Route 140 then curves slightly to the right to avoid New Bedford Regional Airport, which is accessible from Hathaway Road (exit 3).

Route 140 eventually leaves New Bedford and enters East Freetown, providing an exit that drops off near the center of the village.

Route 140 brings its way through the northwest portion of Taunton, into Norton, past Wheaton College, and sharing a brief junction with MA-123.

As Route 140 crosses the border from Norton to Mansfield, it passes by the Xfinity Center before reaching a junction with Interstate 495.

As Route 140 exits Bellingham, the road sharply turns north into the eastern edges of Mendon and Hopedale for a total of nearly three miles.

Route 9 West serves as the main road into Worcester from Shrewsbury and Northborough, while eastbound heads in the direction of Westborough and towards Interstate 495.

Route 140 extends north into Shrewsbury Center and shares an interchange with Interstate 290 at the northern edge of town.

Route 140 extends northwest from this intersection, soon after passing the Old Stone Church, and continues for 1.1 miles (1.8 km) alongside the Thomas Basin before crossing the Stillwater River into the historic village of Oakdale.

As Route 140 enters Sterling, it encounters an interchange with Interstate 190, which connects Worcester to the south with Leominster and Fitchburg to the north.

[3] In 1947, the Massachusetts Department of Public Works announced plans for a "Relocated Route 140", one of the first steps as part of its statewide expressway program.

Between 1955–1970 the current route was widened and straightened, while the section south of Taunton, which runs to New Bedford, was built as an expressway.

The road, which runs parallel to the freeway and crosses it in Lakeville, merged with Route 18 in East Freetown, just north of the New Bedford city limits.

[6] This ramp removed the need for traffic exiting the Xfinity Center in Mansfield to use a significant two-lane portion of Route 140.