Interstate 93

Interstate 93
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap I-93 highlighted in red
Route information
Length	189.95 mi[1] (305.69 km)
Existed	1957–present
Restrictions	No hazardous goods and cargo tankers between exits 15/15B and 18 (formerly 18 and 26) in Massachusetts[2]
Major junctions
South end	I-95 / US 1 / Route 128 in Canton, MA
	Route 24 in Randolph, MA I-90 Toll / Mass Pike in Boston, MA I-95 in Reading, MA US 3 in Hooksett, NH I-89 in Bow, NH US 4 in Canterbury, NH US 2 in Waterford, VT
North end	I-91 in Waterford, VT
Location
States	Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont
Counties	MA: Norfolk, Suffolk, Middlesex, Essex NH: Rockingham, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Belknap, Grafton VT: Caledonia
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State New Hampshire Highway System Interstate US State Turnpikes State highways in Vermont ← I-91 MA → I-95 ← I-89 NH → I-95 ← I-91 VT → VT 100

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 190 miles (310 km) along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways located entirely within New England, the other two being I-89 and I-91. The largest cities along the route are Boston, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire; it also travels through the New Hampshire state capital of Concord.

I-93 begins at an interchange with I-95, US 1, and Route 128 at its southern terminus in Canton, Massachusetts. It travels concurrently with US 1 beginning in Canton, and with Route 3 beginning at the Braintree Split on the Braintree–Quincy line, through the Central Artery in Downtown Boston before each route splits off beyond the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge. The portion of highway between the Braintree Split and the Central Artery is named the "Southeast Expressway", while the portion from Boston to the New Hampshire state line is named the "Northern Expressway".

It ends near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at I-91.^[3] For most of its length, I-93 indirectly parallels U.S. Route 3. Particularly in New Hampshire, the two highways have several interchanges with each other, as well as a concurrency through Franconia Notch State Park.

Route description[]

Massachusetts[]

Southern terminus of I-93 in Canton, Massachusetts

Interstate 93's southern terminus is at exit 26 (formerly exit 12) of I-95 in Canton, co-signed with U.S. Route 1 North. At this junction, I-95 North heads to the northwest (co-signed with U.S. Route 1 South, as well as Route 128, which begins at the interchange), to serve as the beltway around Boston, while I-95 South runs by itself southwest through Boston's southwestern suburbs toward Rhode Island. This violates the numbering plan for the highway system of the United States, which dictates that the signed number for odd-numbered interstates increase from west to east, and therefore I-95 should be farther east than I-93. Strict adherence to the number plan could have avoided this violation by signing this initial stretch of I-93 (through Boston and beyond) as I-95 and signing the circumferential section of I-95 that follows Route 128 to the north as an Interstate beltway (e.g., I-895). Massachusetts has a second beltway, I-495, which intersects I-95 farther south and crosses I-93 to the north, merging again with I-95 to the northeast.

The southernmost 3 miles (5 km) of I-93 run east through Boston's southern suburbs, passing through Canton and Randolph. In Randolph, I-93 meets the northern end of Route 24 (Fall River Expressway/AMVETS Memorial Highway) at Exit 4. I-93 continues east into Braintree, interchanging with Route 3, the major freeway linking Boston to Cape Cod, at Exit 7 (known locally as the "Braintree Split"). Route 3 North joins I-93 and US-1, and the highway turns north toward Boston. These first 7 miles (11 km) of I-93 follow what was formerly part of Massachusetts Route 128 before it was truncated at the I-95/I-93 junction, and many locals still^[when?] refer to this section of roadway as part of Route 128.

Signs in the Financial District of Boston point toward Downtown Crossing, Chinatown, Interstate 93, and Interstate 90.

Upon turning northward, the highway is known as the Southeast Expressway, passing through Quincy and Milton before crossing into the city of Boston over the Neponset River. After the Massachusetts Avenue connector exit, the highway officially becomes the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, also known as the Central Artery, and passes beneath downtown Boston. A major intersection with the Massachusetts Turnpike/Interstate 90 (Exit 16, formerly 20) takes place just south of downtown Boston. After the massive interchange, motorists use the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel to travel underneath the city and then use Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge to cross the Charles River. Two exits are located in the tunnel, where the speed limit is 45 mph (70 km/h). Route 3 leaves the Artery just before the Zakim bridge via Exit 18 (formerly 26), and U.S. Route 1 leaves the Artery just after the bridge, via Exit 19 (formerly 27) (no southbound access). From Boston through the rest of Massachusetts, Concord, New Hampshire, appears as the control city on northbound overhead signs. The Artery ends as I-93 continues north out of the city.

