Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

I-291.svg
Interstate 291
Springfield Expressway
Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)
I-291 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-91
Maintained by MassDOT
Length5.44 mi [1]  (8.75 km)
Existed1971 [2] –present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West endI-91.svgUS 20.svg I-91  / US 20 in Springfield
Major intersections
East endI-90.svg I-90  / Mass Pike / Burnett Road in Chicopee
Location
Country United States
State Massachusetts
Counties Hampden
Highway system
I-290.svg I-290 I-295.svg I-295

Interstate 291 (I-291), also known as the Springfield Expressway, [3] is a 5.44-mile (8.75 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in Massachusetts that links I-91 in downtown Springfield with I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) 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).

Contents

I-291 is only 22.4 miles (36.0 km) from Interstate 291 in Connecticut, and there are no intervening Interstate Highway interchanges between them.

Route description

I-291 begins as a spur of I-91 at exit 6 in Springfield, concurrent with US 20, which merges from the north. The two entry ramps from I-91 merge with each other after exits 2A and 2B, where a sign for the beginning of I-291 east is posted. I-291 and US 20 run eastbound concurrently until exit 5A (US 20 joins westbound at exit 5), where US 20 east leaves the highway for a junction with Route 20A. I-291 continues east into Chicopee, where it intersects the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). I-291 ends at an odd intersection at a stoplight, where it continues as Burnett Road, but I-291 east traffic can exit uninterrupted by way of a ramp to the turnpike. However, drivers coming from the turnpike must deal with this traffic light, as a left turn across the intersection is required to get on I-291 west.

I-291 eastbound Interstate 291 eastbound, Springfield MA.jpg
I-291 eastbound

The westbound interchange with I-91 is unusual in that the ramps for exits 1A and 1B split before the ramps for exits 2A and 2B do. Traffic bound for exit 2A (Chestnut Street) must first take the ramp for exit 1A (I-91 south), and traffic bound for exit 2B (Dwight Street) must first take the ramp for exit 1B (I-91 north).

Traffic bound for US 20 west from I-291 takes exit 1B. US 20 does not actually join with I-91, but rather this exit splits, left for the onramp to I-91 north, the right to continue on the US 20 access ramp.

History

I-291 was originally conceived in 1953, prior to the creation of the Interstate Highway System, as the Springfield Expressway, which would bypass US 20 and connect to the US 5 expressway (now I-91) and the proposed Massachusetts Turnpike. I-291 follows the original planned alignment of the expressway, except for the stretch between exit 4 (St. James Avenue) and exit 5 (US 20/Route 20A/Page Boulevard). The original planned alignment had the route turn in almost a perfect 90-degree angle onto Roosevelt Avenue, but industrial development (including the relocation of Smith & Wesson's corporate headquarters) had the highway turn more gently. The first section of the expressway that was built was the bridge over the Chicopee River. [3] The first section of the expressway that opened was from US 20/Route 20A to I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) in 1957; work on the freeway started up again in 1967, and the entire highway was completed in 1971. [2] The construction delay was due to I-91 having priority through western Massachusetts.

Exit list

All interchanges were to be renumbered to mileage-based numbers under a project scheduled to start in 2016. [4] However, this project was indefinitely postponed. On November 18, 2019, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced that I-291's exit numbers would not be changed [4] [5] because its exits were so tightly spaced. [6]

The entire route is in Hampden County. [7]

Location [7] mi [7] kmExitDestinationsNotes
Springfield 0.0000.0001I-91.svgWest plate.svg
US 20.svg
I-91  / US 20 west Hartford, CT, West Springfield
Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north); western end of US 20 concurrency
0.463–
0.589
0.745–
0.948
2Dwight Street / Chestnut StreetSigned as exits 2B (Dwight) and 2A (Chestnut) westbound
1.3402.1573Armory Street
2.4103.8794St. James Avenue Chicopee Falls
4.046–
4.057
6.511–
6.529
5East plate.svg
US 20.svg
West plate.svg
MA Route 20A.svg
US 20 east / Route 20A west Indian Orchard, East Springfield
Signed as exits 5A (east) and 5B (west) northbound; eastern end of US 20 concurrency
Chicopee 5.0278.0906MA Route 141.svg Route 141  / Fuller Road Ludlow, Chicopee Falls Route 141 not signed
5.448.757I-90.svg I-90  / Mass Pike  Boston, Albany, NY Exit 51 on I-90 / Mass Pike; exit number not signed westbound
Burnett RoadContinuation north
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Related Research Articles

