113-537: U.S. Route 3 ( US 3 ) is a United States Numbered Highway running 277.90 miles (447.24 km) from Cambridge, Massachusetts , through New Hampshire , to the Canada–United States border near Third Connecticut Lake , where it connects to Quebec Route 257 . Massachusetts Route 3 connects to the southern terminus of US 3 in Cambridge and continues south to Cape Cod . Though it shares
226-670: A business route through Laconia, New Hampshire . Four other special routes may have existed in the past: an alternate and business route between Tyngsborough, Massachusetts , and Concord, New Hampshire , and bypass routes around Concord and Nashua, New Hampshire . U.S. Route 3 Business ( US 3 Bus. ) is a 4.144-mile-long (6.669 km) signed business route running north–south through downtown Laconia, New Hampshire . It runs from US 3 and NH 11 in Belmont north to US 3 in Laconia, along NH 107 and NH 11A . It
339-714: A wrong-way concurrency before exiting at exit 50A onto its own freeway, the Northwest Expressway. Originally built in the 1950s, before the cancelation 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 connects US 3 to I-95. Exit numbers on the US 3 freeway start at milemarker 72 since Route 3 and US 3 are counted as one highway by MassDOT. The freeway closely parallels Route 3A,
452-425: A banner such as alternate or bypass —are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as
565-482: 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 roadbed and bridges were built to support a fourth lane in each travel direction for future expansion. The $ 365-million (equivalent to $ 547 million in 2023), 21-mile (34 km) widening project
678-514: A distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature
791-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
904-580: A few shots on location in Woburn. Woburn is located at 42°29′4″N 71°9′7″W / 42.48444°N 71.15194°W / 42.48444; -71.15194 (42.484545, −71.152060). It is bordered by the towns of Wilmington , Reading , Stoneham , Winchester , Lexington , and Burlington . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33 km ), of which 12.7 square miles (33 km )
1017-478: A hand-full of Middlesex County law enforcement and court related entities: the Superior Court and District Attorney Office moved first to have their base of operations relocated from Cambridge. In 2020 the county's registrar of Probate & Family Court in Cambridge subsequently also moved their base of operations and followed by the county Sheriff's office in 2022. The county's executive branch of government
1130-604: A main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs
1243-987: A northeasterly direction toward Hooksett, interchanging with I-93 . The two routes continue as Hooksett Road, then the Daniel Webster Highway. In Suncook , NH 28 leaves to the northeast, and US 3 proceeds northwest toward Concord on Pembroke Street, becoming Manchester Street when it enters the Concord city limits. After crossing the Merrimack River and interchanging with I-93, US 3 intersects NH 3A (South Main Street), which terminates at its parent route. US 3 traverses downtown Concord as North and South Main streets (briefly overlapping with US 202 and NH 9 ), then follows North State Street to Fisherville Road to Village Street in Penacook before crossing
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#17328445299961356-542: A number, it has never been part of US 3. Both routes, which connect end-to-end, are treated as a single 91.3-mile (146.9 km) state highway by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). From Cambridge to Burlington , US 3 is routed on surface streets through the dense suburbs in the Greater Boston area. After a brief concurrency with Interstate 95 (I-95) and Route 128 ,
1469-579: A part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington . The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington . Woburn, Massachusetts Woburn ( / ˈ w uː b ər n / WOO -bərn ) is a city in Middlesex County , Massachusetts , United States. The population was 40,876 at the 2020 census . Woburn is located 9 miles (14 km) north of Boston . Woburn uses Massachusetts' mayor-council form of government, in which an elected mayor
1582-698: A part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire , it does not follow tolled portions of the Everett Turnpike . However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads: U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from
1695-564: A project to start in 2016, but that project was postponed. In November 2019, the MassDOT announced it would be proceeding with the project in 2020. According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) route log, the southern terminus of US 3 is at the junction of Route 2A and Route 3 in Cambridge , which is where Route 2A crosses
1808-591: A rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925. The new system
1921-413: A wide variety of other health problems were linked to the possible exposure to volatile organic compounds in the groundwater pumped from wells G and H. In May 1982, a number of citizens whose children had developed or died from leukemia filed a civil lawsuit against two corporations, W. R. Grace and Company and Beatrice Foods . Grace's subsidiary, Cryovac, and Beatrice were suspected of contaminating
2034-472: Is a former alignment of US 3, used before the Laconia–Gilford bypass was built. United States Numbered 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 highways were coordinated among
