Massachusetts Roads - MA 122




Crossing an inlet to the Blackstone River at Staples Ln. in Blackstone. Massachusetts had a Highway Commission over a decade before the United States had a highway system.


There is a peculiar overpass located just off of MA 122 in Millville. Three railroads cross each other, except... they don't. One of them, the bottom one, is fully functional today. The second one has been converted into a walking trail, and the bridge rails have been taken out. Since the trail seems to exist on both sides of the bridge, this doesn't make sense to me. More interesting is the third railroad, which was basically fully graded but never constructed. These concrete posts are along a parallel road to the second, abandoned track. The next road over also has these, in an odd section between two sets of houses where it just seems that nothing ever got built and that's all there is to it. These are wicked old, and while the holes where the guiderail would have bolted in are all that's left, the decay of concrete has exposed some rebar. They're useless, but cool.


Looking down through where the rails have been taken off the bridge, with the active tracks down and to the left. You can see straight through to the river, so crossing this bridge is left to the adventurous.


A straight shot across the bridge that's been un-railed. The active tracks cross in the lower left-hand corner, but what are those tall concrete pillars in the background?


Mystery revealed! The third railroad was more than just graded, but the actual foundations for the bridge across the river were set before the project was cancelled. Between this and the above picture, it's easy to see how these three sets of rails would have crossed each other.


Just north of there, Old Millville Rd. branches off as the original MA 122 routing. The trestle is a dead giveaway as to why MA 122 was rerouted.


The old guiderail post in the first photo of the previous run, and looking south just after the railroad underpass. There's a hint that the road may have originally slanted across the railroad at grade.


Continuing north back toward MA 122 with more guiderail posts.


SB at MA 140. MA 30 actually does begin here, because MA 140 is a newer route and when it was designated, MassHighway never bothered to move the end of MA 30. About a quarter of a mile to the north, MA 30 sets out as its own road.


At the end of some little street, pointing down MA 122 SB toward the Mass. Pike (I-90) onramp a short distance away.


Getting old NB in Worcester. The last two photos are next to each other.


As normal as Worcester signage gets, and neither one is particularly normal. I-290 uses the wrong shield, and MA 122A uses the wrong border. The second photo is northbound but it's on Harding St. SB because of how convoluted Worcester streets are.

Fairly normal, SB.


City overhead signage, well out of downtown but cursed by being near the airport. It doesn't resemble anything like sound engineering practice anywhere.


Some better NB signs after that.


MA 32A, which should not be "32 A", is a shortcut for MA 32 that avoids the town of Barre. It multiplexes with MA 122 from 32 for a few feet and then breaks away on its own here. From the old font, you can tell this sign is at least 30 years old.


Meacham Rd. SB at its end. To the right is actually MA 122 NB, but 122 heads right on over to US 202.

SB at E. River St., Orange.

MA 122A and MA 122/122A
MA 32 and MA 122/32


Into Rhode Island on 122
Onto MA 140
Onto MA 30
Onto the Mass. Pike, I-90
Onto I-290
Onto MA 9
Onto MA 12
Onto MA 148
Onto MA 32A
Turn off for old Orange-Millington Rd. by the Quabbin Reservoir
Onto US 202
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