I-93 continues through the northern suburbs of Boston, coming to a second interchange with Interstate 95 and Route 128, which run concurrently. Travelers going north can either change over to I-95 north to eventually reach Maine, or remain on I-93 toward New Hampshire. Farther north, in Andover, I-93 meets I-495, providing access to Worcester to the southwest and New Hampshire's Seacoast region to the northeast. Just south of the state line, I-93 crosses the Merrimack River into Methuen, where it interchanges with Routes 110 and 113 at exit 43 (formerly 46) just north of the river crossing. Between 2014 and 2018, the Route 110 and 113 junction beneath I-93 was converted from a rotary to a partial cloverleaf, with the new traffic patterns opening in various stages during 2016 and 2017.^[7] On I-93 northbound, the exit was split into 43A (formerly 46A) for routes 110/113 eastbound, and 43B (formerly 46B) for the state routes westbound. I-93 then interchanges with the western end of Route 213, a connector between I-93 and I-495. I-93 then crosses into New Hampshire after about 1 mile (1.6 km).

In all, I-93 has 46 (formerly 48) numbered exits in Massachusetts, although, before the mileage-based exit numbering system, several numbers were skipped in and near Boston. One noteworthy reason that some exits were removed from I-93 is to further address traffic problems in addition to converting the Central Artery from six to eight to ten lanes, by reducing the combined number of on- and off-ramps from 27 to 14.^[8] Exit 46 (formerly 48) in Methuen, just before the New Hampshire state line, is the highest-numbered exit along the entire route. I-93 once had only 22 exits prior to the re-routing of I-95 onto MA 128.^[9] Due to the highway being one of the two major Interstates that enter Boston directly (Interstate 90 is the other), nearly the entire length of the highway in Massachusetts carries four lanes in each direction. Average daily traffic volumes on I-93 in the state range from 100,000 vehicles at the New Hampshire border^[10] and 150,000 vehicles at the southern end at I-95^[11] to over 200,000 vehicles through Braintree and Quincy.^[10]

New Hampshire[]

Interstate 93 travels just over 131 miles (211 km) in the Granite State, around two-thirds of the highway's total distance. Serving as the main interstate route in New Hampshire, it connects the state capital, Concord, and its largest city, Manchester. Beyond Concord are the towns of Tilton, Plymouth, and Littleton. I-93 is designated as the Alan B. Shepard Highway,^[12] from the Massachusetts line to Hooksett (just north of Manchester at the northern terminus of I-293), as the F.E. Everett Turnpike from Hooksett to Concord, and as the Styles Bridges Highway from Concord to the Vermont line. This section of roadway was constructed between 1961 and 1977.

Between the northern end of I-293 in Hooksett and the beginning of I-89 in Bow, I-93 also carries the northern end of the Everett Turnpike. There is one toll booth along this section, at Exit 11 in Hooksett; the toll for passenger cars is $1 (50¢ at the ramp toll booth). This is the only toll collected along the entire length of Interstate 93. I-93 in New Hampshire is also notable for having state liquor stores serve as rest areas, which are passed just after the toll plaza, traveling north. There are separate stores on both sides of the Interstate for travelers in each direction.

I-93 enters New Hampshire at Salem. A rest area/welcome center is available on the northbound side of the freeway, directly before Exit 1. I-93 is four lanes wide in each direction for its first 18.5 miles (29.8 km), until the split with Interstate 293 and the junction with New Hampshire Route 101, where I-93 drops to three lanes before adding a fourth and fifth lane back to the freeway after the interchange. The construction to widen I-93 to four lanes each way between the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border and its junction with I-293 and NH-101 was fully complete as of April 2021.^[13] I-93 and New Hampshire Route 101 run concurrently for about 1 mile (1.6 km) before New Hampshire Route 101 heads directly east as its own freeway, serving Portsmouth and the Seacoast region. I-93 keeps three lanes of traffic in each direction until the junction with Interstate 89, when each side reduces to two, and remains a four-lane freeway through most of its journey northward, with the only exception being the Franconia Notch section.

Northbound lane of Interstate 93/US Route 3 in Franconia Notch

In the state capital of Concord, Interstate 393 heads directly east (co-signed with eastbound U.S. Route 4 and U.S. Route 202), providing another route to the Seacoast region. Westbound U.S. Route 4 joins I-93 and runs concurrently with it, crossing the Merrimack River again, until Exit 17 for Penacook, about 5 miles (8 km) further north, before exiting westward. Continuing north, I-93 traverses the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and makes its way north through the heart of the White Mountains. I-93 passes through Franconia Notch State Park as a Super-2 parkway (one lane in each direction) with a 45 mph (70 km/h) speed limit, designed to reduce I-93's impact on Franconia Notch. For the trip through Franconia Notch, I-93 and U.S. Route 3 run concurrently.

Beyond Franconia Notch State Park, U.S. 3 heads northeastward through the Great North Woods region, while I-93 runs to the northwest. The final town along I-93 in New Hampshire is Littleton, served by four exits. Many motorist services are available at Exit 42. After passing through town, it crosses the Connecticut River into Vermont. The last exit along I-93 is exit 44 for Monroe, through which a rest area/welcome center is accessible to travelers on both sides of the highway.

