Massachusetts Turnpike
Encyclopedia
The Massachusetts Turnpike (commonly shortened to the MassPike or The Pike) is the easternmost 138 miles (222.1 km) 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
. From there, the MassPike heads east, traversing the state and serving the major cities of Springfield
, Worcester
, and Boston, and ends at Logan International Airport
in East Boston
, where the road meets Route 1A. The highest point on the Turnpike is in the Town of Becket, Massachusetts
at elevation 1724 feet (525.5 m) above sea level.
's Inner Belt to Newton
with connections with US 20 and Route 30 for traffic continuing west. Later extensions would take the road to and beyond Worcester
. From the beginning, the corridor was included in federal plans for the Interstate Highway System
, stretching west to the New York
state line and beyond to Albany
.
Also included in the route was the planned Springfield Bypass, which had been proposed to provide a bypass of US 20 in the Springfield
area. Part of this route (and that of the eventual Turnpike) used the grading from the never-opened Hampden Railroad
. Similarly, the West Stockbridge Bypass provided a new route of Route 102
from Route 183
in Stockbridge
west to Route 102 just east of the state line in West Stockbridge
; this latter route was built prior to the Turnpike.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority was created in 1952 by a special act of the Massachusetts General Court (legislature) upon the recommendation of Governor Dever and his Commissioner of Public Works, William F. Callahan. (1952 Acts and Resolves chapter 354; 1952 Senate Doc. 1.) The enabling act was modeled upon that of the Mystic River Bridge Authority (1946 Acts and Resolves chapter 562), but several changes were made that would prove of great importance fifty years later. Callahan served as chairman of the Authority until his death in April 1964.
When the attorneys were searching land titles along the proposed route, they discovered that sections of the original land had been granted by the King of England to some of the landowner's ancestors. Construction began in 1955, and the whole four-lane road from Route 102 at the state line to Route 128 in Weston
opened on May 15, 1957. The Berkshire Thruway opened on May 26, 1959, connecting the west end to the New York State Thruway
mainline south of Albany
. Prior to its opening, traffic used Route 22
and US 20 in New York. At the Massachusetts/New York state line, one can see where the Turnpike made an abrupt right turn before terminating at Route 102, as the old pavement still exists for Turnpike Authority and State Police vehicles to access this remote stretch of highway.
After political and legal battles related to the Boston Extension inside Route 128, construction began on March 5, 1962, with the chosen alignment running next to the Boston and Albany Railroad
and reducing that line to two tracks. In September 1964 the part from Route 128 east to exit 18 (Allston) opened, and the rest was finished on February 18, 1965, taking it to the Central Artery
.
The Interstate 90
designation was assigned to the Turnpike in 1959 with the completion of plans for the Interstate Highway System. Early proposals took I-90 across the northern part of the state, along Route 2, but this was rejected as too costly. With the completion of the Boston Extension, that too was designated as I-90.
In the 1990s, then-Governor
William Weld
took the decision to turn over the assets of Boston's Big Dig project to the Turnpike Authority. During this time he appointed James Kerasiotes
to the Turnpike Authority to continue the authority's oversight of the Big Dig project.
In 1991, construction began on the extension of the Massachusetts Turnpike to Logan Airport, via the Ted Williams Tunnel
as part of the Big Dig
interstate/tunnel project. The final extension opened in 2003; the eastern end of I-90 now merges into Route 1A
.
The legislature separated the Turnpike into a western portion, from the New York border to Route 128, and the eastern Metropolitan Highway System, which includes a 15 miles (24.1 km) stretch of the Turnpike from Route 128 to East Boston, the Ted Williams, Sumner
and Callahan
tunnels under Boston Harbor
, and I-93 from Southampton Street through the Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill tunnel
and the Leonard P. Zakim Bridge to the foot of the Tobin Bridge
. Finances for the two parts of the Turnpike are accounted for separately.
Under a plan to save state funds, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (MRMV) announced plans to close eleven of its branches in leased locations and move the operations into facilities owned by MassHighway and Massachusetts Turnpike Authority located in toll plazas, visitor centers and offices. MRMV branch closings were planned for Framingham, Lowell, North Attleboro, Cambridgeside Galleria Mall in Cambridge, New Bedford, Eastfield Mall in Springfield, Southbridge, Falmouth, Eastham, Beverly and Boston. Also, a portion of the newly increased sales tax in the state averted a planned toll increase. The MTA will receive approximately $100 million dollars from the state general fund over the next few years, alleviating the need for the toll hike.
Under legislation signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick
on June 26, the turnpike was folded into a new super-agency that controls all surface transportation in the state. The new agency, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), now operates all highways formerly under MassHighway and the Turnpike Authority as well as eight urban roadways formerly owned and maintained by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation
. In addition, MassDOT oversees the MRMV, MBTA, regional transit authorities and the state aeronautics commission. The new Transportation Department began operations on November 1, 2009. According to MTA board member Mary Z. Connaughton's
blog entry for the Boston Herald
, all of the pilgrim-hat signage unique to the Turnpike are in the process of being eliminated. However, in a personal correspondence with AARoads.com’s road blog, a MassDOT official said that usage of the hat would actually increase. When guide signs on Routes 128 and 495 are replaced, the current “MassPike” signage will be replaced with pilgrim hat shields.
and Sumner Tunnel
, the other two road connections between downtown Boston and East Boston under Boston Harbor
. Upon completion of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, all tunnels constructed as part of the Big Dig, including the O'Neill Tunnel segment of I-93, were transferred to its control. The Authority received no state or federal government funding. Its revenues came from tolls, leases on air rights and service areas, and advertising. Its assets were all transferred to the new MassDOT agency as part of the restructuring of agencies.
