U.S. Route 20 in Massachusetts

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 It spends the vast majority of its journey paralleling the Massachusetts Turnpike, which has largely superseded US-20 for through travel.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

U.S. Route 20
US 20 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MassDOT
Length153.44 mi[1] (246.94 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 20 at the New York state line in Hancock
 
East end Route 2 in Boston
Location
CountiesBerkshire, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Suffolk
Highway system
Route 19 Route 21
Route 4N.E. Route 6
Southbound entering Lee

U.S. Route 20 is the longest numbered highway in the entire country and also holds the distinction of being the longest numbered highway in the state, edging out Route 28 by merely a mile (Route 28 is 151.92 miles (244.49 km) long).[1]

Parts of US 20 between the Worcester and Boston areas were also an alignment of the Boston Post Road, an early colonial highway designated in 1673 for carrying mail between New York City and Boston.[3] US 20 is still locally known as the "Boston Post Road" in the towns of Marlborough, Northborough, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston.[4]

Route description

Berkshire and Hampden counties

U.S. Route 20 begins its eastward trek crossing the New York state border into Hancock, Massachusetts, passing through the southern edge of the Pittsfield State Forest before entering Pittsfield and meeting the northern end of Route 41. The highway enters town and meets U.S. Route 7, near the western end of the cross-state Route 9. US-20 turns south along US-7, and the two routes form a concurrency into the town of Lenox. In Lenox, Route 7A splits off to serve the center of town, and US-20 splits from US-7 shortly thereafter to serve the town of Lee to the southeast. The highway passes through town and interchanges with the Mass Pike at Exit 2 south of town, near the eastern end of Route 102. US-20 turns to the east at this point, and closely parallels the Mass Pike for several miles, before entering the town of Becket and meeting Route 8. Route 8 northbound joins US-20 east to directly serve the town, while the Mass Pike passes south of Becket. Upon crossing through the town center, Route 8 splits from US-20, and the federal highway continues eastbound, passing into the town of Chester in Hampden County.

US-20 passes through the small town of Chester, and clips the southern portion of Huntington in Hampshire County before re-entering Hampden County and the town of Russell. US-20 passes through Russell, passes under the Mass Pike and meets the eastern end of Route 23, and continues into Westfield. US-20 crosses the U.S. Route 202/Route 10 concurrency in the center of the town, and intersects the northern end of Route 187 just to the east. US-20 begins to enter urban landscape as it crosses into West Springfield, making its way through the streets, intersecting U.S. Route 5, and crossing the Connecticut River into the city of Springfield. Immediately upon entering the city, US-20 interchanges with Interstate 91 at Exit 8, where it leaves the surface street (which is picked up by Route 20A, to join Interstate 291, which begins just to the south. (Note: Route 20A is NOT a former alignment of US-20. Before the construction of I-291, US-20 followed Main, State Streets, and Boston Road). US-20 is overlapped over most of I-291, running on the Interstate for about 5 miles (8.0 km), and leaving via Exit 5,[2] where it meets the eastern end of Route 20A and resumes its surface alignment on Page Boulevard in Springfield, rejoining its original alignment in Springfield on Boston Road. US-20, as Boston Road, crosses Route 21 and proceeds east into the town of Wilbraham, where it goes back to paralleling the Mass Pike for several more miles, until entering Palmer. In Palmer, US-20 meets the southern end of Route 181 and then intersects Route 32, which provides close access to the Mass Pike at Exit 8. US-20 and Route 32 share a short concurrency in Palmer, before US-20 splits east. Before leaving Palmer, Route 67 meets its southern end at US-20. Brimfield is the last town US-20 passes through in Hampden County; it enters from the west, crosses Route 19 in the center of town, and proceeds out of town to the east.

