U.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts

U.S. Route 1
Map
Route information
Maintained by MassDOT
Length	86.253 mi (138.811 km)
Existed	1926–present
Major junctions
South end	US 1 in Pawtucket, RI
Major intersections	I-295 in North Attleborough I-495 in Plainville I-95 / Route 128 in Dedham I-93 / Route 3 in Braintree I-90 / I-93 in Boston I-95 / Route 128 in Peabody I-95 in Danvers
North end	US 1 in Seabrook, NH
Location
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Counties	Bristol, Norfolk, Suffolk, Middlesex, Essex
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State
← I-895 → Route 1A
← Route 1A → Route 2

Southbound in Topsfield

U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a major north–south U.S. Route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, traveling through Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Bristol counties. The portion of US 1 south of Boston is also known as the Boston–Providence Turnpike, Washington Street, or the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike, and portions north of Boston are known as the Northeast Expressway and the Newburyport Turnpike.

Route description

From the south, US 1 enters Massachusetts from Rhode Island, immediately entering the city of Attleboro. It closely parallels Interstate 95 (I-95) as it goes through the towns of North Attleborough, Plainville, Wrentham, Foxborough (where Gillette Stadium is), Walpole, Sharon, Norwood, and Westwood. US 1 then has a wrong-way concurrency with I-95 up to the interchange that is the southern terminus of I-93. US 1 then travels concurrently with I-93 from Canton through Downtown Boston; Route 3 joins the concurrency in Braintree. In Downtown Boston, Route 1A and Route 3 separate from US 1 to head toward Logan International Airport and Cambridge respectively, and I-93 and US 1 separate just after passing through the O'Neill Tunnel and crossing the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge. US 1 continues north, crossing the Tobin Bridge as the Northeast Expressway and traveling through Chelsea, Revere, and Malden, then as a four- to six-lane expressway through Saugus, Lynnfield, and Peabody. The route through Saugus was once known for its abundance of kitschy roadside commercial architecture, including the 68-foot (21 m) neon cactus of the Hilltop Steak House and tiki-styled Kowloon Restaurant. From Peabody, US 1 again closely parallels I-95 going through the towns of Danvers, Topsfield, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, and Newburyport. In Newburyport, US 1 has a mile-long (1.6 km) freeway segment that bypasses downtown and the waterfront areas; Route 1A joins the freeway shortly before it crosses the Merrimack River, entering Salisbury and becoming a surface arterial again. Three miles (4.8 km) later, it enters the state of New Hampshire.

Route 1A runs alongside US 1 in four parts of the state.

History

US 1 in Massachusetts was constructed in sections throughout the 1930s partly by widening existing roads and also by constructing new right of ways to bypass more congested areas. Originally, most of the highway was two or three lanes in each direction, with numerous widening and improvements made over the years.

Turnpike era

Most of US 1 consists of two former turnpike roads—the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike and the Newburyport Turnpike. The older roads that these turnpikes were meant to bypass are now mostly Route 1A.

The Newburyport Turnpike opened on February 11, 1805, and was constructed by a private company at a cost of $500,000 (equivalent to $10.2 million in 2023). The turnpike was used by stagecoaches and mail carriers for decades, but toll collection ceased in 1847 as parallel railroads attracted more use. Several sections were rebuilt to accommodate automobile traffic in the early 20th century, but it saw decreased use following the completion of I-95. The section in downtown Newsburyport was bypassed in 1934.

Massachusetts Route C1

In the early 1930s, Route C1 was designated as an alternate route of US 1 through Downtown Boston. The "C" indicated a city route. The C designation was apparently distinct to the Boston area. Route C1 ran along Brookline Avenue, Beacon Street, Embankment Road (modern Route 28), Charles Street, Lowell Street, Merrimac Street, and Cross Street to the west end of the Sumner Tunnel. In East Boston, it went via Porter Street to Chelsea Street then shifted to the William McClellan Highway (modern Route 1A). As Storrow Drive and the Central Artery opened in the 1950s, Route C1 was rerouted to follow portions of these highways. The Route C1 designation was removed in 1971, with US 1 taking over most of the alignment south of the Charles River, and Route 1A taking over most of the alignment north of the river. US 1 was later moved onto the Southeast Expressway leaving most of the former alignment of Route C1 south of the river as having no number.

