Route 85 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
, United States. It passes through the heart of
Boston's MetroWest region, through towns on the eastern edge of
Worcester County and western edge of
Middlesex County, crossing the border between the two counties four times. Throughout its entire distance, Route 85 runs parallel to I-495, never passing more than two miles from it.
Route description
Route 85 begins in the town of
Milford Milford may refer to:
Place names Canada
* Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia
* Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia
* Milford, Ontario
England
* Milford, Derbyshire
* Milford, Devon, a place in Devon
* Milford on Sea, Hampshire
* Milford, Shro ...
at
Route 16, just east of the downtown area. It passes east of Milford Pond before having a junction with
I-495 Interstate 495 (I-495) is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 95, listed from south to north:
* The Capital Beltway, a beltway around Washington, D.C., running through Virgin ...
at Exit 20. From there, Route 85 heads northward into
Hopkinton, passing the eastern side of Echo Lake. It intersects
Route 135 at the center of town, less than a quarter mile west of the starting line of the
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...
. It then passes through Hopkinton State Forest and past the Hopkinton Reservoir before entering the town of
Southborough.
In
Southborough, Route 85 crosses under
I-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 ...
(the Mass Pike) without junction; the nearest exit is in neighboring
Framingham
Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The city proper covers with a popul ...
. It then meets
Route 9, the second of the four major east-west routes out of Boston, in an elevated four-way interchange. It then crosses the
Sudbury Reservoir
The Sudbury Reservoir (2.02 square miles) is an emergency backup Boston metropolitan water reservoir in Massachusetts, located predominantly in Southborough and Marlborough, with small sections in Westborough and Framingham. It was created when t ...
before meeting
Route 30 at the center of town. From there, Route 85 continues northward into
Marlborough
Marlborough may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
** Marlborough College, public school
* Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England
* The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England
Austral ...
,meeting
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
in the downtown area. It then passes the far western edge of the Fort Meadow Reservoir before crossing into
Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
.
Shortly after entering Hudson, Route 85 meets Hudson Street, the
super two
A super two, super two-lane highway or wide two-lane is a two-lane surface road built to highway standards with wide lanes and other safety features normally present on a freeway with more lanes, typically including partial control of access, o ...
connector road between it and the junction of
I-290 Interstate 290 may refer to the following Interstate Highways in the United States:
*Interstate 290 (Illinois), a highway from Chicago, Illinois, to Rolling Meadows, Illinois
*Interstate 290 (Massachusetts), a highway in Massachusetts that connects ...
and I-495 at I-495's Exit 25 and I-290's terminus, Exit 26. From there Route 85 heads north, crossing the
Assabet River
The Assabet River is a small, long river located about west of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed October 3, 2011 The Assabet rises ...
before meeting
Route 62, passing concurrently with that route through Wood Square before Route 85 continues northward. After passing into
Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...
, the route passes between Little Pond and West Pond before ending at
Route 117, less than a half mile east of I-495's exit 27.
Route 85 Connector
MA 85 Connector is a road that goes from the eastern terminus of
Interstate 290 (I-290) to MA 85, away in
Marlborough
Marlborough may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
** Marlborough College, public school
* Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England
* The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England
Austral ...
.
Future
Improvements to Route 85 in Hudson
In 2011 a $10.8 million project to reconstruct 7,700 feet (1.5 miles) from School Street/Park Street to the Marlborough City Line begun. The project consisted of a travel lanes and bike shoulders with concrete sidewalks throughout the project corridor. The Walmart Driveway was reconstructed with bicycle accommodation, ADA compliance, and a new traffic signal. At the intersection of the Route 85 Connector and Technology Drive, the intersection was reconstructed. A new northbound left turn lane was constructed, new through lane constructed on Technology Drive, new through lane on Route 85 Connector and a new wire traffic signal. The section between Route 85 Connector and Broad Street consisted of four lanes (two in each direction) with a raised concrete median. At the intersection of Broad Street, the existing signal was replaced with a two-lane roundabout. The roadway was be widened to four lanes (two in each direction) from Houghton Street to Broad Street. A new traffic signal was installed at R.K Town Centre Drive with a new turn lane. A new traffic signal was installed at Giasson Street. A new northbound left turn lane with a new traffic signal was installed at Brigham Street. From Brigham Street to Park Street, the roadway is now cold planed and resurfaced with drainage, curbing, sidewalks and driveways included. At Park Street/School Street, a new traffic signal was installed and a new southbound right turn lane will be constructed.
Hudson Route 85 Bridge
Beginning in 2013, MassDOT replaced the existing structurally deficient arch bridge with a new bridge. The estimated cost is $7 million. The project is funded as part of the Accelerated Bridge Program and used innovative construction. The new bridge consists of new concrete reinforced abutments and a new concrete NEXT beam superstructure.
Major intersections
References
External links
{{Commons category, Massachusetts Route 85}
Reconstruction of State Route 85
085
Transportation in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Transportation in Middlesex County, Massachusetts