Worcester and Middlesex counties

US-20 crosses into Worcester County and the town of Sturbridge, immediately meeting the southern end of Route 148. The route continues east where it meets the western end of Route 131 before interchanging with Interstate 84 at Exit 3. I-84 is another quick route to the Mass Pike, as it ends there less than a mile to the northeast. Route 49, a short connector to Route 9 in Spencer, has its southern terminus at US-20 east of the I-84 interchange. US-20 enters the town of Charlton at this point, passing through Charlton City where it meets the northern end of Route 169 and crosses over Route 31. Continuing east, US-20 enters the town of Auburn, south of Worcester, where it briefly overlaps Route 12. Route 12 provides direct access to the Mass Pike at Exit 10, while US-20 directly interchanges with Interstate 395, which becomes Interstate 290 north of the Mass Pike interchange. US-20 continues to the northeast, entering Millbury after briefly crossing into Worcester, where it interchanges with the Mass Pike at Exit 10A, as well as with Route 146 (which at this point is overlapped by Route 122A). The route re-enters Worcester, crossing over Route 122, which provides access to the Mass Pike at Exit 11. Leaving Worcester, US-20 enters the town of Shrewsbury, interchanging with Route 140 south of town. The highway continues to the northeast, passing southwest of Shrewsbury, and interchanging with Route 9. Heading almost due north at this point, US-20 crosses into Northborough, and turns back eastward, intersecting the western end of Route 135 in the town center. Two local roads, Church Street and Hudson Street, provide access to nearby I-290, which runs to the north. US-20 proceeds out of Northborough to the northeast, crossing into Marlborough and Middlesex County.

US-20 enters Marlborough and interchanges with Interstate 495 (also referred to as the Outer Circumferential Highway) at Exit 24 west of town, effectively crossing into Boston's western suburbs. The route directly serves the center of town, crossing Route 85 in the process. It is in eastern Marlborough where US-20 begins to be famously referred to as Boston Post Road, and the road continues eastward into the town of Sudbury. US-20 passes through the southern part of the town, crossing over the Route 27/Route 126 concurrency in Wayland, and continues into Weston. US-20 does not intersect any major roads or numbered highways in Weston, but does follow an approximately mile-long bypass of the Boston Post Road (appropriately named Boston Post Road Bypass) between Highland Street and Wellesley Street, where US-20 rejoins the road and continues east into Waltham. The entire length of US-20 in Weston is designated as the Boston Post Road Historic District, since it retains much of its rural 18th-century character. Immediately upon crossing into Waltham, US-20 enters a rotary interchange with Interstate 95 (Route 128) at Exit 26, marking the change from suburban landscape to the urban landscape of metro Boston and having access to the Mass Pike. US-20 meets the eastern end of Route 117 and cuts through the center of Waltham, serving as Main Street east of Route 117. US-20 also meets the western end of Route 60, an urban highway serving Boston's northern suburbs, in Waltham. The highway continues into the city of Watertown serving as its Main Street to Watertown Square, where it has a major junction with Route 16, which passes west and north of Boston via various parkways on the edges of the city, through Cambridge and Malden. US-20 becomes North Beacon Street at this point and continues southeast as it crosses into the city of Boston over the North Beacon Street Bridge.

Suffolk County

US 20 eastbound approaching Kenmore Square, Boston
Eastern terminus sign of U.S. Route 20 in Boston, MA

US-20 briefly continues as Leo F. Birmingham Parkway upon crossing into the Boston neighborhood of Brighton, immediately intersecting the western end of Soldiers Field Road Extension, before it turns right and continues as North Beacon Street again, and crosses under the Mass Pike (no interchange). US-20 continues towards downtown, passing through the Allston neighborhood of Boston. Upon crossing Cambridge Street, US-20 becomes Brighton Ave for a short distance. US-20 soon reaches Commonwealth Ave, and takes the eastbound routing over for Route 30, which ends at the intersection. At this point, the Brookline/Norfolk County border lies just feet south of the road, and US-20 passes through Boston University.[5] US-20 crosses Route 2 at the southern end of the Boston University Bridge, crossing over the Mass Pike for the final time. Route 2, via Mountfort Street, Park Drive, and Beacon Street, turns from south to east to meet US-20 at Kenmore Square. Upon meeting Route 2 again, US-20 meets its eastern terminus, with Route 2 taking Commonwealth Ave its final stretch to the Boston Public Garden and Route 28, where Route 2 meets its own end.[6]

U.S. Route 20's official eastern terminus is in Kenmore Square at the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street, and Brookline Avenue.

