I-90 (the Massachussets Turnpike) runs east-west, I-290 goes northward and I-395 southward. US 20 is the major east-west street across the bottom of the map.
This is one of the more complicated 'ticket' tollway interchanges. The access road connects to the MassPike mainline with a fairly standard 'trumpet' interchange leading to the tollgate. Things start to get interesting after clearing the tollgate, though, as the access connector has a full interchange with MA 12 (Southbridge St) before joining I-290/395. These two interchanges also overlap I-395's connection with US 20 in a tight, urbanized, semi-mountainous setting.
The connections here are not 'complete'. One has to use a non-freeway surface routing to go from NB I-395 to the MassPike (I-90), exiting from I-395 (I-290 at that point) to SWbound MA 12 for about 1 km before entering the MassPike connector to the tollgate. Also, getting from the MassPike to WB US 20 here requires one to use side streets or go around three cloverleaf loops at the I-395 interchange. The three-way merge from the connector to SB I-395 is interesting in itself, too (and howabout that little neighborhood surrounded by the highways and interchange?).
I am unaware if the I-290 designation continues on the connector from the 'Worcester Expressway' to the tollgate itself.
I am also unaware of any near-term plans to re-engineer this connection.
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This page © Michael G. Koerner |
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