Central Artery
Encyclopedia
The John F. Fitzgerald
Expressway, known locally as the Central Artery, is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, designated as Interstate 93
, U.S. Route 1
and Route 3. It was initially constructed in the 1950s as a partly elevated and partly tunnel
ed divided highway. Now, however, it is mostly made up of tunnels that were built during a ten-year period from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s as part of the Big Dig (Central Artery/Tunnel) project.
The former route of the above ground Artery was known locally as "The Distressway", "the largest parking lot in the world", and "the other Green Monster
", a reference to a famous part of the city's Fenway Park
baseball stadium, due to the paint color of its girders and its disruption of previously uninterrupted passage between Boston neighborhoods. The structure was replaced mostly by open space known formally as the Rose Kennedy Greenway
.
According to Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation data, the Fitzgerald Expressway runs from the Massachusetts Avenue
Connector just beyond Andrew Square in South Boston north to the split with U.S. Route 1 in Charlestown
. Along with the harbor tunnels and the Turnpike from Route 128 to East Boston, it is part of the Metropolitan Highway System.
The highway itself was planned as early as the 1920s. The above-ground Artery was built in two sections. First was the part north of High Street and Broad Street, to the Tobin Bridge built between 1951 and 1954. Immediately, residents began to hate the new highway and the way it towered over and separated neighborhoods. Due to this opposition, the southern end of the Central Artery through the South Station area was built underground, through what became known as the Dewey Square Tunnel
. Eventually, the entire highway was moved underground as part of the Big Dig Project. The Dewey Square Tunnel was the one part of the original Artery not torn down; it now serves southbound traffic. The idea of building the entire Artery underground was first floated in the 1970s emanating from the central artery depression concept developed by the Boston Transportation Planning Review
. The final section through the Dewey Square Tunnel and on to the Southeast Expressway at Massachusetts Avenue opened in 1959.
The highway gradually became more and more congested as other highway projects meant to complement the Artery were canceled. These included the Inner Belt
project, which would have taken through traffic off the Artery and the Massachusetts Turnpike
Extension coming in from the west. The Southwest Expressway which would have tied into the Inner Belt and served as the route of Interstate 95
from Boston to Canton.
Modifications of the above-ground Artery until the time it was demolished included an additional interchange for the Massachusetts Turnpike (Mass Pike) extension which was completed in 1965, the removal of several on and off-ramps and the reworking in the late 1980s of the Tobin Bridge interchange. The Central Artery North Area (CANA) project placed the above ground ramps from the Artery underground into the City Square Tunnel in Charlestown
and resulted in a reworking of the interchange at the north end, placing the northbound offramp from the east side to the west side, and eliminating dangerous weaving across the lanes of the Charlestown High Bridge
which required traffic coming from Storrow Drive
and wanting to go to Charlestown to cross three lanes of traffic in only a tenth of a mile.
The original Central Artery did not have any exit numbers. These were added after I-93 was placed onto the roadway in 1974. Many of these exits either do not exist or no longer resemble their original forms. Exits 19, 21, and 25 were completely eliminated. 20 and 26 were separated northbound and southbound; 20 northbound uses the old exit 19 location in South Bay, while southbound begins at the portal to the renovated Dewey Square Tunnel (now completely enclosed by Big Dig construction; 26 northbound begins just shy of the tunnel exit onto the Zakim Bridge, while 26 southbound is located in Charlestown between exits 28 and 27 and feeds onto the Leverett Circle Connector bridge. 22 continued to exist as an offramp to Chinatown from the southbound (former northbound) Dewey Square tunnel until the ramp was closed off in 2004. 23 exists both northbound and southbound and leads to the Scollay Square
area. 24 now exits to Haymarket Square and MA-1A (the Callahan Tunnel). Much of the reconfiguration of on and offramps (particularly the wide separations of the ramps for exits 20 and 26) was done to move exiting traffic off the mainline of the road, reducing stress on the mainline.
Currently, the Artery is numbered I-93 and US 1 on the whole route, and Route 3 on all but the northernmost section, it leaves at Exit 26.
