5:18 The image here is from I-95 128, not 495. Both roads meet 2, then 2A, but the signage is different. 2 WEST is signed for Leominster instead of Fitchburg, and 2A is signed with Route 110, Littleton, Ayer. I take these exits frequently.
Lets gooo, good work, Todd! You got 84, 90, 91, 93, 95, 495 which is most of the MA interstates down! Yah I'm not a fan of Marlborough as a control city from further away solely for the i-290/US-20 connection. Mass does have a lot of towns/cities ending in borough, ford, ton, ham, field. I forgot to request for this episode but glad the Lowell connector got shouted out, being the birthplace of Jack Kerouac and the Lowell connector used to be signed 495-business and is definitely sketchy by its abrupt end directly at someone's house aha. My only other would be Route 28 in Middleborough (not near any of the directional boroughs) solely for being the longest and IMO, one of the best state routes in the state. Excited for that US-20, and one day, US-1!
Yet another Control City Freak banger. You know, this is just a thought I have, but later on next year, maybe you could cover I-270 and/or I-255 when the Royals play their annual series against the Cardinals. That'd be interesting, considering that two different interstates make up STL's outer beltway.
@@user-tm1kb3fq4m I’ve been looking into the map thing, but so far haven’t found a way to do it on iMovie where it doesn’t look terrible or where it doesn’t involve tons of extra work. As for MA 2, it’ll be the first and probably only MA state highway I do, but no immediate plans for it
I was going to say the same thing. A LOT of the I--93 traffic is destined for Salem, NH because it has a disproportionate amount of retail. All the people in the area go to Salem to take advantage of tax-free shopping.
Hey Todd, You fit in a lot more information in your MA I-495 video than I did in mine. 😅 Then again, I did both Boston Beltways while you did just one. And Thanks for the Shout Out.
It is a bit odd with the revised signs for smaller cities. Not only did the signs for I-495 north off 95 use Worcester before being switched to Marlboro, but that interchange with I-93 actually used to say Concord NH northbound instead of Salem as well. Glad to see the exit for Route 2A as well. That would be our exit to visit my grandmother when she used to live in the Littleton apartment complex just off the highway.
Fidrich I believe was the pitcher’s last name. He played most of his career with the Detroit Tigers. I kept up with baseball until I graduated from high school then slowly lost track of it.
Thanks for showing the Lowell Connector and mentioning my story I had for you. It was fun to reminisce about something that something I looked forward to in the summer. Sad those games are a thing of the past, but that's life. Great video as always, Todd!
Not sure whether you've filmed Cincinnati 275 yet but looking forward to it. Interesting mix of selections particularly on the Ohio side, sometimes using control cities, occasionally using control states, and often using control highways (I-71 ramps to 275 signed for OH 32 and I-75; I-75 ramps to 275 signed for I-71 and I-74). Meanwhile at 71, 275 West itself gets a pull through at 71 and no 275 signage going East... And at 75, 275 West gets signed for Indianapolis and East gets nothing. At Exit 54, there is a 275 North sign for Columbus, but if actually on Wards Corner, the control city is Indianapolis. The inconsistency is crazy!
Haverhill has 67,000 people. Much more than Marlborough at 40,000. I don't think it's a bad city to name as someone who lives between 93 and 495. Also, Salem is probably the #1 most popular destination from I-93 North because it's a huge commercial hub in a state with no sales tax.
I would love to see an I-195 from Cape Cod to Providence, RI video. I think that that road should be signed for Providence, RI from the westbound start and Cape Cod from the eastbound start. Thank you.
I've been on most of I-495 in Massachusetts. I actually may have been on it all and just dont remember it. Been to New England often over the years as I have family in New Hampshire and Maine.
Salem NH for the I-93 control city is probably because Canobie Lake Park in Salem NH is a popular local amusement park. It's also the first couple exits in NH.
Also Rockingham Park Mall, the mall next to the former horse racing track of the same name (sans Mall). The racing track was mentioned in the movie "The Sting."
@miked31784 I’d go straight to Portland northbound after Haverhill. I’m not a fan of the Illinois Tollway method of only signing states, and none of the communities in the New Hampshire coastal region are that big. As much as Marlborough is becoming a Limon-esque punching bag, it still has a decent 45k population. Dover is the biggest New Hampshire city in the Boston MSA, and it’s not even 35k. As for Cape Cod, I think it’s too general, much like Indiana, Iowa or Wisconsin from Chicago. Barnstable has 20-25% of the area’s population, and is by far the biggest town by area; why not use that?
Great Vid, THX! Was in Middleboro beginning of December, so used some of I-495, YEAH!! Surprised how light traffic was for AM Rushhour. Confused though, because Middleboro is South of Southboro and Northboro. Geography fail! Help!!
Westboro is south of Northboro, and Southboro is southwest of Northboro. Confused enough? Going back to near Middleboro, West Bridgewater is northwest of Bridgewater, and East Bridgewater is northeast of Bridgewater. Brockton used to be called North Bridgewater, and is north of West Bridgewater, northwest of East Bridgewater, and doesn't border Bridgewater at all. Further north on I-495, North Andover, while one would drive north on the interstate to reach that town from Andover with Lawrence in the middle, is actually EAST of Andover.
4:58 The Wikipedia article on Boxborough, Massachusetts does not mention how that town got named. As I have said previously, the suffix -ugh at the end of most municipalities ending in -boro represents the official spelling of that place, the exception being Attleboro, which I wrote in the northern I-95 video. Note that North Attleborough is a separate town.
@@colindykeman1697 According to Wikipedia, nothing. However, there have been stories mentioning the fact that Middleboro is in the middle, that is, between Plymouth and Providence RI, using US 44. The true halfway point of the MA portion of US 44 is in Raynham, near the Taunton River bridge.
Marlborough was first, the west part of it split off of it and was named Westborough. Then the north part of THAT split off and became Northborough. At a different point in time, the south part of Marlborough split off and became Southborough. Zero points for creativity here.
The weird thing about exit 105 from the southbound side is that you can also access South 93 via the exit so there is really no need for the north sign on the ramp.
Well, they did the naming 300-400 years ago. I worked with someone from Middleboro (I'm in Pittsburgh). He had lived in western Pennsylvania since 1959 but retained a very strong Massachusetts accent.
Hey Todd, after hearing you rant about the number of times (close to infinite!) you ranted about Marlboro being the central control city in both directions of I-495, and the rest of the cities, Taunton especially, mentioned, where do you put MassDOT NOW in your ranking to the state DOTs. That ranking must have slipped close to PA and NJ.
Did you know that each state has its own official term for the state roads? And not all of them use "Highway" or "State Highway". For Massachusetts, it's officially just "Route". Like Route 128 or Route 2.
The reason Boston isn't signed from the jump on I-495 N is that if you were going there from Cape Cod, you would have taken MA 3 instead of 495. Also, loved the totally unexpected Office Space reference 🤣🤣🤣.
@miked31784 I wouldn’t reference Worcester until past Taunton, and for I 195, I’d sign Fall River and New Bedford before touching Providence. By the way, is there a reason why Bristol County is considered part of the Providence metro instead of Boston?
@@tylermarchand2996because Bristol County basically borders Providence. The parts of the county along/inside of 495 are often unofficially considered part of greater Boston though
@@tylermarchand2996 Also, Bristol County is part of the Providence / New Bedford TV market, and most of Bristol County has as the first 3 digits of the ZIP codes 027, which are Providence RI, Massachusetts offices.
