Massachusetts Route 2

Route 2
Route information
Length: 142.29 mi[1] (228.99 km)
Existed: 1927, 1971 (current alignment) – present
Major junctions
West end: NY Route 2 in Petersburgh, NY
  I-91 in Greenfield
US 202 in Athol
I-190 in Leominster
I-495 in Littleton
I-95/Route 128 in Lexington
US 3/Route 16 in Cambridge
US 20 in Boston
East end: Route 28 in Boston
Highway system

Massachusetts State Highway Routes

← Route 1A Route 2A →
← Route 6B N.E. Route 8 →

Route 2 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts, parts of which are sometimes known as the Cambridge and Concord Turnpike. Along with Route 9 and U.S. Route 20 to the south, these highways are the main alternatives to the Massachusetts Turnpike/I-90 toll highway. Route 2 runs the entire length of the northern tier of Massachusetts, beginning at the New York border, where it connects with New York State Route 2, and ending near Boston Common in Boston.

Contents

Route description

Route 2 proceeds east from the New York state line on a winding, scenic path in Williamstown. It serves the Williams College area and North Adams. East of North Adams, Route 2 ascends via a hairpin turn into the Berkshire Mountains along the old Mohawk Trail.

It then goes from Berkshire County into Franklin County, Massachusetts, running into Interstate 91 at an interchange in Greenfield and briefly runs concurrent with the interstate highway. At this point the old Route 2 becomes Route 2A and goes through downtown Greenfield. Route 2, however, exits off I-91, becoming a expressway briefly before becoming a two-lane freeway. Outside of Greenfield, Route 2A temporarily ends and merges with Route 2. Route 2 then becomes a regular two-lane surface road in Gill and through Erving though it has some grade-separated interchanges in Millers Falls at its intersection with Route 63. There is another gap in the two-lane freeway in the Erving area. Recently, the road in Erving was routed to the north and straightened to avoid the paper mill next to the river. This rerouting led to the road being shortened by less than a tenth of a mile.

Once the road enters the Town of Orange, Route 2A resumes and breaks off Route 2. At this point Route 2 again becomes a two-lane freeway. In Orange, Route 2 runs concurrent with U.S. Route 202. The road at this point enters the town of Athol in Worcester County, Massachusetts. After its eastern interchange in Phillipston when US 202 breaks off to the north, Route 2 becomes a full four-lane freeway, though not to Interstate standards in most points. It continues through Gardner and Leominster, where Interstate 190 begins, heading south to Worcester. In Leominster, Route 2 has several at-grade intersections with Oak Hill Road, Palmer Road, Mt. Elam Road, and Abbott Avenue. At the intersection with Mt. Elam Road, a traffic light remains in use on the eastbound side.

Route 2 continues east to Middlesex County, Massachusetts. At this point it enters Boston's outer loop at the interchange with Interstate 495 in Littleton. It continues as a expressway until it goes into Acton, where it runs into Piper Road and Taylor Road at a traffic light (Exit 44). At this point the freeway ends and Route 2 becomes a regular divided highway at most points and just a four-lane highway at other points. At the Concord Rotary, a major traffic choke point, Route 2 intersects with Route 2A and the beginning of Route 119 (which is overlapped with 2A at that point). After the rotary the road loses its dividing wall as it passes past the State Police (who have an emergency-only traffic light) and over the Assabet River. Route 2A used to then break away from Route 2 at the next traffic light to go left into Concord but is now overlaid with Route 2. At Crosby's Corner, the sixth intersection after the rotary, Route 2A goes straight while Route 2 veers right (but still heads east). The highway loses its dividing wall until the Bedford St intersection in Lincoln where it becomes divided again. MassHighway currently expects to rebuild the Crosby Corner intersection and create a dividing wall from there to Bedford St in 2011-2013.[2]

At this point Route 2 enters Lexington and still is a divided 4-lane road with surface intersections. It then heads to Boston's inner belt, crossing Interstate 95/Route 128. From there, Route 2 is a six-lane and then eight-lane limited access highway until Exit 60, where it narrows with little warning to six lanes and then to four lanes. This section of freeway actually meets the standards of an interstate highway. The final off-ramp leads directly to the large parking garage at the MBTA Alewife Station. At this point the road heads into Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The limited access freeway portion ends at a signalized intersection, where it merges with U.S. Route 3 south and Route 16 west in Cambridge and continues as a four-lane surface road to the Boston Public Garden. Route 2 follows Alewife Brook Parkway, Fresh Pond Parkway, Gerry's Landing Road, and Memorial Drive (all parkways maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation) through Cambridge. It crosses into Boston on the Boston University Bridge. After crossing Commonwealth Avenue (U.S. Route 20), it follows Montfort Street and Beacon Street into Kenmore Square which is the eastern terminus of US Route 20. From Kenmore Square, Route 2 follows Commonwealth Avenue to Arlington Street. It circles the Public Garden in Boston, using Arlington Street to Boylston Street to Charles Street. Route 2 ends at Route 28 at the intersection of Charles Street and Beacon Street between Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden.

