Interstate 290
Route information
Maintained by Masshighways
Length:	20.16 mi[1] (32.44 km)
Existed:	1970 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) / I-395 / Route 12 in Auburn
	Route 146 / I-190 in Worcester Route 9 in Worcester Route 140 in Boylston
East end:	I-495/Route 85 Connector in Marlboro
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Business Massachusetts State Highway Routes ← Route 286 I-291 →

Interstate 290 (abbreviated I-290) runs for 20.16 miles (32.44 km) from Auburn, Massachusetts to Marlborough, Massachusetts. It is a continuation of I-395 north of I-90 (the Mass Pike) and runs through downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, I-190 splits off, and I-290 runs across Lake Quinsigamond and east to I-495 in Marlboro. There are buildings very close to the highway, including a grand church which faces the road (referred to locally as "Our Lady of the Highway"). Massachusetts has built a freeway connector (Route 146) from I-290 in Worcester to the Mass Pike and then south to Providence, Rhode Island.

Route description

History

Orson the bear, the mascot of Polar Beverages, is a prominent landmark visible from I-290 in Worcester.

Originally, I-290 was to rejoin I-90 in Westborough, roughly where I-495 sits now. However, this route would have run through the town centers of Shrewsbury and Northborough. Additionally, I-290 was intended to be extended past I-495 to I-95/Route 128 in Waltham, but this was canceled under pressure from towns along the planned route. A brief two-lane connector heads to Route 85 as a result of this aborted plan. The interchange with I-495 was originally supposed to be a cloverleaf, but after the plan was canceled, it was modified with a flyover ramp onto 495-northbound.

Exit list

Location	Exit #	Mile[2]	Destinations	Notes
Auburn	7	0	Mass Pike I-90 / I-395 / Route 12	No exit to Route 12 SB
	8	0.1	Route 12 – Auburn, Webster	Westbound exit only
	9	1.4	Swanson Road (EB), Auburn Street (WB) – Auburn
Worcester	10	3.2	Route 12 north (Hope Avenue)	Westbound exit / Eastbound entrance only
	11	3.8	College Square, Federal Square, Southbridge Street
	12	4.7	Route 146 south – Brosnihan Square, Millbury	Westbound exit / Eastbound entrance only.
	13	5.3	Route 122A (Vernon Street) – Kelley Square
	14	5.6	Route 122 – Barre, Uxbridge	No westbound entrance.
	15	5.9	Shrewsbury Street	Eastbound exit / Westbound entrance only.
	16	6.1	MLK Jr. Boulevard – Downtown Worcester	Amtrak/Commuter Rail station
	17	6.6	Route 9 – Ware, Framingham	Worcester Regional Airport. Eastbound exit / Westbound entrance only.
	18	6.8	Route 70 To Route 9 – Ware, Framingham	Worcester Regional Airport. Westbound exit / Eastbound entrance only.
	19	7.7	I-190 – Holden, Fitchburg	Eastbound exit is combined with exit 20
	20	8.4	Route 70 (Lincoln Street), Burncoat Street	Eastbound exit is combined with exit 19
	21	9.6	Plantation Street – Worcester	Eastbound exit / Westbound entrance only.
Shrewsbury	22	10.2	Main Street – Shrewsbury, Worcester
	23A-B	12.7	Route 140 – Shrewsbury, Boylston
Northboro	24	14.9	Church Street – Northboro, Boylston
	25A-B	17.9	Hudson Street/Solomon Pond Mall Road – Northboro, Berlin
Marlboro	26A-B	20.0	I-495 – Cape Cod, Lowell Route 85 Connector – To Route 85 – Hudson

References

External links

• History of I-290 MA - BostonRoads.com