Interstate 95 in Maine

Interstate 95
Maine Turnpike in green, the rest of I-95 in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT and Maine Turnpike Authority
Length:	303.20 mi[1] (487.95 km) Maine Turnpike: 101.43 miles (163.24 km)[2]
Existed:	1960 – present
Major junctions
South end:	I‑95 in Portsmouth, NH
	I‑195 in Saco I‑295 near Portland I‑495 in Portland US 202 / SR 4 / SR 100 in Gray and Auburn I‑295 near Gardiner US 202 / SR 11 / SR 17 / SR 100 in Augusta US 201 in Fairfield I‑395 / SR 15 in Bangor US 2 / SR 100 in Bangor US 1 in Houlton
North end:	Route 95 / US 2 at the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing
Location
Counties:	York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Somerset, Waldo, Penobscot, Aroostook
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Maine State Highway System Interstate U.S. State ← SR 94 SR 95 →

In the U.S. state of Maine, Interstate 95 (I-95) is a 303-mile-long (488 km) highway running from the New Hampshire border near Kittery, to the Canadian border near Houlton. It is the only two-digit Interstate Highway in Maine. In 2004, the highway's route between Portland and Gardiner was changed so that it encompasses the entire Maine Turnpike (including the former I-495 between Falmouth and Gardiner), which runs from Kittery to Augusta.

Route description

Northbound in Kittery, Maine

I-95 enters Maine from New Hampshire on the Piscataqua River Bridge, which connects Portsmouth, New Hampshire with Kittery. At mile 2 (Spruce Creek) in Kittery, the highway becomes the Maine Turnpike. The highway runs in a general northeasterly direction, parallel with U.S. 1, at this point. I-95 bypasses the Biddeford/Saco area, with a spur route (Interstate 195) connecting to Old Orchard Beach.

At Scarborough, Interstate 95 meets Interstate 295. The highway turns north, serving the Portland International Jetport and bypassing Portland to the west. At Falmouth, the highway meets unsigned Interstate 495, also called the Falmouth Spur. Until January 2004, I-95 followed the Falmouth Spur and I-295 between Falmouth and Gardiner.

The highway continues north along the Maine Turnpike (which was I-495 prior to 2004) through Gray to Auburn and Lewiston, which the Turnpike bypasses to the south. The highway then runs in an easterly direction to meet Interstate 295 at Gardiner. From there, I-95 parallels the Kennebec River past Augusta and Waterville, where a new interchange is being planned at Trafton Road. The highway then crosses the river at Fairfield and then turns northeast along the Sebasticook River past Pittsfield to Newport.

I-95 then continues east alongside U.S. Route 2 from Newport to Bangor, where Interstate 395 connects to the city of Brewer. The highway runs along the northern edge of Bangor's center, then turns northeast, following the Penobscot River past Orono and Old Town (Prior to the early 1980s, I-95 was a super two highway north of Old Town).

The highway continues north, still running near the river, towards Howland. Near Lincoln, Interstate 95 runs north through uninhabited forest land, crossing the Penobscot River at Medway. The highway goes northeast and east, passing a series of small Aroostook County farming towns before reaching Houlton, where it connects to New Brunswick Route 95 and U.S. Route 2 at the international border. North of Bangor, traffic levels drop noticeably, with AADT averaging only about 5,000 in northern Penobscot County and going down to as low as 2,000–4,000 in Houlton.^[3]

Speed limits

The Maine Turnpike had a posted speed limit of 70 mph in the early 1970s, but as Maine then had no law against traveling less than 10 mph over the posted speed, the de facto speed limit was 79 mph. In 1974, as part of a federal mandate, the speed limit was reduced to 55 mph, with a new law including a "less than 10 over" violation. In 1987, Congress allowed states to post 65 mph on rural interstate highways. Following the relaxation, Maine increased its speed limit. In May 2011, a bill was introduced to raise the speed limit from Old Town to Houlton from 65 to 75 mph. It passed, with Maine the first state east of the Mississippi River since the 1970s to establish a 75 mph speed limit.^[4][5]

A further law passed in 2013 by the Maine Legislature allowed the Maine Department of Transportation and the Turnpike Authority to change speed limits with the approval of the Maine State Police. Per that law, Maine DOT increased the 65 mph limit to 70 mph on several sections of Interstate 95 on May 27, 2014. These areas included the section from mile marker 114 just outside Augusta to mile 126 just before Waterville. In addition, the section from Fairfield (just above Waterville) to Bangor also saw an increase to 70.^[6] Speed limits on sections controlled by the Turnpike Authority increased on August 11, 2014. The sections from mile marker 2.1 in Kittery to mile marker 44.1 in Scarborough, and the section from mile marker 52.3 in Falmouth to mile marker 109 in Augusta, increased from 65 mph to 70 mph. The section from mile marker 44.1 in Scarborough to mile marker 52.3 in Falmouth increased from 55 mph to 60 mph. The Falmouth Spur, outside the toll plaza area, increased from 50 mph to 60 mph.^[7]

Exit list

Note: toll rates listed in this exit list are for Class 1 vehicles paying cash. They do not reflect lower rates for drivers using E-ZPass tags or higher rates for other vehicle classes.