2147-617: Is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22 , which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri , US 260 in Oklahoma , US 360 in Texas , and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico . As with
2260-436: Is a spur off US 64 . Some divided routes , such as US 19E and US 19W , exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on the intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway. Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through
2373-595: Is encouraged to actively participate on these committees. The Woburn Redevelopment Authority is an independent municipal urban renewal authority established by the City of Woburn in 1961, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 121B. The Authority is governed by five members, four of whom are appointed by the Mayor, and one by the Governor. The WRA functions as the City's community development agency, under an agreement with
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#17328445299962486-745: Is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937. The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with
2599-463: Is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km ), or 1.71%, is water. Woburn features a humid continental climate , similar to those of many of the other Boston suburban areas. It features moderately cold winters, but not usually as cold as the ones around the Great Lakes Region or Southern Canada, or even Northern New England. Nonetheless, it features occasional 'arctic blasts' which can easily drop
2712-713: Is the executive and a partly district-based, partly at-large city council is the legislature. It was the last of Massachusetts' 351 municipalities to refer to members of its city council as " aldermen ". Woburn was first settled in 1640 near Horn Pond , a primary source of the Mystic River , and was officially incorporated in 1642. At that time the area included present day towns of Woburn, Winchester, Burlington, and parts of Stoneham and Wilmington. In 1730 Wilmington separated from Woburn. In 1799 Burlington separated from Woburn; in 1850 Winchester did so, too. Woburn got its name from Woburn, Bedfordshire . Woburn played host to
2825-472: The Alewife Brook Parkway . 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
2938-600: The Contoocook River into Boscawen . US 3 travels north through Boscawen, briefly overlapping with US 4 . The highway parallels the Merrimack River north into Franklin , where the highway meets NH 11 . US 3 joins NH 11 and turns east; NH 3A also resumes at this intersection, continuing north. US 3 and NH 11 briefly form a three-route concurrency with NH 127 in Franklin, then pass through Tilton , crossing NH 132 and passing
3051-477: The Daniel Webster Highway to Meredith at the northern end of Meredith Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee . In Meredith, US 3 intersects the northern terminus of NH 106, then joins NH 25 and continues north past Squam Lake into Holderness , passing the western terminuses of NH 25B and NH 113 . Through Holderness, US 3 and NH 25 gradually turn west, then southwest, passing
3164-593: The Daniel Webster Highway . (Some locals erroneously refer to the Everett Turnpike from exit 7 through the I-293 interchange as US 3 and refer to the actual US 3 only as the Daniel Webster Highway or "Old Route 3".) US 3 continues north through the town of Merrimack and into Bedford , where it becomes South River Road. The highway parallels I-293 until it turns east in Manchester and then crosses
3277-465: The Everett Turnpike , running on the freeway for 6.7 miles (10.8 km) along the western side of the city. US 3 leaves the Everett Turnpike at exit 7E, crosses New Hampshire Route 101A (NH 101A) and turns northeast for approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along a segment known as the Henri Burque Highway, before turning north onto Concord Street, which soon becomes known as
3390-656: The Gulf Freeway carried US 75 , the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66 , and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9 . The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as
3503-476: The Merrimack River on Queen City Avenue, just after its intersection with I-293/ NH 3A and NH 114A . US 3 and NH 3A are signed in a wrong-way concurrency for approximately 0.6 miles (0.97 km) before US 3 turns north onto Elm Street toward downtown Manchester. After approximately 2.2 miles (3.5 km), US 3 turns east onto Webster Street, then joins NH 28 to proceed in
U.S. Route 3 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-603: The New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes . Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads
3729-481: The Pacific coast . Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas ). In effect, each of
3842-701: The Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing , where the road crosses into Chartierville, Quebec , and becomes Quebec Route 257 . In total, US 3 runs along the Connecticut River and its source lakes for approximately 70 miles (110 km). Sections of US 3 in Colebrook are named after Scott E. Phillips and Leslie G. Lord, members of the New Hampshire State Police killed in the line of duty on August 19, 1997 . Before
3955-415: The auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows: US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became
