Route 140 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 ...
which passes through
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
,
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
and
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
counties in
. The highway follows a southeast-northwest trajectory, running from
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
(US 6) in
New Bedford
New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...
just north of
Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since ...
northwest to an intersection with
Route 12 in
Winchendon, a few miles south of the border with
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
.
The southern 19 miles (30 km) of Route 140 between New Bedford and
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
is a freeway known as the Alfred M. Bessette Memorial Highway, or more commonly, the Taunton-New Bedford Expressway.
Route description
New Bedford to Taunton
Route 140 begins at an intersection with
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
(Kempton Street) and Brownell Avenue in Downtown
New Bedford
New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...
. This intersection is signed as exit 1 when traveling southbound on Route 140. About a mile north, Route 140 comes to its first interchange, a cloverleaf with
Interstate 195, which connects
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
to
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
. Route 140 then curves slightly to the right to avoid
New Bedford Regional Airport
New Bedford Regional Airport is a Part 139 Commercial-Service Airport, municipally-owned and available for public use. The airport is located northwest of the City of New Bedford, a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States.
The air ...
, which is accessible from Hathaway Road (exit 3). Route 140 eventually leaves New Bedford and enters
East Freetown, providing an exit that drops off near the center of the village. Route 140 then runs parallel to
Long Pond before curving slightly west. The freeway section of Route 140 ends a few miles north at exit 20 (formerly 12), which is for
Route 24. Meanwhile, Route 140 runs along County Street towards downtown
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
.
Route 140 runs partially concurrent with Route 79 Truck in order to bypass certain sections of
Route 79 proper. The two designations are concurrent from exit 16 (Route 79) (old exit 10) to exit 20 (
Route 24). At exit 20, Route 79 Truck leaves Route 140 for Route 24, where the truck route meets its parent at exit 11 (formerly 9) on MA-24.
Taunton to Wrentham
From the final interchange with
Route 24 in Taunton, Route 140 extends northwest towards Taunton Center, having a 0.3 mi (0.45 km) concurrency with US 44, just east of Taunton Center. As the two proceed to
Taunton Green
The Taunton Green Historic District encompasses the core area of the historic 19th-century commercial downtown business district of Taunton, Massachusetts. It is centered on the town green, laid out in the 1740s, and now stands at the intersect ...
, a rotary begins with Route 140, US 44, and
Route 138. Route 140 splits off from the rotary, passing the
Bristol County Courthouse and heading northwest from the Green along Court Street. Route 140 brings its way through the northwest portion of Taunton, into
Norton Norton may refer to:
Places
Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada
*Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan
*Norton Parish, New Brunswick
**Norton, New Brunswick, a ...
, past
Wheaton College, and sharing a brief junction with
MA-123. As Route 140 crosses the border from Norton to
Mansfield
Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...
, it passes by the
Xfinity Center before reaching a junction with
Interstate 495. Route 140 shares a brief stretch of highway interchange with I-495, as the route then splits off and heads north through Mansfield Center, intersecting
MA-106. Route 140 crosses into
Foxboro, bearing an interchange 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 ...
, and further north a junction with
US-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, ...
North, with the US-1 South exit being another mile up the road in
Wrentham. Route 140 loops through Wrentham Center, sharing a junction with
Route 1A, and past
King Philip Regional High School
King Philip Regional High School (KPRHS) is a regional high school in Wrentham, Massachusetts, United States. It is a part of the King Philip Regional School District, drawing students from three towns: Wrentham, Norfolk, and Plainville.
Mar ...
, into
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
.
Franklin to Upton
Route 140 enters Franklin from Wrentham, passing through Franklin Center, consisting of
Dean College
Dean College is a private college in Franklin, Massachusetts. It offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and continuing and professional education and certificates.
History
Dean College was founded by Dr. Oliver Dean as a co-educatio ...
and
Franklin/Dean College Station
Franklin/Dean College is an MBTA Commuter Rail station located in Franklin, Massachusetts near Dean College. It serves the Franklin Line, for which it was the terminus from 1966 to 1988. The station has a mid-sized park and ride lot to serve tow ...
of the
Franklin Commuter Rail line. Route 140 bypasses
Franklin High School, and enters its second interchange with I-495 and also the second junction of the Franklin Commuter Rail line, at
Forge Park/495 station, the final stop on the line. At this point, Route 140 extends west and heads into
Bellingham. Route 140 spends a brief time in Bellingham, sharing a brief concurrence with
Route 126, which extends north to I-495, and south into
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsock ...