7:38, the "th" in Methuen is like the "th" in Thursday. Your pronunciation was a little too heavy on it. The rest you nailed. As for Marlboro, I think the state does this because Marlborough is the midpoint of the highway. I get what you are saying about Worcester, but Worcester really isn't on I-495. From the North, it's a fairly straight path onto I-290 and then to Worcester, but from the southern half of 495, it requires a bit of southward backtracking on the Mass Pike or I-290 to get there. Most people just don't think of Worcester as being on I-495.
I wonder: how many people have gotten off at Exit 75 (the 5:15 mark) thinking that it’s a way to get to the Harvard campus? It’s actually for the town of Harvard - which I believe is named for the college!
Boston's second beltway known as I-495 MA/Blue Star Memorial Hwy crosses 6 counties in Greater Boston's combined statistical area. Boston's first beltway known as I-95/MA 128/Yankee Division Hwy crosses 3 counties in Greater Boston as they both encircle and bypass Boston and Suffolk County, MA.
@CrystalClearWith8BE It was a while before I noticed the “combined” qualifier you gave. Because Worcester is it’s own metro area of about 850k, and for some reason, Bristol County (where Taunton is) is part of the Providence metro. Personally, I prefer not to use CSA definitions, as they tend to lump together neighboring statistical areas even if they have drastically different climates. This isn’t really a problem between Providence and Boston (and possibly Barnstable and Manchester to an extent), but Worcester is a good centigrade or two colder than the coastal or low lying areas, and it gets 50% more snow.
I-476 is the highway equivalent of a "man on stilts". Technically 3-digit interstates that start with an even number "go through or around a city", while those that start with an odd number "spur into a city". I-376 and I-476 should swap designations.
@Ramiestar Business Route 80 in Sacramento has a hidden I 305 designation. It really should be a spur of I 80, considering both ends are with I 80. In fact, I 80’s current route through Sacramento should be a spur route, as it goes nowhere near downtown. Other ones that should have odd/even swaps include 520 in Augusta and 526 in Charleston.
My parents used to take 495 until the I 93 exit as my sister and her family lived in Manchester NH then Goffstown later. I believe they got on it off of I 84 out of Connecticut.
@rayizard5687 He already did a short one of 990. However, that can easily be supplanted because I believe most of the spurs also have State Highway designations (like 15, 110, 210 and 238 in California).
My local Interstate highway. And when I say "local", I mean passing within a few hundred feet of my childhood home. I agree that Marlborough (that's how it's actually spelled, MassDOT eliminates the "ugh" in its highway signs) is a terrible choice for a control city along I-495. It was signed for Worcester when I was still a young boy. Then in the mid-1990s it changed to Marlboro(ugh). I-93 north was also signed for Methuen prior to the 1990s (now that's really provincial), then it was changed to Concord NH (a better option), only for it to get changed to Salem NH in the mid 2010s. Though not as atrocious as Limon, CO I swear MassDOT must suffer from multiple personality disorder. Also, nice work on pronouncing those Massachusetts cities and towns! You went 7 for 7 (should have added an 8th for a successful 2-point conversion).
Hey, Todd. I have my list of control cities I-495 MA should've signed. Northbound: 1. Taunton, MA | Worcester, MA; 2. Worcester, MA; 3. Lowell, MA | Portsmouth, NH; 4. Lawrence, MA | Portsmouth, NH; 5. Portsmouth, NH. Southbound: 1. Lawrence, MA | Worcester, MA; 2. Lowell, MA | Worcester, MA; 3. Worcester, MA; 4. Taunton, MA | Cape Cod; 5. Cape Cod. Notice that I sign 3 county seats of the Bay State as secondary control cities.
@@ControlCityFreak, this video was released two days before the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party and this video, we go around Boston again. Cool thing in common in Massachusetts. Also, today is the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
@@nyrambler23 he could do what he did with I-180 and cover all those roads in one video. Neither of those 3 roads are that long. Or in New Yorks case he could make a video on the New York parkways and cover it there
@@ErikCB912 I would think both 278 and 287 deserve their own videos but you could do 495, 295, 695, and 895 together… maybe with the belt, southern state and northern state
@ControlCityFreak Mark Fid-rych was the biggest thing in Baseball in 1976, but because of being overused, he tore his rotator cuff in the middle of 1977... Fidrych was done in 1979, and started a very successful trucking business...He died horribly in 2009 while working on one of his trucks There is a Monday Night Baseball game where Fidrych DOMINATED the Yankees on RUclips called by Bob Uecker...In 2019, MLB Network took the flim of the game to his widow's diner as part of a documentary on Fidrych's career...That film was the first time his young adult daughter saw him pitch
My requests for future roadways to cover: US 41 - Henderson KY to Miami, I-285 around Atlanta (the beltway from hell, I live in Metro ATL), and I-465 around Indianapolis (lots of interstste junctions, with a biplex and a future triplex with other Interstates).
Hi. Any chance you could do Western Australia state route 2 which runs from Perth's northern suburbs to Bunbury in the south west region. FYI we use the road names in W A not the route for example in the northern suburbs it's called the Mitchell Freeway until it crosses the Swan River where it changes to the Kwinana Freeway down to Pinjarra Rd where it becomes the Forrest Hwy all the way to Bunbury. Exit shout outs for me are Beelier Drive on Kwinana Freeway southbound and Koombana drive in Bunbury I'm mainly asking because I lived in Perth for most of my childhood and I'm living in Bunbury RN. Cheers mate
Thanks. I have another oddity. On the sign on MA 24 at 2:16, at least you didn't try to pronounce Raynham, a town which I-495 also cuts through twice, past the Taunton River until just prior to Route 24, and again just past Route 24, with Bridgewater in the middle. I have always pronounced that town rain-em. However, other people (newbies?) pronounce it rain-ham. As I am no longer a resident of the Bay State, I'll let the current residents fight over that one.
I've driven this whole road and have a whole lot of highs and lows from it - love this vid! Tewksbury is more like Tooks-bury, Methuen is Meth-oo-en, A+ on Billerica though! Generally, if you're on 495 NB, you're gonna go on the pike back to Worcester, and if you're coming on 495 SB, you're going to take 290. MA-9 is signed correctly for Worcester! I think Marlboro gets signed so much because of the 290 interchange, since as I said, if you're coming down from the north and trying to go any kind of west, there's a good chance you're taking MA-2, or 290, but yeah Worcester would be better. Signing Haverhill as much as they do is totally indefensible though. I'm okay with Salem because of things like Canobie, and the fact that if you were going up to Manchester or Concord NH, you'd have gotten off at US 3 in Lowell. but they should also sign Manchester with it. Thank you for the Mass representation!!!
I've also driven the whole length of I-495 numerous times, not all at once mind you but in my various travels I've been across the entire road. One thing I neglected to bring up with Todd and which thus he didn't mention is the lack of pull throughs. The only ones that I know of along THE ENTIRE LENGTH of the highway sit on either side of the same interchange: the exit 89 complex (US 3/Lowell Connector) in Chelmsford. The pull through on the NB side is for Lawrence, while Marlboro is on the SB one. Speaking of US 3 the NB ramp is only signed for Nashua because that route leaves the expressway there and becomes a regular highway paralleling the Everett Turnpike (the name it's primarily known by once you cross into NH), which technically extends to Concord, NH with two mainline toll plazas at Bedford and Hooksett. The Everett Turnpike is unnumbered from exit 7 in Nashua when US 3 leaves until NH 101 in Bedford when it runs concurrent with the western leg of I-293 through Manchester, then concurrent with I-93 through Hooksett and Bow until it ends at I-89. There used to exist ramp toll plazas on the unnumbered stretch through Merrimack and there still exists one in Hooksett just S of the mainline toll plaza.
