Massachusetts Route 56

Massachusetts Route 56 is a 19.87-mile-long north–south state highway in central Massachusetts. It connects the towns of Brimfield and Barre, traversing rural and wooded landscapes within Hampden and Worcester counties. The route provides a local connector between major east–west corridors like U.S. Route 20 and Route 9.

Route description

Beginning at an intersection with US 20 in the Fiskdale village of Brimfield, the route heads north as Warren Road. It passes near the Brimfield State Forest and crosses into the town of Warren in Worcester County. Through Warren, it is known as Main Street and passes by local landmarks including the Warren Public Library. Continuing north, the highway enters the town of West Brookfield, where it briefly runs concurrently with Route 67 along Central Street. After splitting from Route 67, Route 56 proceeds north as North Main Street, skirting the northern shore of Lake Wickaboag. The route then crosses into the town of North Brookfield, running along North Main Street and passing the North Brookfield Town Common. Its final segment takes it into the town of Barre, where it ends at a junction with Route 9 just west of the Barre town center.

History

The alignment of Route 56 was originally designated as part of the New England road marking system in 1922, running from Fiskdale to Barre. With the establishment of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the road was incorporated into the Massachusetts state highway system. The route has seen minor realignments over the decades, particularly within the centers of Warren and North Brookfield. A significant change occurred in the 1930s with the construction of a new bypass section near Lake Wickaboag in West Brookfield, improving traffic flow. The route's northern terminus at Route 9 in Barre was slightly relocated during mid-20th century improvements to that corridor.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Worcester County, except where noted below. {| class="wikitable" |- ! County ! Location ! mi ! km ! Destinations ! Notes |- ! rowspan="6" | Hampden | rowspan="2" | Brimfield | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 20 – Sturbridge, Springfield | Southern terminus |- | 1.5 | 2.4 | Route 19 south – Holland | Northern terminus of Route 19 |- ! colspan="6" | Worcester |- | Warren | 4.2 | 6.8 | Route 67 south – Sturbridge | Southern end of concurrency with Route 67 |- | West Brookfield | 7.1 | 11.4 | Route 67 north – Oakham | Northern end of concurrency with Route 67 |- | Barre | 19.87 | 31.98 | Route 9 – Ware, Worcester | Northern terminus |}

See also

* Massachusetts Highway System * List of state highways in Massachusetts

Category:State highways in Massachusetts