; it costs $5.10 for a Class 1 passenger vehicle to travel east from Exit 1 (Route 41
), in West Stockbridge
, to Logan Airport
, in East Boston. Additionally, a flat-rate toll barrier for the Ted Williams Tunnel
exists on the westbound side of the turnpike between exits 26 and 25, imposing a $3.50 charge for Class 1 passenger vehicles. Therefore, motorists who are destined to travel away from Logan International Airport
via I-90 West will be assessed a $3.50 additional charge, since the only interchange east of this toll barrier other than the eastern terminus at Route 1A is Exit 26, leading into the airport terminals, parking garages, rental car center, on-site hotels, etc. From Exit 1, in West Stockbridge, to Exit 14/15 (Route 128
/ I-95
), in Weston
, the Massachusetts Turnpike is a closed-system
toll road, using long-distance tickets obtained once by a motorist on entrance, and surrendered on exit, at toll gates. The toll gates exist at all exits and entrances from Exit 1 to Exit 14/15. From Exit 14/15 to its eastern end in East Boston
(in other words, east of the toll barrier residing between Exits 14 and 15), the Massachusetts Turnpike is an open-system toll road. There are toll plazas at Exit 18/19/20 in Allston, Massachusetts
, in both mainline directions and on the interchange ramps. There also is a toll plaza on the mainline at the westbound entrance to the Ted Williams Tunnel
, in East Boston
. Exits 16, 17, and 21–26, plus the eastbound-only Route 1A junction have no toll plazas on their ramps.
Toll plazas on the interchange ramps at Exit 16 were removed in 1996 at the direction of then Governor
William Weld
.
After protests from Western Massachusetts
residents that their toll money was funding the Big Dig, a Boston
highway project, tolls were removed on a western portion of the freeway in July 1996: no toll is charged for passenger-vehicle travel between Springfield (Exit 6, Interstate 291
) and the New York
(Exit 1, West Stockbridge) border in either direction.
Travel between exits 16 and 17, both in Newton
, is a "free movement": no toll is charged for travel between these two exits. At exit 16, traffic can enter the Turnpike only eastbound and may exit from the Turnpike only westbound.
Motorists can pay tolls to toll-booth personnel or use the Fast Lane
electronic toll-collection
system, whereby transponders installed in the cars (typically on the inner windshields) are recognized automatically in special lanes at toll plazas, the toll amounts then being withdrawn from the motorists' accounts. Fast Lane is compatible with the E-ZPass
electronic toll-collection system, which is used in the northeastern United States, south to Virginia and west to Chicago.
MassDOT plans to eliminate the name Fast Lane, and begin simply using the EZPass brand name for the ETS system beginning in October 2011, when the current Citizens Bank sponsorship contract expires. All signage at toll plazas will be changed to the standard white-on-purple EZPass signs.
over the highway east of Exit 15; these are the structures that have been constructed or are planned:
There is one major air rights property that the MTA does not own and that is the Prudential Center Complex constructed beginning in 1965. This property includes a Shaw's Supermarket, the Prudential Tower
office and residential buildings, the Shops at Prudential Center
mall, the Hynes Convention Center
and the Back Bay MBTA station
.
In 2001, the Turnpike Authority and the City of Boston agreed on guidelines for air rights development for the remaining parcels over the highway in Boston from the I-93 interchange to Commonwealth Avenue (with the exception of a parcel adjacent to the historic Fenway Studios
). While development is not presently planned for all of this corridor, the agreement provides de facto zoning rules should it take place.
Jane Swift (R) attempted to fire Christy Mihos
, a former Turnpike board
member and Jordan Levy
, the current Vice Chairman of the board.
Mihos and Levy had cast votes on the board to postpone a toll hike. Swift objected, saying such a delay was "fiscally irresponsible” and saying the two men "interfered with the effective daily management of the Authority." Mihos and Levy refused to step down and sued Swift to retain their positions. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
(SJC) ruled that the Turnpike was "not part of the machinery of the government" and therefore not subject to Swift’s decisions.
(R), elected in 2002 during a fiscal crisis, ran on a platform of streamlining state government and eliminating waste. Part of this was the elimination of the Turnpike Authority. Gov. Romney wanted to fold the Turnpike into MassHighway, the state highway department, operated under the Executive Office of Transportation. A first step to this was to replace the Chairman of the Board, Matthew J. Amorello
with someone loyal to the governor. The governor has the power to appoint members to the board, but the SJC advised in an advisory opinion
that "nothing in G. L. c. 81A explicitly provides for the removal and reassignment of the chairperson to the position of "member."
The governor took the case to the court of the public opinion and put enormous pressure on Mr. Amorello to step down. Mr. Amorello announced he would do so in 2007, after Gov. Romney would have left office. Gov. Romney continued to press the legislature to give him the power to remove members from the board, specifically the chairman, pointing to a series of financial and construction mishaps over the last several years. However, the legislature instead sought to keep Mr. Amorello on board by extending the terms of various board members to prevent Gov. Romney from removing Mr. Amorello.
on July 10, 2006, and in response to Amorello's refusal (at the time) to resign, Gov. Romney took legal steps to have Amorello forcibly removed as head of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, culminating in Amorello's resignation on August 15, 2006. The next day, John Cogliano
was sworn in as the new Chairman of the Turnpike Authority by Gov. Romney.
On November 27, 2006, departing Attorney General
Tom Reilly
(D
) announced the state will launch a civil suit over the collapse of the ceiling in the Ted Williams Tunnel
. The Commonwealth will be seeking over $150 million dollars from project manager Bechtel
/Parsons Brinckerhoff
, builder Modern Continental Construction Co.
and the manufacturer of the epoxy
used to hold the ceiling bolts.
, a former fiscal adviser to the governor, whom Gov. Romney asked to review the Turnpike situation following the July 2006 tunnel ceiling collapse.
On October 19, 2006, members of the Massachusetts
Legislature Transportation Committee were quoted in The Boston Globe
as saying that the governor's actions may require state law to be amended for the toll removal to happen. In addition, questions have been raised in regard to how the State would fund the maintenance of the Turnpike after the removal of the tolls.
The issue of the removal of the tolls is highly charged politically. Several members of the state Democratic Party
declared this as a political maneuver to bolster the gubernatorial campaign of Lieutenant Governor
Kerry Healy, a Republican
, who was behind in the polls at the time of the announcement. Also, because the MTA Board is composed of Romney appointees, Kriss's former association with the Romney administration and the ongoing election at the time, the issue was clouded by accusations of partiality and political agendas from both sides of the aisle.
In the November 9, 2006, edition of The Boston Globe
, Romney announced his intention to try to remove the tolls before Governor-elect Deval Patrick
, a Democrat
, was inaugurated in January 2007, but this did not occur. As of January 2009, Patrick's plan was to remove all tolls west of Route 128, except at the West Stockbridge and Sturbridge tolls.
, Worcester
and Boston
. It is also the eastern-most portion of Interstate 90
. The roadway begins at the New York border and continues in a south-easterly direction until the junction with Interstate 84
in Sturbridge
; from that point it continues in a north-easterly direction into Boston.