The Artery has had many different route numbers through its history. When first built, the section between the Sumner Tunnel
and Storrow Drive
received the numbers C1 and C9 (city routes of US 1 and Route 9), which were rerouted off local streets. The rest of the highway was unnumbered, despite being closely paralleled by C37 south from the Sumner Tunnel.
By 1969, I-95
was assigned to the whole Artery as part of its never-built route through Boston. The C routes were removed in 1971, With Route C1 becoming part of a realigned US 1, using the Artery between Storrow Drive
and the Sumner Tunnel
. Additionally in 1971, Route 3 was moved from a bypass around downtown to use the Artery south of Storrow Drive and the Southeast Expressway.
In 1974, I-95 was canceled through Boston and rerouted around the city using part of Route 128. US 1 was realigned to use the Tobin Bridge and Northeast Expressway
, which had been signed as part of I-95; thus US 1 used the Artery north of Storrow Drive. The former alignment of US 1 from Storrow Drive south along the Artery to the Sumner Tunnel became an extended 1A, and I-93 was extended south from Charlestown along the Artery, Southeast Expressway and Route 128 from Braintree to Canton. In 1989, US 1 was moved off the MDC
Parkways onto its current alignment along the full Artery. Route 1A was then truncated to the Sumner Tunnel interchange.
Signs put up for the new underground Artery only mention I-93, since it is the best-known designation. Older signs may mention only I-93 and US 1 or I-93 and Route 3. A winter 2008/2009 project to update this signage helped to clear up this potentially confusing situation.
John F. Fitzgerald
John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald was an Irish-American politician and the maternal grandfather of three prominent United States politicians—President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Senators Robert Francis Kennedy and Edward Moore Kennedy.-Early life and family:Fitzgerald was born in...
Expressway, known locally as the Central Artery, is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, designated as Interstate 93
Interstate 93
Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91...
, U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts
In the U.S. state of Massachusetts, U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south state highway through Boston. The portion of US 1 south of Boston is also known as the Boston-Providence Turnpike, and portions north of the city are known as the Northeast Expressway and the Newburyport Turnpike.-Route...
and Route 3. It was initially constructed in the 1950s as a partly elevated and partly tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
ed divided highway. Now, however, it is mostly made up of tunnels that were built during a ten-year period from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s as part of the Big Dig (Central Artery/Tunnel) project.
Green Monster
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the thirty-seven foot , two-inch high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team...
", a reference to a famous part of the city's Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
baseball stadium, due to the paint color of its girders and its disruption of previously uninterrupted passage between Boston neighborhoods. The structure was replaced mostly by open space known formally as the Rose Kennedy Greenway
Rose Kennedy Greenway
The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a roughly 1.5-mile-long long series of parks and public spaces being created in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It is the final part of the Big Dig that put Interstate 93 underground and removed the elevated freeway that served as the main highway through downtown...
.
According to Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation data, the Fitzgerald Expressway runs from the Massachusetts Avenue
Massachusetts Avenue (Boston)
Massachusetts Avenue, known to locals as Mass Ave, is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts, and several cities and towns northwest of Boston...
Connector just beyond Andrew Square in South Boston north to the split with U.S. Route 1 in Charlestown
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
. Along with the harbor tunnels and the Turnpike from Route 128 to East Boston, it is part of the Metropolitan Highway System.
History
Dewey Square Tunnel
The Dewey Square Tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, is part of Interstate 93 , running under the heart of the city's financial district, including Dewey Square...
. Eventually, the entire highway was moved underground as part of the Big Dig Project. The Dewey Square Tunnel was the one part of the original Artery not torn down; it now serves southbound traffic. The idea of building the entire Artery underground was first floated in the 1970s emanating from the central artery depression concept developed by the Boston Transportation Planning Review
Boston Transportation Planning Review
Boston Transportation Planning Review is a transportation planning program for metropolitan Boston, United States which was responsible for analyzing and re-designing the entire area-wide transit and highway system in the 1970s. The major contractors involved were Alan M...
. The final section through the Dewey Square Tunnel and on to the Southeast Expressway at Massachusetts Avenue opened in 1959.
The highway gradually became more and more congested as other highway projects meant to complement the Artery were canceled. These included the Inner Belt
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:...
project, which would have taken through traffic off the Artery and 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...