Massachusetts Route 17

For a period of time during the 1950s, a segment of US 1 in Massachusetts and New Hampshire was routed onto what later became I-95. The roadway that had been US 1 was designated as Route 17 from Danvers to Salisbury and New Hampshire Route 17 (NH 17) for a short distance in Seabrook. Once the I-95 designation was adopted, Route 17 and NH 17 were restored to being US 1.

Northeast Expressway

Causeway (center) for the unbuilt section of the Northeast Expressway across Saugus Marsh

The Northeast Expressway was planned to extend north, as part of I-95, from Saugus, through Lynn, Lynnfield and Peabody. The highway would bisect the Saugus Marsh and Lynn Woods Reservation. The highway would then connect with the present junction of I-95 and Route 128 in Peabody. The Northeast Expressway was planned to carry the I-95 designation from Charlestown to Peabody. The first section of the expressway built was the Tobin Bridge over the Mystic River, which opened in 1950. In various stages, the Chelsea and Revere portions opened from 1956 to 1958. The highway carried the I-95 designation from 1955 (in its planning stages) to 1973. It was among the canceled highways affected by Governor Francis Sargent's February 1970 moratorium on expressway construction within Route 128. US 1 replaced I-95 on the Northeast Expressway, in the 1970s after I-95 joined Route 128 from Westwood to Peabody around Boston.

Relocation in Boston

In the late 1980s, at the request of the Metropolitan District Commission (now the Department of Conservation and Recreation) in an attempt to reduce the incidence of overheight vehicles finding their way onto Storrow Drive, US 1 was moved onto I-93 south of and through Boston, leaving the old route—Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway (VFW Parkway), Jamaicaway, Riverway, and Storrow Drive through Dedham, Chestnut Hill, West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and central Boston—without a number. There are still some street signs incorrectly indicating the former alignment as US 1, and many local residents still refer to parts of VFW Parkway and Jamaicaway as "Route 1", as if it still runs along its old trajectory.

Saugus–Revere proposed widening

1955 Yellow Book plan for the Boston area showing the Northeast Expressway path and paths of other proposed Interstate Highways within Route 128

