Massachusetts Exit Numbers Will Be Changing in October
Get ready for some changes to your commute next month when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation begins its exit renumbering project.
Exit numbers are being changed to comply with federal highway mandates, which require mile-based exit signs. The Exit Renumbering Project website explains that “currently, interstates and freeways in Massachusetts utilize a sequential exit numbering method. MassDOT has committed to the implementation of mile-based.”
I went through this in Rhode Island not too long ago, so I guess it’s your turn, Massachusetts. MassDOT said the project will begin in October of this year and is anticipated to end in the summer of 2021. Here are some of the benefits they list with this new system:
- Driver-friendly navigation
- More accurate emergency response
- The ability to add future exits without having to renumber the entire corridor
- National uniformity
WCVB noticed that Cape Cod is going to get some strange exit numbers. Instead of starting at Exit 1, exit numbers will start with Exit 55 after crossing the Sagamore Bridge. New exits, like 55 and 82, are based on the Route 6 mileposts, which begin at the Rhode Island border in Seekonk and ascend from west to east to the end of Route 6 in Provincetown, as reported the project’s website.
This $2.8 million project may create some confusion for the foreseeable future, but having just gone through this with Rhode Island, it won’t be as bad as you think. The new exit signs will include “Old Exit” signs for about two years to help you get used to the new system, and the construction schedule will remain up to date on the project’s website.
To see an interactive map of the new exit numbers, FAQs, and the project’s calendar, head to newmassexits.com.