4068-493: The poverty line , including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. The Woburn Business Association (WBA) is a membership organization consisting of companies located in Woburn, Massachusetts. Memberships are also available to those firms who are situated elsewhere, but do business in Woburn. The purpose of the WBA is to promote and protect Business Interests in the City of Woburn and provide Networking Services for
4181-518: The state line into Nashua, New Hampshire . The freeway continues north as the Everett Turnpike . The Burlington to Tyngsborough area maintains a 501(c)(6) nonprofit 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. US 3 passes through most of
4294-409: The 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia 's highways 93 , 95 , 97 , and 99 ; Manitoba 's highways 59 , 75 , and 83 ; or Ontario King's Highway 71 . The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57 , originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57 . In the 1950s,
4407-514: The 80s, but when an Atlantic low comes, temperatures may fail to rise out of the 60s. High pressure from the Gulf of Mexico, occasionally brings much hotter conditions with temperatures sometimes topping near 100, though this is fairly rare and only happens so often. Falls are generally crisp, but start out warm with temperature highs around 70 and lows around 50. Quickly things cool, and it feels and looks like winter with temperatures around 40 usually towards
4520-649: The Arlington–Somerville border and proceeding into Cambridge toward Union Square, Somerville. A 1962 plan called for Route 2 and US 3 to converge at Alewife Brook Parkway with a longer stretch of new highway for US 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
4633-580: The Business Community. The WBA Board of Directors meets monthly to develop policy and provide direction for the Association. The Executive Committee meets periodically, usually on an "as needed" basis, to review important issues and make recommendations to the Board regarding WBA policy. The WBA accomplishes its work through committees of WBA members and representatives of the Woburn community. The membership
U.S. Route 3 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-786: The Charles along the Harvard Bridge (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 at the Boston University Bridge . This was where US 3 met US 1 until that highway was rerouted in 1971. The original northern terminus of US 3 (in 1926)
4859-597: The City of Woburn executed in July 2000. Companies based in Woburn include Boston Acoustics , Boston Metal , Kaspersky Lab USA , Monotype , Skyworks Solutions , and U-Turn Audio . According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the top employers in the city are: Though the official county seats remains designated to Cambridge with a secondary northern junior-seat at Lowell ( de jure ), since 2008 Woburn plays host to
4972-733: The Franconia Notch Parkway and is a rare section of Interstate Highway with only one lane in each direction. US 3 separates from I-93 at exit 35, shortly north of the northern park boundary in Franconia . From there, NH 141 branches northwest and US 3 heads north and east toward Twin Mountain and a junction with US 302 . This portion of the road is noted for fairly frequent moose sightings, especially during sunrise and sunset when moose are particularly active. Heading north from Twin Mountain, US 3 passes through
5085-478: The Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist. The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in
5198-563: The John F. Kennedy Middle School and the Daniel L. Joyce Middle School. In recent years the Goodyear, Reeves, Shamrock, and Malcolm White, as well as Woburn Memorial High School , were rebuilt. The Hurld-Wyman sits on a portion of the city's Spence Farm property. The Clapp, Parker, Tarkey, Plympton, Golden, and Veterans' Memorial Schools are now closed, and the former Veterans' Memorial School now serves as
5311-596: The Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86 .) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park , Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to
5424-425: The U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to the system. In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways , and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to
5537-739: The U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West ) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California 's highway renumbering in 1964 . The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways. A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though
5650-529: The US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201 , for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine , and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522 , which
5763-477: The US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films. With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6 , US 19 and US 50 ), and some termini at state lines. By
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#17328445299965876-568: The United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , recommended by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from