Major intersections

CountyLocation[7]mi[7]kmExitDestinationsNotes
BerkshireHancock0.0000.000 US 20 westContinuation into New York
Pittsfield3.3365.369 Route 41 south Richmond, West StockbridgeNorthern terminus of Route 41
7.43111.959 Route 9 east (Center Street) DaltonWestern terminus of Route 9
7.59612.225 US 7 north WilliamstownWestern end of US 7 concurrency
Lenox12.84520.672 Route 7A south Historic LenoxNorthern terminus of Route 7A
14.69423.648 Route 183 south Historic Lenox, TanglewoodNorthern terminus of Route 183
15.00124.142 US 7 south Stockbridge, Great BarringtonEastern end of US 7 concurrency
Lee17.40528.011Bridge over the Housatonic River
18.76630.201 I90 / Mass Pike Springfield, Boston, Albany NYExit 10 on I-90 / Mass Pike
18.83630.314 Route 102 west Stockbridge, Great BarringtonEastern terminus of Route 102
Becket25.71941.391 Route 8 south Otis, Winsted, CTWestern end of Route 8 concurrency
30.89549.721 Route 8 north Becket, DaltonEastern end of Route 8 concurrency
HampshireHuntington41.83167.320 Route 112 north to Route 66 HuntingtonSouthern terminus of Route 112
HampdenRussell48.01677.274 Route 23 west Blandford, OtisEastern terminus of Route 23
Westfield53.75286.505 US 202 / Route 10 north HolyokeWestern end of US 202 / Route 10 concurrency
54.00486.911 US 202 / Route 10 south Southwick, New Haven, CTEastern end of US 202 / Route 10 concurrency
55.77089.753 Route 187 south Feeding HillsNorthern terminus of Route 187
West Springfield61.57799.099 US 5 Agawam, Holyoke, NorthamptonRotary interchange
Connecticut River61.69799.292Bridge
Springfield62.739100.969 I91 / Route 20A east Holyoke, Greenfield, Hartford, CTWestern terminus of Route 20A; exits 8-9B on I-91 northbound, 8-11 on I-91 southbound.
63.135101.6061B I291 eastWestern end of I-291 concurrency
63.261101.8092AChestnut Street Springfield
64.012103.0173Armory Street
65.082104.7394St. James Avenue Chicopee Falls
66.559107.1165A I291 east / Route 20A west to I90 / Mass Pike Chicopee, East Springfield, BostonEastern terminus of Route 20A; Eastern end of I-291 concurrency
70.388113.279 Route 21 north to I90 / Mass Pike Ludlow, Chicopee, Indian OrchardSouthern terminus of Route 21; eastern terminus of Route 141
Palmer78.782126.787 Route 181 north BelchertownSouthern terminus of Route 181
79.794128.416 Route 32 north to I90 / Mass Pike Ware, BarreWestern end of Route 32 concurrency
80.775129.995 Route 32 south Monson, Stafford Springs, CTEastern end of Route 32 concurrency
82.461132.708 Route 67 north Warren, BrookfieldSouthern terminus of Route 67
Brimfield87.867141.408 Route 19 Wales, Stafford, CT, Warren, West Brookfield
WorcesterSturbridge92.813149.368 Route 148 north Brookfield, North BrookfieldSouthern terminus of Route 148
94.467152.030 Route 131 east Sturbridge, SouthbridgeWestern terminus of Route 131
94.831152.616 I84 west to I90 / Mass Pike Hartford, CT, Boston, SpringfieldExits 6A-B on I-84; left exit eastbound to I-90; left exit westbound to I-84 west
96.795155.776 Route 49 north to Route 9 SpencerSouthern terminus of Route 49
Charlton99.991160.920 Route 169 south Southbridge, Putnam, CTNorthern terminus of Route 169
100.393161.567 Route 31 Dudley, Spencer, Paxton
Oxford105.826170.310 Route 56 Oxford, Webster, Leicester
Auburn106.731171.767 Route 12 south WebsterWestern end of Route 12 concurrency
107.413172.864 Route 12 north to I90 / Mass Pike Auburn, Boston, WorcesterEastern end of Route 12 concurrency
108.624174.813 I395 south / I290 east Norwich, CT, WorcesterExit 6 on I-395
Millbury112.510181.067 Route 146 (Route 122A) / I90 / Mass Pike Worcester, Providence, RI, Boston, SpringfieldExit 94 on I-90 / Mass Pike; exit 10 on Route 146
Worcester115.252185.480 Route 122 Grafton, Providence, RI, Worcester, Barre, UxbridgeInterchange
Shrewsbury117.548189.175 Route 140 Grafton, ShrewsburyInterchange
Northborough120.697194.243 Route 9 Westboro, Boston, Shrewsbury, WorcesterInterchange
123.895199.390 Route 135 east Westboro, HopkintonWestern terminus of Route 135
MiddlesexMarlborough127.683205.486 I495 Cape Cod, LowellExit 24 on I-495
129.519208.441 Route 85 Southboro, Milford, Hudson
Wayland139.707224.837 Route 27 / Route 126 (Cochituate Road) Sudbury, Concord
Waltham144.589232.693 I95 / Route 128 to I90 / Mass Pike Providence, RI, Portsmouth, NHRotary interchange; exit 26 on I-95 / Route 128
145.808234.655 Route 117 west Maynard, LeominsterEastern terminus of Route 117
147.073236.691 Route 60 east Belmont, ArlingtonWestern terminus of Route 60
Watertown149.373240.393 Route 16 West Newton, Cambridge
Charles River150.683242.501North Beacon Street Bridge
SuffolkBoston152.654245.673 Route 30 west (Commonwealth Avenue)Eastern terminus of Route 30
153.365246.817 Route 2 west (Essex Street) Cambridge, Arlington
154.11248.02 Route 2 east (Beacon Street)Eastern terminus of US 20
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Suffixed routes