I've got no idea who you're talking about bud lmao it's literally just a suburb. Signing it as secondary after you pass Lawrence on NB is fine I guess but SB? No reason@@tylermarchand2996
The actual NB exit off I-495 to MA 2 goes to a collector lane from which the 2 offramps are located. It's not duplicated on the SB side because the very 1st exit off MA 2 WB comes up very quickly once you come off of I-495 SB.
1:37 The sign for MA 58 in both directions on I-495 is technically incorrect. Route 58 exists south of I-495 for 0.45 mile to end at MA 28. I would use this continuation if I were going to Rochester and Acushnet coming from Plymouth.
My best guess for why Foxboro isn't mentioned on the exit for US-1 is because 1 only skirts the edge of the town. If you actually wanted to go into Foxboro Center, you'd take I-95.
@@ControlCityFreak On game days and for other major events there they try to funnel all traffic onto US 1 and actively discourage people from trying to use other streets through town. The MBTA runs special trains for games and other big events on the weekends from both Boston and Providence but on weekdays there is regular commuter service into Boston, with one of the stadium lots close to the station set aside for commuters to use free of charge.
People only know Foxboro for Gillette and associate the town with it (just like how people associate Wrentham with the outlets). On game days, it’s probably quicker to get onto 95 and get off at 140 (which takes you through Foxboro proper and brings you onto Route 1 further north), but nonetheless I do think signing Foxboro would be better
the only reason people go to Foxboro via I-495 in both directions is indeed to go to Gillette Stadium. As tomgeraci9886 said, from 495 SB one would get off at US 1 NB toward Wrentham (it used to be signed Walpole) and backtrack via MA 140. From I-495 NS, one would get off at MA 140 NB in Mansfield and follow that highway directly to Foxboro Center. MA 106, which has no exits directly form I-95 and I-495, skirts the southern portion of Foxboro, linking Mansfield and Plainville.
Great, as always. Marlboro? I thought cigarette ads were banned.🧐. I do hope you finish US 41 someday within the foreseeable future.🙂I guess you’re saving that for some year when the Chiefs play either the Falcons or Bucs?🙂
@@tylermarchand2996 Well, IIRC Todd already used the Dolphins game as the excuse for US 1. But you’re absolutely right: US 41 does go through Nashville. I had remembered US 31 goes through there but forgot US 41 also does. So you’re right: I should have at least included the Titans!
@@jbm71 I’m doing US 41 on Tuesday. My reason isn’t NFL Based but instead for College Football. The Orange Bowl is always played in Miami and my Team: Florida State is playing in it this year.
@@SonicandHighwayDude401Thanks! I’ll be on the lookout for that. I keep hearing about you on your exit requests for Todd; you must really be good at this, too! I can see I’ve got lots of your highway videos to catch up on, now that I know about them!
Not necessarily. MA 3 can have some wicked backups. If the motorist is coming from Falmouth via the Bourne Bridge, MA 25 to I-495 to MA 24 would indeed be the way to go to Boston.
I understand that traffic can be an issue at times. Normally my family would go to Scusset Beach and then go over to Buzzards Bay to pick up 25 & 495 and head that way to home in Springfield. I prefer to go either 195 or 3 when I travel down to the Cape.
495 didn't used to be this long in either direction. Going to the cape you got off on a bunch of state roads through small towns. It was a horror show in the summer Saturdays for those towns. The last time I was on 495 traffic was stop and go from 95 north of Bangor past I-90. On some days it can be faster to get off 495 and take some of the state roads.
I-495 used to only go as far as MA 24: the remaining stretch to I-195/MA 25 was originally built and signed as MA 25 but redesignated during the 70s and 80s. The short 10 mile/16 km stretch of MA 25 running between I-195/I-495 and the Bourne Bridge, largely built about 3 decades after the aforementioned original MA 25, was controversial because of the sensitive wetlands through which it passes.
@@Kevin_C_Leonard_63 The stretch of i-495 between Route 24 and I-95 in Mansfield / Foxboro was not built until around 1980. When that stretch opened, initially the stretch between Route 24 and I-195 was co-signed I-495 and MA 25. The Route 25 shields were quietly removed around 1982. This contrasts with the people in Greater Boston objecting to what was then Mass DPW proposal to remove the Route 128 shields when I-95 was routed along that route after the Southwest Expressway was cancelled.
@@ControlCityFreak It is closer to Providence than Boston, but it is still within the Boston MSA (Norfolk County). Levi's Stadium is the only one in a different metro area from the team they supposedly play for.
@@ControlCityFreak No, not equivalent, but Providence is still a large population center. And the stadium is only 28 miles from downtown Boston. The majority of the Packers fanbase drives 117 miles from here in Milwaukee to Lambeau, so there's that.
... and it is fairly common to build things halfway between cities. South of Milwaukee in Gurnee, IL, we have an amusement park and a huge mall. They could have built those in the Milwaukee area or in the Chicago area, but they chose to put them about halfway between the two (even though the cities aren't equivalent in size).
I'm OK with this signage, , both NB and SB, as the intent for I-90 / Maspike is for the long-distance traveler to get as far out of MA as possible quickly. Those going to Worcester usually take the toll-free I-290 7 miles north in Marlboro.
7:30 All are correct except for Methuen. It's "Meth-OO-en", not "Meth-you-en" 11:20 213 Doesn't go to Concord. Also, 93 North and 213 are both signed for Salem because it's the first city touched after crossing the state. Similar to why 3 North is signed Nashua instead of Manchester or Hooksett, even though 3 North would be the most direct way there at that junction.
@DangoUnchained8649 I actually think Nashua is perfectly fine for U.S. 3. If I’m not mistaken, its population is almost identical to that of Manchester (95k vs 105k)…
@@tylermarchand2996 I never said 3 North signed for Nashua was bad. Just that it's an example of the logic for why 93 North and 213 West are signed Salem from 495. I do think Nashua for 3 North from 495 is a good choice
@@Kevin_C_Leonard_63 I know what 213 is. I used to drive it many times to go to the Rockingham Park Mall area. (still do occasionally) I know 213 doesn't exactly 'touch' Salem, but it is the nearest significant city, other than Methuen, which is on the sign shown in the video, that can be reached quickest by going 213. The Rockingham Park Mall is likely also a main reason why both 213 and 93 are signed Salem from 495.
I know NYSDOT isn't always great with control selection (they could/should take some hints from thruway authority), but sheesh moving out to Greater Boston has proved it can be significantly worse :') MassDOT is awful
@ControlCityFreak Lived in Wareham for several years as a kid, would take this road to get to Boston, but why its not signed for Boston is people from Cape Cod would take MA 3. Worcester/Boston would be good though. 17:07 Also yeah, why wouldn't they make 25 part of 495? It would be longer than 476, then! About the town names, we don't think about it. Also the choice of Marlborough, I didn't realize just how bad of a choice that is, Worcester is literally right there. P.S Whenever you make the MA-RI 195 video, super-requests will happen.
The reasoning, one Marlborough sign is due to a very big sports complex. Call the New England sports center that’s primarily used for hockey events and I think it’s fine because the Providence Bruins the Boston Bruins NHL affiliate was playing there will be Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence right next to 95 was being repaired and fixed and becomes the Amica mutual pavilion
@jennamith2333 Providence and Boston both have the same hockey team names? I mean, Giants and Broncos are both found in different cities, but one is baseball and the other is college football…
@@ControlCityFreak there used to be a Dunkin' Donuts center in Providence, but it got renamed to the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Providence Bruins and Providence College Friars men's basketball teams play their home games there.
