Massachusetts Route 128

Route 128
Yankee Division Highway
Route 128 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MassDOT
Length57.5829 mi (92.6707 km)
Existed1927–present
Major junctions
South end I-93 / US 1 / I-95 in Canton
Major intersections
North end Route 127A in Gloucester
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountiesNorfolk, Middlesex, Essex
Highway system
Route 127A Route 128A

Route 128, known as the Yankee Division Highway, is an expressway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts maintained by the Highway Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning 57 miles (92 km), it is the inner one of two beltways around Boston (the other being Interstate 495 [I-495]). The route's current southern terminus is at the junction of I-95 and I-93 in Canton, and it is concurrent with I-95 around Boston for 37.5 miles (60.4 km) before it leaves the interstate and continues on its own in a northeasterly direction towards Cape Ann. The northern terminus lies in Gloucester a few hundred feet from the Atlantic Ocean. All but the northernmost three miles (4.8 km) are a freeway, with the remainder being an expressway.

In local culture, Route 128 is generally recognized as the demarcation between the more urban inner suburbs and the less densely developed suburbs surrounding the city of Boston. It also approximately delimits the region served by the rapid transit and trolley system operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). It is furthermore used to reference the high-technology industry that developed from the 1960s to the 1980s in the suburban areas along the highway.