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Route 24 (Massachusetts)
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Route 24 is a freeway south of I-93 in southeastern Massachusetts, linking Fall River with the Boston metropolitan area. Route 24 is also known as the Fall River Expressway, and officially as the Amvets Highway. Route 24 has a total of 21 interchanges (including the split at its northern terminus with Interstate 93.)
highway starts at the Rhode Island border as a continuation of RI Route 24 and meets Interstate 195 in Fall River.
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Encyclopedia
Route 24 is a freeway south of I-93 in southeastern Massachusetts, linking Fall River with the Boston metropolitan area. Route 24 is also known as the Fall River Expressway, and officially as the Amvets Highway. Route 24 has a total of 21 interchanges (including the split at its northern terminus with Interstate 93.)
Route description
The highway starts at the Rhode Island border as a continuation of RI Route 24 and meets Interstate 195 in Fall River. It briefly runs concurrently with I-195 east (for less than a mile), then exits the interstate and travels north, merging with Route 79 at Exit 7 in northern Fall River. Routes 24 and 79 run concurrently northward until Exit 9 (Assonet). At this point, Route 79 exits the freeway and heads northeast. Route 24 continues north, intersecting the northern end of the Taunton-New Bedford Expressway (Route 140) in Taunton, and Interstate 495 in Raynham. The highway continues north through the city of Brockton and into Randolph, where Route 24 ends at a split junction with Interstate 93. This section of I-93 from Braintree to its junction with I-95 is frequently referred to by its former designation of Route 128. This designation was removed from I-93, and the roadway now carries the additional designation of U.S. Route 1, although this is not shown on guide signs from Route 24.
The speed limit on Route 24 is 55 MPH (88 km/h) from the Rhode Island border to Exit 7. North of Exit 7, the speed limit is 65 MPH (105 km/h).
Cities and towns
History
Route 24, along with Route 138, are both built parallel to an old Indian trail that went along the same north/south route from south of the Boston area into Boston. Route 124 on Cape Cod was originally designated Route 24 before 1951, and its number was changed to 124 upon the completion of the initial stretch of the Route 24 freeway.
The original portion of Route 24 opened in 1951, and brought commuters from Exit 10 in Assonet to Raynham. Route 24 is currently 40 miles (65 km) in length and has 21 interchanges from Fall River to Randolph.
Possible upgrades to Interstate standards
There have been calls over the years for Route 24 to be upgraded to an interstate highway. In April 2007 the Old Colony Regional Planning Council included this proposal in its 25-year regional transportation plan draft. The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) endorsed a similar proposal the month before. In 1997, a study was initiated by the Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) and the SRPEDD on what improvements were necessary in order to convert the route to an Interstate highway. The project would require major upgrades to 11 interchanges and minor work on 6 others. The proposal was tabled due to high costs projected for reconstruction of part of the highway south of Interstate 495. The current proposal seeks to have the route improved to interstate standards by 2020, the cost for the Stoughton to Bridgewater portion alone is estimated at $224 million.
Exit list
| Location | Exit # | Destination(s) | Notes |
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| enters Massachusetts from Rhode Island |
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| Fall River | 1A-B | Route 81 | | | 2 | Brayton Ave./Eastern Ave. | Northbound exit/southbound entrance only. | | 3 | Interstate 195 west | Northbound exit only. Access to Route 24 North via I-195 Exit 8B. | | joins |
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| 4 | Interstate 195 east | Southbound exit only. Access to Route 24 south via I-195 Exit 8A. | | leaves |
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| 5 | U.S. Route 6 | | | 6 | Highland Ave. | Southbound exit/northbound entrance only. | | 7 | Route 79 south | Southbound exit/northbound entrance only. Route 79 joins northbound and leaves southbound. | | joins |
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| 8 | N. Main St. | | | Assonet | 9 | Route 79 north | Route 79 leaves northbound and joins southbound. | | leaves |
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| 10 | N. Main St. | | | Berkley | 11 | Padelford St. | | | Taunton | 12 | Route 140 | Split into 12A-B northbound. | | Raynham | 13A-B | U.S. Route 44 | | | Bridgewater | 14A-B | Interstate 495 | | | 15 | Route 104 | | | West Bridgewater | 16A-B | Route 106 | | | Brockton | 17A-B | Route 123 | | | 18A-B | Route 27 | | | Avon | 19A-B | Harrison Blvd. | | | Stoughton | 20A-B | Route 139 | | | Randolph | 21A | Interstate 93 / U.S. Route 1 north | Northbound exit only (right-exit at split). | | 21B | TO Interstate 93 / U.S. Route 1 south to Interstate 95 | Northbound exit only (left-exit at split). | | ends at |
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