Route 20A
LocationSpringfield
Length4.14 mi[8] (6.66 km)

Route 20A is a state highway located entirely within Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The route, an alternate route of U.S. Route 20, parallels the section of US 20 concurrent with Interstate 291. The western terminus is at US 20 and Interstate 91 in downtown Springfield east of where US 20 crosses the Connecticut River on the North End Bridge. The eastern terminus is at US 20 and I-291 northeast of the city.

This alignment provides an alternate to Interstate 291, which overlaps US 20 for much of its length, but was originally an alternate to old US 20, which ran down State Street and Boston Road. This route was therefore never part of US 20, but has served as an alternate to two separate routes.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Springfield, Hampden County.

mi[8]kmDestinationsNotes
0.000.00 US 20 west West Springfield, WestfieldContinuation beyond western terminus
0.050.080 I91 to I291 east / US 20 east Greenfield, Hartford, CTWestern terminus; exit 9 on I-91; no westbound access to I-91 south
0.310.50 Route 116 north (Main Street)Southern terminus of Route 116
4.006.44 I291 / US 20 west to I90 (Mass Pike) / I91Eastern terminus; exit 5 on I-291
4.156.68 US 20 east Indian OrchardContinuation beyond eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. Executive Office of Transportation, Office of Transportation Planning - 2007 Road Inventory Archived September 27, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Roads and Highways of the Pioneer Valley - US 20
  3. S.H. Holbrook, The Old Post Road: The Story of the Boston Post Road, (McGraw-Hill, 1962)
  4. Google (June 8, 2009). "U.S. Route 20 in Massachusetts" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  5. "Boston University maps, retrieved August 5, 2009". Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  6. "MapQuest Maps:". Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  7. MassDOT Planning Division. "Massachusetts Route Log Application". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  8. Planning Division (2012). "Massachusetts Highway Route Log". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
KML is from Wikidata
U.S. Route 20
Previous state:
New York
Massachusetts Next state:
Terminus
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