Lowell Connector
| Lowell Connector | |
|---|---|
| American Legion Connector Highway | |
 |
|
| Route information | |
| Length | 2.88 mi (4.63 km) |
| Existed | 1962 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |
 US 3 in Chelmsford
|
 I‑495 in Lowell Route 3A in Lowell
|
|
| North end | Gorham Street in Lowell |
| Highway system | |
The Lowell Connector, officially the American Legion Connector Highway, is a short freeway connector in the Massachusetts state highway system that links nearby U.S. Highway 3 and Interstate 495 to downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. The freeway has its southern terminus at US 3 and its northern terminus in downtown Lowell, where it feeds into city streets shortly after an interchange with Route 3A. This alignment, nearly parallel to Massachusetts Route 110, provides much of Lowell with a direct expressway route to the Boston area to the South, and convenient (but slightly roundabout) expressway access to Lowell's eastern and western suburbs by way of Route 3 and 495.
Built in the early 1960s and opened on October 24, 1962, the Lowell Connector is located along the re-channelled River Meadow (or Hales) Brook. This alignment minimally affected existing neighborhoods, unlike many urban expressways in the region. Plans to extend the Connector through the city's Back Central neighborhood, up to and along the Concord River, then onward to Lowell's main street, Merrimack Street, were drawn out, but abandoned after they were decided to be too disruptive to one of the oldest parts of the city. This left the highway terminating abruptly at a residential section of Gorham Street.
Another plan circa 1968 had the connector connecting to the planned route of Massachusetts Route 213 in Dracut.
The Connector was officially named for the American Legion on May 20, 1963, a few months after opening; however, signs reflecting this were not posted until November 16, 2010.
Since 1976, the highway has shared its name with the student newspaper at UMass Lowell.
In the mid 1960s, the Connector was designated as Interstate 495 Business Spur. However, there are no records indicating that this designation was ever approved by either the Bureau of Public Roads (now FHWA) or the American Association of State Highway Officials (now AASHTO). Further, the "Business I-495" designation was never posted on any signs for the Lowell Connector exit on I-495, US 3, or on any signs on the Connector mainline itself (verified by a comprehensive review of MassDPW signing plans for I-495, US 3, and the Lowell Connector from the late 1950s to the present), although such signs were posted at one time on local streets intersecting the Connector. The signs on Plain Street (Exit 4) lasted into the 2000s, but have since been removed.
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