@@Ramiestar Oh that’s a shame. I was ok with Heinz Field and Miller Park too since those brands are so associated with the towns, so of course they had to change to random soulless insurance companies
@@tylermarchand2996 Since the Providence Bruins are the AAA level farm team of the Boston Bruins it makes sense: the familiar 8-spoked logo has a "P" instead of a "B". Until 2020 nearby Pawtucket, RI was home to the Boston Red Sox' AAA team, colloquially known as the Pawsox. They were sold to a group who would move them to Worcester where their new colloquial name is the Woosox. 2020 was to have been the team's final season in RI, but the pandemic cancelled all of minor league baseball and in so doing deprived Pawtucket a chance to say goodbye properly. The reorganization of minor league baseball occurred during the pandemic which reduced the number of levels in the pyramid and thus the number of teams. Among the casualties were the Class A short season (June-September) New York-Penn League, of which the Lowell Spinners, the Red Sox' farm team at that level, were a member. When that team wasn't included in the new minor league configuration they were forced to fold.
Not quite. Here are the -boros that are not signed on I-495 Tyngsborough, on US 3 near the NH border (the y is pronounced like a short I, "tings") Lanesborough, on US 7 and MA 8 north of Pittsfield New Marlborough, in Berkshire County on the Connecticut border east of Great Barrington Attleboro, on I-95 on the RI border (see my discussion above)
In the cluster of "boros" in the central stretch of I-495 Marlborough is the oldest of them all, established in 1660 as a much larger township from which other towns were cleaved off and established: Westborough in 1717, Southborough in 1727, Northborough in 1766 and Hudson in 1866.
As an aside, I also don’t like Albany on I 90 westbound all the way from Boston. It should be Worcester until the 290/395 interchange, after which it should be Springfield. The earliest I would sign Albany is the non-interchange with 291. It isn’t provincial to prioritize in-state cities of 200k and 150k over an out-of-state city with 100k.
But Albany is a capital city that should always be signed for their importance......to be fair New York signs Boston quite early as well when going east on 90...
@truckercowboyed2638 Being a seat of government only carries so much weight. Especially since New York has just as much government offices as Albany. Other states do this too: if Sacramento and Baton Rouge were truly the most important cities in their state, then “lesser” cities like San Francisco and New Orleans wouldn’t house their state’s Supreme Courts (the third of three equal branches).
@@tylermarchand2996 No I'm just saying probably their reasoning for Albany.... honestly I think Springfield would be better since it's the Massachusetts capital
Two more small things. 8:43 Thankfully you didn't try to pronounce the town that MA 125 NB goes to, Plaistow NH, which is pronounced plas-tau, the second syllable the same as in Towson MD; the I is silent. 9:21 Notice the spelling of Merrimac, the town in MA, as opposed to the river that the section of I-495 from Chelmsford to Salisbury runs along, the Merrimack River, and from Merrimack NH.
@@ControlCityFreak if you do end up doing that 495, take note that there’s only 1 Control City Sign in all of the LIE; & that’s Eastbound. The closest Equivalent to that is travel times for control Roads.
They used Worcester at the northern end to attract traffic to get people to go out towards Western Massachusetts.
5:18
The image here is from I-95 128, not 495. Both roads meet 2, then 2A, but the signage is different. 2 WEST is signed for Leominster instead of Fitchburg, and 2A is signed with Route 110, Littleton, Ayer. I take these exits frequently.
Lets gooo, good work, Todd! You got 84, 90, 91, 93, 95, 495 which is most of the MA interstates down! Yah I'm not a fan of Marlborough as a control city from further away solely for the i-290/US-20 connection. Mass does have a lot of towns/cities ending in borough, ford, ton, ham, field. I forgot to request for this episode but glad the Lowell connector got shouted out, being the birthplace of Jack Kerouac and the Lowell connector used to be signed 495-business and is definitely sketchy by its abrupt end directly at someone's house aha. My only other would be Route 28 in Middleborough (not near any of the directional boroughs) solely for being the longest and IMO, one of the best state routes in the state. Excited for that US-20, and one day, US-1!
Thanks!
Yet another Control City Freak banger. You know, this is just a thought I have, but later on next year, maybe you could cover I-270 and/or I-255 when the Royals play their annual series against the Cardinals. That'd be interesting, considering that two different interstates make up STL's outer beltway.
Yeah good idea, could look into that.
@@user-tm1kb3fq4m I’ve been looking into the map thing, but so far haven’t found a way to do it on iMovie where it doesn’t look terrible or where it doesn’t involve tons of extra work. As for MA 2, it’ll be the first and probably only MA state highway I do, but no immediate plans for it
Of all the cities to pronounce wrong, it was Concord and Methuen.
salem nh is almost certainly signed as a shopping town because it is the first place across the nh line (where there’s no sales tax)
I was going to say the same thing. A LOT of the I--93 traffic is destined for Salem, NH because it has a disproportionate amount of retail. All the people in the area go to Salem to take advantage of tax-free shopping.
@@rjd444 Still dont get why, for their own sake, the Mass. DOT would want you to go to Salem NH and not pay MA state tax.
5:24 love how the MA-128 sign squeezes in here. Actual exit is 78. 😅
🎵 “128 when it's dark outside
I'm in love with Massachusetts”🎶
Wow, I thought that there were a lot of boros in the state that I live, but this video changed my mind. lol Good video. 👍
Fun Fact: I-495 crosses the Merrimac River 3 times.
Thanks for sharing this video 👍
Hey Todd, You fit in a lot more information in your MA I-495 video than I did in mine. 😅
Then again, I did both Boston Beltways while you did just one.
And Thanks for the Shout Out.
It is a bit odd with the revised signs for smaller cities. Not only did the signs for I-495 north off 95 use Worcester before being switched to Marlboro, but that interchange with I-93 actually used to say Concord NH northbound instead of Salem as well.
Glad to see the exit for Route 2A as well. That would be our exit to visit my grandmother when she used to live in the Littleton apartment complex just off the highway.
14:02 It's like along the Hudson River where they all end in "kill"
Fidrich I believe was the pitcher’s last name. He played most of his career with the Detroit Tigers. I kept up with baseball until I graduated from high school then slowly lost track of it.
Thanks for showing the Lowell Connector and mentioning my story I had for you. It was fun to reminisce about something that something I looked forward to in the summer. Sad those games are a thing of the past, but that's life. Great video as always, Todd!
The Lowell connector is always a MESS. 😂😂
Thanks!
It's the longest circular 3 digit Interstate. We use it almost every Sunday on an extreme commute to church with very little traffic.
Not sure whether you've filmed Cincinnati 275 yet but looking forward to it. Interesting mix of selections particularly on the Ohio side, sometimes using control cities, occasionally using control states, and often using control highways (I-71 ramps to 275 signed for OH 32 and I-75; I-75 ramps to 275 signed for I-71 and I-74). Meanwhile at 71, 275 West itself gets a pull through at 71 and no 275 signage going East... And at 75, 275 West gets signed for Indianapolis and East gets nothing. At Exit 54, there is a 275 North sign for Columbus, but if actually on Wards Corner, the control city is Indianapolis. The inconsistency is crazy!
Haverhill has 67,000 people. Much more than Marlborough at 40,000. I don't think it's a bad city to name as someone who lives between 93 and 495.
