Maine

[fwydriver405]

Is it possible that some of those doghouse installs (like your Bangor example) are city installs and not MaineDOT?

There is a possibility it could be a city install and not a MaineDOT install (last time I checked, and told personally by MaineDOT employees, MaineDOT only maintains 6.37%, or 51 of 801 signals in the entire state as of 2018). I do know they did work on projects like in Watervillle but not sure who maintains them after that. That is all about to change as part of the BUILD grant to replace traffic signals statewide in many municipalities, like in Sanford and Waterville.

Unlike NHDOT, in Maine, it is not easy to tell what is and is not a DOT maintained signal (Was told this from an NHDOT employee, in NH, the S-XXX-YY sticker on the signal box is a dead giveaway that it's a DOT maintained signal, S being state itself, XXX being the city/town code, and YY being the signal number in said municipality)

[sturmde]

Is it possible that some of those doghouse installs (like your Bangor example) are city installs and not MaineDOT?

.
The City of Bangor is one of the few cities with its own traffic light installation team in the City Engineer's office.  They also perform services for a number of surrounding towns, as I remember once years ago trying to figure why (as a Bangor taxpayer) I was seeing a Bangor crew working on a traffic light up in Orono (Stillwater and Bennoch) on my way to work.  Turns out, Bangor hires its crew out to surrounding towns as requested.  The new signal at Union and Main was a Bangor install.  Also, they've done new installs at Union and Fourteenth, and Ohio and Fourteenth.  All pole and arm mounted signals as opposed to wire-hung.  All  nicely done with black surrounds with highlight fluorescent strong yellow edge lining.

[yakra]

Deering's Corner Roundabout Up-D*te:

Bedford is fully 2-way now, controlled by a stop sign at Deering (ME25). The easternmost leg of Brighton is permanently closed. In theory. Curbs are installed at Bedford, with a curb cut to access the USM campus near Payson Smith Hall, blocked off by orange barrels. Curb construction is underway at the main intersection.
None of this seems to bother people too reliant on the GPSes; just saw this one fellah make his way past all the construction vehicles & big piles of dirt, past the end of the pavement, and weave thru the barrels to re-enter Falmouth St in the crosswalk. I see this silliness about once per day.

At about 11am today, the main intersection was occupied by a Subaru wagon & Chevy HHR with their front ends all stove up, 2 fire engines & a police cruiser. I couldn't tell what movements the vehicles involved may have been making, and am left to speculate on the factors at play.
The outer leg of Deering is blocked off at the junction, leaving us with a 4-way intersection. Falmouth is controlled by stop signs, with traffic on ME25 flowing thru unimpeded. Without the traffic signal slowing things down, my intuition tells me that a lot of traffic is likely exceeding the 30 MPH limit. For motorists entering from Falmouth St, it may be difficult to judge the speed of traffic on ME25. For those waiting at the south leg of Falmouth the traffic they're watching on EB 25 is approaching at an acute angle.
There's a good amount of uncontrolled pavement in the main body of the intersection; when someone slows or stops to make a left onto Falmouth, traffic will frequently pass on the right. Add in the skewed angle that 25 takes thru the intersection, and there's potential for wacky antics. I regularly approach on EB 25 for a left onto Falmouth, and must yield to traffic approaching from the right; it's a bit less than intuitive. No personal experience with the left from WB 25, but it's a similar-but-opposite problem, having to yield to traffic approaching from the left rather than plainly visible dead-ahead.
All of this may be pretty confusing for people not familiar with the area; hopefully the eventual construction of the roundabout should bring some more order to things.

Finally, back to the intersection of Bedford & Deering, which is close to its final configuration. Traffic on WB 25 is on a bit of an uphill grade, and visibility is not the best for those entering or leaving Bedford. Mix in traffic going a bit too fast for the intersection they're approaching, and... this one makes me nervous.

[Roadgeekteen]

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5255987,-70.4489011,3a,37.6y,322.21h,82.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIYGONHqJnrNP10HZM9C8wA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Interesting sign at the end of I-195, I know many Canadians go here but how would this sign help them get to Montreal?

[Alps]

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5255987,-70.4489011,3a,37.6y,322.21h,82.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIYGONHqJnrNP10HZM9C8wA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Interesting sign at the end of I-195, I know many Canadians go here but how would this sign help them get to Montreal?

To Quebec: via US 201. To Montreal: via US 302. But only if there are signs at those exits, which I doubt. Meanwhile, the fastest way to Montreal may be south to NH 101. (Google suggests ME 117 to start, which you would start taking before this point...)

[RyanB06]

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5255987,-70.4489011,3a,37.6y,322.21h,82.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIYGONHqJnrNP10HZM9C8wA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Interesting sign at the end of I-195, I know many Canadians go here but how would this sign help them get to Montreal?

I-95 to NH-101 to I-93 to I-89. That'd be the way I'd do it.

