New and Expanded Highways

[Joel N. Weber II]

Re: Partial Cloverleaf Interchanges: US-1 / I-495

One interchange that I think would probably benefit from the partial cloverleaf configuration is the US-1 / I-495 interchange in Plainville: delete the existing I-495 westbound to US-1 southbound ~270 degree loop (and the I-495 eastbound to US-1 northbound loop).

Counting the southbound lanes of US-1 from right to left, assuming 3 southbound lanes immediately south of Madison St, lane 1 would then go to I-495 westbound only, lane 2 to I-495 eastbound only, lane 3 would continue on US-1 to the south (possibly also with an option to get on to I-495 eastbound after events at Foxboro Stadium), and lane 4 would collect traffic from I-495 westbound continuing to US-1.

I'm also wondering whether permanently reconfiguring US-1 from Foxboro Stadium to I-495 to be one lane northbound, three lanes southbound would make sense, if it only sees high traffic volumes right after major events at the stadium.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Re: Congestion Tolls

You can't toll your old interstates

While the current federal rules don't allow old Interstate highways to be tolled, there's no reason Senator Warren, Senator Markey, Representative Capuano, their colleagues, and the President couldn't change those rules.

Do we have land to widen I-93 if we get the magic Public Private Partnership funding?

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Re: Woburn I-93 / I-95 interchange

Does building a flyover ramp to allow direct I-93 southbound to I-95 eastbound / northbound movements make sense at all?

Highway 129 provides a much more direct route than the freeway routing.

One might imagine a tunnel under 129 for the I-93 southbound to I-95 eastbound / northbound traffic, but that tunnel is probably not going to reach the top of anyone's priority list for many decades.

But would it be possible to send the I-93 southbound to I-95 eastbound / northbound traffic along the Haverhill Line right of way while still maintaining space for two Orange Line tracks if the Orange Line to Reading conversion happens, and then build an I-93 northbound to I-95 westbound / southbound flyover ramp at the existing interchange location? (Presumably this would involve grade separating the Orange Line / freeway connector through the center of Reading.)