U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a
United States highway
The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...
running from
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
, through
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 ...
, to the
Canada–US border near
Third Connecticut Lake
The Connecticut Lakes are a group of lakes in Coos County, northern New Hampshire, United States, situated along the headwaters of the Connecticut River. They are accessed via the northernmost segment of U.S. Route 3, between the village of Pitt ...
, where it connects to
Quebec Route 257
Route 257 is a north–south highway on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, Canada. Its northern terminus is in Saint-Adrien at a junction with Route 216, and its southern terminus is at the Pit ...
.
Massachusetts Route 3
Route 3 is a state-numbered route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is inventoried with U.S. Route 3 (US 3) as ...
connects to the southern terminus of US 3 in Cambridge and continues south 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 ...
. Though it shares a number, it has never been part of US 3. Both routes, which connect end-to-end, are treated as a single state highway by the
MassDOT
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) oversees roads, public transit, aeronautics, and transportation licensing and registration in the US state of Massachusetts. It was created on November 1, 2009, by the 186th Session of t ...
. From Cambridge to Burlington, US 3 is routed on surface streets through the dense suburbs in the
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern ar ...
area. After a brief concurrency 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 Massachusetts Route 128, the route follows its own freeway northwest, bypassing
Lowell and entering New Hampshire at Nashua, becoming the
Everett Turnpike
The Frederick E. Everett Turnpike, also called the Central New Hampshire Turnpike, is a toll road in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, running from the Massachusetts border at Nashua north to Concord. The Everett Turnpike is named for Frederick ...
.
In New Hampshire, current and former parts of US 3 are known as the
Daniel Webster Highway
Daniel Webster Highway (also known as D.W. Highway or Webster Highway) is the name for several sections of U.S. Route 3 (or former alignments) in New Hampshire. The highway is named after 19th century statesman Daniel Webster, a New Hampshire na ...
. From
Burlington, Massachusetts
Burlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,377 at the 2020 census.
History
It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, Yorkshire, but this has never b ...
, to
Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. Along with Manc ...
, US 3 is a
freeway
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 ...
. The segment in New Hampshire is a free portion of the
Everett Turnpike
The Frederick E. Everett Turnpike, also called the Central New Hampshire Turnpike, is a toll road in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, running from the Massachusetts border at Nashua north to Concord. The Everett Turnpike is named for Frederick ...
, while the portion in Massachusetts is known as the Northwest Expressway. From where it leaves the Everett Turnpike in Nashua northwards, US 3 is generally a 2-4 lane at-grade road, though there are two
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 ...
freeway portions in northern New Hampshire, one on the
Laconia
Laconia or Lakonia ( el, Λακωνία, , ) is a historical and administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparta. The word ''laconic''—to speak in a blunt, c ...
Bypass, and one where US 3 and
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 ...
use the
Franconia Notch
Franconia Notch (elev. ) is a major mountain pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Dominated by Cannon Mountain to the west and Mount Lafayette to the east, it lies principally within Franconia Notch State Park and is traversed by ...
Parkway. The route serves as a major local arterial, connecting many of the cities of the densely populated
Merrimack River Valley
The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in New England and has helped to define the livelihood and culture of those ...
. North of the
White Mountains, the route serves as one of the only north–south roads connecting the communities of the
Great North Woods Region and has New Hampshire's only border crossing between the US and Canada.
Route description
, -
,
MA
,
, -
,
NH
,
, - class="sortbottom"
, Total
,
Massachusetts
Cambridge to Burlington
US 3 begins in the south along Memorial Drive in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, along the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
, at an interchange with
Massachusetts Avenue Massachusetts Avenue may refer to:
* Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston), Massachusetts
** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Orange Line station), a subway station on the MBTA Orange Line
** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Silver Line station), a stati ...
(
Route 2A). The road continues as southbound Massachusetts Route 3 towards downtown Boston, while northbound US Route 3 heads west, then north along the river towards
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, joining with
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 ...
along the way. It runs along the north bank of the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
, opposite
Soldiers Field Road
Soldiers Field Road is a major crosstown parkway in Boston, Massachusetts, running west to east from U.S. Route 20 in the northwest corner of Brighton to the Boston University Bridge.Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS), ...
in
Allston
Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part ...
along this stretch. Passing south of
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a triangular plaza at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street and John F. Kennedy Street near the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The term "Harvard Square" is also used to delineate the busin ...