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
York	Kittery	0.0	0.0		I‑95 south – Portsmouth	Continuation into New Hampshire
		0.6	1.0	1	To SR 103 / Dennett Road – Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Eliot	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		1.1	1.8	2	US 1 south / SR 236 south / US 1 Byp. south / Traffic Circle – Downtown Kittery
		1.3	2.1	3	US 1 north (Coastal Route) / SR 236 north – Kittery, South Berwick	Southbound exit is via exit 2
	York	6.8	10.9	7	To SR 91 to US 1 – The Yorks, Ogunquit, The Berwicks
		7.2	11.6	Maine Turnpike York Toll Barrier—Cars $3
	Wells	19.1	30.7	19	SR 9 / SR 109 – Wells, Sanford	Entrance toll $1.50 (northbound only)
	Kennebunk	25.2	40.6	25	SR 35 – Kennebunk, Kennebunkport	Entrance toll $1
	Biddeford	31.1	50.1	32	SR 111 – Biddeford	Entrance toll $1
	Saco	35.2	56.6	36	I‑195 east – Saco, Old Orchard Beach	Entrance toll $1
Cumberland	Scarborough	41.9	67.4	42	To US 1 – Scarborough	Entrance toll $1
	South Portland	43.6	70.2	44	I‑295 north – South Portland, Downtown Portland	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; toll $1 both directions
		44.3	71.3	45	To I‑295 / US 1 / SR 114 / Maine Mall Road, Payne Road	Entrance toll $1
	Portland	45.5	73.2	46	To SR 22 / SR 9 (Congress Street) – Portland International Jetport	Entrance toll $1
		46.7	75.2	47	To SR 25 / Rand Road, Westbrook Arterial	Entrance toll $1
		47.8	76.9	48	To SR 25 / US 302 / Riverside Street, Larrabee Road	Entrance toll $1
		50.8	81.8	52	To I‑295 / US 1 – Falmouth, Freeport	Toll $1 both directions on I-495 / Falmouth Spur
	Falmouth	51.6	83.0	53	SR 26 / SR 100 – West Falmouth	Entrance toll $1
	New Gloucester	62.2	100.1	63	US 202 / SR 115 / SR 4 to SR 26 – Gray, New Gloucester	Entrance toll $1.50 (southbound only)
		66.1	106.4	Maine Turnpike New Gloucester Toll Barrier—Cars $2.25
Androscoggin	Auburn	74.2	119.4	75	US 202 / SR 4 / SR 100 – Auburn
	Lewiston	79.0	127.1	80	To SR 196 – Lewiston
	Sabattus	84.9	136.6	86	SR 9 – Sabattus, Lisbon
Kennebec	West Gardiner	99.7	160.5	Maine Turnpike West Gardiner Toll Barrier—Cars $1.75
	Gardiner	101.9	164.0	102	SR 9 / SR 126 to I‑295 south – Gardiner, Litchfield	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		103.0	165.8	103	I‑295 south to SR 9 / SR 126 – Gardiner, Brunswick	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; toll $1 either direction
	Augusta	109.5	176.2	109	US 202 / SR 11 / SR 17 / SR 100 – Augusta, Winthrop	Signed as exits 109A (west) and 109B (east) southbound
		112.0	180.2	112	SR 8 / SR 11 / SR 27 – Augusta, Belgrade	Signed as exits 112A (south) and 112B (north) northbound
		112.9	181.7	113	SR 3 – Augusta, Belfast