Also, Salem is probably the #1 most popular destination from I-93 North because it's a huge commercial hub in a state with no sales tax.
I would love to see an I-195 from Cape Cod to Providence, RI video. I think that that road should be signed for Providence, RI from the westbound start and Cape Cod from the eastbound start. Thank you.
Thanks for showing my exit! You did butcher my name haha, but I know it's a long one and people rarely get it right, so it's all good :P
I've been on most of I-495 in Massachusetts. I actually may have been on it all and just dont remember it. Been to New England often over the years as I have family in New Hampshire and Maine.
Salem NH for the I-93 control city is probably because Canobie Lake Park in Salem NH is a popular local amusement park. It's also the first couple exits in NH.
Also Rockingham Park Mall, the mall next to the former horse racing track of the same name (sans Mall). The racing track was mentioned in the movie "The Sting."
I remember seeing the start of 495 heading towards cape cod on 195 to my cousins wedding
14:40 used to be NH-Maine northbound and Cape Cod southbound. MassDOT should’ve kept it that way.
Agreed
@miked31784 I’d go straight to Portland northbound after Haverhill. I’m not a fan of the Illinois Tollway method of only signing states, and none of the communities in the New Hampshire coastal region are that big. As much as Marlborough is becoming a Limon-esque punching bag, it still has a decent 45k population. Dover is the biggest New Hampshire city in the Boston MSA, and it’s not even 35k.
As for Cape Cod, I think it’s too general, much like Indiana, Iowa or Wisconsin from Chicago. Barnstable has 20-25% of the area’s population, and is by far the biggest town by area; why not use that?
Salem checks out here. Most people going to Manchester would have got on 3 north before Lowell.
Great Vid, THX! Was in Middleboro beginning of December, so used some of I-495, YEAH!! Surprised how light traffic was for AM Rushhour. Confused though, because Middleboro is South of Southboro and Northboro. Geography fail! Help!!
Westboro is south of Northboro, and Southboro is southwest of Northboro. Confused enough? Going back to near Middleboro, West Bridgewater is northwest of Bridgewater, and East Bridgewater is northeast of Bridgewater. Brockton used to be called North Bridgewater, and is north of West Bridgewater, northwest of East Bridgewater, and doesn't border Bridgewater at all.
Further north on I-495, North Andover, while one would drive north on the interstate to reach that town from Andover with Lawrence in the middle, is actually EAST of Andover.
When I saw I-495, I was thinking of the Capitol Beltway
4:58 The Wikipedia article on Boxborough, Massachusetts does not mention how that town got named.
As I have said previously, the suffix -ugh at the end of most municipalities ending in -boro represents the official spelling of that place, the exception being Attleboro, which I wrote in the northern I-95 video. Note that North Attleborough is a separate town.
WBZ in Boston did a story about the boros and boroughs.
What about Middleboro that has to do with the boros
@@colindykeman1697 According to Wikipedia, nothing. However, there have been stories mentioning the fact that Middleboro is in the middle, that is, between Plymouth and Providence RI, using US 44. The true halfway point of the MA portion of US 44 is in Raynham, near the Taunton River bridge.
Marlborough was first, the west part of it split off of it and was named Westborough. Then the north part of THAT split off and became Northborough. At a different point in time, the south part of Marlborough split off and became Southborough. Zero points for creativity here.
I’m looking forward to I-287 in NY/NJ and your rants about places like Perth Amboy and Mahwah
The weird thing about exit 105 from the southbound side is that you can also access South 93 via the exit so there is really no need for the north sign on the ramp.
I have aware of Marlboro via the Road map for Massachusetts
Well, they did the naming 300-400 years ago.
I worked with someone from Middleboro (I'm in Pittsburgh). He had lived in western Pennsylvania since 1959 but retained a very strong Massachusetts accent.
Hey Todd, after hearing you rant about the number of times (close to infinite!) you ranted about Marlboro being the central control city in both directions of I-495, and the rest of the cities, Taunton especially, mentioned, where do you put MassDOT NOW in your ranking to the state DOTs. That ranking must have slipped close to PA and NJ.
It’s not quite that low but definitely lower now.
no wonder it’s longer than I-95 in its own state of Massechussets. Anyway, good video!
Thanks!
Did you know that each state has its own official term for the state roads? And not all of them use "Highway" or "State Highway". For Massachusetts, it's officially just "Route". Like Route 128 or Route 2.
you randomly went on to I-95 when you were talking about Rt 2
I 287 in New Jersey and New York is one of the longest 3 didit intetstates as well...
The reason Boston isn't signed from the jump on I-495 N is that if you were going there from Cape Cod, you would have taken MA 3 instead of 495.
Also, loved the totally unexpected Office Space reference 🤣🤣🤣.
Yeah I feel like for that reason, Worcester would work better from the start
@@jakebutler291 it used to be signed Worcester at the 195/25/495 junction with 195 signed for Providence.
@miked31784 I wouldn’t reference Worcester until past Taunton, and for I 195, I’d sign Fall River and New Bedford before touching Providence. By the way, is there a reason why Bristol County is considered part of the Providence metro instead of Boston?
@@tylermarchand2996because Bristol County basically borders Providence. The parts of the county along/inside of 495 are often unofficially considered part of greater Boston though
@@tylermarchand2996 Also, Bristol County is part of the Providence / New Bedford TV market, and most of Bristol County has as the first 3 digits of the ZIP codes 027, which are Providence RI, Massachusetts offices.
I cant wait for you to do US 287.
Lol, the inconsistency between Amarillo and Ft Worth is off the charts. Also, it goes through Limon.
Agree; would love to see 287… I’ve driven from I-10/Beaumont, TX to Laramie, WY, (minus Denver metro using interstates) at different times.
7:38, the "th" in Methuen is like the "th" in Thursday. Your pronunciation was a little too heavy on it. The rest you nailed. As for Marlboro, I think the state does this because Marlborough is the midpoint of the highway. I get what you are saying about Worcester, but Worcester really isn't on I-495. From the North, it's a fairly straight path onto I-290 and then to Worcester, but from the southern half of 495, it requires a bit of southward backtracking on the Mass Pike or I-290 to get there. Most people just don't think of Worcester as being on I-495.
5:55 Lawrence, KS was settled by people from Massachusetts - so there is a connection!
Yeah Lawrence KS is actually named for the son of th dude Lawrence MA is named for.
There's also I-495 in VA and Maryland that has Wegmans store park to it in Maryland
I use this road to go to hockey games
I wonder: how many people have gotten off at Exit 75 (the 5:15 mark) thinking that it’s a way to get to the Harvard campus? It’s actually for the town of Harvard - which I believe is named for the college!
Should have titled this "Massachusetts 495" since most people think of "The Beltway" (surrounding DC) when they hear 495.
It’s why I called it Intahstate 495
Boston's second beltway known as I-495 MA/Blue Star Memorial Hwy crosses 6 counties in Greater Boston's combined statistical area. Boston's first beltway known as I-95/MA 128/Yankee Division Hwy crosses 3 counties in Greater Boston as they both encircle and bypass Boston and Suffolk County, MA.
Also, Todd, this video was released 2 days before the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
@CrystalClearWith8BE It was a while before I noticed the “combined” qualifier you gave. Because Worcester is it’s own metro area of about 850k, and for some reason, Bristol County (where Taunton is) is part of the Providence metro.
Personally, I prefer not to use CSA definitions, as they tend to lump together neighboring statistical areas even if they have drastically different climates. This isn’t really a problem between Providence and Boston (and possibly Barnstable and Manchester to an extent), but Worcester is a good centigrade or two colder than the coastal or low lying areas, and it gets 50% more snow.
