Route 123 is a east–west (though geographically more northeast-southwest)
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in southeastern
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
. It crosses northern
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...
and
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...
counties, crossing several highways along the way.
Route description
Bristol County
Route 123 is a continuation of
R.I. Route 123, which crosses the state line between
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Cumberland is the northeasternmost town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, first settled in 1635 and incorporated in 1746. The population was 36,405 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-largest municipality and the largest ...
and
Attleboro
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2020 census, Attleboro had a population of 46,461.
Attleboro is ...
. In the South Attleboro section of the city, it crosses
Routes 1 and
1A in quick succession, just south of the junction of the two and the start of the Attleboro-
North Attleborough
North Attleborough, alternatively spelled North Attleboro, is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,834 at the 2020 United States Census.
The villages of Attleboro Falls and North Attleborough Center ar ...
retail area. It continues eastward, crossing
I-95 at exit 4 (formerly 3) before turning northeastward, passing
Capron Park and the former Attleboro High School building (now a branch of
Bristol Community College
Bristol Community College (Bristol) is a public community college with four campuses in Southeastern Massachusetts.
History
The college was originally established in December 1965 when it was instituted by the Massachusetts Board of Regional Co ...
) before reaching downtown Attleboro. It crosses
Route 152 and under the
MBTA commuter rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track to 141 different stations, with 58 stati ...
tracks before making another northerly turn, this time at the end of
Route 118.
From Attleboro, the route heads eastward into
Norton. It crosses
Route 140 at the town center, having a brief, 50-yard concurrency between the two. After passing
Wheaton College Wheaton College may refer to:
* Wheaton College (Illinois), a private Christian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois
* Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Wheaton College is a private liberal arts college in Norton, Massachus ...
, it continues through town, crossing
I-495 at exit 27 (formerly 10). The road then turns northward into
Easton. In Easton, the road turns eastward again as it becomes concurrent with
Route 106 for just over a mile, with Route 123 turning northeastward at the Five Corners intersection between the two routes and
Bay Road. The route eventually meets
Route 138, which it shares a short concurrency with before turning eastward again at
Stonehill College
Stonehill College is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Easton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross and is located on the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr., with 29 buildings that ...
.
Plymouth County
In Brockton, Route 123 crosses
Route 24 at exit 31 (formerly 17). The route passes the Brockton
VA Medical Center,
Campanelli Stadium,
Brockton High School and the Brockton Fairgrounds in quick succession. At the intersection of Belmont Street and Warren Avenue, the eastbound and westbound lanes split. Eastbound, Route 123 makes a quick turn on and then off of Main Street and crosses
Route 28 (North Montello Street) and under the
Old Colony railroad tracks before turning left and sharing a short, one-block long concurrency between Route 123 East and
Route 27, before meeting the westbound lanes at the intersection of Commercial Street and Centre Street. The westbound lanes, meanwhile only intersect Routes 27 and 28, heading straight from Centre Street, across Main Street and along the short Legion Parkway before turning south onto Warren Avenue to meet up with the main route once more. Signage in the area is poor, however; many maps point to Route 123 begin concurrent along Route 28 rather than following Commercial Street on the other side of the tracks.
Once the two lanes reconnect, they continue eastward along Centre Street, passing the Brockton Hospital before crossing the Beaver Brook into
Abington. In Abington, Route 123 crosses
Route 18 near the town center before making a quick turn along Washington street and turning eastward again, crossing Old Colony Line tracks once more (adjacent to the
Abington MBTA station and
Route 58 before heading into
Rockland. In Rockland, the route shares a half-mile concurrency with
Route 139 before turning northward, then eastward into the town of
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
. In Hanover, the route crosses through the northern part of town, crossing
Route 3 without junction before meeting
Route 53 at the village of Assinippi, which provides access between Route 3 and Route 123 at exit 32 (formerly 13).
Shortly after the intersection, and just south of
Jacobs Pond, the route enters
Norwell as Main Street, traveling through the town's
Historic District
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...
and village center. Route 123 finally ends after three-quarters of a mile in the neighboring town of
Scituate, at a rotary intersection with
Route 3A.
Major intersections
References
External links
*{{Commons category-inline, Massachusetts Route 123
123
Abington, Massachusetts
Transportation in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Norton, Massachusetts
Easton, Massachusetts
Brockton, Massachusetts
Scituate, Massachusetts
Hanover, Massachusetts
Rockland, Massachusetts
Norwell, Massachusetts
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Transportation in Bristol County, Massachusetts