Route 1A is a north–south

state highway 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 ...

in Massachusetts, United States. It is an alternate route to

U.S. 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, ...

with three signed sections and two unsigned sections where the highway is concurrent with its parent. Due to the reconfiguration of tunnel interchanges brought on by the completion of the Big Dig, Route 1A is discontinuous in the downtown Boston area. Vehicles entering Downtown Boston via the

Sumner Tunnel The Sumner Tunnel is a road tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It carries traffic under Boston Harbor in one direction, from Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston. The tunnel originally deposited traffic at the w ...

must take I-93 north to the exit for Government Center and make a U-turn to access the entrance ramp to I-93 south (which silently carries Route 1A south as well) and vice versa.

Route description

Rhode Island border to Attleboro

A short segment of Route 1A, in length, in

Attleboro Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2020 census, Attleboro had a population of 46,461. Attleboro is ...

runs from

U.S. Route 1A U.S. Route 1A is the name of several highways found in the United States. North Carolina Wake Forest–Youngsville U.S. Route 1A (US 1A) is a alternate route of US 1 through the towns of Wake Forest and Youngsville, North Caroli ...

at the Rhode Island border through a junction with

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

, before heading north and merging with Route 1. The entire length of this segment is known as Newport Avenue.

North Attleborough to Dedham

This segment of Route 1A extends roughly north from

North Attleborough North Attleborough, alternatively spelled North Attleboro, is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,834 at the 2020 United States Census. The villages of Attleboro Falls and North Attleborough Center are ...

to Dedham, passing through the towns of Plainville, Wrentham, Norfolk, Walpole, Norwood and Westwood on the way. Prior to its realignment along I-95 and I-93, Route 1 continued north along the Providence Highway towards Boston at the junction of Route 1A and that road.

Boston to Salisbury

Veterans Memorial Bridge entering Beverly MA

This segment of Route 1A extends from Boston, Massachusetts to Salisbury, Massachusetts. The highway starts from US 1 (which is on the Central Artery with I-93 and Route 3) at the former Government Center/

Logan Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...

interchange. It passes through the

Callahan Tunnel The Lieutenant William F. Callahan Jr. Tunnel (colloquially Callahan Tunnel) is one of four tunnels, and one of three road tunnels, beneath Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts. It carries motor vehicles from the North End to Logan Internati ...

(outbound/northbound) and

(inbound/southbound), becoming the East Boston Expressway past

. The East Boston Expressway was the first freeway built in the city. Immediately beyond

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

ends at Route 1A. Salisbury Beach, Salisbury MA

The road continues as a divided highway through

Revere Revere may refer to: Brands and companies *Revere Ware, a U.S. cookware brand owned by World Kitchen * Revere Camera Company, American designer of cameras and tape recorders *Revere Copper Company * ReVere, a car company recognised by the Classic ...

. It is a limited access highway through Revere, passing

Suffolk Downs Suffolk Downs is a former Thoroughbred race track in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The track opened in 1935 after being built by Joseph A. Tomasello for a cost of $2 million. It was sold in May 2017 to a developer who plans to crea ...

and the Wonderland Greyhound Park (which is across the street from the outer terminus of the MBTA's Blue Line), before running through the isolated Point of Pines neighborhood and exiting Revere over the

General Edwards Bridge A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

into

Lynn Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn ( ...

. For the first mile and a half in Lynn, it is concurrent with the Lynnway, and is a high-traffic retail area. After the Lynnway portion, the route becomes concurrent with

Route 129 The following highways are numbered 129: Canada * Ontario Highway 129 * Prince Edward Island Route 129 Costa Rica * National Route 129 India * National Highway 129 (India) Japan * Japan National Route 129 United States * Interstate 129 * ...

for a mile, before crossing into Swampscott as Paradise Road. At Vinnin Square, it passes into

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

as Loring Avenue, passing by Salem State University. The route turns left onto Lafayette Street and is concurrent with Route 114. At the intersection with Derby Street, notable for the large fire station, the route turns right. At the next stop sign, the route turns left onto Hawthorne Boulevard passing Salem Common and the Salem Witch Museum before turning left onto Winter Street. At the end of Winter Street, the route turns right onto Bridge Street crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge into Beverly. It follows two of the main streets of downtown Beverly, before heading north, passing through Wenham and

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

(through this section the road is occasionally signed as a US Route) before becoming the main road through the town of Ipswich, crossing the historic Choate Bridge over the Ipswich River. While in Ipswich, much of the route runs concurrently with Route 133 until just over the town line into

Rowley Rowley may refer to: Places Canada * Rowley, Alberta * Rowley Island, Nunavut United Kingdom * Rowley, County Durham, a hamlet * Rowley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England * Rowley, Shropshire, a location in Shropshire, England * Rowley Regis, ...

. It passes through the main village of Rowley, as well as the central villages of Newbury. In

Newburyport, Massachusetts Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

, it merges with

Route 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered ...

