The vista from the BU Bridge (MA 2) overpass just east of Exit 20, facing west.


An example of mileposts that appear on bridges. For contrast, the NJTP sticks a small green plate with two decimal places but no "MILE" onto its bridges.


The Massachusetts Avenue bridge over I-90. The WB face is yellow, while the EB face is blue with red accents. Also, in addition to the standard black rectangle, the WB face of the bridge has a blue MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE BOSTON right next to it. Honestly, if you don't already know where you are...


A view of the depressed freeway running next to the MBTA commuter rail. Punched through Boston in the 1960's, this section of highway was clearly not meant for eight lanes, as there are no shoulders on either side. The walls immediately next to the highway make this a very claustrophobic place to drive.


This is the last appearance of EB button-copy on the mainline (there is more on the Exit 22 ramps, below). The final sign is new, as are all BGS's to the east, now that Exit 24's configuration has changed to its final form (scroll down to find out more).


This EB picture was taken on January 18, 2003, about a half-hour after this message probably appeared. If you haven't guessed, this is when the I-90 extension opened, on a lazy Saturday morning. This was the first section of the Dig to open; the Leverett Circle Connector doesn't count because it's not exactly dug into anything.

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Big Dig photos, April 2003


Grading for I-90 well underway.


Bridges that will cross I-90.


Ramps between I-90, I-93, and South Station - the elevated ones are all to/from South Station, and 93-90 ramps will all be submerged or underground. Click on the last pic for a closeup of old signage on a road intersecting the old frontage roads.

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When the new Fort Point Tunnel opened, extending I-90 into South Boston and eastward, there was initially some ramp rearrangement in the I-90/I-93 interchange. Originally, the SB I-93 ramp was the leftmost, curving back under I-93 and up to the SB side, with the NB ramp in the middle, but then the NB ramp was brought into the old roadway from the left while the new connection was being worked on. During this phase, lettering went B-C-A across the EB highway. In the newer photos, shown next to the older ones for comparison, NB traffic is back where it belongs, actually passing under the South Station ramp on its way down to I-93, and lettering has been restored to C-B-A. As for the tunnel, it was one of the most expensive individual portions of the Dig, underneath the Fort Point Channel. Sections of it were floated into place and then dropped and connected.


EB Exit 24C to South Station. The white diamond sign is for the new bus lane into the terminal.


These signs are all EB in the Fort Point Channel tunnel; Exit 25 leaves just before the end. Notice in the first picture the yellow transition lighting that is being used for all Dig tunnels, to help adjust drivers to the artificial light before getting hit by bright white.


WB for a change. Not sure what the patch is for on the second sign. The last photo is on the long Exit 24-25 ramp. I feel like the contractor could have made a lot better font and spacing choices all around here - just look at the squished NORTH I-93 on the exit sign (fourth photo) and the expansive green space around it.


Well, that's it for I-90 EB BGS's; the highway rises out of the Ted Williams Tunnel after another half-mile or so (making this the third I-90 underground exit) and merges with MA 1A NB. Again notice the yellow transition lighting at the beginning of the tunnel, as well as the fact that a lane was coned off for no apparent reason. This picture was taken the first day the tunnel opened, so it's possible the cones were gone a few days later.


Sure, technically this is an I-90 EB BGS, but it's pointing the way to an MA 1A exit that will happen after the merge.


EB and WB, respectively, at the new eastern end of I-90. The WB shield is rotated 90 degrees from the roadway, so doesn't do a whole lot currently.

West to between Exits 14/15 and 18/19/20
To the Exit 22 ramps
Back to I-90 main page

Exit 21 (onramp only), Massachusetts Avenue
Exit 22 to MA 9
Exit 24 to I-93 (and more Big Dig photos)
Follow I-90 east into MA 1A
Into Logan Airport
Into Boston
Back to Massachusetts Roads
Back to Roads