Massachusetts Route 132

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Route 132

Length:

3.69^[1] mi (5.94 km)

Formed:

by 1929

South end:

Route 28 in Hyannis

Major
junctions:

US 6 in West Barnstable

North end:

Route 6A in West Barnstable

Massachusetts State Highway Routes
< Route 131		Route 133 >

Route 132 is a highway in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, part of Cape Cod. The entire length of the highway is also locally signed as part of Iyanough Road. Route 132 is the main link between greater Barnstable and the village of Hyannis, in fact, all of Route 132 lies within the Barnstable city limits, and connects routes 6A and 28 via an almost straight northwest-southeast course.

[edit] Route Description

The southern terminus is at the Airport Rotary in Hyannis, at the intersection of Route 28. Iyanough Road itself begins further east on Route 28 at the Barnstable/Yarmouth border. The southernmost mile contains an immense number of malls and other large shopping centers along the route, such as the Christmas Tree Shops Plaza, Cape Cod Mall, the Capetown (K-Mart) Plaza, the Independence Plaza, and the Festival In Hyannis shopping center. Other restaurants, hotels, car dealerships, and strip malls dot the road densely until the intersection with Phinney's Lane. At Mile 3.0, it crosses underneath US 6 at Exit 6 (mile 68 of the freeway). Cape Cod's only freeway service plaza is at this intersection. North of the intersection is Cape Cod Community College, Cape Cod's only university, which is a part of the system of the University of Massachusetts, affiliated with their Dartmouth campus most. The northern terminus of Route 132 is at Route 6A in the village of West Barnstable.

[edit] Traffic

Route 132 is notorious for its heavy traffic, especially during summer months. Originally 2 lanes on its entire length when first built, development has necessitated about half of the road's length to be widened to 4 lanes, with another stretch (between Phinney's Lane and US 6) is currently being widened to 4 lanes. It is being constructed as a divided highway and completion is expected in late 2009. Part of the original Route 132 was bypassed around Phinney's Lane in the 1960s to straighten out the road and keep traffic moving at a reasonable pace. Locally, the old section is simply known as "Old Route 132 Road" (and is named Old Route 132), and is officially designated as part of Attucks Lane by the town of Barnstable. Some of the old road can be seen after Route 6 when heading east. The old road grade is on the right and it currently being used as a staging area for construction equipment.