When we think of Route 18, we often think of the highway that connects Coggeshall Street at the northern end of New Bedford with Cove Street at the southern end, but it’s much more than that.
That section of Route 18 was made possible by urban renewal in the 1960s and ’70s, demolishing hundreds of homes and businesses.
The modernization of Route 18 in the area will allow traffic to flow more efficiently from the north to the south, provide quicker access to the recently completed Interstate 195, and provide the city with fresh seafood. can now be shipped to external markets.
Route 18 is more than just the new Bedford Highway
A section of Route 18 through downtown New Bedford is also known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway.
Massachusetts Route 18 is a 41.561-mile state highway that runs north-south through southeastern Massachusetts. It begins at the southern end of New Bedford and continues as a highway for about two miles.
North of Cogeshall Street, US 18 is the ‘surface road’ into Weymouth. US 18 was once the road from New He Bedford to Boston, before US 24 and US 140 from US 6 to Taunton.
Route 18 is more than just the new Bedford Highway
Route 18’s origins date back to 1933, long before Routes 195, 140 and 24. There have been additions and adjustments over the years.
Most recently, state and federal highway funds were used to redesign portions of the highway from downtown New Bedford to the South End, reconnecting the neighborhood and the waterfront. New traffic lights and intersections will also serve to slow down traffic in what some say has become a ‘speedway’.
Route 18 traverses parts of Bristol, Plymouth, and Norfolk counties in Massachusetts. The highway terminates at Route 53 in Weymouth.