Between the New York border and the I-84 junction, the roadway is a four-lane divided highway, two lanes in either direction. Between I-84 and exit 18 in Newton, Massachusetts, it is a six-lane divided highway which grows to eight lanes between the Newton and Cambridge exits where it drops back to six lanes. It stays as a six lane roadway until the Ted Williams Tunnel where it drops back to four lanes until the exit of the tunnel in East Boston.
ed interchanges
. Since the time that the interchanges were originally numbered, more have been added, leading to situations like Exit 11, which is a minor state route, and 11A, which is a major Interstate Highway 10 miles (16.1 km) away.
Also, near Boston, some of the interchanges are solely onramps and are not signed as exits, so, for instance, there is no Exit 21 signed.
There are 11 service areas (plazas) on the Massachusetts Turnpike, named for the towns in which they are located. Each plaza offers Gulf
gas stations and Gulf Express convenience stores. Most offer McDonald's
restaurants, with two plazas (Ludlow WB and Westboro WB) having Boston Market
and D'Angelo
as the main food offerings. Some plazas also have secondary food such as Auntie Anne's
pretzels, Ben & Jerry's
ice cream, Papa Gino's
pizza, Original Pizza, and Fresh City restaurants. Some restaurants at some plazas also offer a drive thru.
The plazas are:
The Lee Plaza in the Westbound direction plus the Blandford Plaza in the Eastbound direction are the only service plazas that do not feature a dog walk area. The only service plazas that do not offer family restrooms are Lee (Westbound), Blandford, and Ludlow.
A weigh station
is located on the eastbound side of the turnpike in Charlton between exits 9 and 10.
," Boston-born and western Massachusetts resident James Taylor
includes a reference to a drive along the Massachusetts Turnpike:
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...
. The Turnpike begins at the western border of 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...
in West Stockbridge
West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
West Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,416 at the 2000 census.- History :...
connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
. From there, the MassPike heads east, traversing the state and serving the major cities of Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, and Boston, and ends at Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
in East Boston
East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately 40,000 residents. The community was created by connecting several islands using landfill and was annexed by Boston in 1836. East Boston is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and bordered by Winthrop,...
, where the road meets Route 1A. The highest point on the Turnpike is in the Town of Becket, Massachusetts
Becket, Massachusetts
Becket is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,779 at the 2010 census.- History :...
at elevation 1724 feet (525.5 m) above sea level.
History
Plans for the Turnpike date back to at least 1948, when the Western Expressway was being planned. The original section would have connected BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's Inner Belt to Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
with connections with US 20 and Route 30 for traffic continuing west. Later extensions would take the road to and beyond Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. From the beginning, the corridor was included in federal plans for the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, stretching west to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line and beyond to Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
Also included in the route was the planned Springfield Bypass, which had been proposed to provide a bypass of US 20 in the Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
area. Part of this route (and that of the eventual Turnpike) used the grading from the never-opened Hampden Railroad
Hampden Railroad
The Hampden Railroad built by the Boston and Maine Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The Hampden Railroad was chartered in 1910 and leased to the B&M in 1911, as a route from the Central Mass east of Bondsville west-southwest to Springfield, Massachusetts to connect to the...
. Similarly, the West Stockbridge Bypass provided a new route of Route 102
Massachusetts Route 102
-Route description:Route 102 begins in West Stockbridge at the New York state line, connected to New York State Route 22 by New York State Reference Route 980D in Canaan, New York...
from Route 183
Massachusetts Route 183
Massachusetts Route 183 is a north–south state highway in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The entire route travels from Lenox to Sandisfield at the Connecticut state border. The entire route is long , with several miles running in a silent concurrency with other routes .-Route...
in Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...
west to Route 102 just east of the state line in West Stockbridge
West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
West Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,416 at the 2000 census.- History :...
; this latter route was built prior to the Turnpike.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority was created in 1952 by a special act of the Massachusetts General Court (legislature) upon the recommendation of Governor Dever and his Commissioner of Public Works, William F. Callahan. (1952 Acts and Resolves chapter 354; 1952 Senate Doc. 1.) The enabling act was modeled upon that of the Mystic River Bridge Authority (1946 Acts and Resolves chapter 562), but several changes were made that would prove of great importance fifty years later. Callahan served as chairman of the Authority until his death in April 1964.
When the attorneys were searching land titles along the proposed route, they discovered that sections of the original land had been granted by the King of England to some of the landowner's ancestors. Construction began in 1955, and the whole four-lane road from Route 102 at the state line to Route 128 in Weston
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
opened on May 15, 1957. The Berkshire Thruway opened on May 26, 1959, connecting the west end to the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
mainline south of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. Prior to its opening, traffic used Route 22
New York State Route 22
New York State Route 22 is a north–south state highway in eastern New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the state's eastern edge from the outskirts of New York City to a short distance south of the Canadian border. At , it is the state's longest north–south route and...
and US 20 in New York. At the Massachusetts/New York state line, one can see where the Turnpike made an abrupt right turn before terminating at Route 102, as the old pavement still exists for Turnpike Authority and State Police vehicles to access this remote stretch of highway.
After political and legal battles related to the Boston Extension inside Route 128, construction began on March 5, 1962, with the chosen alignment running next to the Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
and reducing that line to two tracks. In September 1964 the part from Route 128 east to exit 18 (Allston) opened, and the rest was finished on February 18, 1965, taking it to the Central Artery
Central Artery
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 tunneled divided highway...
.
The 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...
designation was assigned to the Turnpike in 1959 with the completion of plans for the Interstate Highway System. Early proposals took I-90 across the northern part of the state, along Route 2, but this was rejected as too costly. With the completion of the Boston Extension, that too was designated as I-90.
In the 1990s, then-Governor
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
William Weld
William Weld
William Floyd Weld is a former governor of the US state of Massachusetts. He served as that state's 68th governor from 1991 to 1997. From 1981 to 1988, he was a federal prosecutor in the United States Justice Department...
took the decision to turn over the assets of Boston's Big Dig project to the Turnpike Authority. During this time he appointed James Kerasiotes
James Kerasiotes
James J. Kerasiotes was the director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the project manager of the Big Dig in Boston during the 1990s. He was asked to resign by Massachusetts governor Paul Celucci on April 11, 2000, because of cost over runs...
to the Turnpike Authority to continue the authority's oversight of the Big Dig project.
