Interstate 290 (Massachusetts)

Interstate 290 marker

Interstate 290
Route information
Maintained by Masshighways
Length: 20.16 mi[1] (32.44 km)
Existed: 1970 – present
Major junctions
West end: I‑90 / I‑395 / Route 12 in Auburn
 
East end: I‑495 / Route 85 Connector in Marlborough
Highway system
← Route 286I‑291 →

Interstate 290 (abbreviated I-290) runs for 20.16 miles (32.44 km) from Auburn, Massachusetts to Marlborough, Massachusetts. It is a continuation of I-395 north of I-90 (the Mass Pike) and runs through downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, where I-190 splits off, and I-290 runs across Lake Quinsigamond and east to I-495 in Marlborough. There are buildings very close to the highway, including a grand church which faces the road (referred to locally as "Our Lady of the Highway"). Massachusetts has built a freeway connector (Route 146) from I-290 in Worcester to the Mass Pike and then south to Providence, Rhode Island.

Route description

The I-290 viaduct at Worcester station in 1976

I-290 begins as the continuation of I-395 in Auburn with exits to I-90, Route 12, and the Auburn Mall. 290 continues north through Worcester into Downtown, where Route 146 and I-190 split off. After 146, I-290 has exits for Route 122A, Route 122, downtown, and Route 9. After 190, 290 presumes east to a junction with Route 70, then continues over Quinsigamond Lake into Shrewsbury, where it goes northeast. 290 has a junction with Route 140 and starts east into Boylston and Northborough, where it travels northeast again. 290 enters Berlin for a brief time with an exit for Solomon Pond Mall and then enters Marlborough with the junction with 495, where it terminates shortly after on the Route 85 connector.

History

Orson the bear, the mascot of Polar Beverages, is a prominent landmark visible from I-290 in Worcester.
The I-290 Route 146 junction seen under construction as well as Downtown Worcester from above looking north.

Originally, I-290 was to rejoin I-90 in Westborough, roughly where I-495 sits now. However, this route would have run through the town centers of Shrewsbury and Northborough. Additionally, I-290 was intended to be extended past I-495 to I-95/Route 128 in Waltham, but this was canceled under pressure from towns along the planned route. A brief two-lane connector heads to Route 85 as a result of this aborted plan. The interchange with I-495 was originally supposed to be a cloverleaf, but after the plan was canceled, it was modified with a flyover ramp onto 495-northbound. The former exit 12 (Millbury Street) was closed when the Route 146 freeway was completed between the Mass Pike and I-290 in 2007.

Exit list

All interchanges will be renumbered to milepost-based numbers under a project scheduled to start in 2016.[2]

CountyLocation[3]mi[3]kmExit[4]Destinations[4]Notes
WorcesterAuburn0.0000.000– I‑395 south – Norwich, CTWestern terminus; continuation from I-395
0.3470.5587 I‑90 / Mass Pike / Route 12 – AuburnEastbound exit to Route 12 south; westbound exit to Route 12 north; I-90 Exit 10
0.0700.1138 Route 12 south – WebsterWestbound exit only
0.9301.4979Swanson Road – AuburnEastbound exit to Swanson Road; westbound entrance from Vine Street
1.7002.736Auburn Street – AuburnWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Worcester3.3585.40410 Route 12 north (Hope Avenue)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
3.5655.73711College Square / Federal Square / Southbridge Street
4.6117.42112 Route 146 south – Millbury, ProvidenceWestbound exit and eastbound entrance, the original exit 12 was for Millbury Street
5.2658.47313 Route 122A (Vernon Street) – Kelley SquareRoute 146 is accessible by 122A southbound
5.6389.07314 Route 122 – Barre, UxbridgeNo westbound entrance
5.8109.35015Shrewsbury StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
6.1379.87716E. Central St, MLK Jr. Boulevard – Downtown WorcesterUnion Station, Saint Vincent Hospital, DCU Center
6.57210.57717 Route 9 – Ware, FraminghamEastbound exit and westbound entrance
6.98011.23318 Route 70 to Route 9 – Ware, FraminghamWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
7.37711.87219 I‑190 north to Route 12 – Holden, FitchburgSouthern terminus of I-190; eastbound exit is combined with Exit 20
7.37711.87220Burncoat Street to Route 70 (Lincoln Street)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastbound exit is combined with Exit 19
8.42113.552 Route 70 (Lincoln Street)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
9.64115.51621Plantation Street – WorcesterEastbound exit and westbound entrance
Shrewsbury10.17316.37222Main Street – Shrewsbury, Worcester
12.68020.40623A Route 140 south – Shrewsbury
12.69020.42323B Route 140 north – Boylston
Northborough14.85523.90724Church Road – Northborough, Boylston
17.91328.82825AHudson Street – Northborough
17.92528.84725BSolomon Pond Mall Road – BerlinSolomon Pond Mall
MiddlesexMarlborough20.00032.18726A I‑495 south – Cape CodI-495 exit 25B
20.1632.4426B I‑495 north – LowellLeft exit eastbound; I-495 exit 25B
20.1632.44 To Route 85 – HudsonEastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ "Route Log- Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2015). "COMMBUYS - Bid Solicitation FAP# HSIP-002S(874) Exit Signage Conversion to Milepost-Based Numbering System along Various Interstates, Routes and the Lowell Connector". Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  3. 1 2 MassDOT Planning Division. "Massachusetts Route Log Application". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Massachusetts Department of Transportation. "Exit Numbers and Names: Route I-290 (Auburn to Worcester)". Retrieved August 21, 2014.

Route map: Bing / Google

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