Gribblenation

I took a few hours this past Saturday (2/27) to check out the progress on several projects that will help shape the future of driving in Massachusetts and beyond. Most notably, wider roads, electronic tolling, and milepost-based exit numbers. 1. Wider Roads The longest construction project going on in the Metro Boston area is the '128-Add-A-Lane' Project, to create a fourth travel lane on I-93 and I-95 from MA 24 in Randolph to MA 9 in Wellesley. The work is now concentrated on the last section north of Great Plain Avenue in Needham. The work includes adding a fourth lane to the median: Replacing bridges over the highway, such as this one for Kendrick Street, now completed: Building a new off-ramp from Kendrick Street, in progress: And, revising the interchange with MA 9: The whole project is due to be completed by 2019. 2. Electronic Tolling MassDOT having instituted electronic tolls on the Tobin Bridge in 2014, is now in the process of doing the same for...

I posted an entry back in November 2013 displaying examples of new signage being placed in the streets of Boston, some of which was completely wrong. A February 2014 'expose' report on the local Fox television station led to Boston DOT officials blaming contractor error for the sign mistakes and vows to fix them. During last Spring much of the wrong signage was removed or replaced. For example this reassurance marker for West MA 2A that had a wrong directional banner: Was corrected with a replacement West banner. Most of the MA 2A signs put up in error further east along Mass. Ave were removed, such as these at the corner of Tremont and Mass. Ave: A couple though stayed but had their directional banner replaced with 'To', such as by the Christian Science Plaza, before: And After: Mistaken signs were placed for routes that did exist as well. In the case below, drivers on Beacon Street approaching Arlington saw signs directing them to MA 28 North to tu...