In 1991, construction began on the extension of the Massachusetts Turnpike to Logan Airport, via the Ted Williams Tunnel
Ted Williams Tunnel
The Ted Williams Tunnel, also known as the Williams Tunnel, is the name of the third highway tunnel under Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts, the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels being the other two...
as part of the Big Dig
Big Dig
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project , known unofficially as the Big Dig and as the Big Dug since completion, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery , the chief highway through the heart of the city, into a 3.5-mile tunnel...
interstate/tunnel project. The final extension opened in 2003; the eastern end of I-90 now merges into 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...
.
The legislature separated the Turnpike into a western portion, from the New York border to Route 128, and the eastern Metropolitan Highway System, which includes a 15 miles (24.1 km) stretch of the Turnpike from Route 128 to East Boston, the Ted Williams, Sumner
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 Callahan
Callahan Tunnel
The Callahan Tunnel, officially the Lieutenant William F. Callahan Tunnel is one of four tunnels beneath Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts. It carries motor vehicles from the North End to Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston...
tunnels under Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
, and I-93 from Southampton Street through the Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill tunnel
Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel
The Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. Tunnel is a highway tunnel built as part of the Big Dig in Boston, Massachusetts. It carries the Central Artery underneath downtown Boston, and is numbered as Interstate 93, U.S. Route 1, and Route 3. It roughly follows the route of the old elevated Central Artery,...
and the Leonard P. Zakim Bridge to the foot of the 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...
. Finances for the two parts of the Turnpike are accounted for separately.
2009 changes
In a January 22 board meeting, the Turnpike stopped charging a one time $25.95 fee for the acquisition of a Fast Lane toll transponder, replacing it with a 50-cent monthly recurring service fee. The implementation of the 50-cent monthly fee was canceled after long delays at toll plazas on Easter Sunday.Under a plan to save state funds, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (MRMV) announced plans to close eleven of its branches in leased locations and move the operations into facilities owned by MassHighway and Massachusetts Turnpike Authority located in toll plazas, visitor centers and offices. MRMV branch closings were planned for Framingham, Lowell, North Attleboro, Cambridgeside Galleria Mall in Cambridge, New Bedford, Eastfield Mall in Springfield, Southbridge, Falmouth, Eastham, Beverly and Boston. Also, a portion of the newly increased sales tax in the state averted a planned toll increase. The MTA will receive approximately $100 million dollars from the state general fund over the next few years, alleviating the need for the toll hike.
Under legislation signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
on June 26, the turnpike was folded into a new super-agency that controls all surface transportation in the state. The new agency, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), now operates all highways formerly under MassHighway and the Turnpike Authority as well as eight urban roadways formerly owned and maintained by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation
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...
. In addition, MassDOT oversees the MRMV, MBTA, regional transit authorities and the state aeronautics commission. The new Transportation Department began operations on November 1, 2009. According to MTA board member Mary Z. Connaughton's
Mary Z. Connaughton
Mary Zarrilli Connaughton is a former board member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority...
blog entry for the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, all of the pilgrim-hat signage unique to the Turnpike are in the process of being eliminated. However, in a personal correspondence with AARoads.com’s road blog, a MassDOT official said that usage of the hat would actually increase. When guide signs on Routes 128 and 495 are replaced, the current “MassPike” signage will be replaced with pilgrim hat shields.
Former Turnpike Authority funding and jurisdiction
The Turnpike Authority also owned the Callahan TunnelCallahan Tunnel
The Callahan Tunnel, officially the Lieutenant William F. Callahan Tunnel is one of four tunnels beneath Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts. It carries motor vehicles from the North End to Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston...
and 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,...
, the other two road connections between downtown Boston and East Boston under Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
. Upon completion of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, all tunnels constructed as part of the Big Dig, including the O'Neill Tunnel segment of I-93, were transferred to its control. The Authority received no state or federal government funding. Its revenues came from tolls, leases on air rights and service areas, and advertising. Its assets were all transferred to the new MassDOT agency as part of the restructuring of agencies.
Toll revenue
The Massachusetts Turnpike is a toll roadToll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
; it costs $5.10 for a Class 1 passenger vehicle to travel east from Exit 1 (Route 41
Route 41 (Massachusetts)
Route 41 is the extension of Connecticut Route 41 into Massachusetts. It begins at the Connecticut state line in Sheffield and ends at U.S. Route 20 in Pittsfield...
), in West Stockbridge
West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
West Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,416 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, to Logan Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
, in East Boston. Additionally, a flat-rate toll barrier for the Ted Williams Tunnel
Ted Williams Tunnel
The Ted Williams Tunnel, also known as the Williams Tunnel, is the name of the third highway tunnel under Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts, the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels being the other two...
exists on the westbound side of the turnpike between exits 26 and 25, imposing a $3.50 charge for Class 1 passenger vehicles. Therefore, motorists who are destined to travel away from Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
via I-90 West will be assessed a $3.50 additional charge, since the only interchange east of this toll barrier other than the eastern terminus at Route 1A is Exit 26, leading into the airport terminals, parking garages, rental car center, on-site hotels, etc. From Exit 1, in West Stockbridge, to Exit 14/15 (Route 128
Route 128 (Massachusetts)
Route 128, also known as the Yankee Division Highway , and originally the Circumferential Highway, is a partial beltway around Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The majority of the highway is built to freeway standards, and about 3/5 of it is part of the Interstate Highway System...
/ 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...
), in Weston
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
, the Massachusetts Turnpike is a closed-system
Ticket system
A ticket system toll road A ticket system toll road A ticket system toll road (also known as closed toll collection system, as opposed to a flat-rate toll road, is utilized by some state toll road or highway agencies that allows a motorist to pay a toll rate based on the number of miles traveled...
toll road, using long-distance tickets obtained once by a motorist on entrance, and surrendered on exit, at toll gates. The toll gates exist at all exits and entrances from Exit 1 to Exit 14/15. From Exit 14/15 to its eastern end in East Boston
East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately 40,000 residents. The community was created by connecting several islands using landfill and was annexed by Boston in 1836. East Boston is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and bordered by Winthrop,...
(in other words, east of the toll barrier residing between Exits 14 and 15), the Massachusetts Turnpike is an open-system toll road. There are toll plazas at Exit 18/19/20 in Allston, Massachusetts
Allston, Boston, Massachusetts
Allston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located in the western part of the city. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent...