. As Route 140 exits Bellingham, the road sharply turns north into the eastern edges of
Mendon and
Hopedale for a total of nearly three miles. Route 140 then enters
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 ...
in a northwest trajectory, staying parallel to the Milford/Hopedale border for the route's duration in Milford. Route 140 enters a junction at
Milford Regional Medical Center
Milford Regional Medical Center (also known as Milford Regional), is a full-service, community and regional non-profit, teaching hospital located in Milford, Massachusetts. Milford Regional has 149 beds in the main hospital and runs a comprehensive ...
with
Route 16, which leads westbound into Mendon and Hopedale Center, and eastbound to
Route 85 and
Route 109, both with terminations at Route 16. Route 140 enters a final small portion of Hopedale, then proceeds into the eastern part of
Upton
Upton may refer to:
Places United Kingdom England
* Upton, Slough, Berkshire (in Buckinghamshire until 1974)
* Upton, Buckinghamshire, a hamlet near Aylesbury
* Upton, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough
* Upton, Huntingdonshire, a location in Cambridge ...
, passing through Upton Center and bypassing both
Blackstone Valley Regional Technical High School and
Nipmuc Regional High School
Nipmuc Regional High School is a public high school in Upton, Massachusetts, United States, part of the Mendon-Upton Regional School District.
Nipmuc Regional High School is located on a fifty-acre wooded lot in Upton, Massachusetts, in the Black ...
.
Grafton to West Boylston
Route 140 enters
Grafton through the southeast, proceeding north and sharply turning west into Grafton Center and the town common. Route 140 bears right, northward, down a mile-long hill that ends at a traffic light that begins a concurrency with
Route 122. Routes 140 and 122 proceed north through North Grafton, passing under the
Mass Pike
The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a toll highway in the US state of Massachusetts that is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The turnpike begins at the New York state li ...
. Immediately after crossing under the Mass Pike, Route 122 splits off to west towards
Millbury and
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
, while Route 140 begins a concurrency with the western terminus of
Route 30, and heads towards
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
. The concurrency with Route 30 is long, as Route 30 splits east towards
Grafton station of the
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track to 141 different stations, with 58 statio ...
's
Framingham/Worcester Line,
Tufts Animal Hospital, and the town of
Westborough
Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,567 at the 2020 Census, in over 7,000 households. Incorporated in 1717, the town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed ...
. As Route 140 enters Shrewsbury it briefly becomes an undivided, high-speed wide-median route, where it meets with
U.S. 20 at an overpass. later, Route 140 meets
Route 9 at an underpass. Route 9 West serves as the main road into Worcester from Shrewsbury and
Northborough, while eastbound heads in the direction of Westborough and towards Interstate 495. Route 140 extends north into Shrewsbury Center and shares an interchange with
Interstate 290 at the northern edge of town. Just north of the interchange, Route 140 enters
Boylston Boylston may refer to the following communities:
;Canada
* Boylston, Nova Scotia
;United States
* Boylston, Massachusetts
* Boylston, New York
* Boylston, Wisconsin
* Boylston Junction, Wisconsin
It may also refer to:
* Helen Dore Boylston, author ...
, where it meets
Route 70. After Route 70, Route 140 passes the South Bay of the
Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachuset ...
and continues northwest into
West Boylston
West Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States and a northern suburb of Worcester. The population was 7,877 at the 2020 census. West Boylston includes the village of Oakdale, located on the opposite side of the Wachu ...
, where, in the town center, it begins a brief concurrency with
Route 12. The two routes extend north for , crossing over the Wachusett Reservoir via a causeway, after which Route 12 splits north towards
Sterling. Route 140 extends northwest from this intersection, soon after passing the
Old Stone Church, and continues for alongside the Thomas Basin before crossing the
Stillwater River into the historic village of
Oakdale. From the village, Route 140 continues north into the western portion of Sterling.
