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Route 2 (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
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
.
. 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.
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
.
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.
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. In place of the highway project, the MBTA Red Line
was extended from Harvard
to Alewife
in the 1980s.
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.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, parts of which are sometimes known as the Cambridge and Concord Turnpike
Cambridge and Concord Turnpike
The Cambridge and Concord Turnpike was an early turnpike between Cambridge and Concord, Massachusetts. Portions have been incorporated into today's Massachusetts Route 2; the remainder forms other major local roads....
. Along with Route 9
Route 9 (Massachusetts)
Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston...
and U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
to the south, these highways are the main alternatives to the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
/I-90 toll highway. Route 2 runs the entire length of the northern tier of Massachusetts, beginning at the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
border, where it connects with New York State Route 2
New York State Route 2
New York State Route 2 is a state highway in the Capital District of New York, United States. It extends from an interchange with Interstate 87 and NY 7 in the hamlet of Latham within the town of Colonie to the Massachusetts state line, where it continues to Boston as Route 2....
, and ending near Boston Common in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Route description
Route 2 proceeds east from the New York state line on a winding, scenic path in WilliamstownWilliamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
. It serves the Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
area and North Adams
North Adams, Massachusetts
North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state...
. East of North Adams, Route 2 ascends via a hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
into the Berkshire Mountains along the old Mohawk Trail
Mohawk Trail
- External links :* *...
.
It then goes from Berkshire County into Franklin County, Massachusetts
Franklin County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,535 people, 29,466 households, and 18,416 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 31,939 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, running into Interstate 91
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
at an interchange in Greenfield
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,456 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Franklin County Fair...
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
Two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway is an expressway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes rise. The term super two is often used by roadgeeks for this type of road, but traffic...
. Outside of Greenfield, Route 2A temporarily ends and merges with Route 2. Route 2 then becomes a regular two-lane surface road in Gill
Gill, Massachusetts
Gill is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 1,363 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and through Erving though it has some grade-separated interchanges in Millers Falls
Millers Falls, Massachusetts
Millers Falls is a census-designated place in the town of Montague in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,072 at the 2000 census...
at its intersection with Route 63. There is another gap in the two-lane freeway in the Erving
Erving, Massachusetts
Erving is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,467 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
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
Orange, Massachusetts
Orange is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,839 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town is included in the census-designated place 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
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
. The road at this point enters the town of Athol
Athol, Massachusetts
Athol is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,584 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called Pequoiag, the area was first settled by five families in September 1735. When the township was incorporated in 1762, the name was changed to Athol...
in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
. After its eastern interchange in Phillipston
Phillipston, Massachusetts
Phillipston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2010 census.- History :Phillipston was first settled in 1751, and incorporated as the town of Gerry in 1786...
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
Gardner, Massachusetts
Gardner, Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,228 as of the 2010 census. Gardner is home to Dunn State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College.-History:Named in honor of...
and Leominster
Leominster, Massachusetts
Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190,...
, where Interstate 190
Interstate 190 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 190 runs for north from I-290 in Worcester, Massachusetts to Route 2 in Leominster, Massachusetts. A portion of the highway was built with extra-wide shoulders, which are painted green, to prevent runoff from contaminating the nearby Wachusett Reservoir...
begins, heading south to Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. 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
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
. At this point it enters Boston's outer loop at the interchange with Interstate 495
Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 495 is the designation of an Interstate Highway half-beltway in Massachusetts. It was the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway of its kind—measuring 120.74 miles —until 1996, when the PA Route 9 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was redesignated as Interstate 476, making it about ...
in Littleton. It continues as a expressway until it goes into Acton
Acton, Massachusetts
Acton is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States about twenty-one miles west-northwest of Boston along Route 2 west of Concord and about ten miles southwest of Lowell. The population was 21,924 at the 2010 census...
, 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
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
Rotary
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
, 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
Assabet River
The Assabet River is a small river about west of Boston, Massachusetts. The river is long. The , headquartered in West Concord, Massachusetts, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, protection, and enhancement of the natural and recreational features of the Assabet River and...
. 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.
At this point Route 2 enters Lexington
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
and still is a divided 4-lane road with surface intersections. It then heads to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's inner belt, crossing Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Massachusetts
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
/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
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
Alewife Station. At this point the road heads into Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
The limited access freeway portion ends at a signalized intersection, where it merges with U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 is a north–south United States highway that runs from its southern terminus in Cambridge, Massachusetts through New Hampshire to its terminus near Third Connecticut Lake at the Canadian border, where the road continues north as Quebec Route 257.In New Hampshire parts of US 3 are...
south and Route 16
Massachusetts Route 16
Route 16 is an east–west state highway in Massachusetts. It begins in the west at an intersection with Route 12 and Route 193 in Webster, just north of the Connecticut state border...
west in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
and continues as a four-lane surface road to the Boston Public Garden
Boston Public Garden
The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston Common.-History:...
. Route 2 follows Alewife Brook Parkway
Alewife Brook Parkway
Alewife Brook Parkway is a short parkway in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It begins at Fresh Pond in Cambridge , and heads north on the east bank of Alewife Brook, crossing into West Somerville and ending at the Mystic River on...
, Fresh Pond Parkway
Fresh Pond Parkway
Fresh Pond Parkway is an historic park and parkway, found in the westernmost neighborhoods of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The site was built in 1899 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005....
, Gerry's Landing Road, and Memorial Drive
Memorial Drive (Cambridge)
Memorial Drive runs along the north bank of the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is designated as U.S. Route 3 or Massachusetts Route 3 for its entire length, and Massachusetts Route 2 over the portion west of the Boston University Bridge....
(all parkways maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation) through Cambridge. It crosses into Boston on the Boston University Bridge
Boston University Bridge
The Boston University Bridge , and commonly referred to as the BU Bridge, is a steel truss bridge with a suspended deck carrying Route 2 over the Charles River, connecting Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials route...
. After crossing Commonwealth Avenue (U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
), 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
Boston Common
Boston Common is a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons". Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. The Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street,...
and the Boston Public Garden
Boston Public Garden
The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston Common.-History:...
.
History
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. 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
New York State Route 43
New York State Route 43 is a state highway in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It extends for from Interstate 90 exit 8 in North Greenbush to the Massachusetts state line, where it continues into Williamstown as Massachusetts Route 43...
and New York State Route 66
New York State Route 66
New York State Route 66 is a state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The route begins at an intersection with NY 23B in the Columbia County city of Hudson and ends at a junction with NY 2 in the Rensselaer County city of Troy...
to reach Troy. Current Route 2 from Williamstown
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
to Petersburgh
Petersburgh, New York
Petersburgh is a town located in the northeast section of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,563 at the 2000 census. The town was named after an early settler.- History :...
was previously numbered as Route 96.
Route 2 connected as a highway in its current right-of-way at Alewife Brook Parkway
Alewife Brook Parkway
Alewife Brook Parkway is a short parkway in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It begins at Fresh Pond in Cambridge , and heads north on the east bank of Alewife Brook, crossing into West Somerville and ending at the Mystic River on...
at some point before 1937.
An upgraded Route 2 was originally planned to continue as Boston's Northwest Expressway
Northwest Expressway (Boston)
The Northwest Expressway is a 19.3-mile expressway that carries U.S. Route 3 from its junction with Interstate 95 in Burlington north to the New Hampshire state line in Tyngsborough, where it connects to the Frederick E...
(merging with a re-routed U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 is a north–south United States highway that runs from its southern terminus in Cambridge, Massachusetts through New Hampshire to its terminus near Third Connecticut Lake at the Canadian border, where the road continues north as Quebec Route 257.In New Hampshire parts of US 3 are...
at the Arlington-Lexington or Arlington-Cambridge border) to a junction with Interstate 695
Interstate 695 (Massachusetts)
The Inner Belt in Boston was a planned six-lane, limited-access highway that would have run through parts of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville.-History:...
