The link between Route 146 and the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) is now operational, and further improvements will soon connect the highway to I-290 and Worcester. No longer isolated, the Blackstone Valley is taking on characteristics of a third semicircle around metropolitan Boston. Signs of improved job opportunities, rising property values, and established companies' interest in the region suggest that these developments are beginning to have significant beneficial effects on the Valley. The challenge at hand is to take advantage of the economic progress this new infrastructure provides without unleashing major negative impacts on the historical character of this beautiful region.