, in both mainline directions and on the interchange ramps. There also is a toll plaza on the mainline at the westbound entrance to the Ted Williams Tunnel
Ted Williams Tunnel
The Ted Williams Tunnel, also known as the Williams Tunnel, is the name of the third highway tunnel under Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts, the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels being the other two...
, in East Boston
East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately 40,000 residents. The community was created by connecting several islands using landfill and was annexed by Boston in 1836. East Boston is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and bordered by Winthrop,...
. Exits 16, 17, and 21–26, plus the eastbound-only Route 1A junction have no toll plazas on their ramps.
Toll plazas on the interchange ramps at Exit 16 were removed in 1996 at the direction of then Governor
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
William Weld
William Weld
William Floyd Weld is a former governor of the US state of Massachusetts. He served as that state's 68th governor from 1991 to 1997. From 1981 to 1988, he was a federal prosecutor in the United States Justice Department...
.
After protests from Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
residents that their toll money was funding the Big Dig, a Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
highway project, tolls were removed on a western portion of the freeway in July 1996: no toll is charged for passenger-vehicle travel between Springfield (Exit 6, Interstate 291
Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 291 is a connector highway in Massachusetts that links Interstate 91 in downtown Springfield with Interstate 90 in Chicopee. I-291 is roughly a northeast/southwest highway. It merges with I-91 at its southwestern terminus, via a flyover...
) and the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(Exit 1, West Stockbridge) border in either direction.
Travel between exits 16 and 17, both in Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, is a "free movement": no toll is charged for travel between these two exits. At exit 16, traffic can enter the Turnpike only eastbound and may exit from the Turnpike only westbound.
Motorists can pay tolls to toll-booth personnel or use the Fast Lane
Fast Lane
Fast Lane is the RFID electronic toll collection system used in Massachusetts. Fast Lane is used on the Massachusetts Turnpike, Sumner Tunnel, Ted Williams Tunnel, and Tobin Bridge. It is also accepted at one parking structure operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority...
electronic toll-collection
Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
system, whereby transponders installed in the cars (typically on the inner windshields) are recognized automatically in special lanes at toll plazas, the toll amounts then being withdrawn from the motorists' accounts. Fast Lane is compatible with the E-ZPass
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll-collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the . All member agencies use the same technology,...
electronic toll-collection system, which is used in the northeastern United States, south to Virginia and west to Chicago.
MassDOT plans to eliminate the name Fast Lane, and begin simply using the EZPass brand name for the ETS system beginning in October 2011, when the current Citizens Bank sponsorship contract expires. All signage at toll plazas will be changed to the standard white-on-purple EZPass signs.
Air rights
The MTA has leased much of the air spaceAir rights
Air rights are a type of development right in real estate, referring to the empty space above a property. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building gives one the right to use and develop the air rights....
over the highway east of Exit 15; these are the structures that have been constructed or are planned:
- The Shaw's Supermarket between exits 16 and 17.
- The Crowne PlazaCrowne PlazaCrowne Plaza is a chain of full service, upscale hotels catering to business travelers and to the meetings and conventions market. It forms part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands, which include InterContinental and Holiday Inn and operates in 52 countries, usually located in...
and Gateway Office complex in Newton Corner at exit 17. - The Copley PlaceCopley PlaceCopley Place is an enclosed shopping mall, constructed in 1983, located in the Back Bay section of Boston, Massachusetts. It is owned by Simon Property Group, which acquired it in the 2002 breakup of the then-Dutch owned Urban Shopping Centers, Inc...
Mall at exit 22. (1984) - The new One Beacon development at parcel 9, between Beacon st and Brookline Ave., including a 23 story apartment complex and mixed use development.
- New construction on parcels 8, and 10 adjacent to Fenway ParkFenway ParkFenway 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"...
. (2008–2018) - Near BU Bridge, Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
announced long-term plans to extend its campus over the highway
There is one major air rights property that the MTA does not own and that is the Prudential Center Complex constructed beginning in 1965. This property includes a Shaw's Supermarket, the Prudential Tower
Prudential Tower
The Prudential Tower, also known as the Prudential Building or, colloquially, The Pru, is a skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, a part of the Prudential Center complex, currently stands as the 2nd-tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower. The Prudential Tower was...
office and residential buildings, the Shops at Prudential Center
Shops at Prudential Center
The Shops at Prudential Center is an urban shopping center located at the base of the Prudential Tower in Boston, Massachusetts. The mall lies adjacent to many other destinations such as: Hynes Convention Center, the 101/111 Huntington Avenue office towers, and a skywalk connecting it to Copley...
mall, the Hynes Convention Center
Hynes Convention Center
The John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center located in Boston was built in 1988 from a design by architects Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood. It replaced a previous building, also a convention center, regarded as "ungainly." The 1988 design "attempted to relate in scale and materials to its...
and the Back Bay MBTA station
Back Bay (MBTA station)
Back Bay station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
.
In 2001, the Turnpike Authority and the City of Boston agreed on guidelines for air rights development for the remaining parcels over the highway in Boston from the I-93 interchange to Commonwealth Avenue (with the exception of a parcel adjacent to the historic Fenway Studios
Fenway Studios
The Fenway Studios are artists' studios located at 30 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts, now listed as a National Historic Landmark.The studios were built after a disastrous 1904 fire at Harcourt Studios in which many artists lost their homes, studios, and work. Business and civic leaders...
). While development is not presently planned for all of this corridor, the agreement provides de facto zoning rules should it take place.
Controversies
MTA Board firings
Since 2001, the Turnpike Authority had come under fire from state politicians in a fight for control of the quasi-state agency. Beginning in 2001, former Massachusetts acting governorActing governor
An acting governor is a constitutional position created in some U.S. states when the governor dies in office or resigns. In some states, the governor may also be declared to be incapacitated and unable to function for various reasons, including illness and absence from the state for more than a...
Jane Swift (R) attempted to fire Christy Mihos
Christy Mihos
Christy P. Mihos is an American politician and businessman from the U.S. commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was an Independent candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 2006 and ran again as a Republican in the 2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election...
, a former Turnpike board
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
member and Jordan Levy
Jordan Levy
Jordan Levy is an American politician and talk radio host from Worcester, Massachusetts. He served as the Mayor of Worcester on two occasions, first from 1981 to 1982 and the second time from 1988–93...
, the current Vice Chairman of the board.
Mihos and Levy had cast votes on the board to postpone a toll hike. Swift objected, saying such a delay was "fiscally irresponsible” and saying the two men "interfered with the effective daily management of the Authority." Mihos and Levy refused to step down and sued Swift to retain their positions. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...
