MA 12

Northbound

From Connecticut, a bookleaf and blue welcome sign! I've only ever seen the blue ones in Dudley. Last pic is at Carpenter Rd./Upper Perryville Rd.

Stevens Business Complex in Dudley.

Carroll Dr. just before the Quinebaug River Rail Trail. The old RR crossing gantry still hasn't been removed (as is the case on several roads intersecting this former branch).

MA 12 NB at New Boston Rd., Dudley.

Old DPW 4-way intersection sign before Brandon Rd, near Val-Go Crossing. MA 12 turns right at MA 197 and becomes West Main St.

Dippin' Donuts on the corner of Village St./W. Main St. in Dudley.

NB crossing the French River into Webster. AAA is on the corner of South Main St. and Lake St.

At Pulaski Square where MA 12 turns right to become East Main St. Unfortunately, the old wooden shield is gone and the embossed sign looks different now.

Along East Main St.

Approaching MA 16/MA 193. The old clock tower from the Cranston Print Works sits on the corner of MA 12 NB/MA 16 WB, in front of Price Chopper. The paddle sign is on an island in the intersection, right next to the Worcester Rd. street name sign.

NB shields after MA 16/MA 193 and an older one after Price Chopper. DPW side road warning near Old Worcester Rd. in Webster with a shield just after. Bookleaf sign entering Oxford. 

Coming up to Cudworth Rd. in Oxford, which connects to I-395.

NB shields towards Oxford Center. CVS at 302 Main St. in Oxford Center.

MA 12 NB in Oxford Center.

Orange street name signs in Oxford Center and a paddle sign to I-395.

Continuing north from Oxford Center to North Oxford. The I-395 shield points down Old Worcester Rd.

Older shields near MA 56 (Leicester St.) in North Oxford.

NB after MA 56. In recent years, Turner Rd. was closed at its junction with US 20. This is likely because left turns from the end of Turner onto the much faster US 20 were extremely dangerous thanks to a sharp bend on 20 just before Turner Rd.

Jumping a bit out of order, Walmart's entrance would fall just after the first JCT US 20 assembly below.

Approaching US 20 in Oxford. Double the junction assemblies means double the fun!

At US 20. Suffice to say, Oxford won't be winning any awards for creative street names. 

With US 20 EB into Auburn. 12 gets lost preemptively, and what does tight radius mean anyway?

Overhead signs before MA 12 splits to continue on Southbridge St. while US 20 becomes Washington St.

MA 12 splitting from US 20 in Auburn.

Closeup of the NB paddle at the split from US 20.

NB after US 20, and another shield after West St.

Coming up to Prospect St. which provides a connection to US 20 EB.

I hope this is self-explanatory.

First pic is at Prospect St., next few continue towards I-90/I-290/I-395. Last two pics are before and after in the same place, the smaller I-90 assembly is the one you'll find today.

Entrance to I-290/I-395 with a blue Mass. Pike trailblazer next to it. The NB paddle is for traffic coming from the Pike. NB at the entrance to I-90.

At Water St. and a shield just before Church St. in Auburn.

NB near the Auburn Mall. I-290 assembly points WB on Swanson Rd. Auburn St. SB is the best route to US 20/MA 146 from Auburn Center.

NB in Worcester along Gold Star Blvd. First paddle is at the end of Grove St, second points along Woodbury St. for a connection to Grove St., which is MA 122A. To get to I-290, you have to flip SB on MA 12 to get to the southern end of I-190, which feeds into I-290.

A short U-turn can take you to MA 12 SB if needed. Next paddle signs approach the I-190 NB exit, from which you can also reach Norton Dr./Shore Dr.

On the right side of Gold Star Blvd., an exit to Neponset St./W. Boylston Dr. gives access to the former Greendale Mall, which closed in 2021 and was subsequently demolished.

The Worcester Special overhead signage while NB with MA 9 EB on Park Ave. Farther north on Park Ave. MA 12 picks up MA 122A near WPI's campus. Last pic should have a 122A shield but it has mysteriously disappeared.

Southbound

SB on Gold Star Blvd. at the exit to I-290.

Shields in Auburn after Auburn St. and after Swanson Rd./Brotherton Way, in front of the Dunkin' Donuts.

Nearing Church St. in Auburn, followed by a couple shields. Last two pics are of the same assembly, older pic on the right. Sad to see the green Mass. Pike trailblazer disappear.

