Lowell Connector

Lowell Connector
American Legion Connector Highway
Lowell Connector highlighted in red
Route information
Length	2.88 mi[1] (4.63 km)
Existed	1962–present
Major junctions
South end	US 3 in Chelmsford
Major intersections	I-495 in Lowell Route 3A in Lowell
North end	Gorham Street in Lowell
Highway system
Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State

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 Lowell, Massachusetts. The freeway has its southern terminus at US 3 and its northern terminus in downtown Lowell, where it feeds into city streets shortly after an interchange with Route 3A. This alignment, nearly parallel to Route 110, provides much of Lowell with a direct expressway route to the Boston area to the south, and convenient (but slightly roundabout) expressway access to Lowell's eastern and western suburbs by way of Route 3 and I-495.

History[]

Built in the early 1960s and opened on October 24, 1962,^[2] the Lowell Connector is located along the re-channelled River Meadow (or Hales) Brook. This alignment minimally affected existing neighborhoods, unlike many urban expressways in the region. Plans to extend the Connector through the city's Back Central neighborhood, up to and along the Concord River, then onward to Lowell's main street, Merrimack Street, were drawn out, but abandoned after they were decided to be too disruptive to one of the oldest parts of the city. This left the highway terminating abruptly at a residential section of Gorham Street.

Another plan circa 1968 had the connector connecting to the planned route of Massachusetts Route 213 in Dracut.^[3]

The Connector was officially named for the American Legion on May 20, 1963, a few months after opening; however, signs reflecting this were not posted until November 16, 2010.^[4]

Since 1976, the highway has shared its name with the student newspaper at UMass Lowell.^[5]

I-495 Business Spur[]

In the mid 1960s, the Connector was designated as Interstate 495 Business Spur. However, there are no records indicating that this designation was ever approved by either the Bureau of Public Roads (now FHWA) or the American Association of State Highway Officials (now AASHTO). Further, the Business I-495 designation was never posted on any signs for the Lowell Connector exit on I-495, US 3, or on any signs on the Connector mainline itself (verified by a comprehensive review of MassDPW signing plans for I-495, US 3, and the Lowell Connector from the late 1950s to the present^[6]). However, such signs were included on official maps and were physically posted on local streets intersecting the Connector. A lone shield remained for Business Spur I-495 along Plain Street (exit 4) for the Lowell Connector, but was taken down by 2008.^[7]

Crashes[]

Proposed Lowell Connector Extension - Massachusetts Department of Public Works, 1968

The infamous abrupt ending of the Lowell Connector at Gorham Street (exit 5C) with warning signs

The Lowell Connector was recently^[when?] ranked the most dangerous highway in Massachusetts, in terms of crashes per mile.^[8] The Connector has many serious design flaws, such as a lack of median guard rails, short and steep entrance and exit ramps, and inadequate spacing between exits which leads to weaving. The Lowell Connector is probably best known for the abrupt and downhill termination onto Gorham Street (exit 5C). Many cars have overshot the end of the freeway and crashed into the brick wall of a residential property across the street. Recently^[when?], in addition to multiple flashing warning signs giving the exact distance to the end of the road, the terminus now features two flashing (strobe) stoplights and a metal railing across the intersection protecting the property opposite the termination. Incidentally, Lowell has one of the lowest incidences of seatbelt use in the Commonwealth.^[8]

Exit list[]

All interchanges were to be renumbered to milepost-based numbers under a project scheduled to start in 2016, however this project was indefinitely postponed by MassDOT. On November 18, 2019, MassDOT announced that the Lowell Connector's exits would not be renumbered.^[9] The entire route is in Middlesex County.

Location	mi[10]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Chelmsford–Lowell line	0.0	0.0	1	I-495 north / US 3 south – Lawrence, Boston	Signed as exits 1A (US 3) and 1B (I-495); exit 89C on I-495; exit 80 on US 3
	0.8	1.3	2	I-495 south / US 3 north – Worcester, Nashua, NH	Signed as exits 2A (I-495) and 2B (US 3); exit 89C on I-495; exit 81A on US 3
Lowell	1.2	1.9	3	Industrial Avenue
	2.0	3.2	4	Plain Street – Lowell Highlands
	2.8	4.5	5A-B	Route 3A (Thorndike Street) – Lowell	Signed as exits 5A (south) and 5B (north); northbound exit and southbound entrance
	2.9	4.7	5C	Gorham Street – Lowell Center	At-grade intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

References[]

External links[]

Route map: