Interstate 290 Massachusetts

Overview

Interstate 290 forms a loop connecting the city of Worcester south with the Mass Pike (Interstate 90) at Auburn and east to I-495, the outer beltway for Boston, at Hudson. The western end of I-290 shares a terminal point with Interstate 395 north from Connecticut. Interstate 190 stems north from I-290 at the eastern turn from Worcester to Shrewsbury and Northborough.

$6 million in construction at the east end of I-290 in Marlborough widens the entrance ramp from I-495 northbound to two lanes. Work runs through November 2023.²

History

A freeway loop north from I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) into Worcester was part of the original Interstate Highway System plans for the state of Massachusetts conveyed to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on April 10, 1958. The Massachusetts Department of Public Works selected Route 90N for the loop because it lied north of I-90. This was revised to Interstate 290 by August 18, 1958 and included in the Interstate Urban Numerology for the state approved by AASHO on November 13, 1958.

Interstate 290 opened initially by Washington Square in September, 1960. Completion of the route occurred in 1970 with the extension to Marlborough.¹

Interstate 290 under construction east from Worcester to Marlborough, Massachusetts in 1969.

Route Information

East End – Marlborough, MA
West End – Auburn, MA
Mileage – 20.16
Cities – Worcester, Marlborough
Junctions –

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

I-290 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

Source: 2019 AADT MassDOT Transportation Data Management System

Worcester, Massachusetts – 1963

Interstate 290 doubled as Route 122A (Worcester Expressway) between Quinsigamond Avenue and Route 9 (Belmont Street) when it was completed by late 1961.¹

Worcester, Massachusetts area – excerpt from the 1962 Rand McNally North American Road Atlas

The early proposal for Interstate 290 looped the freeway southeast from Worcester to an end at the cross roads of I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) and I-495.

Initial proposals for Interstate 290 looped the route southeast from Worcester to an end point at the confluence of Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) and Interstate 495 in Hopkinton. This alignment shifted northward to the present course of I-290 by 1965.¹

Construction of I-290 at the east end included a stub beyond the full cloverleaf interchange linking the freeway with Interstate 495. This changed by the mid 1970s with construction of the Route 85 Connector. The connector leads extends east from the exchange to Massachusetts Route 85 at Technology Drive. As part of the work to build the expressway spur, the loop ramp from I-290 east to I-495 north was replaced with a sharp left side ramp.

East End Connector – Marlborough

East at Connector

A pair of end signs stand ahead of the Whitney Street overpass, three miles from the exchange with I-495 and Route 85 Connector. 03/23/23

Advancing east to Interstate 495, Donald Lynch Boulevard runs along the north side of I-290 to Solomon Pond Mall and other big box retail. 03/23/23

A left exit joins Interstate 495 north to Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill in one mile. 03/23/23

Left Exit 32 B replaced a previous loop ramp to departing from the outside lane. 03/23/23

A lane drop occurs at Exit 32 A for Interstate 495 southbound toward Milford, Franklin and Mansfield. 03/23/23

Interstate 495 travels seven miles to I-90 (Mass Pike) and 65 miles southeast to I-195 / Route 25 at Wareham. 03/23/23

Exit 32 B leaves Interstate 290 eastbound as the freeway transitions into the Route 85 Connector. I-495 converges with I-95, 55 miles to the northeast at Amesbury. 03/23/23

Connector – West at

The Route 85 Connector advances 0.9 miles west from Fitchburg Street to the directional cloverleaf interchange with I-290/495. 03/23/23

Route 85 Connector shifts southward through an S-curve from the Pleasant Street overpass to Exit 32 B for Interstate 495 north to Lowell. 03/23/23

Interstate 290 commences from Route 85 Connector just ahead of Exit 32 B. 03/23/23

Interstate 290 westbound begins at Exit 32 B. I-495 loops northeast 26 miles to the Lowell Connector and U.S. 3, and 36 miles to Interstate 93 near Lawrence. 03/23/23

The succeeding ramp (Exit 26A) joins Interstate 495 south to Franklin, Taunton and Cape Cod. Worcester lies 14 miles ahead, while I-495 meets I-95 in 33 miles. 06/28/05

Interstate 290 begin shield posted by the Bigelow Street underpass. Photo by Ian Ligget (06/28/09).