	Sidney	120.5	193.9	120	Lyons Road, Sidney
	Waterville	127.2	204.7	127	SR 11 / SR 137 – Waterville, Oakland
		130.2	209.5	130	SR 104 (Main Street) – Waterville, Winslow
Somerset	Fairfield	132.3	212.9	132	SR 139 – Fairfield, Benton
		133.3	214.5	133	US 201 – Fairfield, Skowhegan
Kennebec	Clinton	137.9	221.9	138	Hinckley Road—Clinton, Burnham
Waldo	No major junctions
Somerset	Pittsfield	149.8	241.1	150	Somerset Avenue—Pittsfield, Hartland, Burnham
	Palmyra	156.7	252.2	157	SR 11 / SR 100 to SR 7 / US 2 – Newport, Dexter, Skowhegan
Penobscot	Newport	158.8	255.6	159	Ridge Road—Newport, Plymouth	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Plymouth	160.6	258.5	161	SR 7 – East Newport, Plymouth
	Etna	166.9	268.6	167	SR 69 / SR 143 – Etna, Dixmont
	Newburgh	173.6	279.4	174	SR 69 – Carmel, Winterport
	Hampden	179.5	288.9	180	Cold Brook Road—Hermon, Hampden
	Bangor	182.1	293.1	182A	I‑395 / SR 15 south to US 1A / SR 9 – Bangor, Brewer	South end of SR 15 overlap; I-395 exits 1A-B
		182.4	293.5	182B	To US 2 west / SR 100 west – Hermon, Bangor
		183.1	294.7	183	US 2 / SR 100 (Hammond Street) – Bangor International Airport
		183.9	296.0	184	SR 222 (Union Street) / Ohio Street – Bangor International Airport
		185.3	298.2	185	SR 15 north (Broadway) – Brewer, Bangor	North end of SR 15 overlap
		186.3	299.8	186	Stillwater Avenue	No northbound entrance
		187.1	301.1	187	Hogan Road—Bangor, Veazie
	Orono	190.5	306.6	191	Kelly Road—Orono, Veazie
		192.7	310.1	193	Stillwater Avenue—Stillwater, Old Town, Orono
	Old Town	196.7	316.6	197	SR 43 – Old Town, Hudson
	Lagrange	199.0	320.3	199	SR 16 – Alton, Lagrange, Milo	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Howland	216.3	348.1	217	SR 6 / SR 155 – Howland, Lagrange
	Lincoln	227.1	365.5	227	To US 2 / SR 6 / SR 116 – Lincoln, Mattawamkeag
	Medway	244.0	392.7	244	SR 157 – Medway, Millinocket, Mattawamkeag
	Benedicta	258.2	415.5	259	Casey Rd – Benedicta	Northbound exit and southbound entrance. Northbound Interstate 95 enters Aroostook County for about ½ mile, including northbound exit.
Aroostook	Sherman	263.8	424.5	264	SR 158 to SR 11 – Sherman, Patten
	Island Falls	275.4	443.2	276	SR 159 – Island Falls, Patten
	Oakfield	285.3	459.1	286	Oakfield Road—Oakfield, Smyrna Mills
	Smyrna	290.7	467.8	291	US 2 – Smyrna
	Houlton	301.3	484.9	302	US 1 – Houlton, Presque Isle
		304.1	489.4	305	US 2 west – Houlton International Airport, Industrial Park	East end of US 2
		304.4	489.9		Route 95 east – Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing, Woodstock	Northern end of I-95; Continuation into New Brunswick, Canada
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Tolled

