Massachusetts Route 213

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Route 213

Length:

3.56^[1] mi (5.73 km)

Formed:

1950s^[2]

West end:

Interstate 93 in Methuen

Major
junctions:

Route 28 in Methuen

Route 113 in Methuen

East end:

Interstate 495 in Methuen

Massachusetts State Highway Routes
< Route 203		Route 220 >

Route 213 is a short 3 1/2 mile state highway in Massachusetts. It connects Interstate 93 with Interstate 495 in Methuen, Massachusetts, just south of the New Hampshire border. It is a four-lane, controlled access highway along its entire length. Route 213 is also known locally as The Loop, due to its semicircular routing between I-93 and I-495. Route 213 is famous for allowing a traveler to cross the entire breadth of the city of Methuen in 120 seconds.

Signs for Route 213 on both I-93 and I-495 designate Route 213 as "LOOP CONNECTOR" (in all caps). The LOOP CONNECTOR signs were added when The Wilder Companies redeveloped the former Methuen Mall into a new shopping center known as The Loop.

Guide sign assembly on southbound I-93, referring to Route 213 as "LOOP CONNECTOR."

[edit] Cities and towns

Route 213 is located entirely within the city of Methuen.

The road was initially planned to start in Lowell at US-3 at a point between exits 31 and 32. From there, it was to have run north, crossing the Merrimack River roughly at the site of the current Rourke Bridge. It would then continue north through a portion of the Lowell-Dracut State Forest before turning east through Dracut until crossing I-93 in Methuen and ending at I-495. However, environmental regulations, a growing opposition in both Lowell and Dracut, and a projected insufficient demand for the road caused the state to permanently kill the portion of the highway between US-3 and I-93.

[edit] List of interchanges

Exits are numbered from west to east.

Location	Exit	Mile	Intersecting roads	Notes
Methuen	1A/1B	0	I-93	I-93 exit 48
Methuen	2	1	Route 28	Nearby NH/MA Line
Methuen	3	2	Route 113 / Pleasant Street
Methuen	4	2	Route 113 / Pleasant Valley Street	The Loop Mall
Methuen	5	4	I-495	I-495 exit 47