You should do Long Island Expwy (I-495 NY)
Why? It’s just NYC/Riverhead, as it should be. Only other real routes coming off it are NY25 and sunrise, maybe.
Looking forward to US 20 someday..
"Fid-Rich" fid like fig. In reference to Detroit Tiger great Mark Fydrich
I was hoping for 495 Washington DC. I hope that’s coming up!
I didn't know I 495 used to be the longest 3 digit interstate until I 476 was upgraded..
I-476 is the highway equivalent of a "man on stilts". Technically 3-digit interstates that start with an even number "go through or around a city", while those that start with an odd number "spur into a city". I-376 and I-476 should swap designations.
@Ramiestar Business Route 80 in Sacramento has a hidden I 305 designation. It really should be a spur of I 80, considering both ends are with I 80. In fact, I 80’s current route through Sacramento should be a spur route, as it goes nowhere near downtown.
Other ones that should have odd/even swaps include 520 in Augusta and 526 in Charleston.
My parents used to take 495 until the I 93 exit as my sister and her family lived in Manchester NH then Goffstown later. I believe they got on it off of I 84 out of Connecticut.
I-84 doesn't touch 495. They're approx 30 miles apart (via I-90).
@@mark99k Im going on travels from 40 years ago w/o looking it up. This was the late 70s, so Im not sure how it was routed then.
You should do the New York State Full #90 set 190 to 990 all in one state
@rayizard5687 He already did a short one of 990. However, that can easily be supplanted because I believe most of the spurs also have State Highway designations (like 15, 110, 210 and 238 in California).
My local Interstate highway. And when I say "local", I mean passing within a few hundred feet of my childhood home.
I agree that Marlborough (that's how it's actually spelled, MassDOT eliminates the "ugh" in its highway signs) is a terrible choice for a control city along I-495. It was signed for Worcester when I was still a young boy. Then in the mid-1990s it changed to Marlboro(ugh).
I-93 north was also signed for Methuen prior to the 1990s (now that's really provincial), then it was changed to Concord NH (a better option), only for it to get changed to Salem NH in the mid 2010s. Though not as atrocious as Limon, CO I swear MassDOT must suffer from multiple personality disorder.
Also, nice work on pronouncing those Massachusetts cities and towns! You went 7 for 7 (should have added an 8th for a successful 2-point conversion).
I don’t quite understand why on a 3 digit interstate numerical exits would be a problem. They would make more sense on those shorter routes imo.
Sure, on a 375 in St. Pete or Detroit sort of thing.
Hey, Todd. I have my list of control cities I-495 MA should've signed. Northbound: 1. Taunton, MA | Worcester, MA; 2. Worcester, MA; 3. Lowell, MA | Portsmouth, NH; 4. Lawrence, MA | Portsmouth, NH; 5. Portsmouth, NH. Southbound: 1. Lawrence, MA | Worcester, MA; 2. Lowell, MA | Worcester, MA; 3. Worcester, MA; 4. Taunton, MA | Cape Cod; 5. Cape Cod. Notice that I sign 3 county seats of the Bay State as secondary control cities.
Solid
@@ControlCityFreak, this video was released two days before the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party and this video, we go around Boston again. Cool thing in common in Massachusetts. Also, today is the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
@@CrystalClearWith8BE Oh cool!
I-476 will be deposed when I-369 is completed from Tenaha Texas to Texarkana and the junction with I-49.
Can you do I 287 someday, please? I take I 287 to cross the Hudson River to my aunt's house in CT.
What about the other I-495’s like the capital beltway, the Long Island expressway and the Wilmington bypass?
LIE control cities are boring. Its riverhead east and NYC west pretty much the whole way lol
I did a video on the Capital Beltway not too long ago.
@@nyrambler23 he could do what he did with I-180 and cover all those roads in one video. Neither of those 3 roads are that long. Or in New Yorks case he could make a video on the New York parkways and cover it there
Don't forget the unsigned one up in Maine!
@@ErikCB912 I would think both 278 and 287 deserve their own videos but you could do 495, 295, 695, and 895 together… maybe with the belt, southern state and northern state
16:06 That Ramp Is Taking From Mansfield Which Was The Xfinity Center
Could you please do US-101 in California, I think it is a long road to be in a video
Todd, I was hoping you were going to do I-275 for Bengals-Chiefs! I'd like to see my exit, Exit 57, for Ohio 28, Milford/Blanchester.
Thanks, you got it!
I wonder if this is the only instance of two 3 digit interstates ending at each other with no other interstate passing through.
@bobwhit1544 I 280/680 in San Jose. U.S. 101 separates them, but it isn’t an Interstate, so it counts.
I -290 was supposed to continue southeast bound and loop back to the MassPike (I-90), but the eastern half was never completed.
8:07 they used to use Concord NH
@ControlCityFreak Mark Fid-rych was the biggest thing in Baseball in 1976, but because of being overused, he tore his rotator cuff in the middle of 1977... Fidrych was done in 1979, and started a very successful trucking business...He died horribly in 2009 while working on one of his trucks
There is a Monday Night Baseball game where Fidrych DOMINATED the Yankees on RUclips called by Bob Uecker...In 2019, MLB Network took the flim of the game to his widow's diner as part of a documentary on Fidrych's career...That film was the first time his young adult daughter saw him pitch
Oh nice! Love Bob Uecker.
My requests for future roadways to cover: US 41 - Henderson KY to Miami, I-285 around Atlanta (the beltway from hell, I live in Metro ATL), and I-465 around Indianapolis (lots of interstste junctions, with a biplex and a future triplex with other Interstates).
I’ll be covering US 41 next Tuesday because of the Orange Bowl.
Hi. Any chance you could do Western Australia state route 2 which runs from Perth's northern suburbs to Bunbury in the south west region. FYI we use the road names in W A not the route for example in the northern suburbs it's called the Mitchell Freeway until it crosses the Swan River where it changes to the Kwinana Freeway down to Pinjarra Rd where it becomes the Forrest Hwy all the way to Bunbury. Exit shout outs for me are Beelier Drive on Kwinana Freeway southbound and Koombana drive in Bunbury I'm mainly asking because I lived in Perth for most of my childhood and I'm living in Bunbury RN. Cheers mate
I'd love to see him do Highway 1
Um the last exit I’m Massachusetts on I-95 SAYS NORTH PORTSMOUTH NH, PORTLAND ME. BUT RIGHT BEHIND IT IT SAYS PORTSMOUTH NH AND KITTERY ME
13:45 Fid-Rich
canobie lake park is in salem nh a small amusement park
Thanks. I have another oddity. On the sign on MA 24 at 2:16, at least you didn't try to pronounce Raynham, a town which I-495 also cuts through twice, past the Taunton River until just prior to Route 24, and again just past Route 24, with Bridgewater in the middle. I have always pronounced that town rain-em. However, other people (newbies?) pronounce it rain-ham. As I am no longer a resident of the Bay State, I'll let the current residents fight over that one.
I-495 & I-95 Intersection Goes From Both Sides From The Mansfield/Foxboro Town Border to Amesbury near NH Border
LOVE DIRTY WATER
I've been on I 495 a few times..
Any chance of US 51 getting a video
Yeah at some point
I can’t find the list of upcoming episodes in the description
Good shout, just added it.
I've driven this whole road and have a whole lot of highs and lows from it - love this vid! Tewksbury is more like Tooks-bury, Methuen is Meth-oo-en, A+ on Billerica though!