(SJC) ruled that the Turnpike was "not part of the machinery of the government" and therefore not subject to Swift’s decisions.
Proposed MTA/MassHighway merger
Gov. Mitt RomneyMitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
(R), elected in 2002 during a fiscal crisis, ran on a platform of streamlining state government and eliminating waste. Part of this was the elimination of the Turnpike Authority. Gov. Romney wanted to fold the Turnpike into MassHighway, the state highway department, operated under the Executive Office of Transportation. A first step to this was to replace the Chairman of the Board, Matthew J. Amorello
Matthew J. Amorello
Matthew John Amorello is a former Massachusetts state senator and former chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority who presided over the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project from 2002 to 2006...
with someone loyal to the governor. The governor has the power to appoint members to the board, but the SJC advised in an advisory opinion
Advisory opinion
An advisory opinion is an opinion issued by a court that does not have the effect of adjudicating a specific legal case, but merely advises on the constitutionality or interpretation of a law. Some countries have procedures by which the executive or legislative branches may certify important...
that "nothing in G. L. c. 81A explicitly provides for the removal and reassignment of the chairperson to the position of "member."
The governor took the case to the court of the public opinion and put enormous pressure on Mr. Amorello to step down. Mr. Amorello announced he would do so in 2007, after Gov. Romney would have left office. Gov. Romney continued to press the legislature to give him the power to remove members from the board, specifically the chairman, pointing to a series of financial and construction mishaps over the last several years. However, the legislature instead sought to keep Mr. Amorello on board by extending the terms of various board members to prevent Gov. Romney from removing Mr. Amorello.
I-90 connector ceiling collapse
In response to a fatality caused by the collapse of the ceiling of the eastbound I-90 connector tunnel approaching the Ted Williams TunnelTed Williams Tunnel
The Ted Williams Tunnel, also known as the Williams Tunnel, is the name of the third highway tunnel under Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts, the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels being the other two...
on July 10, 2006, and in response to Amorello's refusal (at the time) to resign, Gov. Romney took legal steps to have Amorello forcibly removed as head of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, culminating in Amorello's resignation on August 15, 2006. The next day, John Cogliano
John Cogliano
John Cogliano is a former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation and Chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. He was appointed to the position by Governor Mitt Romney in May 2005...
was sworn in as the new Chairman of the Turnpike Authority by Gov. Romney.
On November 27, 2006, departing Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Tom Reilly
Thomas Reilly
Thomas F. Reilly is an American attorney and politician who served as the 45th Massachusetts Attorney General. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents....
(D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) announced the state will launch a civil suit over the collapse of the ceiling in the Ted Williams Tunnel
Ted Williams Tunnel
The Ted Williams Tunnel, also known as the Williams Tunnel, is the name of the third highway tunnel under Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts, the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels being the other two...
. The Commonwealth will be seeking over $150 million dollars from project manager Bechtel
Bechtel
Bechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
/Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas,...
, builder Modern Continental Construction Co.
Modern Continental
Modern Continental is a construction company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that was involved in the Boston "Big Dig" Central Artery/Tunnel Project. On June 23, 2008, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court in Boston.-History:...
and the manufacturer of the epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
used to hold the ceiling bolts.
Toll removal
On October 18, 2006, the Turnpike board voted to remove all tolls west of the Route 128 Toll Plaza in response to a recommendation made by Eric KrissEric Kriss
Eric Arthur Kriss is a musician and business executive who served as Secretary of Administration and Finance in Massachusetts Governor Romney's cabinet , and as assistant A&F secretary under Governor William Weld...
, a former fiscal adviser to the governor, whom Gov. Romney asked to review the Turnpike situation following the July 2006 tunnel ceiling collapse.
On October 19, 2006, members of the 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...
Legislature Transportation Committee were quoted in The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
as saying that the governor's actions may require state law to be amended for the toll removal to happen. In addition, questions have been raised in regard to how the State would fund the maintenance of the Turnpike after the removal of the tolls.
The issue of the removal of the tolls is highly charged politically. Several members of the state Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
declared this as a political maneuver to bolster the gubernatorial campaign of Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts...
Kerry Healy, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, who was behind in the polls at the time of the announcement. Also, because the MTA Board is composed of Romney appointees, Kriss's former association with the Romney administration and the ongoing election at the time, the issue was clouded by accusations of partiality and political agendas from both sides of the aisle.
In the November 9, 2006, edition of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, Romney announced his intention to try to remove the tolls before Governor-elect Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, was inaugurated in January 2007, but this did not occur. As of January 2009, Patrick's plan was to remove all tolls west of Route 128, except at the West Stockbridge and Sturbridge tolls.
Route description
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the major east-west highway in Massachusetts, connecting three of its major cities, SpringfieldSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. It is also the eastern-most portion of 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...
. The roadway begins at the New York border and continues in a south-easterly direction until the junction with Interstate 84
Interstate 84 (east)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
in Sturbridge
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census...
; from that point it continues in a north-easterly direction into Boston.
Between the New York border and the I-84 junction, the roadway is a four-lane divided highway, two lanes in either direction. Between I-84 and exit 18 in Newton, Massachusetts, it is a six-lane divided highway which grows to eight lanes between the Newton and Cambridge exits where it drops back to six lanes. It stays as a six lane roadway until the Ted Williams Tunnel where it drops back to four lanes until the exit of the tunnel in East Boston.
Exit list
The Massachusetts Turnpike uses a system of sequential exit numberExit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....
ed interchanges
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
. Since the time that the interchanges were originally numbered, more have been added, leading to situations like Exit 11, which is a minor state route, and 11A, which is a major Interstate Highway 10 miles (16.1 km) away.