[fwydriver405]

I noticed the Maine Turnpike Authority on the Maine Turnpike Approach (Route 703) started lettering their exits at the gore as of 2021/04/09... not sure if it extends past this interchange and/or if the Scarborough Connector (Route 701) also got those lettered exits as well.

Does it matter if those overhead BGS got lettered exit tabs, let alone if this exit scheme (letters only) on this road is MUTCD-legal?

[Roadgeekteen]

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5255987,-70.4489011,3a,37.6y,322.21h,82.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIYGONHqJnrNP10HZM9C8wA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Interesting sign at the end of I-195, I know many Canadians go here but how would this sign help them get to Montreal?

I-95 to NH-101 to I-93 to I-89. That'd be the way I'd do it.

That's an easy route, but it does add 20 minutes to the drive time.

[deathtopumpkins]

I noticed the Maine Turnpike Authority on the Maine Turnpike Approach (Route 703) started lettering their exits at the gore as of 2021/04/09... not sure if it extends past this interchange and/or if the Scarborough Connector (Route 701) also got those lettered exits as well.

Does it matter if those overhead BGS got lettered exit tabs, let alone if this exit scheme (letters only) on this road is MUTCD-legal?

https://i.ibb.co/KXxgWfZ/Screenshot-2021-04-22-at-23-07-05.png
https://i.ibb.co/SmbbKPw/Screenshot-2021-04-22-at-23-06-44.png

Not sure if you're aware, but those exits have had posted letters for a while now. Starting in 2015 or 2016 they were posted on a separate tab underneath the exit sign, rather than in the main body of it, e.g.: https://goo.gl/maps/yg3ttr5jcrzaAqbD7

Prior to that, the ramp letters were indicated by a "RAMP X" sign on the right side of the ramp, opposite the gore sign, e.g.: https://goo.gl/maps/Brm2f4pBEutoFtYx8 Some of these signs remain, including the linked one.

Interesting to see that they are apparently now being treated as 'official' exit 'numbers' though!

[Beeper1]

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5255987,-70.4489011,3a,37.6y,322.21h,82.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIYGONHqJnrNP10HZM9C8wA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Interesting sign at the end of I-195, I know many Canadians go here but how would this sign help them get to Montreal?

To Quebec: via US 201. To Montreal: via US 302. But only if there are signs at those exits, which I doubt. Meanwhile, the fastest way to Montreal may be south to NH 101. (Google suggests ME 117 to start, which you would start taking before this point...)

There actually is a sign on I-95 NB at the US 201 exit directing traffic towards Quebec.  GSV: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.5824484,-69.6252122,3a,37.5y,61.49h,83.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srrqUmQQFfEoG-Oii0seSxg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I'm guessing there's a lot more Quebec City-based visitors to OOB then Montreal-based.

[SectorZ]

I noticed the Maine Turnpike Authority on the Maine Turnpike Approach (Route 703) started lettering their exits at the gore as of 2021/04/09... not sure if it extends past this interchange and/or if the Scarborough Connector (Route 701) also got those lettered exits as well.

Does it matter if those overhead BGS got lettered exit tabs, let alone if this exit scheme (letters only) on this road is MUTCD-legal?

https://i.ibb.co/KXxgWfZ/Screenshot-2021-04-22-at-23-07-05.png
https://i.ibb.co/SmbbKPw/Screenshot-2021-04-22-at-23-06-44.png

Not sure if you're aware, but those exits have had posted letters for a while now. Starting in 2015 or 2016 they were posted on a separate tab underneath the exit sign, rather than in the main body of it, e.g.: https://goo.gl/maps/yg3ttr5jcrzaAqbD7

Prior to that, the ramp letters were indicated by a "RAMP X" sign on the right side of the ramp, opposite the gore sign, e.g.: https://goo.gl/maps/Brm2f4pBEutoFtYx8 Some of these signs remain, including the linked one.

Interesting to see that they are apparently now being treated as 'official' exit 'numbers' though!

They have these same lettered exit ramps in Kittery where I-95, US 1, US 1 Bypass, and ME 236 all converge. None have been upgraded to "exit X" like further north.

[fwydriver405]

I noticed the Maine Turnpike Authority on the Maine Turnpike Approach (Route 703) started lettering their exits at the gore as of 2021/04/09... not sure if it extends past this interchange and/or if the Scarborough Connector (Route 701) also got those lettered exits as well.

Does it matter if those overhead BGS got lettered exit tabs, let alone if this exit scheme (letters only) on this road is MUTCD-legal?

https://i.ibb.co/KXxgWfZ/Screenshot-2021-04-22-at-23-07-05.png
https://i.ibb.co/SmbbKPw/Screenshot-2021-04-22-at-23-06-44.png

Not sure if you're aware, but those exits have had posted letters for a while now. Starting in 2015 or 2016 they were posted on a separate tab underneath the exit sign, rather than in the main body of it, e.g.: https://goo.gl/maps/yg3ttr5jcrzaAqbD7

Prior to that, the ramp letters were indicated by a "RAMP X" sign on the right side of the ramp, opposite the gore sign, e.g.: https://goo.gl/maps/Brm2f4pBEutoFtYx8 Some of these signs remain, including the linked one.