In 2013, a bill was signed by governor Maggie Hassan to raise the speed limit on Interstate 93 to 70 mph (115 km/h) from mile marker 45 to the Vermont border. The new limit took effect on January 1, 2014.

Vermont[]

Interstate 93 runs for 11 miles (18 km) in Vermont, with one numbered exit in the state before ending at the interchange with Interstate 91 in St. Johnsbury in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. A rest area/welcome center is located along the northbound side of the highway for travelers entering from New Hampshire. The final 3 miles (5 km) of the Interstate, just before its terminus, actually veer to the southwest. Vehicles bound for Canada can use northbound I-91 to reach the Derby Line–Stanstead Border Crossing at that Interstate's end, and northwards into Canada as an "autoroute" freeway into the Canadian province of Quebec. The portion of I-93 in Vermont parallels both U.S. Route 2 and Vermont Route 18.

History[]

Southeast Expressway[]

The Southeast Expressway was constructed between 1954 and 1959, at the same time the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway (Central Artery) was built. Its northern terminus is at Exit 15 (southbound) / 15B (northbound) (former exit 18) (Frontage Road) in South Boston, a former Y-interchange where the cancelled Southwest Corridor/Interstate 95 was to meet with I-93 and run concurrent northward into downtown. The southern terminus is at the Y-interchange (the "Braintree Split") at Exit 7 in Braintree (the former southern terminus of Route 128). A section of the Expressway, beginning south of the Savin Hill overpass and ending just before the Braintree Split, utilizes a zipper lane, in which a movable barrier carves out a reversible high-occupancy vehicle lane on the non-peak side of the highway during rush hour. Most of the right of way for the Granite Railway in Milton and Quincy was incorporated into the expressway.^[14]

Boston[]

Route of the original Central Artery, as well as other roadways affected by the Big Dig

Route of the new Central Artery after the Big Dig

Interstate 93 through the O'Neill Tunnel

The South Bay Interchange (looking south) to the Southeast Expressway with Great Blue Hill visible in the background

The Central Artery, officially the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, was a section of highway in downtown Boston constructed in the 1950s and was originally designed as a fully elevated highway. This new highway was greatly disliked by the citizens of the city because it cut the heart of the city in half, cast long, dreary shadows and was an eyesore to the community. Because of the public outcry, Gov. John Volpe ordered the southern half of the highway redesigned so that it was underground; this section became known as the Dewey Square Tunnel. With the cancellation of the highway projects leading into the city in 1972 by Gov. Francis W. Sargent, the Central Artery gained the designation of Interstate 93 in 1974. It has also carried the local highway designations of U.S. 1 (since 1989) and Route 3.

By the mid-1970s, I-93 had outgrown its capacity and had begun to deteriorate due to a lack of maintenance. State Transportation Secretary Frederick P. Salvucci, aware of the issues surrounding the elevated roadway, proposed a plan conceived in the early 1970s by the Boston Transportation Planning Review to replace the rusting elevated six-lane Central Artery with a new, more efficient underground roadway. This plan was merged with a long-standing proposal to build a third harbor tunnel to alleviate congestion in the Sumner and Callahan tunnels to East Boston; the new plan became known as the Central Artery/Tunnel Project or the "Big Dig".

These new roadways were built during a twelve-year period from 1994 to early 2006. The massive project became the largest urban construction project ever undertaken in American history.^[15] Construction on the new I-93 segment was not without serious issues: a lengthy federal environmental review pushed the start of construction back from approximately 1990, causing many inflationary increases, while funding for the project was the subject of several political battles between President Ronald Reagan and Rep. Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Major construction on the new roadway was done while maintaining the old roadway, a step that also greatly increased the cost of the project. The original Charles River crossing, named Scheme Z, was the object of great public outcry similar to that of the building of the original highway. The outcry eventually led to the replacement of Scheme Z with a newer, more sleek cable-stayed bridge and complementing exit for Cambridge, increasing the cost even more.

In Downtown Boston, I-93 is made up of the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel and the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, which spans the Charles River. The underground construction of the tunnel system was completed as of October 2006; however, repairs continue to many parts of the tunnel due to water leakage because of improper construction of the slurry walls supporting the O'Neill Tunnel. The former route of the above-ground Artery, so named "the other Green Monster" by Mayor Thomas Menino, was replaced mostly by open space known formally as the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.^{[citation needed]}

Additional improvements were done in the South Bay section of the highway: the I-90/I-93 interchange was completely redesigned, a new HOV lane extending from the zipper lane in Quincy was added and the South Boston Haul road that was constructed to bypass truck traffic around residential streets in the South End was opened to general traffic.^{[citation needed]}

Hazardous cargoes are prohibited from I-93 in Boston due to safety issues in the tunnels; these cargoes must exit at either the Leverett Circle connector when traveling southbound or at the Massachusetts Avenue exit when traveling northbound.^{[citation needed]}

Northern Expressway[]