Extension coming in from the west. The Southwest Expressway which would have tied into the Inner Belt and served as the route of 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...
from Boston to Canton.
Modifications of the above-ground Artery until the time it was demolished included an additional interchange for the Massachusetts Turnpike (Mass Pike) extension which was completed in 1965, the removal of several on and off-ramps and the reworking in the late 1980s of the Tobin Bridge interchange. The Central Artery North Area (CANA) project placed the above ground ramps from the Artery underground into the City Square Tunnel in Charlestown
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
and resulted in a reworking of the interchange at the north end, placing the northbound offramp from the east side to the west side, and eliminating dangerous weaving across the lanes of the Charlestown High Bridge
Charlestown High Bridge
The Charlestown High Bridge , spanned the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, and was part of Interstate 93 and U.S...
which required traffic coming from Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive is a major cross town expressway in Boston, Massachusetts, running south and west from Leverett Circle along the Charles River. It is a parkway—it is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not permitted on it...
and wanting to go to Charlestown to cross three lanes of traffic in only a tenth of a mile.
Exit list (1974–2003)
This is a list of exits as they were before the Big Dig. For a current exit list, see Interstate 93.| Exit | Northbound | Southbound | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Massachusetts Avenue Massachusetts Avenue (Boston) Massachusetts Avenue, known to locals as Mass Ave, is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts, and several cities and towns northwest of Boston... /Roxbury Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868... /Andrew Square/South Bay Center |
Northbound left entrance | |
| 19 | East Berkeley Street/Broadway | Albany Street/East Berkeley Street | Northbound and southbound entrances East Berkeley Street was Dover Street |
| 20 | Interstate 90 Interstate 90 Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in... west/Mass Pike 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... /Downtown/Chinatown/South Station South Station South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern... |
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in... west/Mass Pike 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... /Albany Street |
Northbound and southbound entrances Before I-90 was built, the northbound exit was for Kneeland Street only, and southbound was for Albany Street/Broadway |
| 21 | Kneeland Street/Chinatown | Northbound entrance Former northbound exit for Lincoln Street/South Station South Station South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern... |
|
| 22 | South Station South Station South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern... |
Northbound and southbound entrances | |
| 23 | Atlantic Avenue Atlantic Avenue (Boston) Atlantic Avenue is a street in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA, partly serving as a frontage road for the underground Central Artery and partly running along the Boston Harbor... /Northern Avenue/High Street/State Street |
High Street/Congress Street | Northbound and southbound entrances |
| -- | Former northbound exit for Dock Square Dock Square (Boston, Massachusetts) Dock Square in Boston, Massachusetts is a public square adjacent to Faneuil Hall, bounded by Congress Street, North Street, and Union Street. Its name derives from its original location at the waterfront. From the 1630s through the early 19th-century, it served boats in the Boston Harbor as "the... /Clinton Street Former northbound entrance from State Street |
||
| 24 | Route 1A Massachusetts Route 1A Route 1A is a south–north state highway in Massachusetts. 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... north/Callahan Tunnel/Logan Airport |
Route 1A Massachusetts Route 1A Route 1A is a south–north state highway in Massachusetts. 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... north/Callahan Tunnel/Logan Airport/Government Center |
Northbound and southbound entrances |
| 25 | Causeway Street/North Station | Haymarket Square Haymarket Square (Boston) Haymarket Square in Boston is an open-air fruit and vegetable market near the North End, Government Center, West End and Faneuil Hall Marketplace... /Government Center |
Southbound entrance |
| 26 | Route 3 north/Storrow Drive Storrow Drive Storrow Drive is a major cross town expressway in Boston, Massachusetts, running south and west from Leverett Circle along the Charles River. It is a parkway—it is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not permitted on it... /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... |
Storrow Drive Storrow Drive Storrow Drive is a major cross town expressway in Boston, Massachusetts, running south and west from Leverett Circle along the Charles River. It is a parkway—it is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not permitted on it... /North Station |
Northbound left entrance, southbound right entrance |
