U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States Numbered Highway running 277.90 miles (447.24 km) from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
 U.S. Route 3 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 3 highlighted in red and US 3 Bus. highlighted in blue | |||||||||||||
| Route information | |||||||||||||
| Length | 277.90 mi[citation needed] (447.24 km) | ||||||||||||
| Existed | 1926[citation needed]–present | ||||||||||||
| Major junctions | |||||||||||||
| South end |   Route 2A / Route 3 in Cambridge, MA | ||||||||||||
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| North end |  R-257 near Chartierville, Quebec | ||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||
| States | Massachusetts, New Hampshire | ||||||||||||
| Counties | MA: Middlesex NH: Hillsborough, Merrimack, Belknap, Grafton, Coös | ||||||||||||
| Highway system | |||||||||||||
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Massachusetts Route 3 connects to the southern terminus of US 3 in Cambridge and continues south to Cape Cod. Though it shares a number, it has never been part of US 3. Both routes, which connect end-to-end, are treated as a single 91.3-mile (146.9 km) state highway by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). From Cambridge to Burlington, US 3 is routed on surface streets through the dense suburbs in the Greater Boston area. After a brief concurrency with Interstate 95 (I-95) and Route 128, the route follows its own freeway northwest, bypassing Lowell and entering New Hampshire at Nashua, becoming the Everett Turnpike.
In New Hampshire, current and former parts of US 3 are known as the Daniel Webster Highway. From Burlington, Massachusetts, to Nashua, New Hampshire, US 3 is a freeway. The segment in New Hampshire is a free portion of the Everett Turnpike, while the portion in Massachusetts is known as the Northwest Expressway. From where it leaves the Everett Turnpike in Nashua northward, US 3 is generally a two-to-four lane at-grade road, though there are two super-two freeway portions in northern New Hampshire, one on the Laconia Bypass, and one where US 3 and I-93 use the Franconia Notch Parkway. The route serves as a major local arterial, connecting many of the cities of the densely populated Merrimack Valley. North of the White Mountains, the route serves as one of the only north–south roads connecting the communities of the Great North Woods Region and has New Hampshire's only border crossing between the US and Canada.
Route description
edit| mi[1] | km | |
|---|---|---|
| MA | 35.70 | 57.45 |
| NH | 241.953 | 389.386 |
| Total | 277.653 | 446.839 |
Massachusetts
editCambridge to Burlington
editUS 3 begins in the south along Memorial Drive in Cambridge, along the Charles River, at an interchange with Massachusetts Avenue (Route 2A). The road continues as southbound Route 3 toward Downtown Boston, while northbound US 3 heads west, then north along the river toward Harvard University, joining with Route 2 along the way. It runs along the north bank of the Charles River, opposite Soldiers Field Road in Allston along this stretch. Passing south of Harvard Square, US 3 and Route 2 transition onto the Fresh Pond Parkway and join Route 16. Near Alewife station, Route 2 splits off as a freeway to the west (Concord Turnpike), while US 3 and Route 16 stay on the Alewife Brook Parkway. Shortly thereafter, US 3 splits from the parkway (which continues as Route 16) and joins Route 2A (Massachusetts Avenue) westbound, crossing into Arlington. In the center of town, US 3 and Route 2A split from Massachusetts Avenue and overlap briefly with Route 60 before continuing along Mystic Street. Route 2A splits from US 3 just to the north. US 3 continues through parts of Winchester and Woburn without any major intersections before entering Burlington and interchanging with I-95 and Route 128 (Yankee Division Highway) at exit 51A. US 3 joins the freeway to connect with the Northwest Expressway, while its historic surface alignment continues as Route 3A.
Burlington to Tyngsborough (Northwest Expressway)
edit
US 3 runs along 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of I-95 (Route 128) in a wrong-way concurrency before exiting at exit 50A onto its own freeway, the Northwest Expressway.
Originally built in the 1950s, before the cancelation of the Inner Belt, the US 3 freeway was to have extended into metro Boston before being truncated to I-95. Consequently, a partially completed cloverleaf interchange connects US 3 to I-95. Exit numbers on the US 3 freeway start at milemarker 72 since Route 3 and US 3 are counted as one highway by MassDOT.