The Northern Expressway was constructed from Medford to the New Hampshire border between 1956 and 1963. It was extended through Somerville and Charlestown to the Central Artery, U.S. Route 1, and the planned route of the Inner Belt between 1965 and 1973. Because it was already under construction, the highway was granted an exception to the moratorium on highway expansion inside Route 128 which was announced in 1970.^[16]

I-93's original southern terminus was in Cambridge (just north of Boston), where it was to meet the Inner Belt (I-695). However, when that route was canceled, and the I-95 section into Boston was canceled and rerouted along Route 128 in the mid-1970s, I-93's route was extended an additional 18 miles (29 km) down the Central Artery (which had been signed as a concurrency of I-95/MA-3 before I-95 was rerouted) and the Southeast Expressway (what was then just Route 3) from Boston to Braintree and then west along former Route 128 to its intersection with I-95 in Canton.

In an attempt to alleviate rush-hour traffic jams, travel in the breakdown lane of I-93 is permitted on a small stretch between Exit 35 (formerly 41) and Exit 46 (formerly 43). This extra travel is permitted on the southbound side on weekdays between 6AM and 10AM, and on the northbound side between 3PM and 7PM. However, on most busy days this fails to prevent traffic delays. The Massachusetts State Police is displeased with this arrangement, citing that traffic in the breakdown lanes interferes with the ability of emergency vehicles to respond to accidents.^{[citation needed]}

Rapid bridge replacement project[]

In August 2010, in Medford, a 25-by-7-foot (7.6 m × 2.1 m) section of bridge deck on the northbound side partially collapsed due to age-related structural fatigue.^[17] The collapse forced the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to evaluate the remaining bridges along the corridor, eventually deciding to replace several bridges along the highway in a plan called 93 Fast 14. The MassDOT set in motion a plan to replace the superstructure and concrete decks on 14 overpass bridges along that section of the interstate, using rapid bridge replacement methods. The $98.1 million project replaced bridges originally built in 1957 with a set of prefabricated modular concrete bridges in a series of weekend roadway closures. Traffic was diverted into a series of crossover lanes during construction. The main part of the project took place each weekend from June through August 2011, with the exception of the July 4th holiday weekend. One or two bridges were replaced each weekend during the construction time frame. The project was part of the Commonwealth's Accelerated Bridge Program.^[18][19]

Methuen Rotary[]

Off exit 43 (formerly 46) in Methuen, the surface level traffic circle was rebuilt as part of an overall infrastructure improvement that also included constructing a new bridge carrying the Interstate over the local road, reconstructing on- and off-ramps to the highway, and realigning the Interstate itself.^[20]

New Hampshire[]

As originally envisioned by the federal government, I-93 would have followed the route of present U.S. Route 3/Northwest Expressway/Everett Turnpike from Boston to Concord. By 1956, the two states had drawn up new plans for I-93 to the east, bypassing the tolled Everett Turnpike from Manchester southwards along a new alignment, known as the "Northern Expressway" in Massachusetts and crossing into New Hampshire in Salem. The New Hampshire section would be named the Alan B. Shepard Highway, named for the first American in space.^[21]

The first part of I-93 completed in New Hampshire opened in Salem from the Massachusetts border to exit 2 (NH 38/NH 97) in August 1961. The route was extended gradually northward over the next several years, reaching exit 3 (NH 111) by the end of 1961, as well as a second segment from the I-293/NH 101 West interchange to exit 7 (NH 101 East) at the same time. The two segments were connected in late 1962. This left a gap in I-93, as traffic was directed along NH 101 West and the Everett Turnpike, while the southern segment of I-93 continued on and ended in a stub at exit 7.^[21]

By 1963 the route had been completed from the end of the Everett Turnpike section, through Concord and north to Tilton (exit 20), and to NH 104 in New Hampton by 1964 (exit 23) and to Plymouth by 1965 (exit 26), and from there gradually northward until it reached the southern end of Franconia Notch. By 1977, I-93 was completed between exit 7 and the Everett Turnpike in Hooksett, completing the Alan B. Shepard Highway segment of I-93, and closing the gap that had stood for 15 years. The Everett Turnpike section had been built in 1957 and incorporated into I-93 in 1958. After the completion of the Alan B. Shepard Highway portion, the portion concurrent with NH 101 was widened to eight lanes, while the Everett Turnpike section from Hooksett to Concord was widened to six lanes in 1978.^[21]

A small segment was also completed from the northern end of Franconia Notch to Littleton prior to 1984, with the final stretch from Littleton to the Vermont border completed by 1984. This left a gap through Franconia Notch, with traffic directed along U.S. 3 between the two sections. For years, debates over how to minimize environmental impact on the road through the notch prevented it being built. As a compromise the Franconia Notch Parkway, a super two roadway with 45 mile per hour speed limit, was completed in 1988, replacing U.S. 3. Originally, this road was not included in I-93, as it had its own exit numbers and was signed "TO I-93", though later the parkway was officially added to the Interstate system despite the substandard conditions and the exits renumbered.^[22]

