Braintree Split

Last updated
Braintree Split
Braintree split 2019 MassGIS.jpg
Aerial image of the Braintree Split in 2019
Braintree Split
Location
BraintreeQuincy, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°13′37″N71°01′16″W / 42.227°N 71.021°W / 42.227; -71.021
Roads at
junction
Construction
Type Full Y
Maintained by Massachusetts Department of Transportation

The Braintree Split is the major interchange of Interstate 93 (I-93), U.S. Route 1 (US 1), and Route 3 in Braintree, Massachusetts, one of the South Shore suburbs of Boston. Traveling northbound, the routes merge into a three-way concurrency towards Boston. Traveling southbound, they divide into the concurrent I-93 and US 1 towards southeastern Massachusetts, and Route 3 towards Cape Cod.

Contents

The split is located close to the border between Braintree and Quincy. It was previously the southern terminus of Route 128, the main beltway around Boston; it shared the roadbed with I-93 and US 1 traveling towards the split before they join with Route 3. It was truncated to the junction of I-93 and I-95 in Canton in 1997; despite no longer carrying this designation, the split continues to be informally recognized as the starting point of Route 128 within Massachusetts. [1]

The Braintree Split is used as a focal point in local radio and television traffic reports. [2] In 2006, weekday traffic volume through the interchange averaged 250,000 to 275,000 vehicles daily. [3]

Description

The Braintree Split, technically a "Directional T" type of interchange, is the main road gateway to the South Shore region of Massachusetts, making it a critical point in Boston's highway system. The Southeast Expressway is the single limited access highway traveling south out of Boston, carrying traffic from the city destined for communities in populous Norfolk (659,909 residents) [4] and Plymouth (492,066 residents) [4] counties, partly due to the 1973 cancellation of the planned Southwest Corridor alignment of Interstate 95 into Boston. Drivers other than those headed for parts of Milton and Quincy which straddle the Expressway traverse the split to connect with Route 3 and Route 24 traveling to the more southern localities. Similarly, Boston traffic bound for cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts including western Norfolk and Bristol County (545,823 residents) [4] and in Rhode Island negotiate the Braintree Split prior to continuing along Route 24 or Interstate 95. Finally, Route 3 serves as the primary freeway route to Cape Cod from Boston's Inner Core. Travelers headed north from these destinations into Boston via I-93 north, or the inland southern and western suburbs via I-93 south, [5] likewise encounter the interchange in Braintree.

Congestion issues

Factors local to the Braintree Split contribute to chronic congestion at the interchange. [3] The split is bordered on the south by South Shore Plaza, a major regional shopping mall. It is adjacent to the I-93 intersection with Route 37/Granite Street in Braintree which feeds retail, lodging, manufacturing and office complexes along Wood Road and Forbes Road, which run parallel to the north and south lanes of I-93 west of the split. The Crown Colony office complex in South Quincy and office buildings on Willard Street, the northern continuation of Route 37/Granite Street into West Quincy, are also accessed from the south via ramps at or next to the split. Short weaves, lane drops and line-of-sight problems all contribute to congestion in the interchange and the highways it serves. [3] In addition to these issues, the split also serves the Quincy Adams subway station and Burgin Parkway, a major route into downtown Quincy, through ramps exiting the directional ramps for each roadway.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 95</span> U.S. East Coast Interstate Highway

Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The highway largely parallels the Atlantic coast and US 1, except for the portion between Savannah, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., and the portion between Portland and Houlton in Maine, both of which follow a more direct inland route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 128</span> State highway in Massachusetts, United States