The freeway closely parallels Route 3A, the historic alignment of US 3, along its entire 19-mile (31 km) length from Burlington to the New Hampshire state border. It passes through Billerica and into Chelmsford, where it connects with I-495 and the Lowell Connector, a freeway spur into downtown Lowell. Continuing north, the freeway briefly enters Lowell, then passes through North Chelmsford and Tyngsborough before crossing the state line into Nashua, New Hampshire. The freeway continues north as the Everett Turnpike.
The Burlington to Tyngsborough area maintains a 501(c)(6) nonprofit representative entity known as the Middlesex 3 Coalition[2] and its affiliate agency the Middlesex 3 TMA,[3] which provides collaborative support to businesses and individuals within the jurisdiction to build consensus on transportation and developmental needs.
New Hampshire
editUS 3 passes through most of the state's major cities and towns and is the only highway to extend from the Massachusetts state border in the south to the Canadian border in the north. Running for 242 miles (389 km) in New Hampshire, US 3 is by far the longest signed highway in the state. For much of its routing, US 3 closely parallels I-93, serving as a local route to the freeway.
Everett Turnpike (Nashua)
editUS 3 crosses the state border into Nashua and immediately becomes concurrent with the Everett Turnpike, running on the freeway for 6.7 miles (10.8 km) along the western side of the city.
Daniel Webster Highway, local roads, and NH 28 concurrency (Nashua – Suncook)
editUS 3 leaves the Everett Turnpike at exit 7E, crosses New Hampshire Route 101A (NH 101A) and turns northeast for approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along a segment known as the Henri Burque Highway, before turning north onto Concord Street, which soon becomes known as the Daniel Webster Highway. (Some locals erroneously refer to the Everett Turnpike from exit 7 through the I-293 interchange as US 3 and refer to the actual US 3 only as the Daniel Webster Highway or "Old Route 3".)
US 3 continues north through the town of Merrimack and into Bedford, where it becomes South River Road. The highway parallels I-293 until it turns east in Manchester and then crosses the Merrimack River on Queen City Avenue, just after its intersection with I-293/NH 3A and NH 114A. US 3 and NH 3A are signed in a wrong-way concurrency for approximately 0.6 miles (0.97 km) before US 3 turns north onto Elm Street toward downtown Manchester. After approximately 2.2 miles (3.5 km), US 3 turns east onto Webster Street, then joins NH 28 to proceed in a northeasterly direction toward Hooksett, interchanging with I-93. The two routes continue as Hooksett Road, then the Daniel Webster Highway.
In Concord
editIn Suncook, NH 28 leaves to the northeast, and US 3 proceeds northwest toward Concord on Pembroke Street, becoming Manchester Street when it enters the Concord city limits. After crossing the Merrimack River and interchanging with I-93, US 3 intersects NH 3A (South Main Street), which terminates at its parent route. US 3 traverses downtown Concord as North and South Main streets (briefly overlapping with US 202 and NH 9), then follows North State Street to Fisherville Road to Village Street in Penacook before crossing the Contoocook River into Boscawen.
Further north (Boscawen – Lincoln)
editUS 3 travels north through Boscawen, briefly overlapping with US 4. The highway parallels the Merrimack River north into Franklin, where the highway meets NH 11. US 3 joins NH 11 and turns east; NH 3A also resumes at this intersection, continuing north. US 3 and NH 11 briefly form a three-route concurrency with NH 127 in Franklin, then pass through Tilton, crossing NH 132 and passing the western end of NH 140. Continuing northeast past Lake Winnisquam, US 3 and NH 11 reach Laconia and turn onto the Laconia–Gilford Bypass, intersecting with NH 106, NH 107, and NH 11A. At the northern end of the bypass, US 3 and NH 11 split after a 17.3-mile (27.8 km) overlap, with the U.S. Route continuing north on Lake Street to Weirs Beach and an intersection with NH 11B. US 3 continues north as the Daniel Webster Highway to Meredith at the northern end of Meredith Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee. In Meredith, US 3 intersects the northern terminus of NH 106, then joins NH 25 and continues north past Squam Lake into Holderness, passing the western terminuses of NH 25B and NH 113. Through Holderness, US 3 and NH 25 gradually turn west, then southwest, passing the southern end of NH 175 and then reaching the northern end of NH 132 in Ashland.
