Massachusetts Route 117

Massachusetts Route 117 is a roughly 35-mile east–west state highway that connects the rural interior near Lancaster with the northeastern coastal suburb of Revere. Serving a mix of small towns, suburban centers, and industrial neighborhoods, it links regional arteries such as Interstate 495, I-95, and U.S. Route 1, while passing close to landmarks like Wachusett Reservoir, Nashoba Valley Medical Center, and the Chelsea River. The route functions as both a commuter corridor and a local main street through communities including Leominster, Acton, Bedford, Waltham, and Medford.

Route description

Route 117 begins in Lancaster at its junction with Route 70 and travels east through the foothills near Wachusett Mountain toward Leominster, where it intersects Route 12 and provides access to Fitchburg Municipal Airport and Montachusett Regional Transit Authority. Continuing southeast, the highway enters Acton and crosses near Nashoba Valley Technical High School before meeting Route 27 and Route 2A in the vicinity of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge and Great Road. Eastbound, Route 117 passes through Concord-adjacent areas and into Bedford, where it intersects U.S. Route 3/Route 4 and provides connections to Hanscom Field and Middlesex Community College.

From Bedford, the highway continues into the Boston suburbs, passing through Burlington and meeting I-95/Route 128 near office parks and the Lexington Municipal Airport corridor. Route 117 then proceeds into Waltham, where it crosses the Charles River and nears Brandeis University and the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation. East of Waltham the route traverses Watertown and Woburn-adjacent zones, intersecting Route 60 and providing access to commuter rail stations on the MBTA Commuter Rail network, including those serving North Station and the Fitchburg Line. Approaching the inner suburbs, Route 117 runs by Medford neighborhoods, crosses I-93, and continues through Somerville-adjacent corridors before terminating in Revere at a junction near U.S. Route 1 (Revere) and the industrial zones bordering Chelsea.

History

The corridor that became Route 117 follows older colonial and turnpike paths linking inland market towns to the coastal ports of Boston and Chelsea. The numbered route was established in the early 20th century as part of statewide efforts led by the Massachusetts Department of Public Works and later managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. During the mid-20th century, postwar suburbanization and the construction of Route 128 and Interstate 495 prompted realignments and improvements to accommodate increased automobile travel, including bridge replacements over the Sudbury River and upgrades through downtown Leominster and Bedford. Industrial shifts in the late 20th century saw portions of the route in Revere adapted to serve maritime and logistics businesses along the Mystic River and Chelsea River corridors. More recent decades witnessed intersection modernizations near Waltham and safety projects coordinated with the Massachusetts Highway Department and regional planning agencies like the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Major intersections

Route 117 intersects numerous principal roads and limited-access highways, providing transfers across regional networks: - Western terminus at Route 70 in Lancaster - Route 12 in Leominster - Route 27 and Route 2A near Acton - U.S. Route 3/Route 4 in Bedford - Interchange with Interstate 495 in the Merrimack Valley - Junction with Route 128/I-95 near Burlington - Crossings of Route 60 and access to MBTA Commuter Rail stations on the Fitchburg Line - Interchange with I-93 near Medford - Eastern terminus at U.S. Route 1 in Revere

Traffic and usage

Traffic patterns on Route 117 vary from low-volume rural segments in Worcester County to congested suburban corridors in Middlesex County and Suffolk County. Peak-period congestion is typical near employment centers such as the Lexington/Burlington office parks, academic institutions including Brandeis University, and interchange nodes at Route 128 and I-93. Freight movements serving the Port of Boston and local industrial sites contribute to heavy truck volumes in eastern segments near Chelsea and Revere. Transit connectivity and park-and-ride lots tied to MBTA bus and MBTA Commuter Rail services influence modal choice along commuter corridors, while municipal traffic-calming measures in downtowns such as Leominster and Acton aim to balance local access with through traffic.

Future projects and improvements

Planned and proposed improvements focus on safety, capacity, and multimodal access. Agencies including the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and local municipal governments have advanced concepts for intersection reconfigurations near Bedford and Waltham, bridge rehabilitation over the Charles River, and bicycle-pedestrian facility additions to connect to regional greenways like the Minuteman Bikeway and Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Freight corridor studies coordinate with the Port of Boston and regional freight stakeholders to mitigate truck impacts in Revere and Chelsea. Federal and state funding opportunities, including programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration, support phased upgrades while community engagement processes involve local planning boards and historical commissions in towns such as Concord and Bedford to protect cultural resources.

Category:Transportation in Massachusetts