Interstate 391 marker

Interstate 391

I-391 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-91
Maintained by MassDOT
Length4.46 mi[1] (7.18 km)
Existed1982[2]–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
South end I-91 in Chicopee
Major intersections
North endHigh Street in Holyoke
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountiesHampden
Highway system
← Route 295→ I-395

Interstate 391 (I-391) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Massachusetts. It runs from the I-91/I-391 interchange in Chicopee to the center of Holyoke, a distance of about 4.46 miles (7.18 km). It runs near the Connecticut River throughout its journey in Chicopee, crosses into Holyoke, and abruptly ends at High Street 0.4 miles (0.64 km) south of US Route 202 (US 202).[3]

Route description

I-391 during construction, 1980

I-391 begins at an interchange with I-91 (at exit 9) in southern Chicopee, just north of the Atwater Park and the Calvary Cemetery. Initially running parallel to the Connecticut River, it intersects with Route 116 in Chicopee center and crosses the Chicopee River. I-391 then has another junction with Route 116 in the Sandy Hill section of town, and, in less than one mile (1.6 km)one mile (1.6 km), it crosses underneath the Massachusetts Turnpike without an interchange. I-391 continues north through the rest of northern Chicopee, intersecting Route 141 along the way and then passing just east of Rivers Park. I-391 then crosses the Connecticut River into the city of Holyoke, where it has two closely spaced exits for local streets in the town. I-391 officially comes to an end at High Street in Holyoke, with the road continuing as Resnic Boulevard, which connects to US 202 after 0.4 miles (0.64 km).[4]

History

Annual average daily traffic[5]
Year AADT
1982 17,200
1990 26,520
2000 31,000
2010 32,578
2018 37,164

Plans for the highway originated from the Master Highway Plan for the Springfield metropolitan area in 1953, which planned for a "major street improvement" to Route 116. By the 1960s, freeway access was needed between Chicopee and Holyoke to improve traffic flow which prompted a spur route of I-91 to be built. I-391's planned six lanes were built to handle up to 50,000 vehicles every day, and the total cost of the proposed highway was estimated at about $35 million (equivalent to $249 million in 2022[6]). In 1965, an alignment of the highway had been set, along with two alternative alignments. Construction for I-391 began in 1967 with a short 0.75-mile-long (1.21 km) highway, which was completed in 1970. After years of no progress, construction started again in 1978. The highway was completed in 1982 after about 15 years of planning and construction.[2]

An interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) was part of the original proposal, as it would have connected the turnpike to Chicopee and Holyoke, though it was never built.

I-391 just before the Route 141 interchange

Exit list

All exit numbers in Massachusetts were to eventually be renumbered to mileage-based numbers under a future project, but that project was postponed. On November 18, 2019, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced that I-391's exit numbers would not be changed[7][8] because its exits were so tightly spaced.[9]

The entire route is in Hampden County. [10]

Location[10]mi[10]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Chicopee0.00–
0.62		0.00–
1.00		1 I-91 – Springfield, Hartford, CT, GreenfieldSigned as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north); exit 9 on I-91
0.951.532 Route 116 – Chicopee CenterTo Elms College
1.903.063 Route 116 – Westover ARB, Willimansett
3.866.214 Route 141 – Chicopee Falls, WillimansettSouthern end of former overlap with Route 141; split into exits 4A (east) and 4B (west) southbound
Connecticut River4.507.24Bridge
Holyoke4.597.395Main StreetFormer Route 141 north; northbound exit and southbound entrance
4.947.956BCommercial StreetNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
5.168.306AHigh Street

 Resnic Boulevard to US 202		At-grade intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Bostonroads.com. "Interstate 391 (Massachusetts)". Retrieved May 26, 2008.
  3. ↑ itd. "MassGIS EOT-OTP Roads data layer". Administration and Finance. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ Google (May 26, 2008). "overview map of I-391" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 26, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Location ID 2163, Transportation Data Management". MassDOT. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  6. ↑ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  7. ↑ Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2015). "COMMBUYS - Bid Solicitation FAP# HSIP-002S(874) Exit Signage Conversion to Milepost-Based Numbering System along Various Interstates, Routes and the Lowell Connector". Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Milepost-based Exit Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  9. ↑ Saric, Sofia (November 18, 2019). "Massachusetts highway exits to be renumbered by January 2022". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 MassDOT Planning Division. "Massachusetts Route Log Application". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.

Further reading

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