Lowell Connector - Accidents

Accidents

The Lowell Connector was recently ranked the most dangerous highway in Massachusetts. Particularly, the measurement is accidents per three miles (5 km) of road - the Connector is three miles (5 km) long. The Connector has many serious design flaws. Until a man drag-racing in November 2005 took the life of a pregnant woman, there were few median strip guard rails. As in this particular accident, a car driving at excessive speed (the posted speed limit is 55) could easily lose control going over one of the poorly paved and steeply-graded underpass bridges. The car would cross into the narrow median, and due to the purposely uneven height difference between the north and southbound lanes, become airborne, landing in (or in this case on) oncoming traffic. Additionally, the Connector has an extremely large number of on and off ramps, and many are very short, sharp, and steep. The weaving situation that exists when the Connector merges or splits Route 3 and 495, within a short distance of the Industrial Avenue exit (exit 3), is particularly notorious, as drivers must weave through three lanes of traffic within just a few car lengths. The Lowell Connector is probably best known for the abrupt and steeply downhill termination onto Gorham Street (exit 5C). A large number of cars have overshot the end of the freeway and crashed into the brick wall of a residential property across the street. Recently, in addition to multiple flashing warning signs giving the exact distance to the end of the road, the terminus now features two flashing (strobe) stoplights, and a metal railing across the intersection protecting the property immediate opposite to the termination. Incidentally, Lowell has one of the lowest incidences of seatbelt use in the Commonwealth.