, signed with its parent highway over the Merrimack River and into the town center of Salisbury. It then heads east from the Salisbury town center before turning north and ending in Salisbury Beach at the New Hampshire border.

New Hampshire Route 1A New Hampshire Route 1A is an long state highway located in southeast New Hampshire. The route runs along the Atlantic coastline from the Massachusetts border north to Rye, then turns toward downtown Portsmouth. The southern terminus is at the Mas ...

continues north from this point.

History

Initially, Route 1A ran along part of its present-day route between the New Hampshire state line and Revere. It then turned west along present-day Route 16 until it ended at US 1 (now Route 99) in Everett. Then, in 1931, an interchange in Revere was built over Route 107 (Broadway). In 1933, another, disconnected portion of Route 1A appeared between Attleboro and the Rhode Island state line. In 1934, two changes were made to the route. In Revere, the route was realigned to turn west smoothly. Between Boston and North Attleborough, a huge portion of Route 11 and all of Route 150 were replaced by Route 1A. The new portion soon got truncated to Dedham in 1936. It then got truncated even further to end at US 1/Route 128.

Later history

After Route C1 was decommissioned in 1971 in favor of a new alignment of US 1, Route 1A was truncated to a roundabout interchange in Revere. As a result, Route 16 extended eastward along the then-former route. After all unbuilt Boston freeways were cancelled by 1973, US 1 was rerouted onto the Northeast Expressway (formerly proposed I-95). As a result of that, Route 1A was extended south towards the Sumner/Callahan Tunnels and then north along Central Artery towards US 1 (Storrow Drive).{{cite web , title=Massachusetts Road Map, 1975 , url=https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d1eaf62b3438482fb4dc6cab43e1aa57 , website=www.arcgis.com , access-date=August 17, 2021 In 1989, US 1 was rerouted from Storrow Drive onto I-93's Southeast Expressway, causing "signed" Route 1A to get truncated.

Major intersections

{{jcttop, state=MA, length_ref= {{MAint , county=Bristol , cspan=6 , location=Attleboro , lspan=4 , mile=0.000 , road={{jct, state=RI, US, 1A, dir1=south, city1=Pawtucket , notes=Continuation into Rhode Island {{MAint , mile=0.412 , road={{jct, state=MA, I, 95, city1=Foxboro, city2=Boston, location3= Providence, RI , notes=Exits 2A-B on I-95 {{MAint , mile=1.637 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 123, city1=Attleboro, city2=Brockton, location3=

Valley Falls, RI Valley Falls is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Cumberland, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 11,547 at the 2010 census. Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway was founded in 1 ...

, notes= {{MAint , mile=1.728 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, US, 1, dir1=south , notes=Southern terminus of unsigned concurrency with US 1 {{jctgap , col=5 , text=See US 1 mileposts 2.4–7.0 {{MAint , location=North Attleborough , type=concur , mile=7.109 , road={{jct, state=MA, US, 1, dir1=north, city1=Boston , notes=Northern terminus of unsigned concurrency with US 1 {{MAint , county=Norfolk , cspan=7 , location=Plainville , mile=7.981 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 106, dir1=east, US, 1, to2=yes, city1=Mansfield, city2=West Bridgewater , notes=Western end of Route 106 {{MAint , location=Wrentham , lspan=3 , mile=10.634 , road={{jct, state=MA, I, 495, I, 95, to2=yes, city1=Cape Cod, city2=Lowell , notes=Exit 38 on I-495 {{MAint , mile=11.375 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 121, dir1=south, location1=

Woonsocket, RI Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsocket lies directly south of ...

, notes=Northern end of Route 121 {{MAint , mile=12.840 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 140, city1=Franklin, location2= Foxboro, city3=Taunton , notes= {{MAint , location=Norfolk , mile=15.091 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 115, location1= Foxboro, city2=Norfolk, city3=Millis , notes= {{MAint , location=Walpole , mile=19.70 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 27, city1=Walpole, areadab1=CDP, city2=Sharon, areadab2=CDP, city3=Stoughton , notes= {{MAint , location=Dedham , mile=27.144 , type=concur , road= I-95

Providence Highway to I-95 / US 1 / Route 128 – Boston, Providence, RI , notes=Formerly US 1, south end of silent concurrency with Providence Highway and then US 1 {{jctgap, text=See Route 128 exits 29-26 and I-93 exits 1-17B {{MAint , county=Suffolk , cspan=9 , location=Boston , lspan=7 , mile= , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, I, 93, name1= US 1, MA, 3, dir1=north, dir2=north, name2= Storrow Drive, city1=Government Center , notes=Northern terminus of silent concurrency with US 1; exit 17B on Central Artery {{MAint , type=incomplete , mile= , road= Haymarket Square , notes=Northbound entrance only {{jctbridge , mile= , type=etc , bridge=

Sumner Sumner may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Sumner, a mountain in the Rare Range, Antarctica * Sumner Glacier, southern Graham Land, Antarctica Australia * Sumner, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane New Zealand * Sumner, New Zealand, seaside sub ...

