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Period Maps offer more detail

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I've obtained some period maps ... 1939 and mid 1950s gas station maps, and both the 1945 and 1947 Massachusetts Road Maps published by the Commonwealth's Highway Department (see this link ).  The 1939 and 1945 maps clearly show that the route 128 designation did not extend to Gloucester, along present day Rt 22 and Rt 133 to Western and Essex Avenue. It was only in 1947 that the 128 designation was added to Rt 121 (now the portion of Rt 133 from Gloucester to Ipswich) and Rt 22 to Beverly from Essex. The mid 1950's maps shows the completed A. Piatt Bridge over the Annisquam River, bit the portion of today's Rt 128 from Rt 22 in Beverly to the bridge is not completed. Old Rt 128 traffic from Essex via Essex Avenue used the new bridge to access route 127 to Lanesville, and Washington Street to downtown Gloucester. In the southern section, I note that in the 1937 map, the Route 128 designation ends in the Accord section of Norwell, not north through to Hingham and Hull. B...
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Completed the Ride on August 5, 2026

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I completed the excursion yesterday with a friend, Mike. It was a very satisfying and enlightening ride.  We were true to the plan from the start in Gloucester until the point in Randolph when we stayed on Canton Street after crossing Rt 24 rather than making a left on to Reed Street. We skirted south of the Great Pond rather than rounding the north side. This meant we missed the "Old Route 128" spur off West Street (which I was looking forward to exploring). We rejoined the plan at Hollingsworth Pond (Plain Street). We deviated from the plan again in East Weymouth at High and Commercial Street (taking High Street) and rode the fire roads and rail trails through Wompatuck State Park until we joined the plan on Rt 228 North at East Street and Hull Street. Wompatuck turned out to be an excellent pivot ... nice trail conditions and a water station at the visitors center. Then we were on plan to Nantasket Beach, where we enjoyed a refreshing swim. The temperature during the after...
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Planning the bicycling route

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An update: Our actual GPX track (via Strava) is available at this link   Upon post ride reflection, I would consider this change from Readville to Hull to better reflect the original old route 128. See my Reflection at: https://biking-old-128.blogspot.com/2026/08/completed-ride-on-august-5-2026.html  === Here are links to two GPX files I created using Google Maps and https://mapstogpx.com/ . You are free to access and download these files.  Gloucester to Waltham Center and Waltham Center to Hull  (after the trip, I'll also make available the actual GPX file from the ride itself) I used the GPX file to create Komoot routes. When I ride with Komoot, I download the save routes to my smartphone and use a Bluetooth ear bud for audio navigation (I keep the phone in my jacket pocket or pannier).  The saved routes in Komoot are: Gloucester to Waltham Center and Waltham Center to Hull Komoot indicates (elevation profile, milage) that the first half, Gloucester to W...
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Some resources

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 To learn more about this history of Route 128, I recommend the following to get you started: Wikipedia: Massachusetts Route 128 David Kruh: Building Route 128 YouTube Video & Presentation "Building Route 128" and the video / presentation by David Kruh is (for me) a definitive look into the origins of the Rt 128. I used both, along with descriptions in the Wikipedia article to chose the roads selected for the bicycle route that I think come closest to the pre 1940 route. Update ... I purchased the book (used) for $5 and it's excellent.
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Bicycling the pre highway Old Rt 128 in Massachusetts

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This is something I thought about for some time. Except for a short stint in Charlestown, since living in Massachusetts I've lived in the Rt 128 corridor. First in Woburn, then Wakefield and Gloucester. I feel I know the full personality of 128 from Gloucester to the Mass Pike, and I've travel the full distance to Canton hundreds of times. Especially during my Wakefield days, I often jumped off today's Rt 128 to take local roads when the traffic was bad, or when I just needed a different perspective. Over time I learned that the roads I would take through Waltham, Lexington, Woburn, and Stoneham were part of an older, marked, Route 128 that predated the current limited access highway. I wanted to learn more. I'm not the first to research this ... there are many resources that present the history of Route 128. I'll include them in this blog in their own post.  This summer,  in a single day, I will bicycle the pre highway Route 128. The route has morphed over the year...
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