Begun in 2009 and continuing until 2017, the portion between the state border and the I-293 southern terminus was widened to eight lanes; this necessitated the rebuilding and/or relocation of several interchanges. An additional exit has been proposed near mile marker 13 that would include a new connector road to NH 28, effectively bypassing downtown Derry and relieving traffic along NH 102 at exit 4.^[21]

Vermont[]

Construction of Interstate 93 was completed in 1982, in Vermont. It was planned to be built longer if I-91 didn't change its designation eastward in the northeastern part of the state.^[23] It was the last interstate to be built in the state.^[24]

Future expansion[]

Massachusetts plans[]

Since 1996, MassHighway has studied rebuilding the intersection of I-93 and I-95 in Woburn along the border with Stoneham and Reading.^[25] The project was expected to start in the spring of 2017 and cost $267 million, but continued community opposition has postponed the project indefinitely.^[26] A project to upgrade the I-93/I-95 interchange in Canton is proposed.

An additional 2010 proposal to upgrade MA Route 24, running southwards from I-93's exit 4 to Interstate 195 near Fall River, has also been put off due to studies showing the cost of the project being very high.^[27]

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and its predecessor MassHighway have planned on widening I-93 to a uniform four travel lanes in both directions from the lane drop near Exit 35 (formerly 41) in Wilmington to the New Hampshire border since the beginning of the 2000s.^[28] The first section of widening will be done as part of the I-93 Tri-Town Interchange Project. The project will construct a new interchange in Wilmington. I-93 will be widened from three to four lanes in each direction from Exit 35 (formerly 41) to I-495, a distance of approximately 5 miles (8 km), as the first phase in widening I-93 from Exit 35 (formerly 41) to the New Hampshire state line. Early estimates of the entire project place the cost at $567 million.^[29]

New Hampshire plans[]

Initial plans to widen I-93 to a uniform four travel lanes in both directions from Salem to Manchester beginning in 2008 were put on hold due to a lawsuit designed to force the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) to update the plans to include other transportation options. Under orders from the US District Court, the NHDOT and US Department of Transportation must provide an updated environmental review. The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) filed a lawsuit in February 2006, hoping to force any expansion plans in the area to include the restoration of commuter rail service between Manchester and Boston.^[30] Despite the suit, the Exit 1 interchange construction was allowed to undergo upgrading and expansion; other associated projects related to the widening, chiefly around Exits 3 and 5, were also eventually allowed to proceed. The whole set of projects were eventually allowed to move forward following an agreement between the state and the CLF that removed the group's opposition to construction which does not pose a threat to the environment.^[31]

As part of the 2009 stimulus package, New Hampshire was set to receive several million dollars in highway construction funds. One of the projects was the widening of a portion of the highway between the Massachusetts border and Manchester. Bidding was set to begin in February 2009, with construction slated to begin in late 2009 or early 2010.^[32] The plans called for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to widen the southernmost 20 miles (32 km) of I-93 to four lanes in each direction, from the two. In addition, all five interchanges along this length would be upgraded to accommodate larger amounts of traffic, including replacing many aging bridges.^[31] According to plans filed by the state with the US Department of Transportation, the project was scheduled to run from 2009 through 2016, with work starting at the Massachusetts line and moving northward to Manchester. The project was designed with an intermodal transit bent; new or improved park and ride facilities were deployed at exits 1, 3 and 5, and a widened median strip was designed to accommodate a planned commuter rail service between Boston and Manchester.^[33]

As a way to help defray the costs of the expansion, in early 2010 the NHDOT made a formal request to the Federal Highway Administration to add tolls to I-93 at the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. The new toll facility was to be located in Salem, approximately .5 mi (0.80 km) north of the state line, and would cost travelers $2 per car. The proposal faced opposition from state legislators in both states who claimed the tolls would cause severe congestion in the area and lead to an economic burden to local residents. Opponents included US senator Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts).^[34] The proposal was eventually dropped in favor of issuing new state bonds to pay for expansion. The new policy was laid out by Transportation Commissioner George Campbell after reviewing the proposal and receiving a promise from the MassDOT that it would not be enacting a similar toll on the Massachusetts side of the border.^[35]

Plans were announced in 2012 that I-93 would have a new northbound and southbound bridge over Interstate 89 in Bow. To reduce traffic on the southbound bridge the NHDOT added a third lane to ease congestion. The bridges were completed in 2014.

More plans were announced in 2014 that the Hooksett rest areas would be rebuilt. The new rest areas feature a 14-pump Irving gas station, a new New Hampshire liquor and wine outlet, and a few restaurants and shops. The project was completed in 2015.

