Roads and Highways of the Pioneer Valley

US 20

US 20 Information: Western terminus is at the NY State Border in Hancock, MA. The eastern terminus is at MA 2 in Kenmore Square, Boston. US 20 is the longest of US routes and 153 of its 3,365 miles are in Massachusetts.

History/Facts: US 20's alignment throughout MA used to be in the NE Interstate numbering, in that system it was NE 5. Its current corridor is generally surpassed by the MassPike, but it still serves lots of local traffic. US 20 is multiplexed briefly with I-91 in Springfield, and that multiplex branches off after a few hundred feet at the start of I-291, where US-20 is multiplexed through about 5 of its six miles of expressway. At exit 5, US 20 continues on as surface avenues and streets, continuing through major Springfield business areas and eventually into Wilbraham, Palmer, and beyond. From the I-291 exit to Boston Road is actually old MA 20A, it was given over to US 20 when the multiplex ended. 20 also used to go up Main Street, then State Street and the western part of Boston Road, but was moved over to 291 when it was built.

Photos: Eastbound / Westbound

Westbound: Springfield/W. Springfield/Westfield/The Berkshires

The route 20 Java stop in W. Springfield. One of the few remaining establishments around here named after the road it lives on.

A closeup. Note the old-style Route 20 shield used in the sign.

This is what you see when coming westbound to the new bridge.

Let's do the time warp again! I guess they weren't anticipating the bridge being done so early.

I hate bridges with curves. However, I am willing to put up with them for non-suckitude in other ways.

Westbound look at the new bridge and the old truss span next ot it.

This is the approach to the old bridge and intersection with Union Street. It's not like this anymore, it's a bit neater, with the new bridge opened, but isn't finished being constructed.

That date reads 1932. Most of the bridges on Jacob's Ladder are of the 1920's-30's era and share this date style. Some have been replaced, others date in the 50s (like the one a mile or so up the road).

East Main Street in Westfield. This is just past getting off the bridge. Shopping district, and lots of crosstown traffic.

Just past the rotary, this is where US 202 and MA 10 join US 20 for a brief time. That Union News building must be abandoned, as the Union News has changed its name to The Republican a few years ago (the Sunday Republican has always been the sunday edition of the Union News, but now they just have one name).

This is an oldie - still in good actual condition, though, like the US 202 one in the rotary. This is after you leave the co-signing with 10/202 and are heading west towards Russell and Pittsfield.

At the junction where 8 turns south into Otis.

Yep, to 90.

A general road shot of Jacob's Ladder across from Greenwater Pond.

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Concrete road on 20 in Lee. Only place I've seen this kind of road.

Again, some of those new style signs. Not sure if this will be a trend or is just contractor error.

This is just coming out of the MassPike exit 2. What is this MA 20 that you speak of? I love how MassHighway thinks up imaginary routes for us to comment on.

This is just getting off the MassPike on to Route 20. There's no such thing as MA 7 - it's US 7! To think this sign was recently replaced as well. Note that this section of the interchange was recently rebuilt - and new signage put in. Why isn't it fixed?

This is when Route 20 turns to Main street of Lee - a 25 MPH zone with lots of stops, so keep off that gas pedal. This is also the only T intersection that I know of where the | of the T (20E) has no stop sign and right-of-way over the east/westbound traffic of the -- part. Oh, the vertical offset on that 20 shield is off, too.

Downtown Lee on Main Street. Why these - for all better purposes, major travel routes with lots of traffic - routed through downtowns, I haven't the foggiest.

A MassHighway truck. The MassPike trucks have the same color, but different graphics (they used to have the Pilgrim hat and such, but now they simply say "MASSPIKE" in block text).

Cranwell Resort in Lenox on 20W. Famous movie stars go here to relax and have fun. I've done advertising and marketing materials for them.

Route 7 joins US 20 here. A very dangerous intersection, lots of cross traffic, but at least turn signals protect you.

MA 183 terminates here, this is the warning. Better get in the left lane!

The actual terminus. Note the mile marker on the post - route termini tend to get markers on their posts.

This is a T intersection with a road coming in to meet 7/20. All you have is a flashing light, and no one will ever slow down - if you're turning left from either road, you're going to be waiting a while.

Route 7A is "Old route 7" that used to go through downtown Lenox. When US 7 was decomissioned and moved to the new four-lane road we're on now, it was redesignated as MA 7A (See a trend?).

This is the terminus of 7A as seen from US 20. You can do a U-turn to reverse direction from 7S/20E thanks to this intersection.

More big signs. It appears that large signs are in style with the MA highway department, as these, like the others, are fairly recent.

This is on the Pittsfield/Lenox road past the Arcadian shop on US 7N/20W.

And another one! Note that there's no actual "road work" going on, it's a warning to get out of the way from some schmuck who ran out of gas, I guess.

This is where Dan Fox Drive (a state road, but doesn't have a state route number) meets 7/20. Silvio O'Conte was a very influential and important representative from our district. When he retired, John Olver has basically held his seat since. The national archives named after him opened a few years after he died in 1993.

On West Housatonic St. in west Pittsfield. An old residential area that slowly turns into rurality as it heads into Hancock.

More W. Housatonic street.

There's a few extra-large US 20 shields around here.

The terminus of MA 41 is right ahead.

More warning.

The turn-off for MA 41.

Done? Head Eastbound or Return home.