Also, near Boston, some of the interchanges are solely onramps and are not signed as exits, so, for instance, there is no Exit 21 signed.
| County | Location | Mile | # Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... state line. I-90 continues west as the Berkshire Connector as part of the New York State Thruway New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and... toward I-87 to New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... .  |
|||||
| Berkshire Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield... |
West Stockbridge West Stockbridge, Massachusetts West Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,416 at the 2000 census.- History :... |
2.7 | 1 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
| West Stockbridge Toll Plaza (western end of ticket system, all traffic must stop.) All Eastbound Traffic Get Ticket, All Westbound Traffic Surrender Ticket and Pay Toll, New York State Thruway Ahead |
|||||
| Lee Lee, Massachusetts Lee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area. The population was 5,943 which was determined in the 2010 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the Berkshires resort... |
Lee Service Plaza | ||||
| 10.3 | 2 | ||||
| Hampden Hampden County, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 461,228 people, 175,288 households, and 115,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 738 people per square mile . There were 185,876 housing units at an average density of 301 per square mile... |
Blandford Blandford, Massachusetts Blandford is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,233 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the home of the Blandford Ski Area.- History :... |
Blandford Service Plaza | |||
| Westfield Westfield, Massachusetts Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State... |
40.6 | 3 | |||
| West Springfield West Springfield, Massachusetts The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,391 at the 2010 census... |
45.3 | 4 | |||
| Bridge over the Connecticut River Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the... |
|||||
| Chicopee Chicopee, Massachusetts Chicopee is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 55,298, making it the second largest city in... |
49.0 | 5 | , Westover Joint Air Reserve Base Westover Joint Air Reserve Base Westover Air Reserve Base is an Air Force Reserve Command installation located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee and Ludlow, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Westover hosts the largest Air Reserve Base in the world in terms of area... /Metropolitan Airport Metropolitan Airport Metropolitan Airport is a privately-owned, private-use airport located in the town of Palmer, in Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA. It has one runway, averages 22 flights per day, and has approximately 24 aircraft based on its field.... |
||
| 50.9 | 6 | , Hartford Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making... |
|||
| Ludlow Ludlow, Massachusetts Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the... |
54.3 | 7 | |||
| Ludlow Service Plaza | |||||
| Palmer Palmer, Massachusetts The Town of Palmer is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,140 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area... |
63.3 | 8 | |||
| Worcester Worcester County, Massachusetts -Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density... |
Sturbridge Sturbridge, Massachusetts Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census... |
78.3 | 9 | – Hartford Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making... , Sturbridge Sturbridge, Massachusetts Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census... , New York City via I-87 South |
Former I-86 Interstate 86 (east) Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States... west |
| Charlton Charlton, Massachusetts Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,981 at the 2010 census.- History :Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated off from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and became a Town in 1775 by a law that made all... |
Charlton Service Plaza | ||||
| Weigh Station Weigh station A weigh station is a checkpoint along a highway to inspect vehicular weights. Usually, trucks and commercial vehicles are subject to the inspection.... , all eastbound trucks must exit when station is open. |
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| Auburn Auburn, Massachusetts Auburn is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,188 at the 2010 census.- History :Auburn was first settled in 1789 and was officially incorporated in 1808 as the town of Ward, in honor of American Revolution General Artemas Ward... |
90.5 | 10 | |||
| Millbury Millbury, Massachusetts Millbury is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,261 at the 2010 census. The town is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.-History:... |
94.0 | 10A | Providence Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region... |
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| 96.3 | 11 | ||||
| Westborough Westborough, Massachusetts Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,272 at the 2010 census. The town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed by a five member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various... |
Westborough Service Plaza (westbound only) | ||||
| Westborough Westborough, Massachusetts Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,272 at the 2010 census. The town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed by a five member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various... , Hopkinton Hopkinton, Massachusetts Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic... |
106.5 | 11A | – New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... , Maine Maine Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... , Cape Cod Cape Cod Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States... |
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| Middlesex Middlesex County, Massachusetts -National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge... |
Framingham Framingham, Massachusetts Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:... |
111.4 | 12 | ||
| Framingham Service Plaza (westbound only) | |||||
| 117.1 | 13 | ||||
| Natick Natick, Massachusetts Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area... |
Natick Service Plaza/Fast Lane Service Center (eastbound only) | ||||
| Weston Weston, Massachusetts Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261.... |
123.1 | 14 | – New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... , Maine Maine Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... , South Shore South Shore, Massachusetts The South Shore of Massachusetts is a geographic region stretching south and east from Boston toward Cape Cod along the shores of Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay... |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| Weston Toll Plaza (eastern end of ticket system, all traffic must stop. All tandems must exit no further east of Exit 14.) All Eastbound Traffic Surrender Ticket and Pay Toll, All Westbound Traffic Get Ticket. |
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| 123.4 | 15 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
| Newton Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:... |
125.2 | 16 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 127.5 | 17 | Washington Street, Galen Street, Centre Street – Newton Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:... , Watertown Watertown, Massachusetts The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England... |
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| Suffolk Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site... |
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| Allston, Brighton | 130.6 | 18 | Cambridge Street, 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... – Allston, Brighton, 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... |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| 19 | Allston Allston -People:* Aaron Allston , an American novelist* Johanna Allston , an Australian orienteer* Robert Francis Withers Allston , a Governor of South Carolina... Toll Barrier, all traffic must stop to pay flat rate toll. Car toll $1.25 Cash/Fast Lane Fast Lane Fast Lane is the RFID electronic toll collection system used in Massachusetts. Fast Lane is used on the Massachusetts Turnpike, Sumner Tunnel, Ted Williams Tunnel, and Tobin Bridge. It is also accepted at one parking structure operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority... , 25 cent discount for Fast Lane subscribers. |
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| 20 | Cambridge Street, 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... – Allston, Brighton, 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... |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
| Back Bay | 132.8 | 21 | 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... |
Westbound entrance only; no exit ramps | |
| Prudential Tunnel under the Prudential Center Prudential Tower The Prudential Tower, also known as the Prudential Building or, colloquially, The Pru, is a skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, a part of the Prudential Center complex, currently stands as the 2nd-tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower. The Prudential Tower was... |
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| Copley Square Copley Square Copley Square is a public square located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, named for the donor of the land on which it was developed. The square is named for John Singleton Copley, a famous portrait painter of the late 18th century and native of Boston. A bronze statue of... |
133.3 | 22 | Dartmouth Street, Prudential Center, Copley Square | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| Copley Square Copley Square Copley Square is a public square located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, named for the donor of the land on which it was developed. The square is named for John Singleton Copley, a famous portrait painter of the late 18th century and native of Boston. A bronze statue of... |
22A | Clarendon Street | Westbound entrance only; no exit ramps | ||
| Theater District | 133.8 | 23 | Arlington Street | Westbound entrance only; no exit ramps | |
| 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... |
134.3 | 24A-B-C | – 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... , Concord Concord, New Hampshire The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695.... , Quincy Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council... |
No eastbound entrance from I-93 south / US 1 south / Route 3 south | |
| Summer Street (South Boston) South Boston, Massachusetts South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. One of America's oldest and most historic neighborhoods, South Boston was formerly known as Dorchester Neck, and today is called "Southie" by... |
135.0 | 25 | Summer Street (South Boston) South Boston, Massachusetts South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. One of America's oldest and most historic neighborhoods, South Boston was formerly known as Dorchester Neck, and today is called "Southie" by... |
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| Ted Williams Tunnel Ted Williams Tunnel The Ted Williams Tunnel, also known as the Williams Tunnel, is the name of the third highway tunnel under Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts, the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels being the other two... under the Boston Harbor Boston Harbor Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:... , max. clearance 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m) and hazardous cargo prohibited. |
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| East Boston Toll Barrier (Westbound Only), all westbound traffic must stop. Car toll: $3.50, 2-axle commercial vehicle and any 3-axle vehicle toll: $5.25, $1.75 each additional axle up to and including 7 axles, $12.25 thereafter. | |||||
| 137.2 | 26 | Logan Int'l Airport Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways... |
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| East Boston East Boston, Massachusetts East Boston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately 40,000 residents. The community was created by connecting several islands using landfill and was annexed by Boston in 1836. East Boston is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and bordered by Winthrop,... |
137.8 | North | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance. No access from I-90 East to Route 1A South. | ||
Eastern end of Massachusetts Turnpike and  . 3099 miles (4,987.3 km) to Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country... . |
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Toll ticket colors
Toll tickets obtained by motorists traveling on the Mass Pike are color-coded based on the interchange where the motorist entered the Pike. In addition to the black stripe on the back which is read by a magnetic reader, this color coding allows rapid identification by the toll collector, expediting the process of toll collection. There are other reasons why this schematic is in effect on the only tolled road in Massachusetts, such as environmental concerns.- Exit 1 is orange.