Route 128, known as the Yankee Division Highway, is an expressway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts maintained by the Highway Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning 57 miles (92 km), it is one of two beltways around Boston, and is known as the "inner" beltway, especially around areas where it is 15 miles (25 km) or less outside of Boston. The route's current southern terminus is at the junction of I-95 and I-93 in Canton, and it is concurrent with I-95 around Boston for 37.5 miles (60.4 km) before it leaves the interstate and continues on its own in a northeasterly direction towards Cape Ann. The northern terminus lies in Gloucester a few hundred feet from the Atlantic Ocean. All but the northernmost 3 miles are a freeway, with the remainder being an expressway. Its concurrency with I-95 makes up most of its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 93</span> Interstate Highway in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States

Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately 190 miles (310 km) along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways located entirely within New England; the other two are I-89 and I-91. The largest cities along the route are Boston, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire; it also travels through the New Hampshire state capital of Concord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 1A</span> North-south state highway in Massachusetts, US

Route 1A is a north–south state highway in Massachusetts, United States. It is an alternate route to U.S. 1 with three signed sections and two unsigned sections where the highway is concurrent with its parent. Due to the reconfiguration of tunnel interchanges brought on by the completion of the Big Dig, Route 1A is discontinuous in the downtown Boston area. Vehicles entering Downtown Boston via the Sumner Tunnel must take I-93 north to the exit for Government Center and make a U-turn to access the entrance ramp to I-93 south and vice versa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 3</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States Numbered Highway running 277.90 miles (447.24 km) from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 24</span> North-south state highway in Massachusetts, US

Route 24 is a 40.91-mile-long (65.84 km) freeway south of Interstate 93 (I-93) in southeastern Massachusetts, linking Fall River with the Boston metropolitan area. It begins in the south in Fall River at the border with Tiverton, Rhode Island where it connects with Rhode Island Route 24, and runs north to an interchange with I-93/U.S. Route 1 in Randolph. Route 24 is also known as the Fall River Expressway, and officially as the Amvets Highway. Route 24 has a total of 21 interchanges

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)</span> Highway in Massachusetts

Interstate 291 (I-291), also known as the Springfield Expressway, is a 5.44-mile (8.75 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in Massachusetts that links I-91 in downtown Springfield with I-90 in Chicopee. I-291 is roughly a northeast–southwest highway. It merges with I-91 at its southwestern terminus, via a flyover. The road meets the turnpike at its northeastern terminus. Getting onto the turnpike from I-291 is straightforward, but getting from the turnpike to I-291 requires a left turn at an at-grade traffic signal. I-291 travels directly through highly populated areas of Springfield and passes under several overpasses. From its southwestern terminus to exit 5A, I-291 is concurrent with US Route 20 (US 20).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 695 (Massachusetts)</span> Proposed highway in Massachusetts

Interstate 695 was a planned six-lane auxiliary Interstate Highway in Boston, Massachusetts, that would have run through parts of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville.

The Central Artery is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts; it is designated as Interstate 93, US 1 and Route 3.

The Frederick E. Everett Turnpike, also called the Central New Hampshire Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, running 44 miles (71 km) from the Massachusetts border at Nashua north to Concord. The Everett Turnpike is named for Frederick Elwin Everett, the first commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 25</span> Highway in Massachusetts

Route 25 is a 10-mile-long (16 km) freeway located in Plymouth County and Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The route is a nominally east–west highway, and less commonly known as the Blue Star Memorial Highway. An eastward continuation of Interstate 495, Route 25 provides freeway access to Cape Cod. The route's western terminus is at a trumpet interchange with I-495 and I-195 in West Wareham. The route has three numbered interchanges along its length before terminating at the northern end of the Bourne Bridge in Bourne; the mainline of Route 25 continues across the bridge and over the Cape Cod Canal as Massachusetts Route 28 south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 3</span> Highway in Massachusetts

Route 3 is a state-numbered route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning approximately 56 miles (90 km) along a north–south axis, it is inventoried with U.S. Route 3 as a single route by the state. The state-numbered Route 3 travels from Bourne in the south to Cambridge in the north, while US 3 continues from Cambridge and crosses the New Hampshire state line in Tyngsborough. Mileposts on US 3 continue from those on the state-numbered Route 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 140</span> Highway in Massachusetts

