Massachusetts Route 133

Massachusetts Route 133 is a 28.80-mile (46.31 km) state highway in Essex County, connecting several communities on the North Shore of Massachusetts. It runs in a general east-west direction from its western terminus in Gloucester to its eastern terminus at an intersection with Route 97 in Georgetown. The route provides a vital secondary corridor parallel to the more heavily traveled U.S. Route 1 and I-95, passing through historic and scenic areas.

Route description

Beginning at its western terminus at a junction with Route 127 near Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, the route heads east, briefly concurrent with Route 128. It soon diverges northeast, passing through the village of Annisquam and crossing the Annisquam River via the Blynman Bridge. Continuing east, it traverses the Great Marsh and enters the town of Essex, where it serves as the main commercial thoroughfare, passing numerous antique shops and restaurants. The road then proceeds into Ipswich, skirting the southern edge of the Crane Estate and providing access to Crane Beach. After a brief concurrency with Route 1A, it intersects I-95 at Exit 54. Route 133 continues east through Topsfield, passing near the Topsfield Fair grounds, before reaching its eastern terminus at Route 97 in Georgetown.

History

The alignment of Route 133 follows colonial-era paths that connected early settlements along the North Shore. It was formally designated as part of the New England road marking system in 1922, initially running from Gloucester to Haverhill. In the 1933 Massachusetts highway renumbering, its eastern terminus was truncated to Georgetown, and it received its current numerical designation. Significant infrastructure improvements were made in the mid-20th century, including the reconstruction of the Blynman Bridge and realignments to accommodate increased automobile traffic. The route's path through Essex and Ipswich has long been integral to the local shipbuilding and clamming industries, with many historic Federal and Greek Revival buildings lining the roadway.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Essex County. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Location ! mi ! km ! Destinations ! Notes |- | Gloucester | 0.00 | 0.00 | Route 127 (Washington Street) / Bass Avenue | Western terminus |- | Gloucester | 0.3 | 0.48 | Route 128 north | Western end of concurrency with Route 128 |- | Gloucester | 1.0 | 1.6 | Route 128 south | Eastern end of concurrency with Route 128 |- | Essex | 7.5 | 12.1 | Route 22 (Martin Street) |- | Ipswich | 11.8 | 19.0 | Route 1A north (High Street) | Western end of concurrency with Route 1A |- | Ipswich | 12.5 | 20.1 | Route 1A south | Eastern end of concurrency with Route 1A |- | Ipswich | 13.2 | 21.2 | I-95 – Boston, Portsmouth | Exit 54 on I-95 |- | Topsfield | 17.8 | 28.6 | Route 97 north (Boston Street) |- | Georgetown | 28.80 | 46.31 | Route 97 (North Street / West Main Street) | Eastern terminus |}

See also

* Massachusetts Department of Transportation * List of state highways in Massachusetts * New England road marking system

References

Category:State highways in Massachusetts Category:Transportation in Essex County, Massachusetts