Interstate 84 in Massachusetts

Interstate 84 (I-84) in Massachusetts is the easternmost segment of the eastern I-84 freeway originating in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, (near Scranton). Within Massachusetts, I-84 exists in the towns of Holland and Sturbridge. Known as the Wilbur Cross Highway, it has also been signed as Route 15 between 1948 and 1980 as well as Interstate 86 (I-86) between 1971 and 1984. The Massachusetts segment of I-84 is the shortest state length of the four states it travels through.

This article is about the section of Interstate 84 in Massachusetts. For the entire route, see Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts).

Interstate 84 marker

Interstate 84

Wilbur Cross Highway
I-84 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MassDOT
Length8.15 mi[1] (13.12 km)
Existed1958–present
History
  • Route 15 (1948–1980)
  • I-84 (1958–1971, August 1984–present)[2]
  • I-86 (1971–1984)
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-84 at the Connecticut state line in Holland
Major intersections US 20 in Sturbridge
East end
 I-90 Toll / Mass Pike in Sturbridge
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountiesHampden, Worcester
Highway system
← Route 83→ Route 85
← Route 85I-86→ Route 86
← Route 14Route 15→ Route 15

Route description

History

Origins

The highway originated as Route 15, an extension of Connecticut Route 15 (then known as the Wilbur Cross Highway). The extension started in Holland, and, within 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km), it entered Sturbridge as Mashapaug Road. It then followed Haynes Road to Sturbridge Center ending at Route 131.[3]

Upgrade to Interstate Highway

Between 1949 and 1952, the Massachusetts Department of Public Works (MassDPW) initiated construction of the Wilbur Cross Highway extension to US Route 20 (US 20) in Sturbridge, with two lanes in each direction separated by a wide median and frequent U-turns.[4][5]

Between 1955 and 1957, an extension was created to connect Route 15 to the new Massachusetts Turnpike, which opened on May 15, 1957. In 1958, I-84 was cosigned with Route 15 north and east of East Hartford, Connecticut, into Massachusetts.

In late 1968, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved a new Interstate connection from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island, which was to become part of a rerouted I-84. As a result, the existing section of I-84 from Manchester, Connecticut, to I-90 (overlapping Route 15) was redesignated I-86.

Shortly thereafter, MassDPW embarked on a reconstruction of its portion of the highway with new and reconstructed carriageways providing three 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) lanes and standard shoulders. Both carriageways were separated by a wide, forested variable median. New bridges, interchanges, and weigh stations were erected along the route. The $20-million (equivalent to $94.5 million in 2021[6]) reconstruction project was completed in 1973. (Similar improvements in Connecticut were not completed until the 1980s.)

On October 1, 1980, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) decided to truncate Route 15 back to I-84 exit 57 (where it ends today), eliminating the overlap with I-86. Simultaneously, Massachusetts eliminated the overlap by decommissioning its Route 15 entirely.

Redesignation

When the planned portion of I-84 toward Providence ran into opposition in Rhode Island and was canceled in 1983, I-86 was officially reverted to I-84. The I-86 numbering was officially deleted on December 12, 1984. Plans to connect I-84 along the present day I-384/US 6 corridor from Hartford to Providence were scuttled for environmental reasons. As a result, I-84 was rerouted back onto the completed I-86 freeway.

Exit list

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) planned to convert I-84, along with the rest of the state's Interstates, to use milepost-based exits during 2016;[7] however, this project was indefinitely postponed until November 18, 2019, when MassDOT confirmed that beginning in late summer 2020 the exit renumbering project will begin.[8] On February 10, 2021, MassDOT announced in a blog post that the exit renumbering on I-84 will begin on February 28 and last for a week.

CountyLocation[9]mi[9]kmOld exitNew exit[10]DestinationsNotes
HampdenHolland0.0000.000
 I-84 west (Wilbur Cross Highway) – Hartford		Continuation into Connecticut
WorcesterSturbridge0.2890.465Mashapaug RoadWestbound entrance only
3.2525.23413Mashapaug Road – Southbridge, SturbridgeFormer Route 15
5.0778.17125
 To Route 131 – Sturbridge, Southbridge		Signed for Old Sturbridge Village
6.550–
6.869		10.541–
11.055		36 US 20 – Worcester, PalmerSigned as exits 6A (east) and 6B (west)
7.71012.408
 I-90 Toll / Mass Pike – Springfield, Albany NY, Worcester, Boston		Exit 78[11] on I-90 / Massachusetts Turnpike; trumpet interchange; eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
  1. Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  2. "State Changes Route Designation". The North Adams Transcript. August 15, 1984. p. 3. Retrieved September 14, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1946 topographic map sections:
    • United States Geological Survey (1946). Wales, Mass.–Conn (Topographic map). 1:31,680. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. Southeast corner. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
    • United States Geological Survey (1946). Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Topographic map). 1:31,680. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. Southwest corner. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
    • United States Geological Survey (1946). Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Topographic map). 1:31,680. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. Northwest corner. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  4. 1952 topographic map sections:
    • United States Geological Survey (1952). Wales, Mass.–Conn (Topographic map). 1:31,680. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. Southeast corner. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
    • United States Geological Survey (1952). Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Topographic map). 1:31,680. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. Southwest corner. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
    • United States Geological Survey (1952). Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Topographic map). 1:31,680. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. Northwest corner. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  5. Eastern Roads. "Wilbur Cross Highway (I-84)". Boston Roads. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  6. Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved January 1, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  7. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operational Services Division. "Project FAP# HSIP-002S(874X) Exit Signage Conversion to Milepost-Based Numbering System along Various Interstates, Routes, and the Lowell Connector". Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  8. Malme, Robert H. "I-84 Current and Future Exit List". GribbleNation. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  9. "MassDOT Route Log Application". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  10. "I-84 Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  11. "I-90 Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
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