5989-533: The Woburn Senior Center. St. Charles, a Pre-K–8 private Catholic school, is part of the adjacent St. Charles Parish. It has been graduating classes since 1884 in grades K–8; the high school closed in 1972. Woburn is one of the few communities close to Boston which provides its own drinking water. The City’s water supply mostly comes from five wells from the underground aquifer within the Horn Pond area, which
6102-471: The approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri , into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of
6215-405: The auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time. The second full meeting
6328-686: The cities of the densely populated Merrimack Valley . 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. US 3 begins in the south along Memorial Drive in Cambridge , along the Charles River , at an interchange with Massachusetts Avenue ( Route 2A ). The road continues as southbound Route 3 toward Downtown Boston , while northbound US 3 heads west, then north along
6441-403: The city was 90.57% White , 1.87% African American , 0.10% Native American , 4.85% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 1.44% from other races , and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population. There were 14,997 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had
6554-420: The end. Like most of the region, temperatures can vary widely in the span of a day. As of the census of 2000, there were 37,258 people (37,010 by 2006 estimate), 14,997 households, and 9,658 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,939.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,135.0/km ). There were 15,391 housing units at an average density of 1,214.3 per square mile (468.8/km ). The racial makeup of
6667-489: The establishment of the U.S. Numbered Highway System, the section of US 3 and Route 3 from Orleans, Massachusetts , to Colebrook, New Hampshire , was part of the New England road marking system as New England Route 6 . It was replaced in its entirety with the establishment of US 3 and Route 3 in 1926. US 3 in Massachusetts closely follows the route of the early 19th-century Middlesex Canal and Middlesex Turnpike . The modern Northwest Expressway
6780-419: 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 US 3 and Route 2 to link up at the Lexington–Arlington border and continue southeasterly, crossing Route 16/Mystic Valley Parkway at
6893-407: The first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads. In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway —began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for
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#17328445299967006-410: The first religious ordination in the Americas on November 22, 1642. Rev. Thomas Carter was sworn in by many of the most prominent men of New England including John Cotton , minister of the First Church of Boston, Richard Mather minister of the First Church of Dorchester, and Capt. Edward Johnson co-founder of the church and town of Woburn. Johnson is regarded as "the father of Woburn." He served as
7119-430: The first town clerk, represented the town in the Massachusetts General Court, made the first map of Massachusetts, and wrote the first history of the colony. The first organizational Town Meeting was held on April 13, 1644, and the first town officers were chosen. Town Selectmen were Edward Johnson, Edward Convers , John Mousall, William Learned, Ezekiel Richardson, Samuel Richardson, and James Thompson. William Learned
7232-413: The groundwater by improperly disposing of trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (perc or PCE) and other industrial solvents at their facilities in Woburn near wells G and H. In a controversial decision, Judge Walter Jay Skinner ruled that the jurors should answer questions that they and many others considered confusing. Beatrice was acquitted and Grace only paid $ 8 million, a third of which went to
7345-449: The heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway". In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became
7458-410: The historic alignment of US 3, along its entire 19-mile (31 km) length from Burlington to the New Hampshire state border. It passes through Billerica and into Chelmsford , where it connects with I-495 and the Lowell Connector , a freeway spur into downtown Lowell . Continuing north, the freeway briefly enters Lowell, then passes through North Chelmsford and Tyngsborough before crossing
7571-403: The latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11 . Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware ; Jefferson City, Missouri ; and Pierre, South Dakota . In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. AASHTO
7684-424: The lawyers and lawyer fees. A United States Environmental Protection Agency report later found Beatrice and Grace responsible for the contamination. A book titled A Civil Action was written about the case by Jonathan Harr . In 1998 the book was turned into a movie starring John Travolta and Robert Duvall , also titled A Civil Action . The film was largely filmed in nearby Bedford and Lexington, with only
7797-514: The lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264)
7910-416: The more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway , but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, " Get your kicks on Route 66! ") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take
8023-467: The new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else. Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways , erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922,
