Massachusetts Route 7A (MA 7A) is a state highway and alternate to
U.S. Route 7 (US 7) in
Berkshire County
Berkshire County (pronounced ) is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded in ...
,
. It has two posted segments, with a total length of . Between these segments, Route 7A is coextensive with US 7.
[
Both segments of Route 7A follow former alignments of US 7.
]
Route description
From its southern terminus to its northern one, Route 7A spans . However, its "signed" sections only add up to approximately , with the connection made via US 7.
Southern segment
The southern segment begins at the Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
border, where the unsigned Connecticut State Road 832 connects Route 7A to its parent route south in the town of North Canaan. Route 7A runs northward for nearly as Ashley Falls Road, passing through the village of Ashley Falls and crossing the Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...
before rejoining its parent route in the town of Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
.
Northern segment
About north by way of US 7, Route 7A's northern segment begins at an intersection with its parent route just south of a junction with U.S. Route 20 in the town of Lenox
Lenox may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Lenox, Alabama
* Lenox, Georgia
* Lenox, Iowa
** Lenox College, former college in Hopkinton, Iowa
* Lenox, Kentucky
* Lenox, Massachusetts, a New England town
** Lenox (CDP), Massachusetts, the m ...
. It heads northward along Kemble Street, passing the site of Shakespeare & Company before meeting Route 183 (Walker Street) within the CDP of Lenox. The two routes continue north along Walker Street for a brief concurrency before Route 183 bears south towards Tanglewood
Tanglewood is a music venue in the towns of Lenox and Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937. Tanglewood is also home to three music schools: the T ...
. Route 7A continues northward through Lenox Village along Main Street, ending finally at its parent route approximately northward.
History
The bypass routing of US 7 around Lenox Village, which gave way to the northern segment of Route 7A, was made as part of a failed attempt to make that route a freeway to Lanesborough.
Major intersections
References
{{reflist
007A
Transportation in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
U.S. Route 7