From Ashland to North Woodstock, US 3 proceeds north, roughly paralleling I-93 in the Pemigewasset River valley. Along this stretch it passes through the towns of Plymouth (NH 25 splits from US 3 near I-93 in Plymouth, which also marks the true northern terminus of NH 3A), West Campton (where it meets the western end of NH 49, the principal access road to Waterville Valley), Thornton, and Woodstock. In North Woodstock, US 3 crosses NH 112 (known to the east as the Kancamagus Highway).
Interstate 93 concurrency through the Franconia Notch State Park (Lincoln – Franconia)
editContinuing north, US 3 joins with I-93 as it passes through Franconia Notch State Park, one of the more scenic drives in the White Mountains. This stretch of freeway is known as the Franconia Notch Parkway and is a rare section of Interstate Highway with only one lane in each direction.
Northernmost end (Franconia – Pittsburg)
editUS 3 separates from I-93 at exit 35, shortly north of the northern park boundary in Franconia. From there, NH 141 branches northwest and US 3 heads north and east toward Twin Mountain and a junction with US 302. This portion of the road is noted for fairly frequent moose sightings, especially during sunrise and sunset when moose are particularly active.
Heading north from Twin Mountain, US 3 passes through the village of Carroll, where NH 115 branches to the northeast and US 3 bears to the northwest and the town of Whitefield. In the center of Whitefield, NH 142 branches to the northwest and NH 116 crosses, running roughly southwest to northeast. US 3 continues north to Lancaster, where it joins US 2 in the town center, and where NH 135 branches off to the west. After US 2 leaves to the west, US 3 continues north, roughly paralleling the course of the Connecticut River (which also forms the border with Vermont), through Northumberland and Groveton, where NH 110 ends. North of Groveton, US 3 continues to follow the river, through Stratford, North Stratford, and Columbia, until it reaches Colebrook, where it crosses NH 26 and meets the southern terminus of NH 145. Still following the Connecticut River north, US 3 passes through portions of Stewartstown and Clarksville. In Stewartstown, the road turns more directly east (still following the Connecticut River, which is no longer a boundary), before resuming a northeasterly direction through Pittsburg. Its last major intersection is at the northern terminus of NH 145. US 3 continues north for another 22 miles (35 km), eventually reaching the Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing, where the road crosses into Chartierville, Quebec, and becomes Quebec Route 257.
In total, US 3 runs along the Connecticut River and its source lakes for approximately 70 miles (110 km). Sections of US 3 in Colebrook are named after Scott E. Phillips and Leslie G. Lord, members of the New Hampshire State Police killed in the line of duty on August 19, 1997.[4]
History
editNew England route
edit
Before the establishment of the U.S. Numbered Highway System, the section of US 3 and Route 3 from Orleans, Massachusetts, to Colebrook, New Hampshire, was part of the New England road marking system as New England Route 6. It was replaced in its entirety with the establishment of US 3 and Route 3 in 1926.
Massachusetts
editUS 3 in Massachusetts closely follows the route of the early 19th-century Middlesex Canal and Middlesex Turnpike.
The modern Northwest Expressway was begun near Route 110 in Lowell before World War II. In the 1950s, it was extended south to Route 128 (later overlapped by I-95), and, by the 1960s, it was completed north from Chelmsford to New Hampshire. By 2005, the chronically congested four-lane road, largely with antiquated ramps around Lowell, was widened to six lanes (as it had been in Nashua, New Hampshire, a few years prior) with a breakdown lane on both the left and right sides of the road, and many interchanges were modernized in what was comically known as "The Big Wide", in reference to Massachusetts' other "Big" construction project (the Big Dig). The roadbed and bridges were built to support a fourth lane in each travel direction for future expansion. The $365-million (equivalent to $547 million in 2023[5]), 21-mile (34 km) widening project was completed in 2005 from Burlington to the New Hampshire border.
