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Announced a year ago, the plan to get Massachusetts’ highways in-line with the federal exit numbering strategy - a “milepost-based system” - will soon be visible to motorists, WCVB reports.
Massachusetts Department of Transportation has created an interactive map - newmassexits.com - showing the new highway exit numbers. Almost all Massachusetts highways, interstates, freeways that have exit numbers will be impacted. There are a few spots in Lowell that will remain the same.
Drivers in Central and Western Massachusetts will be most affected by the exit number changes on
- the Mass Turnpike,
- I-91,
- I-93,
- I-95,
- I-395,
- I-290,
- Route 146,
- and I-84.
The changes are major - some exits will have new numerals nowhere near the old ones while others will be close to the old digits.
The switch will cost about $2.8 million and 90 percent of the project is being paid through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program. The other 10 percent is being covered by Massachusetts taxpayers.
Some of the changes people can expect to see within the next two months:
- The Mass Turnpike Exit in West Springfield at I-91 is going from Exit 4 to Exit 45.
- The next Turnpike exit in Westfield, the old Exit 3, will soon be Exit 41.
- The downtown Springfield I-91 old Exit 8 is becoming Exit 6.
- In Central Massachusetts I-290 Exit 14 will become Exit 18.
- The I-84 junction at Route 20 will go from 3A/B to 6A/B.
The re-numbering plan is meant to be easier for people to determine how many miles to the next exit and for emergency responders a more accurate idea of a crash’s location. To avoid confusion, for the next two years, exit signs with the old numbers will be installed.
MassDOT is holding a public information session remotely on Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m. You can register to check the meeting out and ask questions on the state’s website.
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