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Route 88 (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Route 88, is a north–south state highway
in the town of Westport
insoutheastern Massachusetts
. At just over 11 miles, it is the longest Massachusetts state route to be situated in only one town.
lands, on a peninsula dividing the East Branch of the Westport River
from Buzzards Bay
. After just 0.3 mile (0.482802 km), it crosses the Normand Edward Fontaine Bridge over that river into the Westport Point
section of town.
The road has five at-grade intersections
with stoplights
and two ramped overpass intersections. They are:
Route 88 ends just north of Route 6 and the abandoned Old Colony Rail lines with an interchange with I-195
, where westbound entrance and exit fly on separate overpasses over the interstate, and eastbound entrance and exit are direct ramps with no flyovers.
Route 88 is peculiar in its design in that, while it has at-grade intersections with town roads and is not divided by barriers or grass median between the Fontaine Bridge and Old County Road (except at intersections), there is no development of any kind that abuts the route directly; the only property that comes close is an ice cream stand on the southeast corner of Route 88 and Hix Bridge Road, but even this only has a driveway from Hix Bridge Road.
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 the town of Westport
Westport, Massachusetts
Westport is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,532 at the 2010 census.The village of North Westport lies in the town.- History :...
insoutheastern 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...
. At just over 11 miles, it is the longest Massachusetts state route to be situated in only one town.
Route description
Route 88 begins at the northern end of the Horseneck Beach State ReservationHorseneck Beach State Reservation
The Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a large public state beach reservation on Westport River, Westport Harbor, Horseneck Channel, The Let, Rhode Island Sound, and Buzzards Bay, in the southern portion of the town of Westport, Massachusetts, USA....
lands, on a peninsula dividing the East Branch of the Westport River
Westport River
The Westport River lies between Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay in Westport, Massachusetts.-Description:The Westport River has two branches. The smaller West Branch is approximately long, rising from a confluence of brooks near the village of Adamsville, Rhode Island...
from Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay is a bay along the southern edge of Massachusetts in the United States. The name may also refer to:*Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, a village in Bourne, Massachusetts*Buzzards Bay , the name of the horse that won the 2005 Santa Anita Derby...
. After just 0.3 mile (0.482802 km), it crosses the Normand Edward Fontaine Bridge over that river into the Westport Point
Westport Point Historic District
Westport Point Historic District is a historic district on Main Street from Charles Street to West Branch, Westport Road, including Cape Bial and Valentine Lanes in Westport, Massachusetts....
section of town.
The road has five at-grade intersections
At-grade intersection
An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...
with stoplights
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
and two ramped overpass intersections. They are:
- Mile 1.2 - Drift Road (at-grade) - Drift Road parallels Route 88 to the east, and Main Road (which is accessible just west of this intersection) parallels it to the west, with both ending at Old County Road (see below).
- Mile 4.2 - Hix Bridge Road (at-grade) - This intersection is the closest to the town center from the south. A new fire station was completed in 2010 just northwest of this intersection.
- Mile 6.3 - Charlotte White Road Extension (at-grade) - This intersection is the closest to the town center from the north.
- Mile 7.8 - Old County Road (at-grade) - Provides access to Westport High School to the west, and the Elementary & Middle Schools, the Head of Westport, and eventually the Westport Fair grounds and UMass DartmouthUniversity of Massachusetts DartmouthThe University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is one of five campuses and operating subdivisions of the University of Massachusetts . It is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States, in the center of the South Coast region, between the cities of New Bedford to the east and Fall River...
to the east. - Mile 8.6 - Route 177 - Access provided by straight rampage north and south. This exit provides the nearest access to Route 6 in DartmouthDartmouth, MassachusettsDartmouth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States established in 1664. The population was 30,665 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth....
. - Mile 10.3 - Briggs Road (at-grade) - regarded as a short-cut to Route 6 Eastbound via nearby Gifford Road. To the west of this intersection is the North Westport fire station.
- Mile 11.0 - U.S. Route 6U.S. Route 6 in MassachusettsRoute 6 is the portion of the cross-country U.S. Route 6 in the state of Massachusetts. Route 6 runs in the state connecting Providence, Rhode Island to Fall River, New Bedford, and Cape Cod. In the Fall River and New Bedford areas, Route 6 is a secondary highway paralleling Interstate 195...
- a half-cloverleaf intersection.
Route 88 ends just north of Route 6 and the abandoned Old Colony Rail lines with an interchange with I-195
Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...
, where westbound entrance and exit fly on separate overpasses over the interstate, and eastbound entrance and exit are direct ramps with no flyovers.
Route 88 is peculiar in its design in that, while it has at-grade intersections with town roads and is not divided by barriers or grass median between the Fontaine Bridge and Old County Road (except at intersections), there is no development of any kind that abuts the route directly; the only property that comes close is an ice cream stand on the southeast corner of Route 88 and Hix Bridge Road, but even this only has a driveway from Hix Bridge Road.