The final section of the expressway was planned for inner suburban towns northwest of Boston. The expressway was to supply a new route for US 3, between Route 128 and the canceled I-695 (Inner Belt). This was one of the expressway projects canceled in Governor Francis Sargent's 1970 moratorium on expressway construction within Route 128. The latter section of the expressway was a key component of the "Master Plan Highway Plan for Metropolitan Boston". The highway would have traveled through Lexington, Arlington, Medford, Somerville, and Cambridge, before linking with the Inner Belt Expressway.[citation needed]
The original plan called for US 3 and Route 2 to link up at the Lexington–Arlington border and continue southeasterly, crossing Route 16/Mystic Valley Parkway at the Arlington–Somerville border and proceeding into Cambridge toward Union Square, Somerville. A 1962 plan called for Route 2 and US 3 to converge at Alewife Brook Parkway with a longer stretch of new highway for US 3 paralleling Lowell Street in Lexington and Summer Street in Arlington.[citation needed]
Exit numbers along the Northwest Expressway section in Massachusetts were to be changed to mileage based numbers under a project to start in 2016,[6] but that project was postponed.[7] In November 2019, the MassDOT announced it would be proceeding with the project in 2020.[8]
Termini
editAccording to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) route log, the southern terminus of US 3 is at the junction of Route 2A and Route 3 in Cambridge, which is where Route 2A crosses the Charles along the Harvard Bridge (also known as the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge).[9] This is a change from AASHTO's 1989 Route Log which placed the terminus at US 20 in Boston, where Route 2 currently meets US 20 after crossing the Charles River at the Boston University Bridge.[10] This was where US 3 met US 1 until that highway was rerouted in 1971.
The original northern terminus of US 3 (in 1926) was at Colebrook, New Hampshire, but the highway was extended to West Stewartstown in 1928 and to Pittsburg in 1937. Colebrook was the northern terminus again from 1939 to 1940. Since 1940, the highway has run through Pittsburg to the Pittsburg–Chartierville Border Crossing.
Major intersections
editAlthough MassDOT inventories Route 3 and US 3 as one continuous route, this table includes the mileage only for US 3 starting from its southern terminus in Cambridge.
| State | County | Location[1][11] | mi[12][1][11] | km | Old exit | New exit[13] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Middlesex | Cambridge | 0.000 | 0.000 |  Route 3 south (Memorial Drive) – Boston | Continuation south | ||
| Route 2A (Massachusetts Avenue / Harvard Bridge) – Cambridge, Roxbury | Diamond interchange; no southbound access to Route 2A west | |||||||
| 1.047 | 1.685 |   Route 2 east (Boston University Bridge) – Cambridgeport, Brookline | Roundabout interchange; south end of concurrency with Route 2 | |||||
| 3.975 | 6.397 |   Route 16 west (Huron Avenue) – Watertown, West Newton | South end of concurrency with Route 16 | |||||
| 5.444 | 8.761 | Route 2 west (Concord Turnpike) – Concord | North end of concurrency with Route 2 | |||||
| 5.820 | 9.366 | Route 2A east (Massachusetts Avenue) / Route 16 east / Alewife Brook Parkway – Medford, Harvard Square, Cambridge | North end of concurrency with Route 16; south end of concurrency with Route 2A | |||||
| Arlington | 7.198 | 11.584 |  Route 60 west (Pleasant Street) – Belmont | South end of concurrency with Route 60 | ||||
| 7.283 | 11.721 | Route 60 east (Chestnut Street) – Medford, Malden | North end of concurrency with Route 60 | |||||
| 7.457 | 12.001 | Route 2A west (Summer Street) / Mystic Valley Parkway – Lexington, Concord | North end of concurrency with Route 2A | |||||