Generally, if you're on 495 NB, you're gonna go on the pike back to Worcester, and if you're coming on 495 SB, you're going to take 290. MA-9 is signed correctly for Worcester! I think Marlboro gets signed so much because of the 290 interchange, since as I said, if you're coming down from the north and trying to go any kind of west, there's a good chance you're taking MA-2, or 290, but yeah Worcester would be better.
Signing Haverhill as much as they do is totally indefensible though. I'm okay with Salem because of things like Canobie, and the fact that if you were going up to Manchester or Concord NH, you'd have gotten off at US 3 in Lowell. but they should also sign Manchester with it.
Thank you for the Mass representation!!!
Thanks!
I've also driven the whole length of I-495 numerous times, not all at once mind you but in my various travels I've been across the entire road. One thing I neglected to bring up with Todd and which thus he didn't mention is the lack of pull throughs. The only ones that I know of along THE ENTIRE LENGTH of the highway sit on either side of the same interchange: the exit 89 complex (US 3/Lowell Connector) in Chelmsford. The pull through on the NB side is for Lawrence, while Marlboro is on the SB one.
Speaking of US 3 the NB ramp is only signed for Nashua because that route leaves the expressway there and becomes a regular highway paralleling the Everett Turnpike (the name it's primarily known by once you cross into NH), which technically extends to Concord, NH with two mainline toll plazas at Bedford and Hooksett. The Everett Turnpike is unnumbered from exit 7 in Nashua when US 3 leaves until NH 101 in Bedford when it runs concurrent with the western leg of I-293 through Manchester, then concurrent with I-93 through Hooksett and Bow until it ends at I-89. There used to exist ramp toll plazas on the unnumbered stretch through Merrimack and there still exists one in Hooksett just S of the mainline toll plaza.
@jayleeverchin I don’t see the issue with Haverhill. Unless you happen to have something against a certain musician/movie director from there?
I've got no idea who you're talking about bud lmao it's literally just a suburb. Signing it as secondary after you pass Lawrence on NB is fine I guess but SB? No reason@@tylermarchand2996
5:18 The sign for MA 2 is not on I-495; it's on I-95 / MA 128 in Lexington. The next photo is also from i-95 / MA 128. Big error!
D’oh!
The actual NB exit off I-495 to MA 2 goes to a collector lane from which the 2 offramps are located. It's not duplicated on the SB side because the very 1st exit off MA 2 WB comes up very quickly once you come off of I-495 SB.
1:37 The sign for MA 58 in both directions on I-495 is technically incorrect. Route 58 exists south of I-495 for 0.45 mile to end at MA 28. I would use this continuation if I were going to Rochester and Acushnet coming from Plymouth.
Does the town of Marlboro have any connection with the cigarette brand?
No. According to Wikipedia, Marlboro "was named after Marlborough, the market town in Wiltshire, England."
My best guess for why Foxboro isn't mentioned on the exit for US-1 is because 1 only skirts the edge of the town. If you actually wanted to go into Foxboro Center, you'd take I-95.
Yeah but most people only know Foxboro for one thing, and US 1 goes there right from 495.
@@ControlCityFreak On game days and for other major events there they try to funnel all traffic onto US 1 and actively discourage people from trying to use other streets through town.
The MBTA runs special trains for games and other big events on the weekends from both Boston and Providence but on weekdays there is regular commuter service into Boston, with one of the stadium lots close to the station set aside for commuters to use free of charge.
People only know Foxboro for Gillette and associate the town with it (just like how people associate Wrentham with the outlets). On game days, it’s probably quicker to get onto 95 and get off at 140 (which takes you through Foxboro proper and brings you onto Route 1 further north), but nonetheless I do think signing Foxboro would be better
the only reason people go to Foxboro via I-495 in both directions is indeed to go to Gillette Stadium. As tomgeraci9886 said, from 495 SB one would get off at US 1 NB toward Wrentham (it used to be signed Walpole) and backtrack via MA 140. From I-495 NS, one would get off at MA 140 NB in Mansfield and follow that highway directly to Foxboro Center. MA 106, which has no exits directly form I-95 and I-495, skirts the southern portion of Foxboro, linking Mansfield and Plainville.
Great, as always. Marlboro? I thought cigarette ads were banned.🧐. I do hope you finish US 41 someday within the foreseeable future.🙂I guess you’re saving that for some year when the Chiefs play either the Falcons or Bucs?🙂
@jbm71 You only got half of the potential rivals. What about the Dolphins and Titans?
@@tylermarchand2996 Well, IIRC Todd already used the Dolphins game as the excuse for US 1. But you’re absolutely right: US 41 does go through Nashville. I had remembered US 31 goes through there but forgot US 41 also does. So you’re right: I should have at least included the Titans!
@@jbm71 I’m doing US 41 on Tuesday. My reason isn’t NFL Based but instead for College Football. The Orange Bowl is always played in Miami and my Team: Florida State is playing in it this year.
@@SonicandHighwayDude401Thanks! I’ll be on the lookout for that. I keep hearing about you on your exit requests for Todd; you must really be good at this, too!
I can see I’ve got lots of your highway videos to catch up on, now that I know about them!
Wasn't this the highway in the ending of "Good Will Hunting"?
I thought that was the Mass Pike
17:47 if people from Cape Cod were going to Boston, they would have gone on MA 3 not MA 25/I-495.
Not necessarily. MA 3 can have some wicked backups. If the motorist is coming from Falmouth via the Bourne Bridge, MA 25 to I-495 to MA 24 would indeed be the way to go to Boston.
I take the sagamore to go to Boston or basically anywhere else. Prefer it over the Bourne. I get off for Buzzards Bay and Route 6.
I understand that traffic can be an issue at times. Normally my family would go to Scusset Beach and then go over to Buzzards Bay to pick up 25 & 495 and head that way to home in Springfield. I prefer to go either 195 or 3 when I travel down to the Cape.
I only know Billerica's pronunciation because of Tom Glavine.
I’d want to see Indiana US 31, I drive on the south side to get to work then turn around and drive on the north side to get home
495 didn't used to be this long in either direction. Going to the cape you got off on a bunch of state roads through small towns. It was a horror show in the summer Saturdays for those towns.
The last time I was on 495 traffic was stop and go from 95 north of Bangor past I-90.
On some days it can be faster to get off 495 and take some of the state roads.
I-495 used to only go as far as MA 24: the remaining stretch to I-195/MA 25 was originally built and signed as MA 25 but redesignated during the 70s and 80s. The short 10 mile/16 km stretch of MA 25 running between I-195/I-495 and the Bourne Bridge, largely built about 3 decades after the aforementioned original MA 25, was controversial because of the sensitive wetlands through which it passes.
@@Kevin_C_Leonard_63 The stretch of i-495 between Route 24 and I-95 in Mansfield / Foxboro was not built until around 1980. When that stretch opened, initially the stretch between Route 24 and I-195 was co-signed I-495 and MA 25. The Route 25 shields were quietly removed around 1982. This contrasts with the people in Greater Boston objecting to what was then Mass DPW proposal to remove the Route 128 shields when I-95 was routed along that route after the Southwest Expressway was cancelled.
3:25 I wouldn't say Gillette Stadium's location is random. It's halfway between Providence and Boston.
I mean, they wouldn’t put the Rams in Fontana because it’s halfway between LA and San Bernardino. These are not equivalent cities.
@@ControlCityFreak It is closer to Providence than Boston, but it is still within the Boston MSA (Norfolk County). Levi's Stadium is the only one in a different metro area from the team they supposedly play for.
