Mammoth Road
Mammoth Road is a north–south road in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The road runs from its origin in Lowell, Massachusetts to its northern end in Hooksett, New Hampshire, a suburb of Manchester. The total length of the road is 29.3 miles (47.2 km). It was named "Mammoth" in the hope that the convenience of its directness and elimination of smaller connecting roads between thoroughfares would result in sufficient use and prestige as to "kill all the other roads."[1][2]
| Mammoth Road | |
|---|---|
| NH-128 (partial), NH-28A (partial) | |
 Map of southern New Hampshire with Mammoth Road highlighted in solid red and of northern Massachusetts with Mammoth Road highlighted in dotted red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 29.3 mi (47.2 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | Pawtucket St., Lowell, MA |
| North end |   US 3 / NH 28, Hooksett, NH |
| Highway system | |
Route description
The southern terminus of Mammoth Road is in the center of Lowell at the junction with Pawtucket Street on the south bank of the Merrimack River, near the campus of University of Massachusetts Lowell. The road crosses over the river on the School Street Bridge and runs north toward New Hampshire. It passes through the town of Dracut and at mile 3.9 (6.3 km) it crosses the state line. In New Hampshire the road becomes New Hampshire Route 128 (NH-128) in the town of Pelham, Hillsborough County.
At mile 10.3 (16.6 km) Mammoth Road (NH-128) crosses the county line into Rockingham County and into the town of Windham. At mile 11.7 (18.9 km) the road intersects with Route 111, an east–west highway. At mile 14.9 (24.1 km) Mammoth Road crosses Route 102 (Nashua Road) in the town of Londonderry. At mile 18.8 (30.3 km) Mammoth road crosses Litchfield Road/Stonehenge Road and is the dividing line between the two named roads.
Mammoth Road merges with Route 28/Rockingham Road at mile 20 (32.2 km), heading north into Manchester for a short stretch. This point is the northern terminus of Route 128. Rockingham Road continues north for 1.7 miles (2.7 km), while Mammoth Road veers to the left and parallels Rockingham Road. At the northern end of this stretch, Mammoth Road once again connects with Route 28 until Route 28A. At mile 21.7 (34.9 km), Mammoth Road follows Route 28A and Route 28 becomes South Willow Street, heading north-northwest into downtown Manchester. Here the road is South Mammoth Road.
At mile 23.5 (37.9 km) Mammoth Road/Route 28A crosses Interstate 293/Route 101.
At mile 24.6 (39.5 km) South Mammoth Road intersects with Huse Road and Cilley Road. Here South Mammoth Road drops the "South" and returns to Mammoth Road. At mile 26.2 (42.2 km) the road crosses Bridge Street, a major east–west thoroughfare in Manchester. At mile 27.3 (43.9 km) Mammoth Road merges with Smyth Road coming from the southwest and then crosses under Interstate 93. Mammoth Road and Smyth Road are merged for only 0.2 mile (0.4 km) and then Smyth Road breaks off and continues east.
After another 0.2 mile (0.4 km), at mile 27.7 (44.5 km), Mammoth Road crosses the county line into Merrimack County and the town of Hooksett. The road is still called Mammoth Road in Hooksett.
Though originally slated to continue its northward track to Concord,[3] at mile 29.3 (47.1 km) Mammoth Road ends at the junction with US-3/Route 28.
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | Lowell | 0.0 | 0.0 | Pawtucket Street | Start in Lowell, Massachusetts | |
| 0.2 | 0.32 |  Route 113 (Riverside Street / Varnum Avenue) | ||||
| Dracut | 0.9 | 1.4 | Skyline Drive | Enter Dracut | ||
| 2.8 | 4.5 | Lakeview Avenue | ||||
| Massachusetts-New Hampshire state line | 3.9 | 6.3 | Start of NH 128 | |||
| Hillsborough | Pelham | 4.5 | 7.2 |  NH 111A (Marsh Road) | ||
| 9.4 | 15.1 | Keyes Hill Road /Tallant Road | ||||
| County line | 10.3 | 16.6 | ||||
| Rockingham | Windham | 11.7 | 18.8 |  NH 111 | ||
| Londonderry | 12.1 | 19.5 | Bockes Road / Chase Road | Enter town of Londonderry | ||
| 20.0 | 32.2 | NH 28 (Rockingham Road) | Junction and concurrency with Route 28; northern terminus of NH-128; Mammoth Road becomes Rockingham Road | |||
| 21.6 | 34.8 |  NH 28 / NH 28A | NH 28 (Rockingham Road) splits into NH 28 (South Willow Street) and NH 28A (South Mammoth Road) | |||
| County line | 21.7 | 34.9 | ||||
| Hillsborough | Manchester | 23.5 | 37.8 |   I-293 / NH 101 | not an intersection; but Mammoth Road does cross over on a bridge | |
| 24.5 | 39.4 | Huse Road /Cilley Road | South Mammoth Road becomes Mammoth Road | |||
| 25 | 40 | Hayward Street /Candia Road | ||||
| 25.6 | 41.2 | Lake Avenue | ||||
| 25.6 | 41.2 | Hanover Street | ||||
| 26.2 | 42.2 | Bridge Street | ||||
| 27.3 | 43.9 | Smyth Road west | ||||
| 27.5 | 44.3 | Smyth Road east | ||||
| County line | 27.7 | 44.6 | ||||
| Merrimack | Hooksett | 29.3 | 47.2 | US 3 / NH 28 | Mammoth Road ends at junction | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
References
- Oliphant, Charles H. (September 1900). "Methuen, Massachusetts". New England Magazine. Archived from the original (Reprint) on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
- Master Plan Committee (2002-08-05). "Chapter VII: Historic Resources (B. Historical Background)" (PDF). Town of Pelham NH Master Plan. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
- Potter, C.E. (1856). "Chapter XXIV". History of Manchester (Transcribed). Retrieved 2007-03-18.