In the early 2010s, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) proposed a $137-million (equivalent to $187 million in 2023) project to widen the existing 2.4-mile (3.9 km) four-lane highway section to six lanes, from north of Route 99 in Saugus to south of Route 60 in Revere. The proposal consisted of adding a 12-foot (3.7 m) travel lane and 10-foot (3.0 m) shoulder in each direction. Work would also include reconstruction of the Copeland Circle interchange by eliminating the existing rotary, and demolition of the existing 1957 bridges from the never-built highway extension. The Lynn Street/Salem Street interchange in Malden, and the Route 99 interchange in Saugus, were slated to be reconstructed. Major rock blasting would be required for the project due to a massive ledge next to the highway, and seven bridges would be replaced and three others upgraded to handle the new lanes. In 2012, $10 million (equivalent to $13.1 million in 2023) was added to the state budget with the intent to be used for design costs and pulling permits for US 1. The project was expected to begin in 2012, but no further movement by the state has been implemented. Since then, town officials have made the push to ask MassDOT to revisit the project and begin development.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Old exit	New exit	Destinations	Notes
Bristol	Attleboro	0.000	0.000			US 1 south – Pawtucket	Continuation into Rhode Island
		0.291	0.468			I-95 north – Foxboro, Boston	Exit 1 on I-95; northbound access to I-95 north and southbound access from I-95 south
		1.845	2.969			Route 123 (Highland Avenue) – Attleboro, Brockton, Valley Falls, RI, Lincoln, RI
		2.036	3.277			Route 1A south – Attleboro, Providence, RI	No direct access from southbound entrance from northbound Route 1A
	North Attleborough	3.974	6.396			I-295 to I-95 – Attleboro, Boston, Warwick, RI	Exit 2 on I-295
		5.238	8.430			Route 120 west (Hoppin Hill Avenue) – Cumberland, RI
		7.318	11.777			Route 1A north (Park Street) – Plainville, Wrentham
Norfolk	Plainville	8.370	13.470			Route 106 (Bacon Street) – Mansfield, Easton, Plainville
		9.992	16.081			Route 152 south (Taunton Street) – Plainville, Attleboro, Seekonk, Wrentham
		10.600	17.059			I-495 (Blue Star Memorial Highway) – Cape Cod, Marlboro	I-495 exit 36
	Foxborough	13.506	21.736			To Route 140 – Wrentham, Foxboro	Right-in/right-out intersection with Main Street northbound, East Street southbound
	Sharon	18.597	29.929			I-95 – Boston, Attleboro, Providence, RI	Exit 19 on I-95
	Walpole	19.264	31.002			Route 27 (High Plain Street) – Walpole, Medfield, Sharon
	Norwood	23.058	37.108			Neponset Street / Nahatan Street – Norwood, Canton	Pendergast Circle; roundabout interchange
	Dedham	26.319	42.356	15	29	I-95 north (Route 128) / Route 1A south – Peabody, Portsmouth, NH	Southern terminus of concurrency with I-95 / Route 128; signed as exits 29A (Route 1A) and 29B (US 1)
	Westwood	26.922	43.327	14	28	East Street / Canton Street
	Dedham	28.131	45.272	13	27	University Avenue – MBTA / Amtrak Station
	Canton	28.693	46.177	12	26	I-95 south – Providence, RI	Northern terminus of concurrency with I-95 / Route 128; southern terminus of concurrency with I-93 at exit 1
		30.053	48.366	—	2	Route 138 (Washington Street) – Stoughton, Milton	Split into exits 2A (south) and 2B (north)
	Milton	31.262	50.311	—	3	Ponkapoag Trail – Houghton's Pond
	Randolph	32.046	51.573	—	4	Route 24 south (Fall River Expressway) – Fall River
		32.882	52.918	—	5	Route 28 (Main Street) – Randolph, Milton	Split into exits 5A (south) and 5B (north)
	Braintree	35.087	56.467	—	6	Route 37 (Granite Street) – Braintree, Holbrook, West Quincy
		35.382	56.942	—	7	Route 3 south (Pilgrims Highway) – Cape Cod	Braintree Split; southern terminus of concurrency with Route 3; exit 43 on Route 3
	Quincy	36.764	59.166	—	8	Furnace Brook Parkway – Quincy
		37.815	60.857	—	9	Adams Street / Bryant Avenue – North Quincy, West Quincy, Milton	Ramps with Granite Avenue northbound and Bryant Avenue southbound
	Milton	38.639	62.183	—	10	Squantum Street – Milton	Southbound exit only
		39.500	63.569	—	11	To Route 203 / Granite Avenue – Ashmont, East Milton	Signed as exits 11A (south) and 11B (north) southbound; no northbound access to/from southbound Granite Avenue
Suffolk	Boston	40.367	64.964	—	12	Route 3A south (Gallivan Boulevard) – Quincy, Neponset	No northbound exit
		41.316	66.492	13	13A	Freeport Street – Dorchester	Northbound exit only