, US 3 and Route 2 transition onto the
Fresh Pond Parkway
Fresh Pond Parkway is a historic park and parkway on the western end of Cambridge, Massachusetts, part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. The parkway was built in 1899 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. ...
and join
Route 16. Near the
Alewife MBTA station, Route 2 splits off as a
freeway
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 ...
to the west (Concord Turnpike), while US 3 and Route 16 stay on the
Alewife Brook Parkway
Alewife Brook Parkway is a short parkway in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It begins at Fresh Pond in Cambridge (linking to Fresh Pond Parkway via Concord Avenue), and heads nor ...
. Shortly thereafter, US 3 splits from the Parkway (which continues as Route 16) and joins Route 2A (Massachusetts Avenue) westbound, crossing into
Arlington. In the center of town, US 3 and Route 2A split from Massachusetts Avenue and overlap briefly with
Route 60 before continuing along Mystic Street. Route 2A splits from US 3 just to the north. US 3 continues through parts of
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
and
Woburn without any major intersections before entering
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
and interchanging 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
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 ...
(Yankee Division Highway) at exit 51A. US 3 joins the freeway to connect with the Northwest Expressway, while its historic surface alignment continues as
Route 3A.
Burlington to Tyngsborough (Northwest Expressway)
US 3 runs along of I-95 (Route 128) in a
wrong-way concurrency
A concurrency in a road network is an instance of one physical roadway bearing two or more different route numbers. When two roadways share the same right-of-way, it is sometimes called a common section or commons. Other terminology for a concurre ...
before exiting at exit 50A onto its own freeway, the Northwest Expressway.
Originally built in the 1950s, before the cancellation of the
Inner Belt, the US 3 freeway was to have extended into metro Boston before being truncated to I-95. Consequently, a partially completed
cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
connects US 3 to I-95. Exit numbers on the US 3 freeway start at mile marker 72 since MA 3 and US 3 are counted as one highway by MassDOT.
The freeway closely parallels Route 3A, the historic alignment of US 3, along its entire length from Burlington 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 ...
state border. It passes through
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 into
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 London a ...
, where it connects 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 ...
and the
Lowell Connector
The Lowell Connector, officially the American Legion Connector Highway, is a short freeway serving as a connector in the Massachusetts State Highway System that links nearby U.S. Highway 3 (US 3) and Interstate 495 (I-495) to downtown Lowe ...
, a freeway spur into downtown
Lowell. Continuing north, the freeway briefly enters Lowell, then passes through North Chelmsford and
Tyngsborough before crossing the
state line into
Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. Along with Manc ...
. The freeway continues north as the
Frederick E. Everett Turnpike
The Frederick E. Everett Turnpike, also called the Central New Hampshire Turnpike, is a toll road in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, running from the Massachusetts border at Nashua north to Concord. The Everett Turnpike is named for Frederick ...
.
The Burlington to Tyngsborough area maintains a 501(c)6 non-profit representative entity known as the Middlesex 3 Coalition and its affiliate agency the Middlesex 3 TMA, which provides collaborative support to businesses and individuals within the jurisdiction to build consensus on transportation and developmental needs.
New Hampshire
US3 passes through most of the state's major cities and towns and is the only highway to extend from the
state border in the south to the
Canada–US border in the north. Running for in New Hampshire, US3 is by far the longest signed highway in the state. For much of its routing, US3 closely parallels I-93, serving as a local route to the freeway.
US3 crosses the state border into
Nashua Nashua may refer to:
* Nashaway people, Native American tribe living in 17th-century New England
Places
In Australia:
* Nashua, New South Wales
In the United States:
* Nashua, California
* Nashua, Iowa
* Nashua, Minnesota
* Nashua, Kansas City ...
and immediately becomes concurrent with the
Everett Turnpike
The Frederick E. Everett Turnpike, also called the Central New Hampshire Turnpike, is a toll road in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, running from the Massachusetts border at Nashua north to Concord. The Everett Turnpike is named for Frederick ...