In Londonderry, a new Exit 4A and connector road to the town of Derry were in final planning stages as of June 2020. Construction of Exit 4A, to be located approximately a mile north of Exit 4 in Londonderry, was slated to begin construction in late 2020.^[36]

Exit list[]

Exits 17, 19, 21, and 25 in Massachusetts were eliminated as part of the Big Dig. Massachusetts exit numbers were to be changed to those based on I-93 mileposts with a project that was due to start in early 2016, but this project was postponed by MassDOT for several years.^[37][38] On November 18, 2019, MassDOT confirmed that beginning in late summer 2020 the exit renumbering project would begin.^{[citation needed]} MassDOT announced in a blog post on February 10, 2021, that the exit renumbering along I-93 will start as soon as I-95 receives the new exit numbers through the corridor, and it will start at existing Exit 13 (Boston/Dorchester) and continue to existing Exit 48 (Methuen). Exit renumbering along I-93 in Massachusetts will begin on or after May 2, 2021, announced by MassDOT on April 23, and it will go on for 4 weeks starting from the south and heading north from Exit 13 since Exits 1-12 will remain the same.

State	County	Location[4][5] [6][39]	mi[4][5] [6][39]	km	Old exit	New exit[40][41]	Destinations[40][41]	Notes
Massachusetts	Norfolk	Canton	0.000– 0.267	0.000– 0.430	63	1	I-95 / Route 128 north / US 1 south – Dedham, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Providence, Rhode Island	Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north); southern terminus of US 1 concurrency; exit 26 (former exit 12) on I-95; southern terminus of Route 128
			1.415	2.277	64	2	Route 138 – Stoughton, Milton	Signed as exits 2A (south) and 2B (north)
		Milton	2.615	4.208	65	3	Ponkapoag Trail – Houghton's Pond
		Randolph	3.480	5.601	66	4	Route 24 south – Brockton, Fall River	Left exit southbound; northern terminus of Route 24; exit 41A-B on Route 24
			4.233	6.812	67	5	Route 28 – Randolph, Milton	Signed as exits 5A (south) and 5B (north)
		Braintree	6.450	10.380	68	6	Route 37 – West Quincy, Braintree, Holbrook	Northern terminus of Route 37
			6.802	10.947	–	7	Route 3 south – Braintree, Cape Cod	Braintree Split; left exit southbound; southern terminus of Route 3 concurrency; former southern terminus of Route 128
					South end of the Southeast Expressway
		Quincy	8.182	13.168	–	8	Furnace Brook Parkway – Quincy
		Milton	9.162– 9.410	14.745– 15.144	–	9	Adams Street – Milton, North Quincy Bryant Avenue – West Quincy	Northbound signage Southbound signage
			10.134	16.309	–	10	Squantum Street – Milton	Southbound exit only
			10.832	17.432	–	11A	Granite Avenue east – East Milton	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			10.842	17.449	–	11B	Granite Avenue west to Route 203 – Ashmont	Signed as exit 11 northbound; no northbound entrance
	Suffolk	Boston	11.575	18.628	–	12	Route 3A south – Neponset, Quincy	No northbound exit
			12.456	20.046	13	13A	Freeport Street – Dorchester	Northbound exit only
			12.728	20.484	14	13B	Morrissey Boulevard – Savin Hill	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; commercial vehicles and buses prohibited
			14.343	23.083	15	14	Columbia Road – Dorchester, South Boston
			14.820	23.850	16	15A	Southampton Street – Andrew Square	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
					17	–	Frontage Road	Former northbound exit removed during Big Dig reconstruction
			15.100– 15.929	24.301– 25.635	18	15B	Frontage Road / Massachusetts Avenue – Roxbury, Andrew Square	Southbound entrance via exit 16; southbound exit signed as exit 15
					19	–	East Berkeley Street / Broadway / Albany Street	Closed as part of Big Dig reconstruction
					North end of the Southeast Expressway, south end of the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
			15.340	24.687	20	16	I-90 Toll / Mass Pike – Logan Airport, Worcester, South Station	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; exits 134A/C on I-90.
					–	—	South Station / Airport	Northbound left exit and southbound left entrance; former HOV-only exit until April 2021[42]
					South end of the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel
			17.253	27.766	22, 20A	16A	South Station	Southbound exit and northbound left entrance
					20B	16B	I-90 Toll / Mass Pike west / Albany Street[43]	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; exit 134B on I-90
					21	–	Kneeland Street – Chinatown	Former southbound exit and northbound entrance; closed during Big Dig reconstruction