, the Inner Beltway, but this, along with the Inner Beltway itself, was cancelled in 1970, accounting for the abrupt narrowing at Alewife. In place of the highway project, the MBTA Red Line
Red Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
was extended from Harvard
Harvard (MBTA station)
Harvard is a station on the Red Line of the MBTA subway system in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The third-busiest MBTA subway station, Harvard saw 21,868 entries each weekday in 2010, with only Downtown Crossing and South Station being busier...
to Alewife
Alewife (MBTA station)
Alewife, located at the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Cambridgepark West in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a local intermodal transportation hub. It is the northern terminus of the MBTA's Red Line, and a bus terminal for several local routes and one intercity route. It opened in 1985.The...
in the 1980s.
2002
- In 2002 a $1.5 million project constructed a new concrete median barrier on Route 2 in Lincoln.
2004
- A $4.3 million project completed in 2004 replaced the bridge that carried Route 2 over the Minuteman Bikeway in Arlington.
2006
- In 2006 a $6.7 million project that reconstructed 1.1 miles of Route 2 through Concord was completed.
2008
- In 2008 a $925,160 project was completed that cleaned and painted the Spring Street overpass in Lexington.
2009
- In 2009 a $3.7 million project that resurfaced Route 2 through Lexington was completed.
- A $1.5 million stimulus project completed in Fall 2009 resurfaced Route 2 in Lincoln from the Lexington line to Bedford Street in Lincoln.
- In 2009 a $2.1 million project was completed that replaced traffic signs from the Concord Rotary to Exit 38 in Harvard.
2010 and future
- A $2 million project expected for completion in 2011 is replacing traffic signs on Route 2 from Route 16 in Cambridge to Bedford Road in Lincoln.
- A $422,758 project expected to begin in Fall 2010 is Installing a cable median barrierCable barrierCable barrier, sometimes referred to as guard cable, is a type of roadside or median barrier. It consists of steel wire ropes mounted on weak posts. As is the case with any roadside barrier, its primary purpose is to prevent a vehicle from leaving the traveled way and striking a fixed object or...
on Route 2 in Lexington. The new cable barrier will prevent traffic from crossing the median. - A $4 million stimulus project planned for completion in November 2010 is resurfacing two sections of Route 2 in Concord.
- A $4.4 million project expected for completion in December 2010 is resurfacing 3 miles of Route 2 Cambridge to Belmont.
- The Route 2 bridge over the Charles RiverCharles RiverThe Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
in Boston (Boston University Bridge) is undergoing a $19.6 million bridge deck replacement project. The project funded by the Accelerated Bridge Program is expected for completion in November 2011. - In 2010 a $11.3 Million project began to Replace the route 2 bridges over Route 140 in Westminster.
- In 2011 a $6.3 Million project will resurface the highway through Fitchburg,Lancaster & Leominster.
- In 2011 a $3.4 Million project will replace the superstructure of two bridges in Athol.
- In 2012 a $4.6 Million project will resurface route 2 through Acton,Boxborough & Littleton.
- In 2015 a $1.9 million project will rebuild the intersection of Route 16 and Route 2 in Cambridge.
- In 2015 a $31 million project will replace the 2 bridges over I-95 in Lexington.
- In 2015 a $9.8 million project will replace the existing Route 2 bridge over the Sudbury RiverSudbury RiverThe Sudbury River is a tributary of the Concord River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States.Originating in the Cedar Swamp in Westborough, Massachusetts, near the boundary with Hopkinton, it meanders generally northeast to its confluence with the Assabet River at Egg Rock in...
in Concord. The existing bridge was built in 1934. - In 2015 a $20 Million project will replace the concord rotary with a highway interchange.
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.