Transportation Planning
Route 122 Scenic Byway
Scenic Route 122 as it winds through the town of New Salem.
Project Overview
The Route 122 Scenic Byway travels from downtown Orange southeast through the towns of Orange and New Salem in Franklin County and Petersham, Barre, Oakham, Rutland and Paxton in Worcester County. It travels through historic streetscapes, working farms, forests and the scenic lands of the Quabbin Reservoir. The entire Byway is roughly 40 miles (7.5 miles in Franklin County and 32.5 miles in Worcester County). The Byway corridor is rich in natural, cultural, and historic resources. Officially designated in 2005, the Route 122 Scenic Byway is one of five designated scenic byways in Franklin County (four are state designated and one is federally designated). Route 122 intersects with the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway in downtown Orange. Work on developing a corridor management plan for the Franklin County section of the Route 122 Scenic Byway commenced in 2009 and will be completed in July 2011.
Current Activities
The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) completed a corridor management plan for the Franklin County section of the Route 122 Scenic Byway in June 2011. The study area includes a one-half-mile buffer strip along each side of the road within the towns of Orange and New Salem. The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission completed a corridor management plan for the Worcester County section of the Byway in 2009. The overall purpose of the project is to recognize, interpret, preserve, and promote the unique scenic, cultural, archeological, natural, and recreational resources in the Byway corridor. The vision is “to expand tourism, recreational, and economic opportunities along the Byway while educating people about the Byway and preserving its unique scenic qualities, natural resources, historic structures/places, industrial and other heritage resources and community character.” The project included an active public participation process with a Byway Advisory Committee that has met regularly during the plan development process.
NEW! View the Route 122 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan:
CHAPTERS:
- COVER (466K pdf file)
- TABLE OF CONTENTS (39K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 1: Introduction (1891K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 2: Scenic Resources (3026K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 3: Natural Resources (3313K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 4: Outdoor Recreational Resources (2866K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 5: Archaeological and Historic Resources (2567K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 6: Transportation Resources (2646K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 7: Land Use and Zoning (1274K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 8: Tourism and Traveler Services (1527K pdf file)
- CHAPTER 9: Economic Development (443K pdf file)
For more information or to get copies of the maps included in the plan, please contact Elizabeth Giannini, FRCOG's Senior Transportation Planner, at giannini@frcog.org or 413-774-1194 x104.
Future Plans
The final corridor management plan for the Franklin County section of the Route 122 Scenic Byway is completed.
Links
National Scenic Byway Program website (http://www.byways.org/)
This page was last updated on 04/30/2012 .