. A mid-life daughter may reengage with a mother or put new controls on care and set limits to love. But whatever she does, her child’s history is never finished.”
—Terri Apter (20th century)