History

In the early 1920s, Route 2 was known as New England Interstate Route 7 (NE-7), a major road connecting Boston with Troy, New York. NE-7 ran roughly where Route 2A (the original surface alignment of Route 2) does now except near the New York state line. NE-7 used current Massachusetts Route 43, New York State Route 43 and New York State Route 66 to reach Troy. Current Route 2 from Williamstown to Petersburgh was previously numbered as Route 96.

Route 2 connected as a highway in its current right-of-way at Alewife Brook Parkway at some point before 1937.[3]

An upgraded Route 2 was originally planned to continue as Boston's Northwest Expressway (merging with a re-routed U.S. Route 3 at the Arlington-Lexington or Arlington-Cambridge border) to a junction with Interstate 695, the Inner Beltway, but this, along with the Inner Beltway itself, was cancelled in 1970, accounting for the abrupt narrowing at Alewife.[4][5] In place of the highway project, the MBTA Red Line was extended from Harvard to Alewife in the 1980s.

Highway Improvements

2002

2004

2006

2008

2009

2010 and future

Crosbys Corner Improvement Project

This major project has been in planning since 1999. The intersection sees an average of 90 accidents a year. The project will solve the traffic and safety problems at the very dangerous Crosby's Corner intersection (junction of Route 2 and 2A) in Concord. The project, expected to cost $71.9 million, will widen Route 2 from Bedford Road in Lincoln to 300FT west of Sandy Pond Road in Concord. The project will eliminate the at grade intersection and realign it and construct new on & off ramps along with constructing new service roads next to Route 2. The project is expected to begin in 2011. The state has recently spent between $25 & $35 million for property takings in the path of the new alignment of Route 2. In January 2010 a speeding tanker truck carrying liquid asphalt flipped over on Route 2 and crushed three cars. The truck driver was med-flighted to a Boston hospital with serious injuries. The highway was shutdown for five hours causing traffic delays for the 46,000 commuters daily. The accident put the spotlight back on the Crosby Corner project.

The full project includes Building a new overpass bridge Over Route 2 and building multiple service roads next to Route 2. 14 Retaining Walls will be built to accommodate the new interchange ramp construction. Work also consists of a new signalized intersection. The project was put out to bid for contractors on September 19th 2011. A contractor is expected to be chosen over the winter and Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2012 on the estimated $55 Million project.

