Interstate 291 Massachusetts

Interstate 291 Massachusetts
Springfield, MA ↔ Chicopee, MA•5.44 miles

Overview

Joining I-91 and Downtown with I-90 and the Mass Pike, Interstate 291 forms an urban loop through the city of Springfield. The freeway is six lanes wide east to Exit 4 / St. James Avenue and four lanes from there north into the city of Chicopee. The connection with the Massachusetts Turnpike is substandard with an at grade intersection joining the access road to I-90 from the freeway end at Burnett Road.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation (massDOT) project #606599 reconstructed the ramp (Exit 51) joining I-90 (Mass Pike) with I-291 and expanded the intersection with Burnett Road. Costing $8.373 million, the notice to proceed for work was issued on February 12, 2021.3

Mileage by State

Massachusetts5.44 mi

Data Sources

December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

History

1969 map showing Interstate 291 under construction in Springfield, MA.
Interstate 291 was originally projected for completion by late 1969 across the city of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Initial plans for Interstate 291 got underway in 1953, with construction starting the following year. The freeway opened between Interstate 90 and U.S. 20 / Massachusetts Route 20A in 1957. Ensuing work on I-291 did not commence until 1967.1 The final section of I-291 built was a 2.1 mile long segment in Springfield at an estimated cost of $5 million in 1968.2 The last section was completed in 1970.1

The Massachusetts Department of Public Works suggested Route 91C for the proposed loop in Springfield to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on April 10, 1958:

This route is a connector between Interstate Routes 90 and 91 in Springfield and is an urban route. The letter "C" was chosen to indicate that this location is a connector between two Interstate routes.

Route 91C was changed to Interstate 291 as part of the proposed numerology for urban areas on the Interstate System for Massachusetts approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on August 29, 1958.

East End Interstate 90 Massachusetts Turnpike / Burnett Road ‐ Chicopee, MA

Interstate 291 East at Interstate 90 Massachusetts Turnpike

I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Springfield, MA

The first reference of the Mass Pike on Interstate 291 eastbound precedes the separation with U.S. 20 at Exit 5A for Page Boulevard. 05/31/22

I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Springfield, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Springfield, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Springfield, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA I-291 east at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA

Interstate 90 Massachusetts Turnpike East at Interstate 291

I-90/Mass Pike east at I-291 - Chicopee, MA

The Mass Pike continues two miles east from Exit 49 for Route 33 in Chicopee to the East Springfield Interchange (Exit 51) with I-291 and Burnett Road. 03/26/23

I-90/Mass Pike east at I-291 - Chicopee, MA I-90/Mass Pike east at I-291 - Chicopee, MA I-90/Mass Pike east at I-291 - Chicopee, MA I-90/Mass Pike east at I-291 - Chicopee, MA

Interstate 90 Massachusetts Turnpike West at Interstate 291

I-90/Mass Pike west at I-291 - Springfield, MA

Interstate 291 is the first of three interchanges along the Mass Pike westbound for Springfield. Photo by Doug Kerr (06/30/13).

I-90/Mass Pike west at I-291 - Springfield, MA I-90/Mass Pike west at I-291 - Springfield, MA I-90/Mass Pike at I-291 - Chicopee, MA I-90/Mass Pike at I-291 - Chicopee, MA I-90/Mass Pike at I-291 - Chicopee, MA I-90/Mass Pike at I-291 - 1999

Interstate 291 West

I-291 west at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA

Burnett Road curves southward by an industrial park to become Interstate 291 at the intersection with the access road to the Mass Pike (I-90). 03/26/23

I-291 west at I-90/Mass Pike - Chicopee, MA I-291 west at Chicopee River - Chicopee, MA

West End Interstate 91 U.S. 20 ‐ Springfield, MA

Interstate 291 U.S. 20 West at Interstate 91

I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA

The first overhead for Exits 1 B/A to Interstate 91 on I-291/U.S. 20 west precedes Exit 4 to St. James Avenue and Chicopee Falls. 05/31/22

I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA I-291/US 20 west at I-91 - Springfield, MA

Interstate 91 North at Interstate 291 U.S. 20

I-91 north at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA

A collector distributor roadway joins ramps from Route 83 and U.S. 5 onto I-91 north, two miles ahead of the directional T interchange (Exit 6) with Interstate 291 and U.S. 20 east. 05/31/22

I-91 north at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA I-91 north at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA I-91 north at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA I-91 north at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA I-91 north at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA

Interstate 91 South at Interstate 291 U.S. 20

I-91 south at I-291/US 20 - Chicopee, MA

I-91 advances 1.5 miles from the south end of Interstate 391 in Chicopee to the west end of I-291 in Springfield. 05/31/22

I-91 south at I-291/US 20 - Chicopee, MA I-91 south at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA I-91 south at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA I-91 south at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA I-91 south at I-291/US 20 - Springfield, MA

Interstate 291 U.S. 20 East

I-291/US 20 east of I-91 - Springfield, MA

The flyover from I-91 south to I-291/U.S. 20 east connects with Chestnut Street (Exit 2) before merging with the ramp from I-91 north. The two roadways from I-91 converge beyond a begin shield assembly for Interstate 291 east. 05/31/22

References

  1. Anderson, S. (n.d.). Springfield Expressway (I-291). BostonRoads.com. Retrieved from http://www.bostonroads.com/roads/I-291_MA/
  2. 4 Highway Projects in Making. (1966, November 10). The North Adams Transcript.
  3. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (massDOT). Information about project #606599. Retrieved from https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/projectinfo/hearings-pinfo.asp?num=606599
Updated April 3, 2023