Auburn to Hudson via Worcester

Expressway full length

I-290 first appears on a 1961 map, roughly along the same route as now to Shrewsbury. It then was to turn more southerly, crossing US 20 and MA 135 south of Northboro Center, crossing MA 30 and MA 9 slightly east of their intersection in Westboro, then meeting I-495 between the Mass Pike and Rt 9 interchanges. By 1966, the proposed route had been shifted to match more closely what it is now. The highway was completed between 1969 and 1971.

The interchange with I-495 makes it clear that the road was originally intended to continue east. The highway does connect to MA 85 in Hudson via an unnumbered route commonly referred to as the Rt 85 Connector.

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Kurumi’s I-290 entry