8136-441: The north. US 3 continues through parts of Winchester and Woburn without any major intersections before entering Burlington and interchanging with I-95 and 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 . US 3 runs along 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of I-95 (Route 128) in
8249-458: The numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60 . In
8362-487: The optional routes into another route. In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37 . AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways : "Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns
8475-453: The other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes,
8588-412: The place of legends, and 'hokum' for history." When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of
8701-659: The portion in Massachusetts is known as the Northwest Expressway . From where it leaves the Everett Turnpike in Nashua northward, US 3 is generally a two-to-four lane at-grade road, though there are two super-two freeway portions in northern New Hampshire, one on the Laconia Bypass, and one where US 3 and I-93 use the Franconia Notch Parkway. The route serves as a major local arterial, connecting many of
8814-625: The river toward Harvard University , joining with Route 2 along the way. It runs along the north bank of the Charles River , opposite Soldiers Field Road in Allston along this stretch. Passing south of Harvard Square , US 3 and Route 2 transition onto the Fresh Pond Parkway and join Route ;16 . Near Alewife station , Route 2 splits off as a freeway to the west (Concord Turnpike), while US 3 and Route 16 stay on
8927-589: The route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways. Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia , and
9040-455: The route follows its own freeway northwest, bypassing Lowell and entering New Hampshire at Nashua , becoming the Everett Turnpike . In New Hampshire, current and former parts of US 3 are known as the Daniel Webster Highway . From Burlington, Massachusetts, to Nashua, New Hampshire, US 3 is a freeway . The segment in New Hampshire is a free portion of the Everett Turnpike, while
9153-580: The routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee . Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US 6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto". Special routes —those with
9266-500: The same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers ), which shows
9379-594: The southern end of NH 175 and then reaching the northern end of NH 132 in Ashland . From Ashland to North Woodstock , US 3 proceeds north, roughly paralleling I-93 in the Pemigewasset River valley. Along this stretch it passes through the towns of Plymouth (NH 25 splits from US 3 near I-93 in Plymouth, which also marks the true northern terminus of NH 3A), West Campton (where it meets
9492-494: The southern terminus of NH 145 . Still following the Connecticut River north, US 3 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. US 3 continues north for another 22 miles (35 km), eventually reaching
9605-488: The southwest to Oklahoma City , from where it ran west to Los Angeles . Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US ;62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky , as US 60 . They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on
9718-522: The splits in US 11 , US 19 , US 25 , US 31 , US 45 , US 49 , US 73 , and US 99 . For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway . Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways:
9831-517: The state's major cities and towns and is the only highway to extend from the Massachusetts state border in the south to the Canadian border in the north. Running for 242 miles (389 km) in New Hampshire, US 3 is by far the longest signed highway in the state. For much of its routing, US 3 closely parallels I-93, serving as a local route to the freeway. US 3 crosses the state border into Nashua and immediately becomes concurrent with
9944-620: The states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways , but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926. The route numbers and locations are coordinated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation . Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with
10057-548: The states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926. Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when the Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower . After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from
10170-532: The system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". As of 1989, the United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km). Except for toll bridges and tunnels , very few U.S. Routes are toll roads . AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route , and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as
10283-491: The system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as a means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades,
10396-451: The temperature below zero. Spring generally starts out cool, around 45-50 degrees, often with snow still on the ground. However, it quickly begins to rapidly warm to around 75 degrees by the time summer begins. Summers are generally warm or hot and often accompanied with humidity, though not nearly as bad as cities in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, and even Rhode Island . Temperatures often top in
