Massachusetts Route 3 (south)

Massachusetts Route 3 (south) is a 36.62-mile (58.94 km) state highway in eastern Massachusetts, forming the southern leg of a beltway around the Boston metropolitan area. It connects the Braintree split interchange with Interstate 93 to the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne, providing a primary route to Cape Cod. The highway is a critical conduit for seasonal traffic to southeastern Massachusetts and is paralleled for much of its length by the older Massachusetts Route 3A.

Route description

Beginning at the complex Braintree Split interchange in Braintree, where it diverges from Interstate 93 and U.S. Route 1, Route 3 heads southeast through the suburban communities of Weymouth and Rockland. It passes near the Weymouth Back River and the Whitman's Pond reservoir before entering Plymouth County. The roadway traverses the Town Brook watershed in Pembroke and continues through Kingston, skirting the western shore of Silver Lake. It then crosses the Jones River in Plymouth, passing historic sites like Plimoth Patuxet and Burial Hill before its final segment through Wareham and into Bourne. The highway terminates at the Bourne Bridge rotary, which provides access across the Cape Cod Canal via U.S. Route 6.

History

The corridor was originally developed as a series of local roads, with significant improvements beginning in the 1930s under the Massachusetts Department of Public Works. A major realignment and construction project in the 1950s and 1960s established the modern limited-access highway, designed to alleviate congestion on the parallel Massachusetts Route 3A and improve access to the growing Cape Cod region. The highway's completion was closely tied to the development of the Interstate Highway System and federal funding initiatives like the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. Subsequent projects have included widening efforts, bridge replacements over waterways like the North River, and safety improvements, particularly in the Plymouth area. The roadway has been designated a southward continuation of Massachusetts Route 3 since the completion of the Southeast Expressway in Boston.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Plymouth County except where noted below. {| class="wikitable" |- ! County ! Location ! mi ! km ! Destinations ! Notes |- | rowspan="2" | Norfolk | rowspan="2" | Braintree | 0.00 | 0.00 | – Boston, Quincy, Cohasset | Southern terminus at Braintree Split; roadway continues as Route 3 north / I-93 / US 1 |- | 1.5 | 2.4 | MA 18 (Union Street) – Weymouth, Abington | Interchange |- | rowspan="2" | Plymouth | Plymouth | 25.2 | 40.6 | MA 44 – Taunton, Plymouth Center | Interchange |- | Bourne | 36.62 | 58.94 | – Cape Cod, Providence, Wareham | Rotary at northern approach to Bourne Bridge over Cape Cod Canal |}

Exit list

The entire route is in Plymouth County except where noted. {| class="wikitable" |- ! County ! Location ! mi ! km ! Exit ! Destinations ! Notes |- | rowspan="4" | Norfolk | rowspan="2" | Braintree | 0.00 | 0.00 | — | – Boston, Quincy, Cohasset | Southern terminus at Braintree Split |- | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1 | MA 18 (Union Street) – Weymouth, Abington | Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north) |- | Weymouth | 3.2 | 5.1 | 3 | MA 18 / Pleasant Street – East Weymouth |- | Rockland | 5.8 | 9.3 | 5 | MA 228 – Rockland, Hingham |- | rowspan="10" | Plymouth | Pembroke | 9.8 | 15.8 | 9 | MA 14 – Pembroke, 3 |9 | Massachusetts Route 9 |MA 3 |Pembroke, Massachusetts Route 3 |Pembroke, Massachusetts Route 9 |Pembroke, Massachusetts |Pembroke, Massachusetts Route 3 |Pembroke, Massachusetts|PembrokePembroke, Massachusetts|Pembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembroke, embroke, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePemb, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokeP,Pembroke, MassachusettsPembPembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokeProkePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembPembPembrokePembPembPembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokeP, MassachusettsPembPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembPembPembPembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembPembrokePembPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembPembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembrokePembPembPembPembPemb, MassachusettsPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembPembPembPembPembrokePembrokePembrokePembrokePembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembrokePembPembPembrokePembPembPembrokePembrokeP, MassachusettsPembroke, MassachusettsPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembrokePembPembPembPembPembPembPembroke, MassachusettsPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembroke, MassachusettsPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembPembroke, MassachusettsPembPembPembPembP, MassachusettsPembPembPembPembroke, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, MassachusettsPemb, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Massachusetts,,

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