Roads and Highways of the Pioneer Valley

Interstate 90 - The Mass. Pike

Masspike Information: Western terminus is at the NY border in West Stockbridge, MA. The Eastern terminus is at Logan Airport, MA Route 1A in Boston, MA. 137.8 miles of I-90's 3,020.54 are in Massachusetts, all under control of the Masspike authority.

History/Facts: The Masspike was originally not planned to be Interstate 90 - it was planned and built before the Eisenhower Interstate system came to fruition. However, when the original I-90 through northern MA (What is now the MA 2 corridor) found environmental and community opposition, the Masspike became a viable routing alternative, since it was already an interstate grade highway. It has few interchanges before Boston, as it was always a toll road and maximizing revenue was a goal, even though exits 1-6 currently no longer collect a toll.

For more information on the history of the MassPike, check out Steve Anderson's BostonRoads.com.

Photos: Eastbound | Westbound

Historical:

In this old, old photograph, courtesy of Building the Masspike (a great book if you're a roadgeek, but not enough of what I care about, 2/3rds of the book is dedicated to the extension), we see what will be the masspike come to an abrupt stop at MA 183 in Stockbridge.

This is how the area looks in modern times:

I'm not sure when the modern Turnpike linked up to this road via those bridges you see, but the bridges are listed as being finished in 1957. The turnpike in its entirety was opened in 1957 from exit 1 to Weston, so this part in the historical photo must have been finished early. How early, I don't know, but early enough to be used by traffic.

Eastbound: The Berkshires/Pioneer Valley

Just as you cross over the border, you see this sign. The middle patched in thing is a turkey, but I don't know why it's on this sign.

The first you see of the Berkshire Hills coming into the state.

This just doesn't get old. Last year it was the Patriots. Also note freshly mowed grass.

A general overpass with the "jumper prevention fence."

Why yes, there is. Thanks for the warning!

More road/hills. There's very few signs in this area, but it's an incredible stretch of road to drive, so I figured to get a few shots.

A better hills shot.

The speed slows down as you approach the tollbooth, but in practice, people don't really slow down until they get to it.

Thank you, sign!

This is just leaving the Exit 1 tollbooth. Exit 1 is only a half interchange (get on eastbound, get off westbound). There are plans to make it a full interchange in the next decade, though. The right of way is there to do it, but they're doing cost evaluations right now.

Distance sign from exit 1.

Hills in West Stockbridge. Until Lee, the two carriageways are very seperated by a large, tree-filled median.

This is in Stockbridge, on that bit of road you see in the historical section. The bridge is right ahead.

The first hint of Exit 2.

It's not snowy, but the Berkshires do seem dreamlike when they are covered by frosting.

The first BGS for exit 2 eastbound.

Unless you know where you're going, getting to any of these three things is not easy from the Turnpike.

Yes, 30 miles. Fortunately for you, there's a service plaza inbetween these two exits.

The offramp for Exit 2. Beware for traffic coming from westbound, as it's a pretty blind merge for them.

Just after the exit, this sign is here. 40 miles is to Exit 6, not Exit 4. Why it's telling people to go there is beyond me; I-91 is much more direct from the eastbound direction rather than westbound (which in case I'd say yes, take exit 6).

A general Lee road shot.

The Appalachian Trail overpass, which, as far as I know, is the only pedestrian-only overpass on the Masspike, and the only one with a brown sign instead of black.

A beautiful rock cut in Becket. There are lots of rock cuts in this stretch of turnpike, as it was pretty much cut directly through Blandford mountain and the surrounding mountains.

More Becket.

Even more Becket.

Very true. On the Westbound side, it says "Next highest elevation." I-90 goes even higher in Montana when it crosses the continental divide at over 6,000 feet.

In Otis.

Great shot of the curve heading into Blandford. The antenna in the distance belongs to the Blandford turnpike maintenance area.

In Blandford, past the maintenance area.

In Blandford, there's wheat or something that grows in the medians during the spring and summertime.

More Blandford.

I think this plaza holds the record for "least amount of stuff" in the plaza. No D'Angelo's or even an Auntie Anne's like on the westbound one. Just a Mickey D's and a Tigermart.

Here at R&HotPV&WM (heh), we're not prejudiced against any kind of road sign or feature. These large "trees," if you will drew a lot of ire when Masspike sold the service plaza contracts and these large structures were erected. You can see them coming, and some people think they ruin the view. I would agree, and so did many others. They eventually reduced the height of the sign trees.

This is the start of the 6% grade between Russell and Blandford.

More distances. Staties like to sit in that little pull off as well.

More downgrade.

Warning for the runaway truck ramp, the only one I know of in Massachusetts. I've never seen it used, but I know it has been recently.

Great shot of rock cuts and the road snaking between the trench dug into Blandford mountain.

Said runaway truck ramp.

First warning of Exit 3. Notice the odd 3DUS shield - the only place where the turnpike interchanges with a 3DUS route, by the way.