10509-540: The time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia . Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to
10622-543: The two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S. The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to
10735-468: The two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S. Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88. Route numbers are displayed on
10848-471: The unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'." Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oregon , and Tennessee . In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized
10961-403: The village of Carroll , where NH 115 branches to the northeast and US 3 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. US 3 continues north to Lancaster , where it joins US 2 in the town center, and where NH 135 branches off to
11074-488: The west. After US 2 leaves to the west, US 3 continues north, roughly paralleling the course of the Connecticut River (which also forms the border with Vermont ), through Northumberland and Groveton , where NH 110 ends. North of Groveton, US 3 continues to follow the river, through Stratford , North Stratford , and Columbia , until it reaches Colebrook , where it crosses NH 26 and meets
11187-542: The western end of NH 140 . Continuing northeast past Lake Winnisquam , US 3 and NH 11 reach Laconia and turn onto the Laconia– Gilford Bypass, intersecting with NH 106 , NH 107 , and NH 11A . At the northern end of the bypass, US 3 and NH 11 split after a 17.3-mile (27.8 km) overlap, with the U.S. Route continuing north on Lake Street to Weirs Beach and an intersection with NH 11B . US 3 continues north as
11300-464: The western end of NH 49 , the principal access road to Waterville Valley ), Thornton , and Woodstock . In North Woodstock , US 3 crosses NH 112 (known to the east as the Kancamagus Highway ). Continuing north, US 3 joins with I-93 as it passes through Franconia Notch State Park , one of the more scenic drives in the White Mountains . This stretch of freeway is known as
11413-406: Was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 54,897, and the median income for a family was $ 66,364. Males had a median income of $ 45,210 versus $ 33,239 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 26,207. About 4.5% of families and 6.1% of the population were below
11526-728: Was abolished in 1997, and the county still exists as a geographical and political region. The employees of Middlesex County courts, jails, registries, and other county agencies now work directly for the state though with much of these offices transferred to Woburn, (only the Registry of Deeds remaining in Cambridge). Woburn's public elementary schools are the Goodyear Elementary, Altavesta Elementary, Shamrock Elementary, Malcolm White Elementary, Clyde Reeves Elementary, Linscott-Rumford Elementary, and Hurld-Wyman Elementary. The two middle schools are
11639-689: Was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States . The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West , May 27 for the Mississippi Valley , June 3 for the Great Lakes , June 8 for the South , June 15 for the North Atlantic , and June 15 for New England . Representatives of
11752-420: Was also selected as Constable. Michael Bacon, Ralph Hill, Thomas Richardson were chosen as Surveyors of Highways. (The History of Woburn, 1868) Deacon Edward Convers was also one of the founders of Woburn. He was one of its first selectmen, and built the first house and first mill in Woburn. He was very active in town affairs and was a large landowner, miller and surveyor. List of important events Woburn
11865-513: Was at Colebrook, New Hampshire , 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 . Although MassDOT inventories 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. US 3 has one existing special route ,
11978-461: Was begun near Route 110 in Lowell before World War II . 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 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
12091-499: Was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints. In
12204-519: Was completed in 1923. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes. Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board
12317-573: Was completed in 2005 from Burlington to the New Hampshire border. The final section of the expressway was planned for inner suburban towns northwest of Boston . The expressway was to supply a new route for US 3, between Route 128 and the canceled I-695 (Inner Belt). This was one of the expressway projects canceled in Governor Francis Sargent 's 1970 moratorium on expressway construction within Route ;128. The latter section of
12430-418: Was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield
12543-509: Was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions". After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out
12656-424: Was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to
12769-504: Was the scene of a high-profile water contamination crisis. During the mid to late 1970s, the local community became concerned over the high incidence of childhood leukemia and other illnesses, particularly in the Pine Street area of east Woburn. After high levels of chemical contamination were found in City of Woburn's Wells G and H in 1979, some members of the community suspected that the unusually high incidence of leukemia , cancer , and
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