Northeast Expressway (Massachusetts)

Northeast Expressway
Route information
Maintained by MassDOT
Length:	4.1 mi (6.6 km)
Existed:	1958 – present
Major junctions
South end:	I‑93 / US 1 in Charlestown
	Route 16 in Revere
North end:	US 1 / Route 99 in Revere
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List Bannered Divided Replaced Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State

The Northeast Expressway consists of the elevated expressway from the junction of Interstate 93 and U.S. Route 1 in Charlestown, through Charlestown, crossing the Mystic River, through Chelsea, Everett and Revere. The highway becomes a surface expressway in northern Chelsea. The expressway terminates at the Revere-Saugus border, but the six-lane divided highway continues to the Interstate 95 and Route 128 junction in Peabody without at-grade intersections or traffic signals. It carries the U.S. 1 designation for its entire length.

Planned and cancelled northern section

Causeway (center) for the unbuilt section of the Northeast Expressway across Saugus Marsh

The Northeast Expressway was planned to extend north from Saugus, through Lynn, Lynnfield and Peabody. The highway would bisect the Saugus Marsh and the Lynn Woods Reservation. The highway would then connect with the present junction of Interstate 95 and Route 128 in Peabody. The Expressway would carry the Interstate 95 designation from the Peabody interchange with 128 south to the southeast Charlestown interchange with Interstate 93.

The highway was constructed in several stages. First, the Tobin Bridge over the Mystic River opened in 1948. In various stages, the Chelsea and Revere portions opened from 1956 to 1958. The highway carried the Interstate 95 designation from 1955 (in its planned stage) to 1973 (when cancelled by Gov. Francis Sargent).^[1]

Exit list

See also

1955 Yellow Book plan for the Boston area showing the Northeast Expressway path and paths of other proposed interstate highways within Rt. 128.

• U.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts

References