<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 three miles (4.8 km) 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 91</span> Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont

Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It is the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. Its southern terminus is in New Haven, Connecticut, at I-95, while the northern terminus is in Derby Line, Vermont, at the Canada–United States border. Past the Derby Line–Rock Island Border Crossing, the road continues into Canada as Quebec Autoroute 55. I-91 is the longest of three Interstate highways whose entire route is located within the New England states and is also the only primary (two-digit) Interstate Highway in New England to intersect all five of the other highways that run through the region. The largest cities along its route, from south to north, are New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; Springfield, Massachusetts; Northampton, Massachusetts; Greenfield, Massachusetts; Brattleboro, Vermont; White River Junction, Vermont; St. Johnsbury, Vermont; and Newport, Vermont.

<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, and Manchester, New Hampshire; it also travels through the New Hampshire state capital of Concord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 3</span> North-south U.S. highway from Massachusetts to New Hampshire

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 2</span> State highway in Massachusetts, United States

Route 2 is a 142.29-mile-long (228.99 km) major east–west state highway in Massachusetts, United States. 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. Older alignments of Route 2 are known as Route 2A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 295 (Rhode Island–Massachusetts)</span> Interstate Highway in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Interstate 295 (I-295), sometimes called the Providence Beltway, is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It is maintained by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning nearly 27 miles (43 km), it forms a western beltway around Providence, Rhode Island, and is a bypass of I-95 as it travels through the capital city. I-895 was proposed as a complementary eastern beltway to complete a full loop around the city in the 1960s but was ultimately scrapped in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 195 (Maine)</span> Highway in Maine

Interstate 195 (I-195), also known as the Saco Industrial Spur, is a short auxiliary Interstate Highway running 1.55 miles (2.49 km) in eastern York County, Maine. The highway, located entirely in the city of Saco, is a nominally east–west route that provides access to downtown Saco and the resort town of Old Orchard Beach from I-95. The western terminus of I-195 is at a trumpet interchange with the Maine Turnpike in central Saco. The route has numbered interchanges with Industrial Park Road, US Route 1 (US 1), and State Route 5 (SR 5) before terminating at an at-grade intersection with SR 5 near the border between Saco and Old Orchard Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 195 (Rhode Island–Massachusetts)</span> Highway in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Interstate 195 (I-195) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway running a combined 44.55 miles (71.70 km) in the US states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It travels from a junction with I-95 in Providence, Rhode Island, east to a junction with I-495 and Massachusetts Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts. It runs east–west and passes through the cities of Fall River, Massachusetts, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The portion of I-195 in East Providence is also known as the East Providence Expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 395 (Connecticut–Massachusetts)</span> Highway in Connecticut and Massachusetts

Interstate 395 (I-395) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts; it is maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning nearly 67 miles (108 km) on a south–north axis, it is the only spur route of I-95 in Connecticut. The 36-mile (58 km) section between its splits from I-95 in East Lyme and SR 695 in Plainfield is a component highway of the Connecticut Turnpike. Within that state, the highway is named the American Ex-Prisoner of War Memorial Highway from Plainfield to Thompson.

<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">Interstate 391</span> Highway in Massachusetts

Interstate 391 (I-391) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Massachusetts. It runs from the I-91/I-391 interchange in Chicopee to the center of Holyoke, a distance of about 4.46 miles (7.18 km). It runs near the Connecticut River throughout its journey in Chicopee, crosses into Holyoke, and abruptly ends at High Street 0.4 miles (0.64 km) south of U.S. Route 202 (US 202).