| Burlington | 13.442 | 21.633 | Southern end of freeway section | |||||
| 33 | 51 |     I-95 north (Route 128 north) / Route 3A north – Burlington, Peabody, Portsmouth, NH | South end of wrong-way concurrency with I-95/Route 128; signed as exits 51A (I-95) and 51B (Route 3A) | |||||
| 14.874 | 23.937 | 32B | 50B | Middlesex Turnpike – Burlington | ||||
| 15.136 | 24.359 | 32A (NB) 25B (SB) | 50A (NB) 72B (SB) |   I-95 south / Route 128 south – Waltham, Providence, RI | North end of wrong-way concurrency with I-95/Route 128; Route 128 not signed northbound | |||
| Bedford | 17.646 | 28.398 | 26 | 73 |  Route 62 – Burlington, Bedford | |||
| Billerica | 21.167 | 34.065 | 27 | 76 | Concord Road – Billerica, Bedford | |||
| 22.591 | 36.357 | 28 | 78 | Treble Cove Road – North Billerica, Carlisle | ||||
| Chelmsford | 24.691 | 39.736 | 29 | 79 |  Route 129 – Billerica, Chelmsford | |||
| 25.554 | 41.125 | 30B | 80 |   Lowell Connector north to I-495 north – Lawrence | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| 25.554– 26.108 | 41.125– 42.017 | 30 | 81 | I-495 / Lowell Connector north – Marlboro, Lawrence | Signed as exits 81A (north) and 81B (south); no northbound access to I-495 north/Lowell; Lowell Connector not signed | |||
| 26.571 | 42.762 | 31 | 81C |  Route 110 – Chelmsford, Lowell | ||||
| 28.762 | 46.288 | 32 | 84 |  Route 4 (North Road) – North Chelmsford, Chelmsford | ||||
| 30.819 | 49.598 | 33 | 86 |  Route 40 – Westford, North Chelmsford | ||||
| Tyngsborough | 33.029 | 53.155 | 34 | 88 | Westford Road – Tyngsborough, Westford | |||
| 34.644 | 55.754 | 35 | 90 |  Route 113 – Dunstable, Tyngsborough | ||||
| Massachusetts– New Hampshire line | Middlesex– Hillsborough county line | Tyngsborough– Nashua line | 36.104 0.000 | 58.104 0.000 | 36 | 91 | Middlesex Road – Tyngsborough Daniel Webster Highway — South Nashua NH | No southbound exit; northbound entrance extends into New Hampshire, where it merges with exit 1 |
| Transition between Northwest Expressway and Everett Turnpike | ||||||||
| New Hampshire | Hillsborough | Nashua | 0.834 | 1.342 | 1 | Spit Brook Road – South Nashua | ||
| 1.553 | 2.499 | 2 |   To NH 3A / Daniel Webster Highway – Hudson | Access via Circumferential Highway; signed as exit 1A from northbound collector-distributor lane | ||||
| 2.819 | 4.537 | 3 | Daniel Webster Highway – South Nashua | Southbound left exit and northbound entrance | ||||
| 3.055 | 4.917 | 4 | East Dunstable Road | FAA Center signage was removed at the request of the FAA shortly after 9/11 | ||||
| 4.724 | 7.603 | 5 |   NH 111 to NH 111A – Nashua, Hudson, Pepperell, MA | Signed as exits 5E (east) and 5W (west) | ||||
| 5.059 | 8.142 | 5A | Simon Street | Northbound exit only; formerly exit 5EA | ||||
| 6.285 | 10.115 | 6 |  NH 130 (Broad Street) – Nashua, Hollis, Brookline | |||||
| 6.781 | 10.913 | 7E-W |    NH 101A / Everett Turnpike north – Manchester, Concord, Nashua Downtown, Amherst, Milford | Northern end of concurrency with Everett Turnpike | ||||
| Northern end of freeway section | ||||||||
| Merrimack | 10.832 | 17.432 |  To Everett Turnpike | Access via Industrial Drive | ||||
| 12.109 | 19.488 | Everett Turnpike – Concord, Boston | Exit 11 on Everett Turnpike; access via Greeley Street | |||||
| 15.745 | 25.339 |  Everett Turnpike south | Exit 12 on Everett Turnpike; access via Bedford Road | |||||
| Bedford | 17.874– 18.148 | 28.765– 29.206 |  To NH 3A / Everett Turnpike – Manchester Airport, Litchfield, Concord, Nashua | Access via Raymond Wieczorek Drive | ||||
| 20.900 | 33.635 |   I-293 / Everett Turnpike / NH 101 east – Boston, Concord, Manchester Airport | ||||||
| 21.331 | 34.329 |  To NH 101 west / NH 114 – Bedford Ctr., Milford | Access via Kilton Road | |||||