| Crossed the Charles River Charles River The 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... on the Charlestown High Bridge Charlestown High Bridge The Charlestown High Bridge , spanned the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, and was part of Interstate 93 and U.S... |
|||
| 27 | U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between... north/Tobin Bridge Tobin Bridge The Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge that spans more than two miles from Charlestown to Chelsea over the Mystic River in Massachusetts. The bridge is the largest in New England... |
Northbound left exit, formerly a right exit until around 1990 Southbound entrance was on the left until around 1990 |
|
The original Central Artery did not have any exit numbers. These were added after I-93 was placed onto the roadway in 1974. Many of these exits either do not exist or no longer resemble their original forms. Exits 19, 21, and 25 were completely eliminated. 20 and 26 were separated northbound and southbound; 20 northbound uses the old exit 19 location in South Bay, while southbound begins at the portal to the renovated Dewey Square Tunnel (now completely enclosed by Big Dig construction; 26 northbound begins just shy of the tunnel exit onto the Zakim Bridge, while 26 southbound is located in Charlestown between exits 28 and 27 and feeds onto the Leverett Circle Connector bridge. 22 continued to exist as an offramp to Chinatown from the southbound (former northbound) Dewey Square tunnel until the ramp was closed off in 2004. 23 exists both northbound and southbound and leads to the Scollay Square
Scollay Square
Scollay Square was a vibrant city square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was named for William Scollay, a prominent local developer and militia officer who bought a landmark four-story merchant building at the intersection of Cambridge and Court Streets in 1795...
area. 24 now exits to Haymarket Square and MA-1A (the Callahan Tunnel). Much of the reconfiguration of on and offramps (particularly the wide separations of the ramps for exits 20 and 26) was done to move exiting traffic off the mainline of the road, reducing stress on the mainline.
Numbering
The Artery has had many different route numbers through its history. When first built, the section between the Sumner Tunnel
Sumner Tunnel
The Sumner Tunnel is a road tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It carries traffic under Boston Harbor in one direction, from Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston. The tunnel originally deposited traffic at the west side of the North End but with the completion of the Big Dig,...
and Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive is a major cross town expressway in Boston, Massachusetts, running south and west from Leverett Circle along the Charles River. It is a parkway—it is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not permitted on it...
received the numbers C1 and C9 (city routes of US 1 and Route 9), which were rerouted off local streets. The rest of the highway was unnumbered, despite being closely paralleled by C37 south from the Sumner Tunnel.
By 1969, I-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...
was assigned to the whole Artery as part of its never-built route through Boston. The C routes were removed in 1971, With Route C1 becoming part of a realigned US 1, using the Artery between Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive is a major cross town expressway in Boston, Massachusetts, running south and west from Leverett Circle along the Charles River. It is a parkway—it is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not permitted on it...
and the Sumner Tunnel
Sumner Tunnel
The Sumner Tunnel is a road tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It carries traffic under Boston Harbor in one direction, from Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston. The tunnel originally deposited traffic at the west side of the North End but with the completion of the Big Dig,...
. Additionally in 1971, Route 3 was moved from a bypass around downtown to use the Artery south of Storrow Drive and the Southeast Expressway.
In 1974, I-95 was canceled through Boston and rerouted around the city using part of Route 128. US 1 was realigned to use the Tobin Bridge and Northeast Expressway
Northeast Expressway (Boston)
The Northeast Expressway consists of the elevated expressway from the junction of Interstate 93 and U.S. Route 1 in Charlestown, through Charlestown, crossing the Mystic River, through Chelsea, Revere. The highway becomes a surface expressway in northern Chelsea. It terminates at the Revere-Saugus...
, which had been signed as part of I-95; thus US 1 used the Artery north of Storrow Drive. The former alignment of US 1 from Storrow Drive south along the Artery to the Sumner Tunnel became an extended 1A, and I-93 was extended south from Charlestown along the Artery, Southeast Expressway and Route 128 from Braintree to Canton. In 1989, US 1 was moved off the MDC
Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
Parkways onto its current alignment along the full Artery. Route 1A was then truncated to the Sumner Tunnel interchange.
Signs put up for the new underground Artery only mention I-93, since it is the best-known designation. Older signs may mention only I-93 and US 1 or I-93 and Route 3. A winter 2008/2009 project to update this signage helped to clear up this potentially confusing situation.