North at Connector

Two miles south of Interstate 290 west and the Route 85 Connector east on I-495 north at the cloverleaf interchange (Exits 24A/B) with U.S. 20. U.S. 20 parallels I-290 west through the town of Northborough. 10/06/14

Interstate 495 turns northwestward ahead of Exit 25A for Route 85 Connector east to Hudson and Exit 25B for I-290 west to Solomon Pond Mall and south Berlin. 10/06/14

The Route 85 Connector constitutes a controlled access expressway extending east from I-290 to Fitchburg Street, Route 85 (Washington Street) and Technology Drive. The connector opened in the mid 1970s. 10/06/14

A loop ramp joins Route 85 Connector west as it transitions to Interstate 290. I-290 reaches Downtown Worcester in 14 miles. 10/06/14

West End – Auburn, Massachusetts

West at

I-290 converges with I-90 (Mass Pike) and I-395 alongside Route 12 in the town of Auburn. 03/23/23

Exit numbers along I-395 continue the sequence of I-290 south from U.S. 20 at Auburn to the Connecticut state line. 03/23/23

A lane drop occurs along I-290 westbound at Exit 12 A for the Mass Pike access road to Interstate 90 (Mass Pike) for Springfield and Boston. 03/23/23

Other instances in the Interstate system where two routes conclude at the same location include I–195 and I-495 at Wareham, Massachusetts and I-64, I-264 and I-664 at Suffolk, Virginia. 03/23/23

North at

Interstate 395 north transitions into I-290 east beyond the cloverleaf interchange (Exit 11) with U.S. 20 (Washington Street) in the town of Auburn. 03/23/23

Exit 12 follows the exchange with U.S. 20 (Washington Street) onto Route 12 (Southbridge Street) south to an access road linking with Interstate 90 (Mass Pike). 03/23/23

A pair of I-395 end signs stand ahead of the left side entrance ramp from the access road linking with I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) and Route 12 (Southbridge Street). 03/23/23

End signs with button copy numbering previously posted at the north end of I-395 and eastbound beginning of I-290. 06/28/05

Interstate 290 advances north from the end of I-395 and the Mass Pike 11 miles to I-190 in Worcester. 03/23/23

The entire route of Interstate 90 in Massachusetts is the tolled Mass Pike. I-90 joins Boston and Springfield with Albany in Upstate New York. 03/23/23

East at

The Mass Pike enters the town of Auburn from Oxford ahead of Tinker Hill and the trumpet interchange (Exit 90) for I-290 east and I-395 south. 03/27/23

Two lanes depart I-90 (Mass Pike) eastbound for I-290 east to Worcester, Route 12 at Auburn and I-395 south to Webster. 03/27/23

Interstate 90 crosses Dark Brook Reservoir along a six to eight lane causeway east ahead of Bryn Mawr Avenue and the access road to Route 12, I-290 and I-395. 03/27/23

Two lanes depart I-90 (Mass Pike) eastbound for I-290 east to Worcester, Route 12 at Auburn and I-395 south to Webster. 03/27/23

Curving east along side Route 12, the Mass Pike access road from Exit 90 splits into direct ramps for I-290 east to Worcester and I-395 south to Norwich, Connecticut. Photo by Ian Ligget (08/16/11).

West at

One mile east of the trumpet interchange (Exit 90) with the access road linking I-90 with Route 12 (Southbridge Street) and I-290/395 in the town of Auburn. 06/28/05

Exit 90 leaves Interstate 90 (Mass Pike) westbound for I-290 east, I-395 south, and Route 12 to U.S. 20. I-395 heads 53 miles southwest to Norwich, Connecticut, and 67 miles to I-95 near New London. Photo by Doug Kerr (06/30/13).

West End Throwback

The exchange with I-290/395 and Route 12 in the town of Auburn was originally Exit 10. Photo by Doug Kerr (11/20/11).

This sign bridge at the Bryn Mawr Avenue overpass was replaced in 2018. Framingham was dropped as a control point for I-90 east. Photo by Doug Kerr (11/20/11).

Sources:

Worcester Expressway (I-290). BostonRoads.com.
“State prepares for $400M interchange replacement.” Community Advocate (Westborough, MA), November 16, 2022.

Page updated April 3, 2023.