, running on the freeway for along the western side of the city. US3 leaves the Everett Turnpike at exit 7E, crosses
NH 101A and turns northeast for approximately along a segment known as the Henri Burque Highway, before turning north onto Concord Street, which soon becomes known as the
Daniel Webster Highway
Daniel Webster Highway (also known as D.W. Highway or Webster Highway) is the name for several sections of U.S. Route 3 (or former alignments) in New Hampshire. The highway is named after 19th century statesman Daniel Webster, a New Hampshire na ...
. (Some locals erroneously refer to the Everett Turnpike from exit 7 through the
I-293
Interstate 293 (I-293) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway surrounding Manchester, New Hampshire, roughly shaped like two sides of a triangle. Completing the loop in the northeast (the third side of the triangle) is I-93. The southern porti ...
interchange as Route 3 and refer to the actual US3 only as the Daniel Webster Highway or "Old Route 3".)
US3 continues north through the town of
Merrimack and into
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
, where it becomes South River Road. The highway parallels
I-293
Interstate 293 (I-293) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway surrounding Manchester, New Hampshire, roughly shaped like two sides of a triangle. Completing the loop in the northeast (the third side of the triangle) is I-93. The southern porti ...
until it turns east in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and then crosses the
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mas ...
on Queen City Avenue, just after its intersection with
I-293
Interstate 293 (I-293) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway surrounding Manchester, New Hampshire, roughly shaped like two sides of a triangle. Completing the loop in the northeast (the third side of the triangle) is I-93. The southern porti ...
/
NH 3A and
NH 114A. US3 and NH 3A are signed in a wrong-way concurrency for approximately before US3 turns north onto Elm Street towards downtown Manchester. After approximately , US3 turns east onto Webster Street, then joins
NH 28 to proceed in a northeasterly direction towards Hooksett, interchanging with
I-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 ...
. The two routes continue as Hooksett Road, then the Daniel Webster Highway.
In
Suncook, NH 28 leaves to the northeast, and US3 proceeds northwest towards
Concord
Concord may refer to:
Meaning "agreement"
* Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony)
* Harmony, in music
* Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
on Pembroke Street, becoming Manchester Street when it enters the Concord city limits. After crossing the Merrimack River and interchanging with I-93, US3 intersects NH 3A (South Main Street), which terminates at its parent route. US3 traverses downtown Concord as North and South Main streets (briefly overlapping with
US 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, Mass ...
and
NH 9), then follows North State Street to Fisherville Road to Village Street in
Penacook
Penacook, originally called "Fisherville", is a village within the city of Concord in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. It lies along Concord's northern border with Boscawen. The name comes from the Pennacook tribe that lived in the ...
before crossing the
Contoocook River
The Contoocook River () is a river in New Hampshire. It flows from Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/ Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that ...
into
Boscawen. US3 travels north through Boscawen, briefly overlapping with
US 4. The highway parallels the Merrimack River north 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 ...
, where the highway meets
NH 11. US3 joins NH 11 and turns east; NH 3A also resumes at this intersection, continuing north. US3 and NH 11 briefly form a three-route concurrency with
NH 127 in Franklin, then pass through
Tilton, crossing
NH 132 and passing the western end of
NH 140. Continuing northeast past
Lake Winnisquam
Lake Winnisquam is in Belknap County in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, in the communities of Meredith, Laconia, Sanbornton, Belmont, and Tilton. At , it is the fourth-largest lake entirely in New Hampshire. The lak ...