It's probably faster to go to exit 4 and run up 91 to go to Easthampton.

Half mile warning.

A better looking 3DUS shield.

Entering the Pike from exit 3.

You see this guide sign after coming from exit 3. I-91 is signed as such, since a decent amount of people are going there, but it should really be signed as West Springfield/Springfield. Going all the way to exit 6 (291) for "Springfield" is a bit of a waste, I'm sure this used to be signed this way back in the days of tolls on this section of the pike to maximize revenue.

This is the first indicator of Exit 4, 2 miles ahead. Exit 4 used to just connect to US 5, but after I-91 was built, they reconstructed the interchange to go to both US 5 and I-91. All three roads connect to each other at that point, which is rather neat, if you think about it.

Going to UMass (why the dash?)? Take exit 4 to I-91N, and exit 19 to MA 9E. You can't miss it. Really.

The two most important Springfield destinations - The Basketball Hall of Fame and Bradley Airport (which is in Windsor Locks, but you need to take 91 to get there). Nice use of the double-color sign.

According to Justin from misc.transport.road, the Soldier's Home is in Holyoke off exit 16 on I-9.

Yes, the Springfield Armory, home of many of the US Army's most famous and important guns. The modern Springfield Armory isn't really related to the historical armory, which is now a museum, and where this sign is telling you to go. George Washington himself decreed Springfield to be home to the national armory in the 18th century.

You can see that there is one part of this sign brighter than the other (patched over?). I wonder why this sign is here, considering the exit guide sign is about fifty feet down the road from it.

Now this is a much better sign.

Now, I CAN explain this sign. You can see (sort of) the dark green patch material behind Six Flags. That used to say "Riverside Park," until Riverside was bought up by Six Flags and turned into Six Flags New England. Some of the Riverside heritage remains, but it's basically been turned into a modern Six Flags. It's home to the world's largest wooden rollercoaster, by the way.

Standard Masspike half mile warning sign and how long to the next exit.

Exit 4 gantry.

This is the start of the Connecticut river crossing. This was recently rehabilitated this summer, with the installation of the new Jersey barrier and road resurfacing. Although I forgot to take a picture of it, at the end of this bridge is the I-90 overpass of I-391. There's a red mileage marker on the overpass. The next time I go over, I'll take a picture.

The Connecticut River in all her glory.

This is the I-391 overpass I was talking about.

This is an odd one.

Westover Air Force Base is one of the largest bases in Massachusetts. It is one of the homes of the C5 galaxy, has backup space shuttle landing capability, and now a destination for Skybus airlines.

A rare "Next Right" sign. It should say 1/2 mile or something like that (and it does on the WB road).

What's wrong with this picture? Look at the signage, it's a bit off for some reason.The tabs are slightly different, there's no regular pullthrough... Color me puzzled.

Now that's a low flying jet. A military aircraft; the Lockheed C5 Galaxy. This photo was taken when the plane was landing at Westover Air force base, where the runway is orthogonal to the highway.

Now that's more like it.

This is one of the most misleading signs I know of. The Chicopee Fast Lane service center is on US 20 at the Eastfield Mall in East Springfield. It's at least eight miles or so from exit 6 on the roads you have to take to get to it. I've been told that the signage to get to it is actually useful, but as the ever skeptical Dan I am, I'll have to investigate this myself sometime.

Half a mile to exit 6.

Exit 6 gantry. Entirely different from the Westbound gantry.

Mileage reassurance post exit 6.

The beginnings of the Ludlow noise barrier.

Finished noise barrier. Wish I could have taken pictures of the road here last year, the view of the houses was pretty neat.

The Ludlow plaza is right after Exit 7.

Sadly, my camera ran out of battery power around the exit 7 signs. I'll get them soon. In the meantime, enjoy this nice shot of Wilbraham.

Exit 8 approaching.

Pardon the blurriness.

Much less useful doing this going eastbound than it is westbound.

Exit 8.

Palmer.

Warren.

Brimfield.

Nearing Exit 9. Notorious traffic backups happen here.

The Charlton plaza is one of the busiest on the turnpike.

Old Sturbridge village is a living musem, as they say. Like Hancock Shaker Village back home.

Charlton State Police.

Warning. As you can see, the leaves were just starting to turn here.

Exit 9. Pardon the blur.

Charlton Plaza warning.

Service plaza warning. This is referring to the Natick plaza.

More mileage.

Kinda like the other ones we saw.

Warning for Exit 10.

Park n Ride lot warning.

All caps alert.

In the Auburn Mall which is right next to the turnpike.

Warning pole for exit 10.

Never been there.

Lane split alert.

And behold - the oldest signs on the mainline turnpike! The only remnant of the green pilgrim hat that's actually surviving on the turnpike. These signs aren't button copy, so I'm figuring they were probably put up when MA 52 was re-designated as I-395 in the mid-80s.

Westbound: Pioneer Valley/The Berkshires

Done? Head Westbound or Return home.