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| Massachusetts Route 106 | |
|---|---|
| State | MA |
| Type | Route |
| Route | 106 |
| Length mi | 34.14 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | Westwood |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | Scituate |
| Counties | Norfolk County, Plymouth County |
Massachusetts Route 106 is a state-numbered east–west highway running across eastern Massachusetts from Westwood to Scituate. The route links suburban centers, commuter corridors, coastal communities and regional arterials, intersecting multiple state highways and Interstate routes while passing near landmarks and institutions in Norfolk County and Plymouth County. Its alignment serves commuters accessing Boston and recreational traffic bound for the South Shore shoreline.
Route 106 begins in Westwood at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 near Interstate 95 and proceeds southeast through residential and commercial areas toward Norwood and Walpole. In Norwood the highway parallels rail corridors used by MBTA Commuter Rail and connects to community nodes near Norwood Memorial Airport. Continuing into Walpole and Foxborough, Route 106 traverses suburban centers and passes near Gillette Stadium, frequented by fans traveling from Logan International Airport and points west. Eastbound, the route intersects Route 1A and Route 1 alignments, then proceeds through Brockton suburbs, skirting commercial corridors adjacent to South Shore Plaza and industrial parks linked to Massport-served logistics routes.
Further east the road serves Abington, Rockland and Hingham outskirts before heading toward the South Shore, meeting Route 3 and local access to Plymouth commuter services. Near its terminus, Route 106 crosses salt marshes and estuaries shared with protected areas managed by DCR and municipal conservation commissions, ending at a coastal junction in Scituate near historic harbors, lighthouses and the fishing fleet associated with the Atlantic Ocean fisheries.
The corridor that Route 106 follows evolved from 19th-century turnpike and post-road networks connecting Boston to South Shore towns and maritime commerce hubs such as Scituate and Plymouth. In the early 20th century, state highway numbering initiatives under the Massachusetts Department of Public Works formalized alignments that became modern state routes, incorporating segments of former local roads linking Norfolk County villages and Plymouth County towns. Postwar suburbanization associated with the expansion of I-95 and I-495 altered traffic patterns, increasing commuter volumes on Route 106 as residents of Norwood, Walpole and Brockton commuted to employment centers in Boston, Quincy and Braintree.
Throughout the late 20th century, state and municipal improvements addressed capacity, safety and access to regional destinations including Gillette Stadium, retail complexes near Hingham and industrial areas serving Massport-linked supply chains. Historic preservation concerns in coastal towns such as Scituate and Hingham shaped roadway modifications, balancing traffic mitigation with protection of maritime heritage sites and lighthouses like those managed in the region by local historical societies and the National Park Service adjacent programs.
Route 106 intersects several principal corridors that facilitate regional mobility: - Western terminus at U.S. Route 1 in Westwood near I-95. - Junctions with Route 27 in Norwood and Route 1A in Braintree-area approaches. - Connections to Route 24 and I-495 corridors via arterial links serving Brockton and surrounding suburbs. - Access to Route 3 and feeder roads toward Plymouth and Cape Cod ferry services. - Eastern terminus at a junction in Scituate with town roads providing access to harbor facilities and coastal preservation areas.
Route 106 supports mixed traffic including weekday commuter flows to Boston and regional employment nodes such as Randolph business parks and Brockton medical and commercial centers. Weekend and seasonal volumes increase due to recreational travel to South Shore beaches, marinas and historic districts in Scituate and Hingham, attracting visitors from Southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape Cod Canal corridor. Freight movements use Route 106 as a secondary distributor connecting warehouses serving Massport operations and intermodal links to CSX Transportation trackage and local trucking firms. Safety initiatives along the route have targeted high-crash segments near commercial nodes and school zones in towns like Walpole and Abington.
Planned and proposed improvements to Route 106 include intersection upgrades, signal optimization projects coordinated with regional planning agencies such as the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization and municipal partners in Norfolk County and Plymouth County. Projects under consideration emphasize multimodal access connecting to MBTA Commuter Rail stations, pedestrian and bicycle facilities linked to Massachusetts Department of Transportation Complete Streets initiatives, and stormwater resilience measures to address coastal flooding near Scituate and estuarine marshes overseen by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. Funding and delivery involve coordination with state bond programs, federal transportation grants administered through the Federal Highway Administration and local capital plans; stakeholder input includes conservation commissions, historic commissions in Hingham and Scituate, and business improvement districts serving retail centers such as those near South Shore Plaza.