		41.501	66.789	14	13B	Morrissey Boulevard north – Savin Hill	Northbound exit, southbound entrance
		43.021	69.236	15	14	Columbia Road – Dorchester, South Boston
		43.749	70.407	16	15A	Southampton Street – Andrew Square	Northbound exit, southbound entrance
		44.163	71.073	18	15B	Massachusetts Avenue / Frontage Road – Roxbury	Signed as exit 15 southbound
		45.109	72.596	20	16	I-90 / Mass Pike / Albany Street – Logan Airport, Worcester, South Station	South Bay interchange; signed as 16A (South Station) and (I-90) southbound
		45.993	74.019	23	17	Government Center	Northbound exit, southbound entrance
		46.121	74.225	23	16B	Purchase Street	Southbound exit and entrance
		46.365	74.617	24	17	Route 1A north (Callahan Tunnel) – Logan Airport, Government Center	Southbound exit, northbound entrance; split into exits 17A (Government Center) and 17B (Logan Airport)
		46.848	75.395	26	18	Route 3 north (Storrow Drive) / Route 28 – Leverett Circle, Cambridge	Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 3
				Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge over the Charles River
		47.284	76.096	27	19	I-93 north – Somerville, Concord, NH	Northern terminus of concurrency with I-93; no access from southbound US 1 to northbound I-93 or from southbound I-93 to northbound US 1
		47.950	77.168			Route 99 (New Rutherford Avenue) to I-93 north – Charlestown, Somerville	Southbound exit, northbound entrance
Mystic River				Tobin Bridge (toll)
Suffolk	Chelsea	49.567	79.770			Beacon Street	Northbound exit to Beacon Street, southbound entrance from Everett Avenue
		50.038	80.528			Fourth Street	Northbound exit to Fourth Street, southbound entrance from Fifth Street
		50.323	80.987			Sixth Street	Northbound entrance only
		50.618	81.462			Carter Street – Chelsea, East Boston	Southbound exit and entrance
		51.378	82.685			Webster Avenue – Chelsea, Everett	Northbound exit, southbound entrance
		51.327	82.603			Route 16 (Revere Beach Parkway) to Route 1A – Revere Beach, Lynn, Everett, Somerville	Northbound access to/from Route 16 east; southbound access to/from Route 16 west
	Revere	52.517	84.518			Sargent Street – West Revere	Northbound exit, southbound entrance
		53.348	85.855			Route 60 (Squire Road) – Malden, Revere	Copeland Circle; roundabout interchange
		53.854	86.670			Lynn Street – Saugus, Malden	Partial cloverleaf interchange with right-in/right-out ramps to Salem Street
Middlesex	No major intersections
Essex	Saugus	55.217	88.863			Route 99 south (Broadway) – Malden, Everett	No northbound exit
		55.511	89.336			Essex Street – Saugus, Melrose	Cloverleaf interchange
		56.039	90.186			Main Street – Saugus, Wakefield	Cloverleaf interchange
		57.162	91.993			Lynn Fells Parkway west – Melrose, Stoneham	Trumpet interchange
		57.772	92.975			Route 129 west (Walnut Street) / Walnut Street east – Lynn, Wakefield, Reading	Cloverleaf interchange; south end of concurrency with Route 129
	Lynnfield	59.728	96.123			Route 129 east (Salem Street) / Salem Street west – Lynn, Swampscott	Diamond interchange; north end of concurrency with Route 129
	Peabody	60.492	97.352			I-95 south / Route 128 (Yankee Division Highway) – Waltham	I-95 / Route 128 exit 63
		61.946	99.692			I-95 north – Portsmouth, NH, Maine	I-95 exit 66; northbound exit, southbound entrance
		62.327	100.306			Lowell Street – Peabody	Partial cloverleaf interchange
	Danvers	63.233	101.764			Route 114 (Andover Street) – Peabody, Middleton	Cloverleaf interchange
		63.848	102.753			Centre Street – Danvers	Partial cloverleaf interchange
		64.902	104.450			Route 62 (Maple Street) – Danvers, Middleton	Cloverleaf interchange
		65.598	105.570			I-95 – Boston, Portsmouth, NH	I-95 exit 70
	Topsfield	68.782	110.694			Route 97 (High Street) – Topsfield Ctr., Haverhill, Beverly
	Rowley	73.819	118.800			Route 133 (Haverhill Street) – Rowley, Ipswich, Gloucester, Georgetown, N. Andover
	Newburyport	81.623	131.359			Route 1A south / Route 113 west (Merrimac Street) – Downtown Newburyport	Diamond interchange
	Salisbury	83.633	134.594			Route 110 west (School Street) / Pleasant Street east – Amesbury, Haverhill
		83.809	134.878			Route 1A north (Beach Road) – Salisbury Beach
		85.953	138.328			Route 286 (Forrest Street) – Amesbury, Seabrook, NH, Hampton Beach
		86.253	138.811			US 1 north – Seabrook	Continuation into New Hampshire
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Electronic toll collection       Incomplete access

See also

• New England road marking system
• List of U.S. Highways in Massachusetts

External links

• U.S. Route 1 at Alps' Roads