Sterling to Winchendon
As Route 140 enters
Sterling, it encounters an interchange with
Interstate 190, which connects
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
to the south with
Leominster
Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster is t ...
and
Fitchburg to the north. Route 140 travels northwest to an intersection with
Route 62
The following highways are numbered 62:
Australia
* Kennedy Developmental Road - Queensland State Route 62
Canada
* Alberta Highway 62
* British Columbia Highway 62
* Newfoundland and Labrador Route 62
* Highway 62 (Ontario)
* Winnipeg Route 62 ...
right before entering
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
. Route 140 then joins
Route 31 in
East Princeton. The two routes run concurrently for , after which Route 140 continues northwest into
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, passing between Wachusett Lake and Wyman Pond north of
Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett is a mountain in Massachusetts. It straddles towns of Princeton and Westminster, in Worcester County. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River. The mountain is named after a Native American term me ...
. Route 140 runs north from the mountain until meeting
Route 2
The following highways are numbered 2. For roads numbered A2, see list of A2 roads. For roads numbered B2, see list of B2 roads. For roads numbered M2, see list of M2 roads. For roads numbered N2, see list of N2 roads.
International
* AH2, As ...
, a
controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
, and the parallel surface road
Route 2A at an interchange. Route 140 runs northwest concurrently with Route 2, bypassing the Westminster town center, before leaving the highway at the following interchange. From Route 2, Route 140 continues northwest into
Gardner, running northeast of the city center, during which it intersects
Route 101
Route 101 or Highway 101 can refer to multiple roads:
International
* European route E101
Argentina
* National Route 101
Australia
* Southern Ports Highway
* Princes Highway (East)
Brazil
* BR-101
Canada
* British Columbia Highway 101
...
. The route turns north upon entering
Winchendon where Route 140 ends at an intersection with Route 12. Route 12 continues northwest into the town center, crossing
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massa ...
before proceeding to the
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
border.
History
Previous designation
The section of modern Route 140 from
West Boylston
West Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States and a northern suburb of Worcester. The population was 7,877 at the 2020 census. West Boylston includes the village of Oakdale, located on the opposite side of the Wachu ...
to
Gardner was numbered Route 64 when it was first commissioned by 1933. By 1939, the entirety of the route was redesignated as Route 140, effectively extending existing Route 140 northwest, which had previously ended in Grafton.
In 1947, the
Massachusetts Department of Public Works
The Massachusetts Highway Department (abbreviated MassHighway) was the highway department in the U.S. state of Massachusetts from 1991 until the formation of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) in 2009.
The responsibilities ...
announced plans for a "Relocated Route 140", one of the first steps as part of its statewide expressway program. Between 1955–1970 the current route was widened and straightened, while the section south of
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
, which runs to
New Bedford
New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...
, was built as an
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
. The New Bedford Expressway was to serve as a spur from the
Fall River Expressway, connecting to points in the Boston metropolitan area. The creation of this spur was considered a key component of revitalizing the old port city of New Bedford.
Prior to the building of the freeway section, County Street (the section of road beginning at the Taunton River, and also known as County Road) brought the road southward through East Taunton, Berkley, Lakeville and East Freetown. The road, which runs parallel to the freeway and crosses it in Lakeville, merged with
Route 18 in East Freetown, just north of the New Bedford city limits. The old alignment begins in front of the
Silver City Galleria
The Silver City Galleria was an enclosed, two-level, super-regional mall located off Route 24 and Route 140 in Taunton, Massachusetts, United States. It covered a leasable area of over , and served multiple cities and towns in the region. It wa ...
in Taunton.
Highway improvements
A section of Route 140 in
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
was widened from two to four lanes wide. The $22 million project began in 2003 and was completed in 2007.
In Fall 2013, the ramp from Route 140 to I-495 south at Exit 11 (now Exit 30) in
Mansfield
Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...
was completed. This ramp removed the need for traffic exiting the
Xfinity Center in
Mansfield
Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...
to use a significant two-lane portion of Route 140.
Major intersections
References
{{reflist
140 140 may refer to:
* 140 (number), an integer
* AD 140, a year of the Julian calendar
* 140 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* ''140'' (video game), a 2013 platform game
* Tin King stop
Tin King () is an at-grade MTR Light Rail stop ...
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Freetown, Massachusetts
Gardner, Massachusetts
Grafton, Massachusetts
Lakeville, Massachusetts
Mansfield, Massachusetts
Mendon, Massachusetts
Milford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Norton, Massachusetts
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Sterling, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Transportation in Bristol County, Massachusetts
Transportation in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Transportation in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Transportation in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Westminster, Massachusetts
Wrentham, Massachusetts