Route 129 is a east–west
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
state route that runs from
Route 4
Route 4, or Highway 4, may refer to several highways in the following countries:
International
* AH4, Asian Highway 4
* European route E04
* European route E004
* Cairo – Cape Town Highway
Albania
* SH-4 road in Albania from Durres to Kakav ...
and
Route 110
Route 110 or Highway 110 can refer to multiple roads:
Australia
* Nepean Highway
* Bellarine Highway
Bangladesh
*
Brazil
* BR-110
Canada
* Manitoba Highway 110
* New Brunswick Route 110
* Prince Edward Island Route 110
China
* China Na ...
in
Chelmsford
Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of Londo ...
to
Route 114 in
Marblehead. Along the way it intersects several major highways including
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) in Chelmsford,
Interstate 93
Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways ...
(I-93) in
Wilmington,
I-95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...
and
Route 128
The following highways are numbered 128:
Canada
* New Brunswick Route 128
* Ontario Highway 128 (former)
* Prince Edward Island Route 128
Costa Rica
* National Route 128
India
* National Highway 128 (India)
Japan
* Japan National Route 128 ...
in
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
, and
US 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
in
Saugus and
Lynnfield.
Route description
Route 129 begins at
Route 110
Route 110 or Highway 110 can refer to multiple roads:
Australia
* Nepean Highway
* Bellarine Highway
Bangladesh
*
Brazil
* BR-110
Canada
* Manitoba Highway 110
* New Brunswick Route 110
* Prince Edward Island Route 110
China
* China Na ...
in Chelmsford Center, where the northbound lanes of
Route 4
Route 4, or Highway 4, may refer to several highways in the following countries:
International
* AH4, Asian Highway 4
* European route E04
* European route E004
* Cairo – Cape Town Highway
Albania
* SH-4 road in Albania from Durres to Kakav ...
leave Route 110. The route passes out of the town center to the east before intersecting
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States highway running from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–US border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
Massachusetts Route 3 connects to ...
at Exit 79. It passes into
Billerica
Billerica (, ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 42,119 according to the 2020 census. It takes its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.
History
In the early 1630s, a Praying India ...
, and shortly thereafter has a concurrency with
Route 3A for just over a mile, following southbound on that route and crossing the
Concord River
The Concord River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed October 3, 2011 tributary of the Merrimack River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The river drains ...
. The route then turns eastward once more, heading over the
Shawsheen River
The Shawsheen River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 tributary of the Merrimack River in northeast Massachusetts. The name has had various spellings. ...
into
Wilmington. In Wilmington, Route 129 becomes concurrent with
Route 38
The following highways are numbered 38:
Australia
* A38 (Sydney)
Canada
* Alberta Highway 38
* Ontario Highway 38 (former)
* Saskatchewan Highway 38
Czech Republic
* I/38 Highway; Czech: Silnice I/38
Germany
* Bundesautobahn 38
India
* N ...
, crossing
Route 62 and passing the
Wilmington MBTA station in the process. The two routes split south of the intersection, with Route 129 heading more southeasterly towards its intersection with
Interstate 93
Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways ...
at Exit 31.
After crossing I-93, Route 129 heads into
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
. The route crosses
Route 28 just north of the town center before continuing eastward. At the town line with
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
, the route enters a rotary intersection with
I-95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...
and
Route 128
The following highways are numbered 128:
Canada
* New Brunswick Route 128
* Ontario Highway 128 (former)
* Prince Edward Island Route 128
Costa Rica
* National Route 128
India
* National Highway 128 (India)
Japan
* Japan National Route 128 ...
at Exit 58, most of which is in the town of Wakefield. Shortly after leaving the rotary, and just after crossing the
Saugus River
The Saugus River is a river in Massachusetts.
The river is long, drains a watershed of approximately , and passes through Wakefield, Lynnfield, Saugus, and Lynn as it meanders east and south from its source in Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield ...