| Manchester | 22.690 | 36.516 |  I-293 / NH 3A north / NH 114A west – Concord, Boston | Exit 4 on I-293; eastern terminus of NH 114A; southern terminus of wrong-way concurrency with NH 3A | ||||
| 23.333 | 37.551 | NH 3A south (South Elm Street) | Northern end of wrong-way concurrency with NH 3A | |||||
| 25.974 | 41.801 |  NH 28 south (Beech Street / Maple Street) | Southern end of concurrency with NH 28 | |||||
| Merrimack | Hooksett | 26.998– 27.591 | 43.449– 44.403 |  I-93 to NH 101 – Salem, Boston, Concord, Plymouth | Exit 9 on I-93 | |||
| 28.586 | 46.005 |  NH 28A south (Mammoth Road) – Londonderry | Northern terminus of NH 28A | |||||
| 29.082 | 46.803 |  NH 27 east – Candia, Raymond | Western terminus of NH 27 | |||||
| 29.578 | 47.601 |  NH 28 Bypass south – Derry | Northern terminus of NH 28 Bypass | |||||
| Allenstown | 35.237 | 56.708 | NH 28 north – Epsom, Alton | Northern end of concurrency with NH 28 | ||||
| Pembroke | 39.506 | 63.579 |  NH 106 north – Loudon, Laconia | Southern terminus of NH 106 | ||||
| Concord | 41.704 | 67.116 | Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Merrimack River | |||||
| 41.775– 41.933 | 67.230– 67.485 |    I-93 (Everett Turnpike) to I-89 north / I-393 east – Manchester, Lebanon, Plymouth, Portsmouth | Exit 13 on I-93 | |||||
| 42.173 | 67.871 | NH 3A south (Main Street) | Southern end of silent concurrency with NH 3A | |||||
| 42.729 | 68.766 |   US 202 west / NH 9 west (Pleasant Street) | Southern end of concurrency with US 202 / NH 9 | |||||
| 43.024 | 69.240 | NH 9 east (Loudon Road) to I-93 | Northern end of concurrency with NH 9 | |||||
| 43.411 | 69.863 | US 202 east to I-393 east | Northern end of concurrency with US 202 | |||||
| Boscawen | 50.812 | 81.774 |  US 4 east to I-93 – Concord | Southern end of concurrency with US 4 | ||||
| 52.168 | 83.956 | US 4 west – Salisbury, Andover | Northern end of concurrency with US 4 | |||||
| Franklin | 60.645 | 97.599 |  NH 127 south – Salisbury | Southern end of concurrency with NH 127 | ||||
| 61.307 | 98.664 |  NH 3A north / NH 11 west – Andover, Bristol | Northern end of concurrency with NH 3A; southern end of concurrency with NH 11 | |||||
| 61.755 | 99.385 | NH 127 north – New Hampton | Northern end of concurrency with NH 127 | |||||
| Belknap | Tilton | 64.925 | 104.487 |  NH 132 south to I-93 south – Northfield, Concord | Southern end of concurrency with NH 132 | |||
| 66.203– 66.586 | 106.543– 107.160 |  I-93 / NH 140 east – Canterbury, Concord, Boston, New Hampton, Plymouth, Belmont, Gilmanton | Exit 20 on I-93; western terminus of NH 140 | |||||
| 66.678 | 107.308 | NH 132 north – Sanbornton | Northern end of concurrency with NH 132 | |||||
| Belmont | 72.845 | 117.233 |  NH 11A east – Laconia downtown | Western terminus of NH 11A | ||||
| Laconia | 74.355 | 119.663 |  NH 106 to NH 107 – Laconia, Belmont, Concord | Interchange; no southbound access to NH 106 north | ||||
| 74.999 | 120.699 | NH 107 – Laconia, Gilmanton | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||||
| Gilford | 76.040 | 122.375 | NH 11A – Gilford, Laconia | Interchange | ||||
| 78.649 | 126.573 | NH 11 east – Alton | Northern end of concurrency with NH 11 | |||||
| Gilford–Laconia line | 79.442 | 127.850 | NH 107 south (Union Ave.) – Laconia | Northern terminus of NH 107 | ||||
| Laconia | 82.684 | 133.067 |  NH 11B south – Gilford, Alton Bay | Northern terminus of NH 11B | ||||
| Meredith | 86.334 | 138.941 | NH 106 south – Laconia | Northern terminus of NH 106 | ||||
| 86.847 | 139.767 |  NH 104 west to I-93 – New Hampton | Eastern terminus of NH 104 | |||||
| 87.693 | 141.128 |  NH 25 east – Center Harbor, Ossipee, Conway | Southern end of concurrency with NH 25 | |||||
| Center Harbor | 90.778 | 146.093 |  NH 25B – Center Harbor | Western terminus of NH 25B | ||||
| Grafton | Holderness | 95.526 | 153.734 |  NH 113 – Sandwich | Southern terminus of NH 113 | |||