Approaching the Mass. Pike entrance on MA 12 SB.

Approaching the entrance to I-290/I-395. The SB paddle sign faces traffic exiting the Pike.

SB along Southbridge St. towards US 20. Prospect St. provides a connection to US 20 EB while continuing SB on MA 12 forces you to take US 20 WB.

Two more SB shields before joining US 20.

SB with US 20 in Auburn. The short concurrency breaks up after less than a mile, but still manages to cross into Oxford.

Separating from US 20 with a SB shield. Turner Rd. has the same story as on the northbound side.

At MA 56 in North Oxford then a DPW-era 4-way intersection sign before Norwood Ct./Maple Ave.

North Water Dr. and Clara Barton Rd. in North Oxford. The white sign points to Barton's birthplace about a mile up the road named for her. SB shield follows.

Assembly to I-395 pointing down Old Worcester Rd. which is also right at the entrance to Oxford's Greenbriar Recreation Area. Next SB shield is after Rocky Hill Rd.

Old DPW font on the thickly settled sign nearing Oxford Center. Paddles for I-395 point along Sutton Ave., not I-395 itself.

SB after Harwood St. in Oxford. Left turn is before Pratt Ave. in Oxford, but it's really more of a slight curve.

Providence-Worcester Railroad bridge over MA 12 in Oxford.

Cudworth Rd. takes you to I-395, but MA 12 continues straight and heads into Webster.

MA 12 becomes the Samuel Slater Memorial Highway in Webster. Next two pics are at Old Worcester Rd.

The other, more interesting welcome sign is near the southern end of Old Worcester Rd. The DPW-era State Highway Ends sign is near Mt. Zion Cemetery and is followed by the DPW-era junction assembly.

MA 12 SB crossing Mill Brook, Webster.

All text signage for MA 16 EB, one of very few examples in this state. MA 12 turns right and becomes East Main St. while MA 193 continues straight as Thompson Rd. Freeway-size shield is just after 12 turns right, with a nighttime version just for fun!

Friendly's restaurant on MA 12 in Webster.

East Main Plaza and Dunkin' Donuts in Webster.

First SB shield replaced the older DPW-era shield before Slater St./Park Ave. KFC and Taco Bell are also at this intersection.

Traffic signal at Slater St./Park Ave. and Hi Lo Gas at Stoughton Ave., all in Webster.

Unusually large McDonald's sign before MA 12 turns left and becomes South Main St. Webster town hall is on Main St., which is farther south than South Main St. What?

Below is a collection of pictures along Main St. SB in Webster, feel free to explore at your leisure.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. Davis St. and Mobil gas station on MA 12 in Webster. Look at that price!

Pleasant St./Chase Ave. in Webster.

Older street name blade for Pleasant St., has since been replaced.

Crossing the French River and entering Dudley.

Street name blade for Ardlock Place was somehow knocked over and crushed! Coming up to MA 197 in Dudley. MA 12 turns left for Schofield Ave. while MA 197 continues straight as West Main St.

SB shield on Schofield Ave.; the second shield was replaced by the first. MA 12 begins state maintenance after Brandon Rd. That warning sign makes it appear MA 12 continues straight and a road branches off to the left. That is not true, as New Boston Rd. splits to the right. At least there's a DPW shield for my troubles just before New Boston Rd..

SB at New Boston Rd. with a shield just after. DPW-era 4-way intersection before Carpenter Rd./Upper Perryville Rd.

SB at Carpenter Rd./Upper Perryville Rd.

Into Thompson, CT (or Conn. as the sign says) to continue as CT 12.

NJ 12 mistakes in Oxford. The first is Sutton Ave. WB and the second is Depot Rd. at Old Worcester Rd.

MA 56 SB at its southern end in North Oxford.

US 20 WB approaching MA 12. The NB paddle in the first pic is now gone. Weird that the JCT 12 assembly comes after two paddle sign assemblies, as if drivers aren't aware that MA 12 is coming up by now.

US 20 WB at MA 12 in Auburn.

Paddle signs on Oxford St. North in Auburn from I-290's Exit 12B. Notice how different the sign borders are between the two styles.

On Swanson Rd. in Auburn from I-290's Exit 13.

Opposite sides of the same intersection: Auburn St. NB and SB.