Skip to main content

Some Massachusetts Highway Photos

I took a trip north from North Carolina to Massachusetts for the Fourth. The route up, if you're curious was my 'land route' vs. a 'coastal route'. It is basically taking NC/VA 86 to US 29 north through central Virginia to US 17, then getting over to US 15 in MD and into PA. The rest of PA via I-83, I-81 and I-84. Then continuing on I-84 through NY and into CT then I-691, CT 66, CT 16, CT 2, I-395, and the CT turnpike stub to get to RI where it was US 6 East, I-295 North to MA getting on I-95 north to I-93/US 1 north.

Since there wasn't anything too new or interesting going up I saved my photos for new signs that had been put up along MA/Pilgrims Highway between Exits 11 and 20 since my last visit. The original signs from Exit 12 to 15 were ground mounted. The new ones are also except at the interchanges themselves where they've been replaced by cantilevered signs such as:the one above for Exit 12 MA 139. Some control cities on some of the signs has changed, such as the following for Exit 14, MA 228:
The original destinations listed were Rockland and Nantasket. Hingham was on a secondary destination sign, which now lists Nantasket. The other noted change is for the following exit 15, which originally northbound only listed S. Hingham, S. Weymouth. It is now:
They also changed the wording for Exit 19 which simply said 'Quincy, T station. Many motorists thought the sign implied one destination, the Quincy Center MBTA station, which it did not. It was replaced with the following with the addition of Burgin Parkway which goes to Quincy Center and the T station (Quincy Adams) separated by a line:
The most interesting signage is the replacements for the I-93 interchange, Exit 20. Individual signage for I-93 North and South has been replaced (or will be replaced, the 1 mile sign seen on Steve Anderson's BostonRoads site was still up as of July 20) by diagrammatic signage:
The other most noticeable change is the inclusion of only the interstate routes, not the other highway designations (US 1, MA 3) from the signs. This is due to past MassHighway signage practices. For a greater explanation of this and to see additional Exit 20 signage and also larger versions of the photos here and additional ones, please go to my Massachusetts Highway Photos Page.

Some other Mass. highway notes, no photos unfortunately:
With the replacement of the Sagamore rotary with an interchange, MA 3 northbound is Exit 1A off of US 6 and US 6 East exits itself as Exit 1B. The MA 6A exit both ways is Exit 1C.
MassHighway had a project that was repaving the SE Expressway from Savin Hill to the Braintree Split. At its conclusion a sign replacement project will start along the same section and continue along I-93 to Randolph this fall ( have a photo of a sign to be replaced on my photo page).
There is a cutout US 1 shield at the I-93 end of the South Boston Haul Road pointing to the ramp to I-93 south, the MA 3 sign is missing.
The I-93/US 1 North Mass. Green signs at Columbia Road have disappeared, they still exist at the southbound ramp.
They have added an overhead South I-93/US1/MA 3 small overhead sign south of the Mass. Ave exit, and have an additional overhead sign assembly with space for one about 1/4 mile south of that.
The Big Dig tunnel ramp to I-93 South from Leverett circle was the only ramp that included additional signs for US 1 and MA 3 posted on the BGS support poles.

The route back was basically the reverse as the way up, except I continued on I-81 South through Virginia to I-64 then I-64 East back to US 29. I also took US 29 further south to Greensboro so I could check on I-74 progress for my previous post.

If there are other questions about what I may have seen on my trip, let me know.

Comments

Steve A said…
A few weeks ago I finally got to try the Burgin Pkwy. exit, after it was re-signed from the freeways. Well, guess what - the old signs are still up on the exit. As a sign guy, I thought it was worth it.

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 101 through Sargent

  Sargent is a ghost town and siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in southern Santa Clara County.  The original alignment of US Route 101 was aligned through Sargent via what is now known as Old Monterey Road.  Sargent was bypassed gradually due to shifts of the alignment of US Route 101 which occurred during 1941 and 1950.  Pictured as the blog cover is a view on Old Monterey Road which is now no longer accessible to the general public.  Below is a scan of the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Santa Clara County which depicts the original alignment US Route 101 through Sargent.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 in Sargent Sargent lies on land which was once part of Rancho Juristac.  During 1856 James P. Sargent purchased Rancho Juristac and plotted what was known as Sargent Ranch.  By 1869 the Southern Pacific Railroad coast line reached the relocated town site of Gilroy.  The Southern Pacific Railroad coast line would be constructed through Chittenden Pass by 1871 whic

Tulare Lake returns

During the winter of 2023 California experienced one of the wettest seasons in recent decades.  Enough snow and water were deposited into the Sierra Nevada Mountains that the runoff was enough to partially reform Tulare Lake within San Joaquin Valley.  Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River by surface area.  Tulare Lake has been largely dried for the past century due to irrigation divisions and upstream impoundments.  This blog will examine the history of Tulare Lake and its recent return.  Pictured as the blog cover is Tulare Lake from 19th Avenue in Kings County during early May 2023.  Tulare Lake can be seen near its maximum extent below on the 1876 P.Y. Baker Map of Tulare County .   Part 1; the history of Tulare Lake Tulare Lake is the largest remnant of Lake Corcoran.  Lake Corcoran once covered much of the entire Central Valley due to being it being located at a in natural low point from where mountain run-off would accumulate.  Lake Corcoran is thou

US Route 95 in California

US Route 95 within California exists within San Bernardino County and Riverside County.  US Route 95 within California is approximately 130 miles factoring multiplexes along Interstate 10 and Interstate 40.  US Route 95 in California begins at the Arizona state line along the Colorado River near Blythe in Riverside County.  US Route 95 follows the general course of the Colorado River north through the Sonoran Desert to the Mojave Desert towards Needles of San Bernadino County.  US Route 95 enters Nevada north of Interstate 40 and the historic alignment of US Route 66.  US Route 95 was extended to Blythe, California during July 1939.  Upon US Route 95 entering California during 1939 it overlapped and deleted much of the original California State Route 195.  US Route 95 was extended from Blythe into Arizona during June 1960.   Part 1; the history of US Route 95 in California The corridor of modern-day US Route 95 in California first came to prominence during the run-up to the creation of