Drive the original Route 128
On this page you can virtually drive From Cape Ann south to Hull on the old, "ad-hoc" Route 128, which was the collection of existing streets and avenues so designated by the Mass DPW in the 1920s. (These photos are part of the complete series, which can be found in Building Route 128)
Looking north up Cabot Street in Beverly, from the intersection
with School Street,
which was one of the pieces of the "ad-hoc" Route 128
as designated by the DPW.
Lynnfield's part of Route 128 history can be traced back
to the days of the "ad hoc" 128, when Salem Street (shown above) carried traffic around
Boston before the divided highway was built between 1938 and 1959.
Lexington Street (part of the old Route 128) crossed Cambridge
Street
in the Four Corners section of Woburn. That's O'Rourke's
Mobil
Station, which is still in business today in the same
lcoation.
This nineteenth century stone arch bridge carried the
old Route 128
(Newton Street) over the Charles River in downtown Waltham.
At the corner of Route 28 and the old "ad hoc" 128 was
one of the first
franchised Howard Johnson's (and, according to the Randolph
Historical
Commission, it was owned by founder's brother-in-law).
Old Route 128
(also known as Blue Hill River Road) is on the right.
On this site today is
a Holiday Inn and Lantana's.
Looking up Route 28 in Randolph from the corner of Russ
Street in the 1930s.
Chickataubut Hill is on the right in the distance, and
Buck Hill is straight ahead.
The old, "ad hoc" Route 128 cut across this picture about
a quarter of a mile
ahead, right where the Blue River crossed Route 28.