@@ControlCityFreak No, not equivalent, but Providence is still a large population center. And the stadium is only 28 miles from downtown Boston. The majority of the Packers fanbase drives 117 miles from here in Milwaukee to Lambeau, so there's that.
... and it is fairly common to build things halfway between cities. South of Milwaukee in Gurnee, IL, we have an amusement park and a huge mall. They could have built those in the Milwaukee area or in the Chicago area, but they chose to put them about halfway between the two (even though the cities aren't equivalent in size).
@@ControlCityFreakto be fair, it is the NEW ENGLAND Patriots. 😉
3:52 that should totally be Worcester or Springfield.
@zimz1096 Yes. I'd start with Albany no further east than the non-interchange with 291.
I'm OK with this signage, , both NB and SB, as the intent for I-90 / Maspike is for the long-distance traveler to get as far out of MA as possible quickly. Those going to Worcester usually take the toll-free I-290 7 miles north in Marlboro.
13:40 I looked it up, its pronounced Fid-rich
7:30 All are correct except for Methuen. It's "Meth-OO-en", not "Meth-you-en"
11:20 213 Doesn't go to Concord. Also, 93 North and 213 are both signed for Salem because it's the first city touched after crossing the state. Similar to why 3 North is signed Nashua instead of Manchester or Hooksett, even though 3 North would be the most direct way there at that junction.
MA 213 is a 3.5 mile 4 lane freeway connecting I-93 to I-495 across the northern end of Methuen, known locally as the Loop Connector.
@DangoUnchained8649 I actually think Nashua is perfectly fine for U.S. 3. If I’m not mistaken, its population is almost identical to that of Manchester (95k vs 105k)…
@@tylermarchand2996 I never said 3 North signed for Nashua was bad. Just that it's an example of the logic for why 93 North and 213 West are signed Salem from 495. I do think Nashua for 3 North from 495 is a good choice
@@Kevin_C_Leonard_63 I know what 213 is. I used to drive it many times to go to the Rockingham Park Mall area. (still do occasionally) I know 213 doesn't exactly 'touch' Salem, but it is the nearest significant city, other than Methuen, which is on the sign shown in the video, that can be reached quickest by going 213. The Rockingham Park Mall is likely also a main reason why both 213 and 93 are signed Salem from 495.
I know NYSDOT isn't always great with control selection (they could/should take some hints from thruway authority), but sheesh moving out to Greater Boston has proved it can be significantly worse :') MassDOT is awful
idk why I was expecting to see Nova and the DMV, wrong 495 lol
@ControlCityFreak Lived in Wareham for several years as a kid, would take this road to get to Boston, but why its not signed for Boston is people from Cape Cod would take MA 3. Worcester/Boston would be good though.
17:07 Also yeah, why wouldn't they make 25 part of 495? It would be longer than 476, then!
About the town names, we don't think about it.
Also the choice of Marlborough, I didn't realize just how bad of a choice that is, Worcester is literally right there.
P.S Whenever you make the MA-RI 195 video, super-requests will happen.
On I-495 Highway Between Intersections Of Route 24 and I-95 was Bristol County appears on I-495 from Mansfield to Raynham
The reasoning, one Marlborough sign is due to a very big sports complex. Call the New England sports center that’s primarily used for hockey events and I think it’s fine because the Providence Bruins the Boston Bruins NHL affiliate was playing there will be Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence right next to 95 was being repaired and fixed and becomes the Amica mutual pavilion
@jennamith2333 Providence and Boston both have the same hockey team names? I mean, Giants and Broncos are both found in different cities, but one is baseball and the other is college football…
I’m generally opposed to corporate stadium names, but a Dunkin Donuts Center in New England is 100% ok
@@ControlCityFreak there used to be a Dunkin' Donuts center in Providence, but it got renamed to the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Providence Bruins and Providence College Friars men's basketball teams play their home games there.
@@Ramiestar Oh that’s a shame. I was ok with Heinz Field and Miller Park too since those brands are so associated with the towns, so of course they had to change to random soulless insurance companies
@@tylermarchand2996 Since the Providence Bruins are the AAA level farm team of the Boston Bruins it makes sense: the familiar 8-spoked logo has a "P" instead of a "B". Until 2020 nearby Pawtucket, RI was home to the Boston Red Sox' AAA team, colloquially known as the Pawsox. They were sold to a group who would move them to Worcester where their new colloquial name is the Woosox. 2020 was to have been the team's final season in RI, but the pandemic cancelled all of minor league baseball and in so doing deprived Pawtucket a chance to say goodbye properly.
The reorganization of minor league baseball occurred during the pandemic which reduced the number of levels in the pyramid and thus the number of teams. Among the casualties were the Class A short season (June-September) New York-Penn League, of which the Lowell Spinners, the Red Sox' farm team at that level, were a member. When that team wasn't included in the new minor league configuration they were forced to fold.
All the Massachusetts "Boros".. lol😅!!
Not quite. Here are the -boros that are not signed on I-495
Tyngsborough, on US 3 near the NH border (the y is pronounced like a short I, "tings")
Lanesborough, on US 7 and MA 8 north of Pittsfield
New Marlborough, in Berkshire County on the Connecticut border east of Great Barrington
Attleboro, on I-95 on the RI border (see my discussion above)
In the cluster of "boros" in the central stretch of I-495 Marlborough is the oldest of them all, established in 1660 as a much larger township from which other towns were cleaved off and established: Westborough in 1717, Southborough in 1727, Northborough in 1766 and Hudson in 1866.
As an aside, I also don’t like Albany on I 90 westbound all the way from Boston. It should be Worcester until the 290/395 interchange, after which it should be Springfield. The earliest I would sign Albany is the non-interchange with 291. It isn’t provincial to prioritize in-state cities of 200k and 150k over an out-of-state city with 100k.
But Albany is a capital city that should always be signed for their importance......to be fair New York signs Boston quite early as well when going east on 90...
@truckercowboyed2638 Being a seat of government only carries so much weight. Especially since New York has just as much government offices as Albany. Other states do this too: if Sacramento and Baton Rouge were truly the most important cities in their state, then “lesser” cities like San Francisco and New Orleans wouldn’t house their state’s Supreme Courts (the third of three equal branches).
@@tylermarchand2996 No I'm just saying probably their reasoning for Albany.... honestly I think Springfield would be better since it's the Massachusetts capital
@truckerciwboyed2638 Massachusetts capital?
@@truckercowboyed2638no, Boston is the capitol.
When you do US-20 -- the highschool team in Norwalk, Ohio is known as the "Truckers." I get that US-20 was a major truck route but it's still funny,
There are signs in both Kenmore Square in Boston and US 20's western end point on the Oregon coast showing how far each is from the other.
Two more small things. 8:43 Thankfully you didn't try to pronounce the town that MA 125 NB goes to, Plaistow NH, which is pronounced plas-tau, the second syllable the same as in Towson MD; the I is silent. 9:21 Notice the spelling of Merrimac, the town in MA, as opposed to the river that the section of I-495 from Chelmsford to Salisbury runs along, the Merrimack River, and from Merrimack NH.
Kind of like the Hoosac Tunnel and the Hoosick Rive both near North Adams, MA.
Taunton taunts me
How long will it take until you do I-495? The best I-495. LIE?
Not sure
@@ControlCityFreak if you do end up doing that 495, take note that there’s only 1 Control City Sign in all of the LIE; & that’s Eastbound. The closest Equivalent to that is travel times for control Roads.
195 should just be part of 495