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Driving on Boston highways at faster miles an hour
By adamg on Wed, 03/04/2015 - 8:14am
Freeway Jim takes us on a speeded-up journey along the highways, bridges and tunnels around downtown Boston, set to, no, not "Roadrunner," but Boston's first album. With explanatory notes, photos and history inset along the way.
Via Boston Reddit.
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Comments
Where is Ramp 26 from the Zakim Bridge?...
Where/what is Ramp 26 from the Zakim Bridge?... Ramp 27 appears in the video from the Zakim Bridge.
What?
I fell asleep halfway through. How does it end?
http://cappyinboston.blogspot.com/
And Exit 26
is in the northbound O'Neill Tunnel prior to the Zakim Bridge. The note passing Exit 26 indicates he will be crossing the Zakim Bridge (again), not that he has crossed it or that Exit 26 is after it.
Where/what is Ramp 25 ?...
Thank you! Always on the lookout for a map of the Ramps...
Where/what is Ramp 25 ?...
Exit 25 has not existed
since the elevated Artery was torn down and replaced with the O'Neill Tunnel. In the northbound tunnel, you have Exit 23 for Government Center and Exit 26 for Storrow Drive.
In the southbound tunnel, you now have Exit 24B-A for 1A Airport/Government Center, and Exit 23 for Purchase Street.
On the old elevated Artery, Exit 25 northbound was for Causeway Street North Station. Exit 25 southbound was for Haymarket Square Government Center. Northbound access to Government Center was signed via Exit 24 Callahan Tunnel.
Where online are Maps with Ramps clearly labelled?
Wow! Raconté from memory!? Where online are Maps with Ramps clearly labelled?
Google Maps
I mean the Google Maps site, not that you should "google" maps.
Or are you looking for an outdated map?
Best part
http://i.imgur.com/5IA6cLf.png
Too bad it doesn't highlight
Too bad it doesn't highlight the fine art and talent of Storrow-ing.
No snow!
Very nice to see Boston not blanketed in snow. I've forgotten what it looked like...
Any old videos of Tobin
I'd love to see a video of how it used to be going into town on the Tobin & merging with I-93, and the Central Artery.
Ask and you shall recieve
I love this video.. complete with thick mass accents.
From 1990
Thanks, I miss the elevated expressway!
The views were great! So much better than driving through that stupid tunnel.
Said someone who doesn't live in Boston
never bothered actually timing the snail crawl on the distressway and doesn't give a shit about anyone else's quality of life.
actually
what I found funny about both videos (above and below) is that in 1990 and 1988.. traffic MOVED on the elevated expressway!
Of course these could have filmed on a Saturday afternoon...
and of course any memories I have of the old elevated expressway were during the BigDig in the 1990s so it was all jammed up.
I couldn't begin to tell you
I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I made the trip down the expressway - well all my life at least and even before, I agree with the above poster.
Sitting in traffic looking at people, the skyline and buildings are much preferable to sitting in a tunnel inhaling fumes. Especially the one time when the tunnel was new, sitting in traffic for about an hour watching the water flow through the tiles, ya that's comforting. While you sit there, you think of emergency situations (well, I do), like if there was a fire or some calamity - how would you get out?
It's OK to like the old expressway, I have a piece of it as a matter of fact, and realize it needed to go.
Tunnel designers thought of emergencies, too
There are tunnel egress points (emergency exit stairs) built in every few hundred feet (?) or so. If you walk along the Greenway, you can see where some of them let out.
if there was a fire or some
Well, if there was a fire or other calamity on the old elevated structure how would you get off? Jump? Bridges are just as problematic in that regard as tunnels are.
But fortunately there's an extensive network of support tunnels and emergency exits, not to mention fire suppression systems and high-powered jet fans, so there's not really anything to worry about.
Wrong!
I've lived in Boston my WHOLE life which is greater than 60 years. Any other assumptions you want to make?
and for those who are REALLY interested..
Who are REALLY interested... found these while looking at lunch. Much longer drive around the city in 1988.
.
More:
Part 2 -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ7KpkBHxII
Part 3 -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38rh_FPjoE4
Part 4 -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXG85Lzscx0
Part 5 -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiVI5hoz0nM
I miss the daily test of my driving skills!
Used to do a reverse commute from the North Shore to Brighton in the late 80s. Every evening, I'd grind my teeth as I approached 93 from the Tobin, because I knew I'd have just seconds to get across all three lanes to the Storrow exit. It was exhilarating, in a very masochistic way. I missed it just once that I recall.
Freeway jim can get sued by
Freeway jim can get sued by record company,
if had used songs by Boston without record company permission.
Passing on the right?
Um, I don't think that's a recommended move, no? He did it like 5 times.
Actually
It says right here in the Massachusetts drivers manual:
"Passing on the right is only allowed in certain circumstances. It can only be done when the road is clear and is wide enough for two or more lines of motor vehicles. You can pass on the right in the following circumstances:
• The vehicle you are passing is making, or is about to make, a left turn.
• You are driving on a one-way street.
• You are driving on a road where traffic moves in one direction (such as a multiple lane highway)."
More specifically
MGL Chapter 89, Section 2, states in part: