128 Widening

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mass88

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This has not really been talked about in great detail (I looked through the past 3 pages of threads and found nothing) but the current widening prject under way on 120 between route 9 and 24 is going to add an extra lane so that 128 is a full 4 lanes in each direction between 93/3 split and the 93/95 clover. My question is this going to be an extra 4th lane and a full breakdown lane? Or is going to be what is currently in place on the SE expressway where you have just 4 full lanes and no breakdown lane?

I would hope it would be 4 full lanes in each direction and a full breakdwon lane as well. Also, are there any plans to put lighting along 128 any time soon? The stretch from rt 9 to 24 that is.
 
128 needs A LOT of work to make it decent. Problem is the state has hardly any money to spend on infrastructure but all the roads and rails in the state are crumbling. This isn't just a problem in Mass. though but a nation wide problem.

China and India are spending billions to upgrade their infrastructure but the second you bring in the American government it's pork. I think we as a nation need to stop thinking about things in a 20th century mindset.
 
What's wrong with the current setup, which uses the breakdown lane as an extra travel lane during certain hours? That's much less expensive, and more environmentally friendly, than widening a road.
 
Ron Newman said:
What's wrong with the current setup, which uses the breakdown lane as an extra travel lane during certain hours? That's much less expensive, and more environmentally friendly, than widening a road.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree. 128 is solid.
 
I don't think driving in the breakdown lane is the best option. It's caused fatal accidents, gets tricky at off-ramps, and generally the breakdown lane isn't as smooth and clean a surface as the rest of the highway, like on 93N in the Tewksbury area.
 
It's not necessarily ideal, but it's much better than widening the road just to deal with the hour or two a day when there is additional traffic. It's one of the local idiosyncracies that people just get used to after a few weeks. (See also: rotaries, concert parking on Storrow Drive, Sunday closure of Memorial Drive, etc.)
 
128's greatest idiosyncracy is the sign that says you're going north on Rt. 1 and south on I-95, simultaneously.
 
Ron Newman said:
What's wrong with the current setup, which uses the breakdown lane as an extra travel lane during certain hours? That's much less expensive, and more environmentally friendly, than widening a road.
Click to expand...

It's a pain during rush hour to get on/off 128 when you have people driving in the breakdown lane. Also, when a car is broken down in the break down lane, that forces those driving in the breakdown lane to move into the 3 normal lanes and reates a backup. There is plenty of land already cleared around 128 to add a lane that does not require knocking down trees or clearing forests.
 
czsz said:
128's greatest idiosyncracy is the sign that says you're going north on Rt. 1 and south on I-95, simultaneously.
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LOL How is that possible? And where is this that you speak of?
 
The sign is possible because US-1 follows I-93 around through Braintree and past the Canton I-95 interchange to Dedham, where it breaks off and continues south. Nonetheless, for a short way, US-1 South multiplexes with I-95 North and vice versa. The same mechanism allows you to transfer from I-95 South to I-93 North without ever leaving your lane in Canton.

Frankly, this is stupid, but that's the way they label it.
 
I find that the breakdown lane is used as another high speed lane. This is just too dangerous and I can't believe the hiway depart can be so stupid to allow this.
 
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czsz said:
128's greatest idiosyncracy is the sign that says you're going north on Rt. 1 and south on I-95, simultaneously.
Click to expand...

its like that on the jersey turnpike at one point... very confusing. especially after 18 hours straight driving and its 4am in the morning.
 
Where on the Jersey Pike? Southern Jersey where you go from being on 95 to 295 before the DelMemBr (or after, depending on which direction you're heading)? I always have trouble there especially in the midst of a long drive.
 
^^ Good. It's not so bad if you're somewhat alert, but usually by the time I'm there, I'm exhausted. And yeah, it's definitely in the Central part of the state.
 
Travel in the breakdown lane is an awful, awful idea that should have been abolished long ago. If you aren't familiar with the area and you try to enter 128 thinking there's a merge lane, when there really isn't, you unwittingly throw yourself into 65+ MPH traffic. Ditto for the out-of-towner who prepares to exit and doesn't realize there is speeding traffic on the shoulder to the right. And local dummies who use the shoulder during off-hours. I've seen accidents and more near misses than I can count. It's like NASCAR.
 
czsz said:
128's greatest idiosyncracy is the sign that says you're going north on Rt. 1 and south on I-95, simultaneously.
Click to expand...

There's also a point on 128 in Burlington where you are going north on 128/95 and south on US 3 (and vice-versa on the other side) simultaneously.
 
Wow, that will help alot. Looking at the presentation, I'm surprised there isn't more fender benders and bottlenecks at this interchange.
 
AdamBC said:
Wow, that will help alot. Looking at the presentation, I'm surprised there isn't more fender benders and bottlenecks at this interchange.
Click to expand...

It really is a very poorly designed interchange. I also like how they will be adding a north bound exit at Dedham street. That is going to make the trip to the MBTA/Amtrak station a heck of a lot easier.
 
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