			16.694	26.866	22	–	Surface Road – Chinatown	Southbound entrance only
			17.340	27.906	23	17	Government Center	Northbound exit and southbound entrance via North Street
			17.487	28.143			Purchase Street	Southbound exit and entrance only
			17.874	28.765	24A	17A	Government Center	Southbound exit only; northbound entrance closed; formerly served Clinton Street
					24B	17B	Route 1A north (Callahan Tunnel) – Airport	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
					North end of the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel
					25	–	Causeway Street – North Station / Haymarket Square / Government Center	Closed as part of Big Dig reconstruction
					Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge over the Charles River
			17.892– 19.585	28.794– 31.519	26	18	Route 3 north / Route 28 (Storrow Drive) – Leverett Circle, Cambridge, North Station[44]	Leverett Connector; signed as Storrow Drive northbound; northern terminus of concurrency with Route 3
					Charlestown High Bridge over the Charles River (demolished 2004 as part of Big Dig reconstruction; existed west of current alignment)
			18.603	29.939	27	19	US 1 north (Tobin Bridge) – Revere	Northbound left exit and southbound entrance; northern terminus of concurrency with US 1
					North end of the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
	Middlesex	Somerville	19.230	30.948	28	20	To Route 99 – Sullivan Square, Somerville	Northbound exit only, partially in Boston
			20.415	32.855			Sullivan Square, Charlestown, Assembly Square	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			20.259	32.604	29	21	Route 28 / Route 38 north – Somerville, Medford	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; southern terminus of Route 38
		Medford	21.323	34.316	30	21	Route 38 – Medford, Somerville	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			21.743	34.992	31	22	Route 16 west (Mystic Valley Parkway) – Arlington	Northbound signage
			21.859	35.179			Route 16 east – Everett, Revere	Southbound signage
			22.554	36.297	32	23	Route 60 – Medford, Malden	Also to Route 16 southbound; to Tufts University's Medford/Somerville Campus
			23.229	37.383	33	24	Route 28 (Fellsway West) – Winchester
		Stoneham	25.276	40.678	34	25	Route 28 north – Stoneham, Melrose	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			26.087	41.983	35	26	Park Street – Stoneham, Melrose	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		Woburn	26.929	43.338	36	27	Montvale Avenue – Stoneham, Woburn
		Reading	28.476	45.828	37A-B	28A-B	I-95 / Route 128 – Peabody, Waltham	Split into exits 28A (north) and 28B (south); exits 55A-B on I-95 / Route 128
		Woburn	29.965	48.224	37C	30	Commerce Way / Atlantic Avenue – Anderson RTC
		Wilmington	31.136	50.109	38	31	Route 129 – Reading, Wilmington
			32.635	52.521	39	33	Concord Street – Wilmington
			34.064	54.821	40	34	Route 62 – North Reading, Wilmington
			34.629	55.730	41	35	Route 125 – Andover, North Andover
	Essex	Andover	37.682	60.643	42	38	Dascomb Road – Tewksbury, Andover
			39.196	63.080	43	39	Route 133 – Andover, North Tewksbury	Signed as exits 39A (east) and 39B (west) southbound
			40.521	65.212	44	40	I-495 – Lawrence, Lowell	Split into exits 40A (north) and 40B (south); exits 97A-B on I-495
			42.423	68.273	45	42	River Road – South Lawrence
		Merrimack River	43.139	69.425	General Edward D. Sirois Memorial Bridge
		Methuen	43.465	69.950	46	43	Route 110 / Route 113 – Lawrence, Dracut	Interchange rebuilt in 2017; signed as exits 43A (east) and 43B (west) northbound[45])
			45.113	72.602	47	45	Pelham Street
45.483			73.198	48	46	Route 213 east (Loop Connector) – Methuen, Haverhill	Western terminus of Route 213; exits 1A/1B on Route 213
			46.25 0.000	74.43 0.000	Massachusetts–New Hampshire line
New Hampshire	Rockingham	Salem	1.368	2.202		1	Rockingham Park Boulevard to NH 28 / NH 38 – Salem	Originally northbound exit, southbound entrance only
			3.001	4.830		2	Pelham Road to NH 38 / NH 97 – Salem, Pelham
		Windham	5.821	9.368		3	NH 111 – Windham, North Salem
		Londonderry	11.341	18.252		4	NH 102 – Derry, Londonderry
			15.291	24.608		5	NH 28 – North Londonderry
	Hillsborough	Manchester	18.488	29.754		—	I-293 north / NH 101 west – Bedford, Manchester, Manchester Airport	Southern terminus of I-293; Southern terminus of concurrency with NH 101
			20.591	33.138		6	Candia Road / Hanover Street	Northbound entrance to NH 101 East only; Southbound exit from I-93 only
			20.967	33.743		7	NH 101 east – Portsmouth, Seacoast	Northern terminus of concurrency with NH 101
