Massachusetts Route 25

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Route 25
Length:	10.00[1] mi (16.09 km)
Formed:	1957
West end:	I-195/I-495 in Wareham
East end:	Route 28 in Bourne
Massachusetts State Highway Routes < Route 24 Route 26 >

Route 25 is a freeway providing access to Cape Cod. Route 25 is 9.3 miles long, and is an eastward continuation of Interstate 495 South, beginning at the junction with Interstate 195 in Wareham. It ends in Bourne at Route 28, the Bourne Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal.

Route 25 was opened in stages from 1957 to 1987, but the earliest segment, between Route 24 in Raynham and I-195, has been redesignated as I-495.

Until 1987, Route 25 ended at its current Exit 1 interchange with US 6 and Route 28. The final segment runs through land where much of the state's cranberry harvest is located, which led to lengthy litigation and delay of construction. Farmers were concerned that salt runoff from winter ice removal would destroy their crop. Business owners along US 6 in Buzzards Bay also opposed the project, claiming traffic, and much of their revenue, would completely bypass the town. A deal with local farm owners, where the state would provide sand to absorb runoff, as well as a slight realignment to the freeway, led to the approval and later construction of its current alignment to the Bourne Bridge. Interchanges in Buzzards Bay and Wareham ensured traffic flow to those communities.

The eastern end of Route 25 is notable for lengthy delays, often exceeding 5 miles, caused by tourist traffic, on summer weekends.

For information on the pre-1957 Route 25, see Route 225.

[edit] References

1. ^ Executive Office of Transportation, Office of Transportation Planning - 2005 Road Inventory

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