, US3 and NH 11 reach
Laconia
Laconia or Lakonia ( el, Λακωνία, , ) is a historical and administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparta. The word ''laconic''—to speak in a blunt, c ...
and turn onto the Laconia-
Gilford Bypass, intersecting with
NH 106,
NH 107, and
NH 11A. At the northern end of the bypass, US3 and NH 11 split after a overlap, with the U.S. highway continuing north on Lake Street to
Weirs Beach and an intersection with
NH 11B. US3 continues north as the
Daniel Webster Highway
Daniel Webster Highway (also known as D.W. Highway or Webster Highway) is the name for several sections of U.S. Route 3 (or former alignments) in New Hampshire. The highway is named after 19th century statesman Daniel Webster, a New Hampshire na ...
to
Meredith at the northern end of Meredith Bay on
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee () is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, located in the Lakes Region at the foothills of the White Mountains. It is approximately long (northwest-southeast) and from wide (northeast-southwest), covering & ...
. In Meredith, US3 intersects the northern terminus of NH 106, then joins
NH 25 and continues north past
Squam Lake
Squam Lake is a lake located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, south of the White Mountains, straddling the borders of Grafton, Carroll, and Belknap counties. The largest town center on the lake is Holderness. The l ...
into
Holderness
Holderness is an area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the north-east coast of England. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the Middle Ages. Topographically, Holderness has more in common wit ...
, passing the western termini of
NH 25B and
NH 113. Through Holderness, US3 and NH 25 gradually turn west, then southwest, passing the southern end of
NH 175, and then reaching the northern end of
NH 132 in
Ashland.
From Ashland to
North Woodstock, US3 proceeds north, roughly paralleling
I-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 ...
in the
Pemigewasset River
The Pemigewasset River , known locally as "The Pemi", is a river in the state of New Hampshire, the United States. It is in length and (with its tributaries) drains approximately . The name "Pemigewasset" comes from the Abenaki word ''bemijijoase ...
valley. Along this stretch it passes through the towns of
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
(NH 25 splits from US3 near I-93 in Plymouth, which also marks the true northern terminus of NH 3A),
West Campton (where it meets the western end of
NH 49, the principal access road to
Waterville Valley),
Thornton, and
Woodstock
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
. In
North Woodstock, US3 crosses
NH 112 (known to the east as the
Kancamagus Highway
Kancamagus (pronounced "cain-ka-MAW-gus", "Fearless One", "Fearless Hunter of Animals"), was the third and final Sagamore of the Penacook Confederacy of Native American tribes. Nephew of Wonalancet and grandson of Passaconaway, Kancamagus rul ...
).
Continuing north, US3 joins with I-93 as it passes through
Franconia Notch State Park
Franconia Notch State Park is a public recreation area and nature preserve that straddles of Interstate 93 as it passes through Franconia Notch, a mountain pass between the Kinsman Range and Franconia Range in the White Mountains of northe ...
, one of the more scenic drives in the
White Mountains. This stretch of freeway is known as the Franconia Notch Parkway and is a rare section
Interstate highway
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
with only one lane in each direction.
US3 separates from I-93 at exit 35, shortly north of the northern park boundary in
Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
. From there,
NH 141 branches northwest and US3 heads north and east toward
Twin Mountain and a junction with
US302. This portion of the road is noted for fairly frequent
moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
sightings, especially during sunrise and sunset when moose are particularly active.
Heading north from Twin Mountain, US3 passes through the village of
Carroll, where
NH 115 branches to the northeast and US3 bears to the northwest and the town of
Whitefield. In the center of Whitefield,
NH 142 branches to the northwest and
NH 116 crosses, running roughly southwest to northeast. US3 continues north to
Lancaster, where it joins
US 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...
in the town center, and where
NH 135 branches off to the west. After US 2 leaves to the west, US3 continues north, roughly paralleling the course of the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
(which also forms the border with
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
), through
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
and
Groveton, where
NH 110 ends. North of Groveton, US3 continues to follow the river, through
Stratford,
North Stratford, and
Columbia, until it reaches
Colebrook, where it crosses
NH 26 and meets the southern terminus of
NH 145. Still following the Connecticut River north, US3 passes through portions of
Stewartstown and
Clarksville. In Stewartstown, the road turns more directly east (still following the Connecticut River, which is no longer a boundary), before resuming a northeasterly direction through
Pittsburg. Its last major intersection is at the northern terminus of NH 145. US3 continues north for another , eventually reaching the
Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing
The Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing connects the towns of Chartierville, Quebec, and Pittsburg, New Hampshire. The crossing can be reached by U.S. Route 3 on the American side and by Quebec Route 257 on the Canadian side.