			22.093	35.555		8	Wellington Road / Bridge Street to NH 28A
	Merrimack	Hooksett	23.922	38.499		9	US 3 / NH 28 – Hooksett, Manchester	Split into exits 9N (north) and 9S (south)
			25.727	41.404		10	NH 3A – Hooksett
			26.689	42.952		—	I-293 south / Everett Turnpike south – Manchester, Nashua, Manchester Airport	Northern terminus of I-293; Southern terminus of concurrency with the Everett Turnpike
			28.659	46.122	Hooksett Main Toll Plaza ($1.00 Cash, $0.70 NH E-ZPass)
			28.751	46.270		11	Hackett Hill Road to NH 3A – Hooksett	Hooksett Ramp Toll Plaza ($1.00 Cash, $0.70 NH E-ZPass)
		Bow	35.495	57.124		—	I-89 north – Lebanon, White River Junction VT	Southern terminus of I-89
		Concord	35.977	57.899		12	NH 3A (South Main Street) to I-89 – Bow Junction	Split into exits 12S (south) and 12N (north)
			37.331	60.078		13	US 3 (Manchester Street) – Downtown Concord
			38.454	61.886		14	NH 9 (Loudon Road) – State Offices Everett Turnpike	Northern terminus of the Everett Turnpike Southern terminus of Styles Bridges Highway
			38.977	62.727		15E	I-393 east / US 4 east / US 202 east – Loudon, Portsmouth	Western terminus of I-393; Southern terminus of concurrency with US 4
						15W	US 202 west to US 3 (North Main Street) – Downtown Concord
			40.188	64.676		16	NH 132 – East Concord
			44.582	71.748		17	US 4 west to US 3 / NH 132 (Hoit Road) – Penacook, Boscawen	Northern terminus of concurrency with US 4; signed as exits 17W and 17E going southbound
		Canterbury	47.869	77.038		18	To NH 132 (West Road) – Canterbury
		Northfield	54.976	88.475		19	NH 132 – Northfield, Franklin	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Belknap	Tilton	56.907	91.583		20	US 3 / NH 11 / NH 132 / NH 140 – Laconia, Tilton
		Sanbornton	61.159	98.426		22	NH 127 – Sanbornton, West Franklin
		New Hampton	69.229	111.413		23	NH 104 / NH 132 – Meredith, New Hampton
	Grafton	Ashland	75.308	121.196		24	US 3 / NH 25 – Ashland, Holderness
		Holderness	79.992	128.735		25	NH 175A (Holderness Road) – Plymouth
		Plymouth	80.877	130.159		26	US 3 / NH 25 / NH 3A south – Plymouth, Rumney	Northern terminus of Route 3A
		Campton	83.762	134.802		27	To US 3 – Blair Bridge, West Campton
			86.819	139.722		28	NH 49 to NH 175 – Campton, Waterville Valley
		Thornton	88.542	142.495		29	US 3 – Thornton
		Woodstock	94.400	151.922		30	US 3 – Woodstock, Thornton
			97.334	156.644		31	To NH 175 (Tripoli Road)
			100.499	161.737		32	NH 112 – Lincoln, North Woodstock
		Lincoln	102.538	165.019		33	US 3 – North Woodstock, North Lincoln
					South end of the Franconia Notch Parkway
			104.315– 106.006	167.879– 170.600	1	34A	US 3 south – Flume Gorge, Park Information Center	Southern terminus of concurrency with US 3; No southbound entrance
		Franconia	110.158	177.282	2	34B	Cannon Mountain Tramway – Old Man Historic Site
			110.858	178.409	3	34C	NH 18 north – Echo Lake Beach, Peabody Slopes, Cannon Mountain	Southern terminus of NH 18
			111.401	179.283	North end of the Franconia Notch Parkway
			112.315	180.753		35	US 3 north – Twin Mountain, Lancaster	Northern terminus of concurrency with US 3; northbound exit and southbound entrance
			112.947	181.771		36	NH 141 to US 3 – Twin Mountain, South Franconia
			115.946	186.597		37	NH 18 / NH 142 – Franconia, Bethlehem	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			116.728	187.856		38	NH 18 / NH 116 / NH 117 / NH 142 – Franconia, Sugar Hill	NH 142 not signed northbound
		Bethlehem	119.295	191.987		39	NH 118 / NH 116 – North Franconia, Sugar Hill	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
			120.777	194.372		40	US 302 / NH 18 – Bethlehem, Twin Mountain
		Littleton	122.418	197.013		41	NH 116 – Littleton, Whitefield
			124.397	200.198		42	US 302 / NH 10 to NH 18 – Littleton, Woodsville
			126.129	202.985		43	NH 135 to NH 18 – Littleton, Dalton
			130.355	209.786		44	NH 18 / NH 135 – Monroe, Waterford, VT
Connecticut River			131.764 0.000	212.054 0.000	Senator Andrew Poulsen Bridge[5] New Hampshire–Vermont line
Vermont	Caledonia	Waterford	7.510	12.086	1	7	VT 18 to US 2 – St. Johnsbury, Lower Waterford, East St. Johnsbury
			11.104	17.870	–	11	I-91 – St. Johnsbury, White River Junction	Signed as exits 11A (south) & 11B (north); exit 128 on I-91
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Tolled

Auxiliary routes[]

• Manchester, New Hampshire—I-293: The southernmost portion of this highway, between I-93 and the Everett Turnpike, was once known as Interstate 193.
• Concord, New Hampshire—I-393

References[]

Route map:

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 93.