| 96.661 | 155.561 |  NH 175 – Campton | Southern terminus of NH 175 | |||||
| Ashland | 99.271 | 159.761 | NH 132 – New Hampton, Tilton | Northern terminus of NH 132 | ||||
| 99.958– 100.339 | 160.867– 161.480 | I-93 – Tilton, Concord, Plymouth, Campton | Exit 24 on I-93 | |||||
| Plymouth | 105.397 | 169.620 |  NH 175A to I-93 – Holderness | Western terminus of NH 175A | ||||
| 106.202 | 170.916 | NH 3A south / NH 25 west to I-93 – Rumney, Bristol, Concord, Littleton | Interchange; northern end of concurrency with NH 25; northern terminus of NH 3A | |||||
| Campton | 109.525 | 176.263 | I-93 – Campton, Littleton, Plymouth, Concord | Access via Blair Road; exit 27 on I-93 | ||||
| 112.375 | 180.850 |  NH 49 to I-93 – Campton, Waterville Valley | Western terminus of NH 49 | |||||
| Thornton | 113.804– 114.101 | 183.150– 183.628 | I-93 – Plymouth, Concord, Franconia, Littleton | Exit 29 on I-93 | ||||
| Woodstock | 120.410– 120.910 | 193.781– 194.586 | I-93 – Franconia, Littleton, St. Johnsbury, VT, Plymouth, Concord | Exit 30 on I-93 | ||||
| 125.420 | 201.844 | NH 175 – Campton | Northern terminus of NH 175 | |||||
| 126.031 | 202.827 |  NH 112 to I-93 – Lincoln, Conway, Woodsville | ||||||
| Lincoln | 128.210– 128.394 | 206.334– 206.630 | I-93 – Concord, Littleton | Exit 33 on I-93 | ||||
| 131.562 | 211.729 | 34A | I-93 south | Southbound exit only; southern end of concurrency with I-93 | ||||
| Franconia | 135.923 | 218.747 | 34B | Cannon Mountain Tramway – Old Man Historic Site | ||||
| 136.623 | 219.873 | 34C |  NH 18 – Echo Lake Beach, Peabody Slopes, Cannon Mountain, South Franconia | Southern terminus of NH 18 | ||||
| 138.080 | 222.218 | 35 | I-93 north | Northbound exit only; northern end of concurrency with I-93 | ||||
| 139.044 | 223.770 |  NH 141 to I-93 north – Franconia | Eastern terminus of NH 141 | |||||
| Coos | Carroll | 148.497 | 238.983 |  US 302 – Bethlehem, Bretton Woods, Conway | Village of Twin Mountain | |||
| 150.510 | 242.222 |  NH 115 – Jefferson, Berlin, Gorham | Southern terminus of NH 115 | |||||
| Whitefield | 156.871 | 252.459 |   NH 116 south / NH 142 south – Bethlehem, Littleton | Southern end of concurrency with NH 116 / NH 142 | ||||
| 156.918 | 252.535 | NH 142 north – Dalton | Northern end of concurrency with NH 142 | |||||
| 156.959 | 252.601 | NH 116 north – Jefferson, Gorham | Northern end of concurrency with NH 116 | |||||
| Lancaster | 165.330 | 266.073 |  US 2 east – Jefferson, Gorham, Berlin | Southern end of concurrency with US 2 | ||||
| 165.372 | 266.140 |  NH 135 – Dalton, Gilman VT | Northern terminus of NH 135 | |||||
| 166.126 | 267.354 | US 2 west – Vermont | Northern end of concurrency with US 2 | |||||
| Northumberland | 175.152 | 281.880 |  NH 110 – Stark, Berlin | Western terminus of NH 110; village of Groveton | ||||
| North Stratford | 188.576 | 303.484 |   VT 105 west – Bloomfield VT | Access via Bridge Street | ||||
| Colebrook | 201.458 | 324.215 |  NH 26 east – Dixville Notch | Southern end of concurrency with NH 26 | ||||
| 201.565 | 324.387 | NH 26 west (Bridge Street) | Northern end of concurrency with NH 26 | |||||
| 201.647 | 324.519 |  NH 145 north – Clarksville | Southern terminus of NH 145 | |||||
| Pittsburg | 219.573 | 353.368 | NH 145 south – Colebrook | Northern terminus of NH 145 | ||||
| 241.953 | 389.386 | R-257 north | Continuation into Quebec | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Special routes
editUS 3 has one existing special route, a business route through Laconia, New Hampshire. Four other special routes may have existed in the past: an alternate and business route between Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, and Concord, New Hampshire, and bypass routes around Concord and Nashua, New Hampshire.