Description
It ...
, where the road crosses into
Chartierville, Quebec
Chartierville is a small municipality of about 300 people in Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality, in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada, on the Canada–United States border.
Chartierville is located on Route 257 South. Prior t ...
, and becomes
Quebec Route 257
Route 257 is a north–south highway on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, Canada. Its northern terminus is in Saint-Adrien at a junction with Route 216, and its southern terminus is at the Pit ...
.
In total, US3 runs along the Connecticut River and its source lakes for approximately . Sections of US3 in Colebrook are named after Scott E. Phillips and Leslie G. Lord, members of the
New Hampshire State Police
The New Hampshire State Police is a state police agency within the Department of Safety of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Police employees of the State Police are ex officio constables and have the primary role of patrolling the state highways ...
killed in the line of duty on
August 19, 1997.
History
New England Interstate
Before the establishment of the U.S. Highway system, the section of US 3 and
Massachusetts Route 3
Route 3 is a state-numbered route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is inventoried with U.S. Route 3 (US 3) as ...
from
Orleans, Massachusetts
Orleans ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts situated along Cape Cod. The population was 6,307 at the 2020 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Orleans, please see the article Orleans (CD ...
, to
Colebrook, New Hampshire
Colebrook is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,084 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 2,301 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauAmerican FactFinder 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, ...
, was part of the
New England road marking system
,
,
,
,
,
The New England road marking system was a regional system of marked numbered routes in the six-state region of New England in the United States. The routes were marked by a yellow rectangular sign with black numbers and border. M ...
as New England Interstate Route 6 (NEI 6 or NE-6). It was replaced in its entirety with the establishment of US 3 and Massachusetts Route 3 in 1926.
Massachusetts
US 3 in Massachusetts closely follows the route of the early 19th-century
Middlesex Canal
The Middlesex Canal was a 27-mile (44-kilometer) barge canal connecting the Merrimack River with the port of Boston. When operational it was 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, and 3 feet (0.9 m) deep, with 20 locks, each 80 feet (24 m) long and between 10 and ...
and
Middlesex Turnpike.
The modern Northwest Expressway was begun near
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 Nati ...
in
Lowell before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In the 1950s, it was extended south to Route 128 (later overlapped by I-95), and by the 1960s, it was completed north from
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 London a ...
to New Hampshire. By 2005, the chronically congested four-lane road, largely with antiquated ramps around Lowell, was widened to six lanes (as it had been in Nashua, New Hampshire, a few years prior) with a breakdown lane on both the left and right sides of the road, and many interchanges were modernized in what was comically known as "The Big Wide", in reference to Massachusetts' other "Big" construction project (the
Big Dig
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T Project), commonly known as the Big Dig, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery of Interstate 93 (I-93), the chief highway through the heart of the city, into the 1.5-mile (2.4& ...
). The roadbed and bridges were built to support a fourth lane in each travel direction for future expansion. The $365 million, widening project was completed in 2005 from
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
to the New Hampshire border.
The final section of the expressway was planned for inner suburban towns northwest of
Boston, Massachusetts. The expressway was to supply a new route for U.S. Route 3, between MA 128 and the cancelled
Interstate 695 (Inner Belt). This was one of the expressway projects cancelled in Gov.
Francis Sargent
Francis Williams Sargent (July 29, 1915 – October 22, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Massachusetts from 1969 to 1975. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 63rd Lieutenant Govern ...
's 1970 moratorium on expressway construction within MA 128. The latter section of the expressway was a key component of the "Master Plan Highway Plan for Metropolitan Boston." The highway would have traveled through Lexington, Arlington, Medford, Somerville, and Cambridge, before linking with the Inner Belt Expressway.