- Exits 2-8, 11 and 12 are gray.
- Exit 9 is purple.
- Exit 10 is light blue.
- Exit 10A is dark blue/purple.
- Exit 11A is brown.
- Exit 13 is yellow.
- Exit 14 (before Weston Toll Plaza exiting East, and after entering West) is green.
- Exit 15 (known as "Newton" and "Boston" on ticket, before Weston Toll Plaza exiting West, and after entering East) is pink.
Service plazas
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
gas stations and Gulf Express convenience stores. Most offer McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurants, with two plazas (Ludlow WB and Westboro WB) having Boston Market
Boston Market
Boston Market, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, headquartered in Golden, Colorado, is a chain of American fast casual restaurants. It is owned by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.-History:...
and D'Angelo
D'Angelo Sandwich Shops
D'Angelo Sandwich Shops is a chain of sandwich shops located throughout New England. It serves various kinds of hot and cold subs, wraps, and salads.- History :...
as the main food offerings. Some plazas also have secondary food such as Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is an American chain of pretzel bakeries founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in 1988. Auntie Anne's serves products such as pretzels, dips, and beverages...
pretzels, Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's is an American ice cream company, a division of the British-Dutch Unilever conglomerate, that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream novelty products, manufactured by Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings, Inc., headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont, United...
ice cream, Papa Gino's
Papa Gino's
Papa Gino's is a restaurant chain based in Dedham, Massachusetts specializing in American-style pizza along with pasta, subs, salads, and a variety of appetizers...
pizza, Original Pizza, and Fresh City restaurants. Some restaurants at some plazas also offer a drive thru.
The plazas are:
- LeeLee, MassachusettsLee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area. The population was 5,943 which was determined in the 2010 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the Berkshires resort...
Plaza (Eastbound and Westbound) between exits 1 and 2 East and 2 and 1 West. - BlandfordBlandford, MassachusettsBlandford is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,233 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the home of the Blandford Ski Area.- History :...
Plaza (Eastbound and Westbound) between exits 2 and 3 East and 3 and 2 West. - LudlowLudlow, MassachusettsLudlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...
Plaza (Eastbound and Westbound) between exits 7 and 8 East and 8 and 7 West. - CharltonCharlton, MassachusettsCharlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,981 at the 2010 census.- History :Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated off from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and became a Town in 1775 by a law that made all...
Plaza (Eastbound and Westbound) between exits 9 and 10 East and Exits 10 and 9 West. - WestboroughWestborough, MassachusettsWestborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,272 at the 2010 census. The town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed by a five member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various...
Plaza (Westbound) between exits 11A and 11. - FraminghamFramingham, MassachusettsFramingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
Plaza (Westbound) between exits 13 and 12. - NatickNatick, MassachusettsNatick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
Plaza (Eastbound) between exits 13 and 14.
The Lee Plaza in the Westbound direction plus the Blandford Plaza in the Eastbound direction are the only service plazas that do not feature a dog walk area. The only service plazas that do not offer family restrooms are Lee (Westbound), Blandford, and Ludlow.
A weigh station
Weigh station
A weigh station is a checkpoint along a highway to inspect vehicular weights. Usually, trucks and commercial vehicles are subject to the inspection....
is located on the eastbound side of the turnpike in Charlton between exits 9 and 10.
Cultural significance
In his 1970 song "Sweet Baby JamesSweet Baby James
Sweet Baby James is singer-songwriter James Taylor's second album, and his first release on Warner Bros. Records. Released in February 1970, it showcased Taylor's talents and showed the direction he would take in the early 1970s with the expansion of his career. The album featured one of Taylor's...
," Boston-born and western Massachusetts resident James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
includes a reference to a drive along the Massachusetts Turnpike:
- Now the First of December was covered with snow
- And so was the Turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
- Lord, the Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frostin'
- With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go
External links
- Official Web Site
- The Roads of Metro Boston - Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90)
- Big Dig Ceiling Collapse -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Big Dig Problems -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Finishing the Big Dig -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Amorello, options were left exhausted -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- A vacancy at the helm -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Top staff is leaving Mass. Pike -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- I-90 connector reopens to traffic -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Designer proposed more bolts in Big Dig -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Tunnel bolts never inspected -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Pike board acts to end tolls west of Route 128 -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Ending Pike tolls is called illegal -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Late Design Change Is Cited in Collapse of Tunnel Ceiling in Boston -- The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- AG, alleging negligence, will sue in tunnel cave-in -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Reilly says neglect with tunnel was criminal -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Commonwealth of Mass. v. Bechtel Corporation, et al.
- Cheaper, faster path led to failure -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- I-90 connector west opens -- The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...