State Turnpike Open; Will Cut Driving Time To N.Y., Northampton

The long-awaited Massachusetts Turnpike was officially opened yesterday as Governor Furcolo snipped the usual ribbon to put 123 mile route into actual use for New England motorists.

The new turnpike has four lanes with a posted speed limit of sixty miles an hour. It should shorten the trip to New York by at least a half an hour or even more for the intrepid college motorist. The chief advantage of the road for the New York traveler is that it cuts out the bleak stretch comprising Routes 9 and 20 to the Wilbur Cross Parkway.

The trip to Smith from Cambridge will also be a good deal shorter as the Northampton-bound driver will no longer have to wander aimlessly through the wastelands of Athol and other central Massachusetts hamlets.