Looking back to 1998: Blackstone Valley, meet Worcester
EVENT: The $33-million interchange at the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 146 opens.
RECAP: This was the first phase of the “Little Dig,” which was dwarfed by the much more intricate — and expensive —“Big Dig” that transformed traffic flow into and out of Boston in the 1990s. With the opening of the new Exit 10A on the turnpike, vehicles could move into and out of Worcester more conveniently. It also would spur development within the Blackstone Valley towns between the turnpike and the Rhode Island border.
FAST FORWARD: Less than 10 years later, traffic flow between the turnpike and Worcester improved with the widening of Route 146 and its quicker connection to the northbound side of Interstate 290 in Worcester. This allowed a freer flow of traffic in the area and boosted development in such towns as Millbury and Sutton, making the Blackstone Valley not as isolated as it had been. Residential building permits soared there in 1998, according to the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission. Commercial development also benefited, notably with the region's largest open-air shopping center, The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley. n
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