This is the interchange where Interstate 93 begins and heads North (the way I was facing here), Interstate 95 stops heading Northeast and turns Northwest, and State Route 128 begins where 95 turns Northwest.

For a visual, check out http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=42.2077,-71.141217&spn=0.014066,0.029826&t=h&z=16 - I was standing on the abandoned overpass and facing Southeast.

***DETAILS AHEAD***

In 1972, the plans for Interstate 95 to head straight into Boston were cancelled due to pressure from local residents. Since then, I-95 stops heading northeast and turns northwest at I-93. By looking at the link to Google Maps, you can see many abandoned roads and stuff: You can see two gradings in the direction that I-95 would have continued northeast; there's a flyover with a bridge that would have taken the ramp for I-95 South onto I-93 North; and there are four other abandoned ramp gradings (note that when I-95 was cancelled, this interchange used part of a cloverleaf ramp to carry I-93 South onto I-95 South; since then, the ramp has been closed and the interchange converted to a "trumpet". But since this ramp was at one point in use, it is paved and cleared unlike the other gradings.)

Green Lodge Street has its own history: when the Route 128 MBTA/Amtrak train station was built, the bridge carrying Green Lodge St onto Blue Hill Dr was disassembled. Since there are no buildings or streets west of Elm St off Green Lodge St, there's really no use for the street, leaving nearly a mile of unused street. Thus, people use the end of the road as free parking for the Route 128 train station. There's even a roadway segment heading to the station from there, and a staircase and wheelchair ramp that could only be used for heading to Green Lodge St from the station - thus, it's obvious they don't care about the free parking. XD

As if there weren't enough abandoned roadways and stuff in this area, there's also (what I believe is) an old train corridor running right next to the abandoned overpass that I took this picture from.

Thing is, the overpass isn't totally unused, as the State Highway Department has put a couple buildings in the old gradings for I-95, and the overpass is occasionally used to access them from Green Lodge St, so I did get a couple stares from a pickup truck passing by while I was taking the pictures. XD

Also, note that traffic on the left of the picture, coming from I-95 North, is on a separate part of the bridge. This interchange originally was designed with a "collector-distributor lane", but since the segment has been cancelled, this is no longer a cloverleaf interchange, and a C-D lane is no longer necessary.

***END DETAILS***

Wonder if anyone read any of that.......

Well, was bored, and wanted to explain everything to anyone that might be interested. ^^;

©  tailsthekitsune