Interstate 391

File:I-391_during_construction,_1980.png

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 {{Convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}}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 {{convert|0.4|mi|km}}.{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=from:+Unknown%20road%20@42.134196,%20-72.608717+to:+Unknown%20road%20@42.195836,%20-72.616133 |title=overview map of I-391 |accessdate=2008-05-26}}

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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}} 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 ${{Formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|35000000|1965}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}). 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 {{convert|0.75|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} 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.

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.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

File:I-391 near MA-141.jpg

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{{cite web|author=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|year=2015|title=COMMBUYS - Bid Solicitation FAP# HSIP-002S(874) Exit Signage Conversion to Milepost-Based Numbering System along Various Interstates, Routes and the Lowell Connector |url=https://www.commbuys.com/bso/external/bidDetail.sdo?docId=BD-16-1030-0H100-0H002-00000005477&external=true&parentUrl=bid|access-date=January 5, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newmassexits.com/MassDOT_Documents/Project_Documents/Handout_1.pdf|title=Milepost-based Exit Renumbering|publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation|date=December 5, 2019|access-date=December 5, 2019|archive-date=December 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207063339/https://www.newmassexits.com/MassDOT_Documents/Project_Documents/Handout_1.pdf|url-status=dead}} because its exits were so tightly spaced.{{cite news | title=Massachusetts highway exits to be renumbered by January 2022 | website=The Boston Globe | first=Sofia | last=Saric | date=November 18, 2019 | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/11/18/massachusetts-highway-exits-renumbered-january/s9c8qw1GUBazeuP841JpkO/story.html | access-date=December 24, 2019}}

{{jcttop|exit|state=MA|county=Hampden|length_ref={{cite web|url=http://services.massdot.state.ma.us/mrla/RouteSelection.htm|title=Massachusetts Route Log Application|author=MassDOT Planning Division|publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation|access-date=August 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826161150/http://services.massdot.state.ma.us/mrla/RouteSelection.htm|archive-date=August 26, 2014|url-status=dead}}|location_ref=}}

{{MAint|exit

|location=Chicopee

|lspan=5

|mile=0.00

|exit=1A

|road={{jct|state=MA|I|91|city1=Springfield|location2=Hartford, CT|dir1=south}}

|notes=Southern terminus

}}

{{MAint|exit

|type=incomplete

|mile=0.62

|exit=1B

|road={{jct|state=MA|I|91|city1=Greenfield|dir1=north}}

|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance; exit 9 on I-91

}}

{{MAint|exit

|mile=0.95

|exit=2

|road={{jct|state=MA|MA|116|location1=Chicopee Center}}

|notes=To Elms College

}}

{{MAint|exit

|mile=1.90

|exit=3

|road={{jct|state=MA|MA|116|location1=Westover ARB|city2=Willimansett}}

}}

{{MAint|exit

|mile=3.86

|exit=4

|type=

|road={{jct|state=MA|MA|141|city1=Chicopee Falls|city2=Willimansett}}

|notes=Signed as exits 4A (east) and 4B (west) southbound

}}

{{jctbridge|exit

|location_special=Connecticut River

|mile=4.50

|bridge=Bridge

}}

{{MAint|exit

|location=Holyoke

|lspan=3

|mile=4.59

|exit=5

|type=incomplete

|road=Main Street

|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance

}}

{{MAint|exit

|mile=4.94

|exit=6B

|type=incomplete

|road=Commercial Street

|notes=Northbound exit and southbound entrance

}}

{{MAint|exit

|mile=5.16

|exit=6A

|road=High Street

|notes=Northern terminus; at-grade intersection

}}

{{jctbtm|keys=incomplete}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite report|title=I-391 Chicopee-Holyoke Massachusetts Draft Environmental Impact Statement|year=1974|author1=U.S. Department of Transportation|author2=Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Works|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DbQ1AQAAMAAJ}}

{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}

• [http://www.bostonroads.com/roads/I-391_MA/ I-391 Historical Overview from bostonroads.com]
• [http://www.gribblenation.net/mass21/i391exits.html Mass. I-391 Current and Future Exit Numbers List]

{{3di|91}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 91-3}}

91-3

91-3

3

Category:Transportation in Hampden County, Massachusetts