Interstate 84 in Massachusetts

Interstate 84 (I-84) in Massachusetts is the easternmost segment of the eastern I-84 highway 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 Massachusetts Route 15 between 1948 and 1980 as well as Interstate 86 between 1971 and 1984.

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

Interstate 84
I-84 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MassDOT
Length	7.7 mi (12.4 km)
Existed	1958–present
History	Route 15 (1948–1980) I-84 (1958–1971, August 1984–present)[1] I‑86 (1971–1984)
Major junctions
West end	I-84 at the Connecticut state line in Holland
	US 20 in Sturbridge
East end	I‑90 / Mass Pike in Sturbridge
Location
Counties	Hampden, Worcester
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State ← Route 83 Route 85 → ← Route 85 Route 86 → ← Route 15 (former) Route 16 →

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.[2]

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 20 in Sturbridge, with two lanes in each direction separated by a wide median and frequent U-turns.[3][4]

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 co-signed 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 to Providence, 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 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 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 cancelled 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

MassDOT planned to convert I-84, along with the rest of the state's interstates, into the usage of milepost-based exits during 2016,[5] 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.[6]

County	Location[7]	mi[7]	km	Old exit[8]	New exit[9]	Destinations	Notes
Hampden	Holland	0.000	0.000	—	—	I-84 west – Hartford	Continuation into Connecticut
Worcester	Sturbridge	0.289	0.465	—	—	Mashapaug Road	Westbound entrance only
		3.252	5.234	1	3	Mashapaug Road – Southbridge, Sturbridge	Former Route 15
		5.077	8.171	2	5	To Route 131 – Sturbridge, Southbridge	Signed for Old Sturbridge Village
		6.550	10.541	3A	6A	US 20 east – Worcester
		6.869	11.055	3B	6B	US 20 west – Palmer
		7.710	12.408	—	—	I‑90 / Mass Pike – Springfield, Albany, New Hampshire, Maine, Boston	Exit 9 (scheduled to be exit 78[10]) on I-90 / Massachusetts Turnpike
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Electronic toll collection       Incomplete access

See also

•  United States portal
•  U.S. Roads portal

References

Template:Attached KML/Interstate 84 in Massachusetts

KML is from Wikidata

1. "State Changes Route Designation". The North Adams Transcript. North Adams, Massachusetts. August 15, 1984. p. 3. Retrieved September 14, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
2. 1946 topographic map sections:
   • Wales, Mass.–Conn (Map). 1:31,680. Topographic. Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey. 1946. Southeast corner. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
   • Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Map). 1:31,680. Topographic. Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey. 1946. Southwest corner. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
   • Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Map). 1:31,680. Topographic. Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey. 1946. Northwest corner. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
3. 1952 topographic map sections:
   • Wales, Mass.–Conn (Map). 1:31,680. Topographic. Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey. 1952. Southeast corner. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
   • Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Map). 1:31,680. Topographic. Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey. 1952. Southwest corner. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
   • Southbridge, Mass.–Conn (Map). 1:31,680. Topographic. Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey. 1952. Northwest corner. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
4. Eastern Roads. "Wilbur Cross Highway (I-84)". Boston Roads. Self-published. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
5. 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". Retrieved January 2, 2016.
6. Robert H. Malme. "I-84 Current and Future Exit List". Retrieved January 2, 2016.
7. "MassDOT Route Log Application". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
8. "Major highway routes and exits". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
9. "I-84 Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
10. "I-90 Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.

Interstate 84
Previous state: Connecticut	Massachusetts	Next state: Terminus