Route 140 is a 107.76-mile-long (173.42 km) north—south state highway which passes through Bristol, Norfolk and Worcester counties in Massachusetts. The highway follows a southeast-northwest trajectory, running from U.S. Route 6 in New Bedford just north of Buzzards Bay northwest to an intersection with Route 12 in Winchendon, a few miles south of the border with New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 28</span> Highway in Massachusetts

Route 28 is a 151.93-mile-long (244.51 km) nominally south–north state highway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, running from the town of Eastham via Boston to the New Hampshire state line in Methuen. Following the route from its nominally southern end, Route 28 initially heads south to the town of Chatham then turns west to follow along the south shore of Cape Cod. In Falmouth, Route 28 turns north and continues through the western part of Plymouth County and the eastern part of Norfolk County; it then passes through downtown Boston before heading north via Lawrence to the New Hampshire state line, where it continues as New Hampshire Route 28.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 95 in Massachusetts</span> Highway in Massachusetts, United States

Interstate 95 (I-95) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that parallels the East Coast of the United States from Miami, Florida, in the south to Houlton, Maine, in the north. In the US state of Massachusetts, it spans 92 miles (148 km) along a north–south axis. It is the third-longest Interstate Highway in Massachusetts, behind I-90 and I-495, while I-95 in full is the longest north–south Interstate and sixth-longest Interstate Highway in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 135</span> State highway in Massachusetts, US

Route 135 is a 29.53-mile-long (47.52 km) east-west state highway in eastern Massachusetts. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 20 in Northborough and the eastern terminus is at I-95 and Route 128 in Dedham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 37</span> North-south state highway in Massachusetts, US

Route 37 is a 9.54-mile-long (15.35 km) north–south state highway in eastern Massachusetts. Its southern terminus is at Route 28 in Brockton and its northern terminus is at Interstate 93 (I-93) and U.S. Route 1 in Braintree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts</span> Section of U.S. Route in Massachusetts, United States

U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a major north–south U.S. Route in the state of Massachusetts, traveling through Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Bristol counties. The portion of US 1 south of Boston is also known as the Boston–Providence Turnpike, Washington Street, or the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike, and portions north of Boston are known as the Northeast Expressway and the Newburyport Turnpike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furnace Brook Parkway</span> Historic parkway in Quincy, Massachusetts

Furnace Brook Parkway is a historic parkway in Quincy, Massachusetts. Part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston, it serves as a connector between the Blue Hills Reservation and Quincy Shore Reservation at Quincy Bay. First conceived in the late nineteenth century, the state parkway is owned and maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and travels through land formerly owned by the families of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, passing several historic sites. It ends in the Merrymount neighborhood, where Quincy was first settled by Europeans in 1625 by Captain Richard Wollaston. The road was started in 1904, completed in 1916 and added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotaries in Massachusetts</span>

This is a list of roundabouts in the state of Massachusetts in the United States. Intersections that are called traffic circles or roundabouts in the rest of the US are referred to as "rotaries" in Massachusetts, as well as other parts of New England including parts of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine Rhode Island, & Vermont.

References

  1. Chesto, Jon (August 13, 2012). "Despite federal and state agencies' efforts, a road by any other name is still Route 128". Wicked Local. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  2. Weinreb, Michael, Traffic Report Archived December 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , Boston Magazine, May 2002.
  3. 1 2 3 "I-93/Southeast Expressway/Route 3 (Braintree Split): Operational Assessment and Potential Improvements" Archived September 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, March 2006, p. 3.
  4. 1 2 3 "Table 5: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in Massachusetts, Listed Alphabetically Within County: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008" (Microsoft XLS). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-07-27.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. Note: Interstate 93 and U.S. Route 1 run concurrently from Canton to Charlestown in Massachusetts. For this article, "I-93" refers to both routes running together in the Boston area.