The Massachusetts State Highway System in the U.S. Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a system of state-numbered routes assigned and marked by the highway division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). U.S. Highways and Interstate Highways are included in the system; the only overlaps are with the end-to-end U.S. Route 3 and Route 3 and the far-apart Interstate 295, shared with Rhode Island, and Route 295, shared with New York State. A state highway in Massachusetts is a road maintained by the state, which may or may not have a number. Not all numbered routes are maintained or owned by the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Route 8</span> Highway in Connecticut

Route 8 is a 67.36-mile (108.41 km) state highway in Connecticut that runs north–south from Bridgeport, through Waterbury, all the way to the Massachusetts state line where it continues as Massachusetts Route 8. Most of the highway is a four-lane freeway but the northernmost 8.8 miles (14.2 km) is a two-lane surface road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 12</span> State highway in Worcester County, Massachusetts, US

Massachusetts Route 12 is a 64.41-mile-long (103.66 km) north-south state highway that runs through central Massachusetts from a continuation of Connecticut Route 12 at the Connecticut state line at Dudley to the New Hampshire state line at Winchendon where it continues north as New Hampshire Route 12.

<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">Wilbur Cross Highway</span> Highway in Connecticut, United States

The Wilbur Cross Highway is a freeway running along a portion of Connecticut Route 15 and U.S. Route 5 from Wethersfield to East Hartford, Connecticut, and then continuing northeast as a section of Interstate 84, part of which is also cosigned as U.S. Route 6. The freeway ends at a junction with the tolled Massachusetts Turnpike in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The entire route was formerly signed as Route 15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 44 in Oklahoma</span> Highway in Oklahoma

Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway that runs diagonally through the U.S. state of Oklahoma, spanning from the Texas state line near Wichita Falls, Texas, to the Missouri border near Joplin, Missouri. It connects three of Oklahoma's largest cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lawton. Most of I-44 in Oklahoma is a toll road. In southwestern Oklahoma, I-44 is the H. E. Bailey Turnpike and follows a diagonally northwest–southeast direction. From Oklahoma City to Tulsa, I-44 follows the Turner Turnpike. As I-44 leaves Tulsa, it becomes the Will Rogers Turnpike to the Missouri border. In the Lawton, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa metropolitan areas, I-44 is toll-free. In Oklahoma City, I-44 is also known as the Will Rogers Expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 116</span> Highway in Massachusetts

Route 116 is a 68.26-mile-long (109.85 km) north–south state highway in Massachusetts. The route runs from Route 20A in Springfield through mill towns, college towns and rural towns, crossing the Connecticut River three times before finally ending at Route 8 in Adams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 20 in Massachusetts</span> Section of U.S. Highway in Massachusetts

U.S. Route 20 (US 20) runs its easternmost 153 miles (246 km) in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The highway crosses the state border from New Lebanon, New York, into Hancock and runs eastward to Boston, where it ends at Route 2 in Kenmore Square. It spends the vast majority of its journey paralleling I-90, which has largely superseded US 20 for through travel. Still, US 20 directly serves many towns and local business areas which the turnpike bypasses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 44</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 44 (US 44) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs for 237 miles (381 km) through four states in the Northeastern United States. The western terminus is at US 209 and New York State Route 55 (NY 55) in Kerhonkson, New York, a hamlet in the Hudson Valley region. The eastern terminus is at Route 3A in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

References

  1. Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration . Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Interstate-Guide: Interstate 291 Massachusetts". AA Roads Interstate Guide. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
    • Briere, Glen A. (September 12, 1971). "Junkyards, old factories line 291". Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass. p. 24.
  3. 1 2 "Springfield Expressway (I-291)". Boston Roads. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2015). "COMMBUYS - Bid Solicitation FAP# HSIP-002S(874) Exit Signage Conversion to Milepost-Based Numbering System along Various Interstates, Routes and the Lowell Connector" . Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  5. "Milepost-based Exit Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  6. Saric, Sofia (November 18, 2019). "Massachusetts highway exits to be renumbered by January 2022". The Boston Globe . Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 MassDOT Planning Division. "Massachusetts Route Log Application". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
Template:Attached KML/Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)
KML is from Wikidata