Further information: Freeway and expressway revolts

Exit list

County Location Mile Exit Destinations Notes
Berkshire
 Williamstown 0.00   NY 2 west Eastern terminus of NY Route 2; western terminus of MA Route 2
3.9   US 7 south Southern end of US 7 concurrency
6.2   US 7 north Northern end of US 7 concurrency
6.7   Route 43 south Northern terminus of Route 43
North Adams 11.6   Route 8 west Western end of Route 8 concurrency
11.7   Route 8A south Northern end of Route 8A "U" segment
12.4   Route 8 east Eastern end of Route 8 concurrency
Franklin
 Charlemont 29.8   Route 8A west Western end of Route 8A concurrency
30.4   Route 8A east Eastern end of Route 8A concurrency
Buckland 37.4   Route 112 south Western end of Route 112 concurrency
Shelburne 38.1   Route 112 north Eastern end of Route 112 concurrency
Greenfield 47.5 26 I-91 south / Route 2A east Southern end of I-91 concurrency; western terminus of Route 2A
50.0 27 I-91 north Northern end of I-91 concurrency
50.7   US 5 / Route 10 Interchange
51.3 Freeway ends
52.1   Route 2A Western terminus of Route 2A concurrency
Erving 57.3   Route 63 north Forest St to Rte. 63 North
57.7   Route 63 south Prospect St. to Rte. 63 South
64.8   Route 2A east Eastern terminus of Route 2A concurrency; Super-2 freeway begins
Orange 66.5 14 West River Street – Orange Center Last numbered exit on Route 2 West
69.5 15 Route 122 – Orange, Worcester
70.6 16 US 202 south – Belchertown
Daniel Shays Highway – Athol		 Western end of US 202 concurrency
Worcester
 Athol 74.6 17 Route 32 – Athol, Petersham
Phillipston 76.5 18 Route 2A – Athol, Phillipston  
78.9 19 US 202 north / Route 2A – Phillipston, Winchendon Eastern end of US 202 concurrency
Templeton 81.5 20 Baldwinville Road – Templeton, Baldwinville
83.4 21 Route 2A / Route 101 – Templeton, Ashburnham
Gardner 86.2 22 Route 68 – Gardner, Hubbardston
86.9 23 Gardner, South Gardner
Westminster 89.3 24 Route 140 north / West Main Street – Ashburnham, Winchendon Western end of Route 140 concurrency; signed as exits 24B-A westbound
91.7 25 Route 2A / Route 140 south – Fitchburg, Princeton Eastern end of Route 140 concurrency
92.2 26 Willard Road, Village Inn Road Eastbound exit only
93.0 27 Narrows Road, Depot Road
Fitchburg 94.0 28 Route 31 – Fitchburg, Princeton
96.0 (29) Mount Elam Road At-grade intersection with barrier in the middle of the road and flashing light
Leominster 98.0 30 Merriam Avenue, South Street – Leominster, Fitchburg
99.1 31 Route 12 – Leominster, Fitchburg  
100.4 32 Route 13 – Leominster, Lunenburg
101.1 33 I-190 south – Leominster, Worcester Northern terminus of I-190
Lancaster 102.6 34 Mechanic Street, Harvard Street
103.4 35 Route 70 south – Lancaster, Lunenburg Northern terminus of Route 70
104.8 36 Shirley Road – Shirley
105.9 37B Jackson Road – Devens Reserve Forces Training Area No public access to Exit 37A (westbound)
Harvard 109.2 38 Route 110 / Route 111 – Harvard, Worcester, Ayer, Groton Signed as exits 34A and 34B
Middlesex
 Littleton 112.7 39 Taylor Street – Littleton, Boxboro
113.0 40 I-495 – Marlboro, Cape Cod, Lowell, Lawrence Signed as exits 40A and 40B
Boxborough 115.2 41 Newtown Road, Central Street – West Acton, Littleton
Acton 117.4 42 Route 27 – Acton, Maynard
118.0 43 Route 111 north – West Acton Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only; left exit
118.1   Piper Road, Taylor Road Freeway resumes east of traffic light
Concord 120.60   Route 2A
Route 119 north		 Western terminus of Route 2A concurrency; southern terminus of Route 119
121.60   Route 62
124.00   Route 126 south Northern terminus of Route 126
124.9   Route 2A east Eastern terminus of Route 2A concurrency
Lexington 128.0 Freeway resumes just east of Lincoln–Lexington line
128.70 52 I-95 – Attleboro, Peabody Signed as exits 52A and 52B
129.0 53 Spring Street – Lexington, Waltham No westbound exit
129.9 54 Waltham Street – Lexington, Waltham Signed as exits 54A and 54B; westbound exits and eastbound entrances only
130.6 55 Pleasant Street – Lexington, Waltham Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
131.60 56 Route 4 north / Route 225 west – Lexington, Bedford
Winter Street – Waverly		 Southern terminus of Route 4; eastern terminus of Route 225
Arlington 131.70 57 Dow Avenue – Arlmont, Arlington, Belmont
Arlington–Belmont 132.3 58 Park Avenue – Belmont, Arlington Heights
133.90 59 Route 60 – Arlington Center, Belmont Center
Arlington 135.00 60 Lake Street – East Arlington, Belmont
Cambridge 134.6 Alewife T Station Eastbound exit only
134.9   US 3 north / Route 16 north (Alewife Brook Parkway north) Northern terminus of US 3/Route 16 concurrency; freeway ends
136.3   Route 16 south (Huron Avenue) Southern terminus of Route 16 concurrency
139.3   US 3 south (Memorial Drive) Southern terminus of US 3; Route 2 exits Memorial Drive via the Boston University Bridge eastbound
Suffolk
 Boston 140.4   US 20 west (Commonwealth Avenue) Eastern terminus of US 20 at Kenmore Square; Route 2 leaves Beacon Street for Commonwealth Avenue eastbound
140.9   Route 2A west (Massachusetts Avenue) Eastern terminus of Route 2A
142.29   Arlington Street Eastern terminus of Route 2
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
     Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

Photos

References

  1. ^ Executive Office of Transportation, Office of Transportation Planning - 2005 Road Inventory
  2. ^ Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Project Information
  3. ^ http://www.schlichtman.org/mahighways/bosmap37.gif
  4. ^ http://www.brorson.com/maps/BostonHighwayPlan_1965_Detail/BostonHPDetailLevel1.jpg
  5. ^ "Boston's Cancelled Highways". Google Maps. April 9, 2007. http://www.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&q=boston,+ma&layer=&ie=UTF8&om=1&msid=107473683068810985281.00000111d8c10d821a3b2&msa=0&ll=42.388346,-71.119137&spn=0.057435,0.174408&z=13. Retrieved December 30, 2010.