Massachusetts Route 112

Route 112
Map of western Massachusetts with Route 112 highlighted in red
Route information
Length:	54.11 mi[1] (87.08 km)
Existed:	by 1930 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 20 in Huntington
	Route 66 in Huntington Route 143 in Worthington Route 9 in Cummington & Goshen Route 116 in Ashfield Route 2 in Buckland & Shelburne
North end:	VT 112 in Halifax, VT
Location
Counties:	Hampshire, Franklin
Highway system
Massachusetts State Highway System Interstate US State ← Route 111 Route 113 →

Route 112 is a rural highway through western Franklin and Hampshire Counties. It begins at U.S. Route 20 in Huntington and ends at the Vermont state line in Colrain, where it continues as Vermont Route 112.

Route description

Route 112 begins in Huntington at U.S. Route 20, near the junction of the branches of the Westfield River. It heads north from the downtown area, immediately crossing the West Branch and closely following the Middle Branch until it and the North Branch split, at which point it continues to follow the North Branch. In the village of Knightville, Route 112 meets the western end of Route 66, which leads to Northampton. The route continues northward through town, passing the Knightville State Wildlife Management Area and the Hiram H. Fox State Wildlife Management Area before entering the town of Worthington.

Route 112 northbound entering Colrain

In Worthington, Rout 112 heads through the center of town until it meets Route 143 for a mile-long concurrency, splitting to the north and heading to Cummington. In Cummington, Route 112 turns eastward abruptly at Five Corners before meeting Route 9 near the North Branch once again. The two routes pass concurrently along the river through the center of town before heading into Goshen, finally splitting near the Lower Highland Lake, where Route 112 turns northwards towards Ashfield. In Ashfield, Route 116 shares the route for over a mile before that route turns eastward towards the town center.

Route 112 continues northward into the town of Buckland. The route bends to the northeast before looping over and meeting Route 2 (the Mohawk Trail) in the village of Shelburne Falls. The route passes concurrently with Route 2 over the Deerfield River into the town of Shelburne. In Shelburne, Route 112 splits from Route 2, turning around Mechanic and Hope Streets onto Main Street, where it turns northward and crosses under Route 2 once again. From there, Route 112 follows the North River into the town of Colrain. The route runs along the river's side, crossing it in the village of Griswoldville and again in the center of the town and in the far northern end of town, before meeting the Vermont town line and continuing into Halifax as Vermont Route 112.

History

In 1930, the route between Worthington and Cummington lay to the east of the current route. Also, Route 112 departed Route 9 in the Lithia section of Cummington, traveling north to Route 116 and then following the current route from Ashfield to Shelburne. At that time, the road ended at the junction with Route 2. The route was extended to Vermont, along what was previously Route 56, between 1936 and 1939, with Route 56 subsequently re-used elsewhere. The section between Worthington and Cummington was also moved to the current route during this time period. Between 1966 and 1969, an existing road between Goshen and Route 116 was upgraded to a highway and Route 112 was rerouted there.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Hampshire	Huntington	0.00	0.00	US 20	Southern terminus
		3.5	5.6	Route 66 east	Western terminus of Route 66
	Worthington	14.4	23.2	Route 143 west	Southern end of Route 143 concurrency
		15.3	24.6	Route 143 east	Northern end of Route 143 concurrency
	Cummington	20.9	33.6	Route 9 west	Southern end of Route 9 concurrency
	Goshen	27.9	44.9	Route 9 east	Northern end of Route 9 concurrency
Franklin	Ashfield	32.4	52.1	Route 116 north	Southern end of Route 116 wrong-way concurrency
		33.8	54.4	Route 116 south	Northern end of Route 116 wrong-way concurrency
	Buckland	41.9	67.4	Route 2 west	Southern end of Route 2 concurrency along the Mohawk Trail
	Shelburne	42.6	68.6	Route 2 east	Northern end of Route 2 concurrency
	Colrain	54.11	87.08	VT 112	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Massachusetts Route 112.