(southbound) /

Callahan Callahan may refer to: *Callahan (surname) Fictional characters *Father Callahan, in Stephen King novels *Harry Callahan (character), in ''Dirty Harry'' movies * Jack Callahan (''Neighbours''), from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' *Mik ...

(northbound) Tunnels {{MAint , mile=49.482 , type= , road= East Boston , notes=Access via Porter Street {{MAint , mile=49.677 , road={{jct, extra=airport

{{MAint , mile=50.023 , type=etc , road={{jct, state=MA, I-Toll, 90, MATP, , dir2=west, I, 93, dir3=south, to3=yes, location1= Williams Tunnel , notes=Eastern end of I-90; southbound exit and northbound entrance {{MAint , mile=50.305 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 145, dir1=north, name1=Bennington Street, city1=Winthrop, city2=Chelsea , notes=Interchange, southern end of Route 145 {{MAint , location=Revere , lspan=2 , mile=52.487 , type=incomplete , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 145 , notes=Interchange, northbound exit and southbound entrance {{MAint , mile=52.852 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 16, MA, 60, dir1=west, dir2=west, city1=Malden, city2=Lynn, location3=

Revere Beach Revere Beach is a public beach in Revere, Massachusetts, located about north of downtown Boston. The beach is over long. In 1875, a rail link was constructed to the beach, leading to its increasing popularity as a summer recreation area, and in ...

, city4=Chelsea , notes=Eastern end of Routes 16 and 60; To US 1 via Route 60 and Route 145 via Route 16 {{MAint , county=Essex , cspan=17 , location=Lynn , lspan=3 , mile=55.843 , road=Lynnway east –

Nahant Nahant is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,334 at the 2020 census, which makes it the smallest municipality by population in Essex County. With just of land area, it is the smallest municipality by are ...

, Swampscott , notes= {{MAint , mile=58.018 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 129, dir1=west, city1=Lynnfield , notes=Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 129 {{MAint , type=concur , mile=59.167 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 129, dir1=east, city1=Swampscott, city2=Marblehead , notes=Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 129 {{MAint , location=Salem , lspan=3 , mile=62.554 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 114, dir1=east, city1=Marblehead , notes=Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 114 {{MAint , mile=63.326 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 114, dir1=west , notes=Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 114 {{MAint , mile=64.250 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 107, dir1=south, city1=Lynn, city2=Malden , notes=North end of Route 107 {{jctbridge , location_special=Danvers River , mile=64.933 , bridge=Essex Bridge {{MAint , location=Beverly , lspan=4 , mile=65.447 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 22, MA, 127, dir1=north, dir2=north , notes=South end of Routes 22 and 127 {{MAint , mile=66.242 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 62, city1=Danvers, location2=

Beverly Farms Beverly Farms is a neighborhood comprising the eastern part of the city of Beverly, Massachusetts, in Massachusetts's North Shore region, about 20 miles north of Boston. Beverly Farms is an oceanfront community with a population of about 3,500, ...

, notes= {{MAint , mile=67.699 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 97, dir1=north, city1=Topsfield, areadab1=CDP , notes=South end of Route 97 {{MAint , mile=67.897 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 128, city1=Gloucester, city2=Rockport, city3=Peabody, city4=Boston , notes=Exits 45A-B on Route 128; cloverleaf interchange {{MAint , location=Ipswich , mile=75.603 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 133, dir1=east, city1=Essex, areadab1=CDP , notes=Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 133 {{MAint , location=Rowley , mile=79.754 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 133, dir1=west, city1=Georgetown , notes=Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 133 {{MAint , location=Newburyport , lspan=2 , mile=88.395 , road={{jct, state=MA, MA, 113, dir1=west, city1=West Newbury, city2=Groveland , notes=East end of Route 113 {{MAint , mile=88.588 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, US, 1, dir1=south, city1=Danvers, city2=Boston , notes=Southern terminus of concurrency with US 1, southbound exit and northbound entrance {{MAint , location=Salisbury , lspan=2 , mile=90.879 , type=concur , road={{jct, state=MA, US, 1, MA, 110, dir1=north, dir2=west, city1=Amesbury, city2=Merrimac, city3=Salisbury Beach , notes=Northern terminus of concurrency with US 1, east end of Route 110 {{MAint , mile=95.120 , road={{jct, state=NH, NH, 1A, NH, 286, dir1=north, to2=yes, city1=Hampton , notes=Continuation into New Hampshire {{jctbtm, keys=concur,incomplete,etc

References

{{reflist

External links

{{Attached KML, display=inline,title {{Commons category, Massachusetts Route 1A
Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation - Boston's First Expressway

East Boston Expressway - Historic Overview
001A A Massachusetts North Attleborough, Massachusetts Plainville, Massachusetts Historic trails and roads in Dedham, Massachusetts {{Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston