🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Aug7.150303.13800@linus.mitre.org>, 
ptrei@bistromath.mitre.org (Peter Trei) writes:

=>      It's curious - from Cambridge to 128, Rt.2 is a four or six-lane
=> divided superhighway. Between 128 and the Concord Rotary it's a four
=> lane road, divided in portions, with stoplights, and dozens of minor
=> intersections and driveways. West of the Concord rotary it's all
=> divided, and after the one stop light in Acton, it's of
=> near-interstate quality to about 10 miles past Gardner.
=> 
=>      I've heard that Lincoln and Concord refused to permit a proper
=> highway through their land, and that's the source of this 6-mile
=> bottleneck.

A little local history: Route 2 was widened to 4 lanes from Alewife
Station area to 128 some years ago in anticipation of connection
to the southern artery project (Rt. 95 extension) that was cancelled,
basically due to citizen outrage. There are memorials to that project
such as the exit ramp to nowhere of the end of Rt. 93 near the
Central Artery connection, and a road that runs into the side of a
hill near the junction of 95/128 in Dedham. The state took some land
by eminent domain in a "scorch and burn" policy that decimated much
of Roxbury, some of the South End, and so on, for a road that was
never to be.

Route 2 was also widened North of Concord (3 lane limited access),
but the town of Concord never acquiesced to the state plan, and 
Concord residents (me being one) think of Rt.2 as a "local" road
rather than a highway, and in fact, getting about in Concord would
cause a few crosses of that road from time to time. Not to mention
the loss of land to widen and provide access ramps if the road was
upgraded to "highway". Personally, I think they could (should) try
and eliminate at least a couple of the lights where there is some
free space, if possible, but it's probably not likely in our lifetime
without starting another revolution in Concord :-)

- Bill Lambert