Tyngsborough–Concord alternate route
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2023) |
 U.S. Route 3 Alternate | |
|---|---|
| Location | Tyngsborough, Massachusetts–Concord, New Hampshire |
Tyngsborough–Concord business route
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2023) |
 U.S. Route 3 Business | |
|---|---|
| Location | Tyngsborough, Massachusetts–Concord, New Hampshire |
Concord bypass route
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2023) |
 U.S. Route 3 Bypass | |
|---|---|
| Location | Concord, New Hampshire |
Nashua bypass route
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2023) |
| U.S. Route 3 Bypass | |
|---|---|
| Location | Nashua, New Hampshire |
Laconia business loop
edit| U.S. Route 3 Business | |
|---|---|
| Location | Belmont–Laconia, New Hampshire |
| Length | 4.144 mi[1] (6.669 km) |
U.S. Route 3 Business (US 3 Bus.) is a 4.144-mile-long (6.669 km)[1] signed business route running north–south through downtown Laconia, New Hampshire. It runs from US 3 and NH 11 in Belmont north to US 3 in Laconia, along NH 107 and NH 11A. It is a former alignment of US 3, used before the Laconia–Gilford bypass was built.
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c d e Bureau of Planning & Community Assistance (February 20, 2015). "NH Public Roads". Concord, New Hampshire: New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
- ^ "Middlesex 3". www.middlesex3.com. Middlesex 3 Coalition. January 1, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ "Middlesex 3 (TMA)". middlesex3tma.com. Middlesex 3 Transportation Management Association (TMA). January 1, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ "New Memorial Highway Signs, Colebrook, New Hampshire". NH.gov (Press release). New Hampshire Department of Safety. May 15, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ COMMBUYS Solicitation:FAP# HSIP-002S(874) Exit Signage Conversion to Milepost-Based Numbering System along Various Interstates, Routes and the Lowell Connector, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- ^ Robert H. Malme (2017). "Massachusetts Interstate Highways Exit Lists". Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Milepost-based Exit Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Route Number Database". AASHTO. 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Numbered Highways, 1989 Edition" (PDF). AASHTO. 1989. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Bureau of Planning & Community Assistance (April 3, 2015). "Nodal Reference 2015, State of New Hampshire". New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2015.[permanent dead link]
- City of Nashua, Hillsborough County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Merrimack, Hillsborough County
- Town of Bedford, Hillsborough County[permanent dead link]
- City of Manchester, Hillsborough County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Hooksett, Merrimack County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Allenstown, Merrimack County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Pembroke, Merrimack County[permanent dead link]
- City of Concord, Merrimack County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Boscawen, Merrimack County
- City of Franklin, Merrimack County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Tilton, Belknap County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Belmont, Belknap County[permanent dead link]
- City of Laconia, Belknap County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Gilford, Belknap County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Meredith, Belknap County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Center Harbor, Belknap County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Holderness, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Ashland, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Plymouth, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Campton, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Thornton, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Woodstock, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Lincoln, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Franconia, Grafton County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Carroll, Coos County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Whitefield, Coos County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Northumberland, Coos County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Stratford, Coos County
- Town of Colebrook, Coos County[permanent dead link]
- Town of Pittsburg, Coos County[permanent dead link]
- ^ Planning Division (2012). "Massachusetts Highway Route Log". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ "US 3 Exit Renumbering" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. December 5, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
External links
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- US 3/Northwest Expressway on Bostonroads.com
- Photos of US 3 in New Hampshire
- Endpoints of U.S. Highway 3
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ← Route 2A | MA | → Route 3 | ||
| ← US 2 | NH | → NH 3A | ||
←  Route 5 | N.E. | →  Route 6A | ||