Maine Turnpike

Maine Turnpike shield

History

Early postard showing entrance at Kittery

The Maine Turnpike Authority was created by the Maine Legislature in 1941 to connect Kittery and Fort Kent. In 1947, the first section of highway, designated the Maine Turnpike, opened between Kittery and Portland. In 1953, the Turnpike Authority began construction on an extension to the state capital at Augusta using the former right-of-way of the Portland–Lewiston Interurban railway from Portland through Falmouth.^[8] The original turnpike was the largest construction project in the state's history until the construction of the extension, which opened to the public on December 13, 1955.^[9]

The Maine Turnpike was the first highway funded using revenue bonds. It remains self-financed, and does not receive funding from the state or federal government. When the first section opened in 1947, it was only the second superhighway in the United States following the October 1940 opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. For these reasons, the Maine Turnpike was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1999^[10] .

In 1956, one year after the Portland-Augusta extension opened, Congress created the Interstate Highway System. The remaining sections to be built – from Augusta to Fort Kent – would be publicly funded freeways instead of toll roads under the Maine Turnpike Authority. Today this highway, which ends at Houlton instead of Fort Kent, is signed as Interstate 95 throughout and the Maine Turnpike between the New Hampshire line at Kittery and the junction with US 202 near Augusta.

The former head of the Maine Turnpike Authority served 19 months in prison for stealing as much as $230,000 from the toll revenue generated by the Maine Turnpike Authority for his personal use from 2003 to 2010.^[11]

Tolls

Early postcard of tollbooths at Kittery

The segment of Interstate 95 from Kittery to Augusta runs along the Maine Turnpike. This is a toll road for all of its length except for sections near Kittery and Lewiston. Flat-fee tolls are paid upon entering the turnpike. There are also barrier tolls in York, New Gloucester, and West Gardiner. Drivers using exits 44 and 52 must also pay a toll upon exiting. The turnpike joined the E-ZPass electronic toll collection network in 2005, replacing the former Maine-only system designated Transpass that was implemented in 1997.^[12]

The tollbooths on the Maine Turnpike were not supposed to be permanent. Toll collections were to stop once the Maine Turnpike Authority paid off the debt from the road's construction. In the 1980s the bonds were going to be paid off but the Maine Legislature authorized the Maine Turnpike Authority in 1982 to continue as a quasi-governmental agency and to continue to collect tolls in order to fund the maintenance of the section of highway controlled by the MTA.^[13]

Service areas

There are five service areas on the turnpike. Two are accessible northbound, two southbound, and one is accessible from both directions. All are open 24 hours and provide food and fuel services. They also have ATMs. Some have small gift shops. The plazas are at the following locations:

• Kennebunk plazas: Northbound and southbound at MP 25—food, fuel, gift shop. The original plazas, which included Howard Johnson's restaurants, opened in 1947 and incorporated a pedestrian tunnel under the highway to connect the two. These original plazas were replaced in 1972 and the tunnel was sealed. These 1972 plazas were replaced during the winter of 2006–2007. Both service plazas open with "food court layout featuring Starbucks coffee, Burger King, Hershey’s Ice Cream, a Z-Market convenience store and a Popeye’s Chicken on the northbound side and Sbarros Pizza on the southbound side."^[14]
• Gray plaza (NB)/Cumberland plaza (SB): Northbound and Southbound at MP 58—food and fuel. Both plazas have been replaced with new service plazas with a Starbucks and a Z-Market convenience store. On March 21, 2016 both the Gray and Cumberland service areas will close for a period of approximately 9 weeks to remove the Starbucks restaurants and add a drive-thru Burger King. ^[15]
• West Gardiner plaza: At the I-95/I-295/ME 126 intersection,accessible by both directions of I-95 and I-295. Food court, fuel, gift shop, information.

There is a Rest Area / Tourist Welcome Center located on the turnpike Northbound at MP 3 in Kittery.

There are weigh stations located on the turnpike Northbound and Southbound in York at MP 4 (SB) and MP 6 (NB).

There are ramps to/from the northbound turnpike to the Saco Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in Saco at MP 35 (Old MP 33 before the southern extension).^[16] The ramps are from the original exit 5 which was replaced when I-195 was opened just to the north. The hotel was built on the site of the old toll plaza. Ramps connecting the hotel to/from the southbound turnpike were removed as part of the widening project in the early 2000s, when hotel ownership opted not to pay nearly $1 million to build a new bridge.

Previous to the West Gardiner rest area opening, there were rest areas located in Lewiston (Southbound at MP 83) and Litchfield (Northbound at MP 98).

References

1. Maine State Route Log (via floodgap.com)
2. "Welcome to the Maine Turnpike Authority". Maineturnpike.com. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
3. "Interstate 95 Annual Average Daily Traffic". Interstate-Guide. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
4. Miller, Kevin (May 12, 2011). "Bill would boost speed limit to 75 mph on northern highway". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
5. "Lawmakers OK 75-mph speed limit between Old Town, Houlton, Bangor Daily News, June 29, 2011". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
6. Koenig, Paul (May 27, 2014). "Speed limit increasing by 5 mph on parts of I-295, I-95". Kennebec Journal. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
7. "Maine Turnpike Authority - Turnpike Traveler Services - Turnpike News - Travel Advisories". Retrieved October 4, 2014.
8. Cummings, Osmond Richard. "Portland-Lewiston Interurban: a history of the finest electric interurban railway to run in the State of Maine". Bangor Public Library. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
9. "Maine Turnpike Authority History".
10. "Maine Turnpike".
11. "Paul Violette, 61, served less than 20 months for stealing as much as $230,000 in public funds.".
12. "E-ZPass Information Frequently Asked Questions".
13. "Keep the change: Toll highways aren’t going away".
14. Turnpike Press Release Archived October 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
15. Turnpike Press Release
16. "Ramada Saco / Old Orchard Beach Area (official site)". Retrieved October 4, 2014.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• Maine Turnpike Official Site
• Steve Anderson's BostonRoads.com: Maine Turnpike (I-95)