The original plan called for U.S. 3 and
MA 2 to link up at the Lexington-Arlington border, and continue southeasterly, crossing MA 16/Mystic Valley Parkway at the Arlington-Somerville border and proceeding into Cambridge toward Union Square, Somerville. A 1962 plan called for Routes 2 and 3 to converge at
Alewife Brook Parkway
Alewife Brook Parkway is a short parkway in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It begins at Fresh Pond in Cambridge (linking to Fresh Pond Parkway via Concord Avenue), and heads nor ...
with a longer stretch of new highway for Route 3 paralleling Lowell Street in Lexington and Summer Street in Arlington.
Exit numbers along the Northwest Expressway section in Massachusetts were to be changed to mileage based numbers under a project to start in 2016, but that project was postponed. However, in November 2019, the MassDOT announced it would be proceeding with the project in late summer of 2020.
Termini
According to the
AASHTO route log, the southern terminus of US 3 is at the junction of
Route 2A and
Route 3 in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, which is where Route 2A crosses the Charles along the
Harvard Bridge
The Harvard Bridge (also known locally as the MIT Bridge, the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, and the "Mass. Ave." Bridge) is a steel haunched girder bridge carrying Massachusetts Avenue ( Route 2A) over the Charles River and connecting Back Bay, ...
(also known as the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge). This is a change from AASHTO's 1989 Route Log which placed the terminus at
US 20 in Boston, where
Route 2 currently meets US 20 after crossing the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
at the
Boston University Bridge
The Boston University Bridge, originally the Cottage Farm Bridge and commonly referred to as the BU Bridge, is a steel truss through arch bridge with a suspended deck carrying Route 2 over the Charles River, connecting the Boston University ca ...
.
This was where US 3 met US 1 until that highway was re-routed in 1971.
The original northern terminus of US 3 (in 1926) was at
Colebrook, New Hampshire
Colebrook is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,084 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 2,301 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauAmerican FactFinder 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, ...
, but the highway was extended to
West Stewartstown in 1928, and to
Pittsburg in 1937. Colebrook was the northern terminus again from 1939 to 1940. Since 1940, the highway has run through Pittsburg to the
Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing
The Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing connects the towns of Chartierville, Quebec, and Pittsburg, New Hampshire. The crossing can be reached by U.S. Route 3 on the American side and by Quebec Route 257 on the Canadian side.
Description
It ...
.
Major intersections
Although the MassDOT inventories Massachusetts Route 3 and US 3 as one continuous route, this table includes the mileage only for US 3 starting from its southern terminus in Cambridge.
Special routes
US 3 has one existing
special route
In road transportation in the United States, a special route is a road in a numbered highway system that diverts a specific segment of related traffic away from another road. They are featured in many highway systems; most are found in the Int ...
, a
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
through
Laconia, New Hampshire
Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,871 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 15,951 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Belknap County. La ...
. Three other special routes may have existed in the past: a business route between
Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough (also spelled Tyngsboro) is a town in northern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Tyngsborough is from Boston along the Route 3 corridor, and located on the New Hampshire state line. At the 2020 census, the town popula ...
, and
Concord, New Hampshire
Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua.
The village of ...
, and bypass routes around Concord and
Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. Along with Manc ...
.
Laconia business loop
![US Route 3 North Business loop sign in Laconia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/US_Route_3_North_Business_loop_sign_in_Laconia.jpg)
U.S. Route 3 Business is a
long signed
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
running north–south through downtown
Laconia, New Hampshire
Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,871 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 15,951 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Belknap County. La ...
. It runs from US 3 and
New Hampshire Route 11
New Hampshire Route 11 is a east–west state highway in New Hampshire, running completely across the central part of the state. Its western terminus is at the Vermont state line in Charlestown, where it continues west as Vermont Route 11. The e ...
in
Belmont north to US 3 in Laconia, along
NH 107 and
NH 11A. It is a former alignment of U.S. 3, used before the Laconia-Gilford bypass was built.
See also
*
*
Notes
References
External links
US 3/Northwest Expressway on Bostonroads.comPhotos of US 3 in New Hampshire
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 03
03
03
03
Transportation in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Transportation in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Transportation in Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Transportation in Belknap County, New Hampshire
Transportation in Grafton County, New Hampshire
Transportation in Coös County, New Hampshire