, Route 129 turns southward along Main Street, following the eastern side of
Lake Quannapowitt
Lake Quannapowitt is a lake in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It is one of two large lakes in Wakefield, the other being the man-made Crystal Lake. The lake is named for Quonopohit, the Naumkeag Native American who signed a deed to the town that wo ...
towards the town center. At Water Street, Route 129 turns eastward, passing the
Center Depot
Wakefield Centre station is a former railway station at 57 Water Street ( Route 129) in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Built in the early 1870s, it is a surviving element of the railroad infrastructure that enabled Wakefield's growth as an indust ...
, which is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
and along the
Haverhill Line
The Haverhill Line (formerly named the Haverhill/Reading Line) is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns of
Malden, Melrose, Wakefield, Reading, Wilmington, An ...
(though currently without a stop). From Wakefield, Route 129 enters
Saugus and
Essex County. Passing the
Breakheart Reservation
Breakheart Reservation is a public recreation area covering in the towns of Saugus and Wakefield, Massachusetts. The reservation features a hardwood forest, two freshwater lakes, a winding stretch of the Saugus River, and scenic views of Bosto ...
, the route joins
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
at a cloverleaf intersection, following the route concurrently northward into
Lynnfield.
In Lynnfield, Route 129 leaves Route 1 at the Lynnfield Tunnel, a traffic landmark just south of I-95 and Route 128. Just east of this point, Route 129 enters Goodwin Circle, which provides access to all three highways via a connector road. Immediately after leaving the circle, Route 129 enters the city of
Lynn. In Lynn the route heads southeastward, above the
Lynn Woods Reservation
Lynn Woods Reservation (founded 1881) is a municipal forest park located in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts. The City of Lynn's Department of Public Works, Park Commission and Lynn Water & Sewer Commission share jurisdiction and management ...
, twisting around Sluice Pond before meeting
Route 129A next to Flax Pond. At this intersection, Route 129 turns southwest along Boston Street before turning southeast on Washington Street, where it crosses
Route 107. After passing east of Lynn Common, the route splits, with the eastbound side staying on Washington Street and the westbound following Central Avenue and Exchange Street. Both directions meet again on
Route 1A, staying concurrent with that route until meeting the eastern end of Route 129A, turning south before turning eastward once more an entering
Swampscott
Swampscott () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States Census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Ba ...
.
In Swampscott, Route 129 follows along King's Beach, above Black Will's Cliff and then along Fisherman's Beach before turning more inland, bypassing the Phillips Point neighborhood before coming close to the ocean once again in the Beach Bluff neighborhood as it enters
Marblehead. Once in Marblehead, Route 129 continues along Atlantic Avenue before finally terminating at the corner of Atlantic and Ocean, where it meets the eastern end of
Route 114. Atlantic Avenue continues into downtown Marblehead from this point, while Ocean Avenue heads across a short isthmus onto Marblehead Neck.
History
Route 129 (which was likely formed sometime in the 1920s) was originally a shorter route that only existed between Wilmington and Lynn, expanding to Marblehead by 1933 and to Chelmsford sometime in 1939.
[ ]
Prior to the construction of the Yankee Division Highway, Route 128 shared a short concurrency with Route 129 in Wakefield, joining the route at the intersection of Water Street and Main Street and leaving at the junction of Vernon Street and Water Street.
In 1996, Route 129 had a realignment in Lynn, with the old route re-designated as
Route 129A. This was done to bring the route through downtown.
Major intersections
Suffixed routes
Route 129A is an east–west
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
state route
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
that serves as an alternate to Route 129, located entirely in
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...
. The route was created in 1996, taking over the old routing of Route 129 in Lynn after it was realigned to enter downtown.
The route starts where Route 129 leaves its old routing when it enters Lynn, heading
southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
. It soon enters into a
concurrency
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with
Route 107 and goes northeast, but returns to going southeast when the concurrency ends. Route 129A ends at the end of a concurrency between
Routes 1A and 129, when 129 returns to its older route.
References
*
* (
Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...
archive, original site down)
External links
{{Commons category, Massachusetts Route 129
129
Transportation in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Transportation in Essex County, Massachusetts