Interesting to see that they are apparently now being treated as 'official' exit 'numbers' though!

Those Ramp X signs still remain as of Friday, 23 April. I believe the Scarborough Connector also received the same treatment, but I'll have to check when I go up to Orono this Tuesday.

[deathtopumpkins]

Those Ramp X signs still remain as of Friday, 23 April. I believe the Scarborough Connector also received the same treatment, but I'll have to check when I go up to Orono this Tuesday.

Yes, like I said, some of the "RAMP X" signs remain. I used ramp E yesterday, but it's been a little while since I've been on the Scarborough Connector, and I didn't think to check yesterday whether its signs had been changed too. Let us know what you find!

[fwydriver405]

Those Ramp X signs still remain as of Friday, 23 April. I believe the Scarborough Connector also received the same treatment, but I'll have to check when I go up to Orono this Tuesday.

Yes, like I said, some of the "RAMP X" signs remain. I used ramp E yesterday, but it's been a little while since I've been on the Scarborough Connector, and I didn't think to check yesterday whether its signs had been changed too. Let us know what you find!

The Scarborough Connector exit gore signs still have the EXIT signs with the letter at the bottom. Nothing like the signs on the ME Turnpike Approach. I believe the Scarborough Connector is a MaineDOT-maintained road, but I am not sure if that will receive the new signs. The Connector, however, does have "Ramp X" signs like the ME Turnpike Approach on all on and off ramps.

[sturmde]

Indeed, the division lines between MaineDOT and the MTA (Maine Turnpike Authority) are hard to discern around there.  Must be a joint project, as the new ORT for I-295 had to have involved both.  I'm not sure at what point... the responsibilities switch northbound on I-295 from the tollbooths from MTA to MaineDOT.  Perhaps to the "Maine Turnpike Connector", Maine State Route 703 (but an MTA facility) and on the tenth-mile markers.  All of that Connector is MTA from I-95 over to US 1.
.
The Scarborough Connector, Maine State Route 701 from I-295 to US 1 must be all MaineDOT.  Originally, I-295 was to have merged with the Maine Turnpike Connector and there would have only been the exit 45.  That was a crazy design, and thank goodness I-295 didn't end up doing that!
.
Ideally, MTA would build a "continuation" of I-295 westward to connect in Gorham and the Gorham bypass, looping up the east side of Gorham, west side of Westbrook returning to I-95 at Exit 52 as a "continuation" of the unsigned I-495 Falmouth Spur...  They could build with only ORT systems, and also have a relief route in case the mainline between Exit 45 and Exit 52 is shut down for an accident, etc.  It also would create a "commuter loop" lessening the infernal traffic on Portland/Westbrook/S Portland's bowl of spaghetti street system.

[yakra]

Indeed, the division lines between MaineDOT and the MTA (Maine Turnpike Authority) are hard to discern around there.  Must be a joint project, as the new ORT for I-295 had to have involved both.  I'm not sure at what point... the responsibilities switch northbound on I-295 from the tollbooths from MTA to MaineDOT.  Perhaps to the "Maine Turnpike Connector", Maine State Route 703 (but an MTA facility) and on the tenth-mile markers.  All of that Connector is MTA from I-95 over to US 1.

MaineDOT_Public_Roads shapefiles dated 2021-02-10 show the I-295 changeover at the location of the old toll plaza, and the route 703 changeover at the I-95 ramp gores. Eastbound, this is just a touch east of the Maine Mall Rd bridge, falling a bit short of the toll plaza, a wee bit into jurisdictn = State hwy territory.

The Scarborough Connector, Maine State Route 701 from I-295 to US 1 must be all MaineDOT.

Yes.

Originally, I-295 was to have merged with the Maine Turnpike Connector and there would have only been the exit 45.  That was a crazy design, and thank goodness I-295 didn't end up doing that!

Correct per contemporary newspaper articles. Yeah, that would overloaded the poor old Exit 45 complex, and a bypass would have become necessary at some point. Thank $deity MDOT thought better of that plan and built it proper from the get-go.

Ideally, MTA would build a "continuation" of I-295 westward to connect in Gorham and the Gorham bypass,

Such an extension of 703 is in the works; the wheels are turning, however slowly. Posted some links to news articles upthread. The reconstruction of Exit 45 is part of that plan.
What has been proposed for the very S end of I-295 are ramps to/from ME114 (see page 118 of this PDF).

The rest of your post isn't as "fictional" as it may sound, either...

looping up the east side of Gorham, west side of Westbrook

Sounds like you may mean, crossing ME25 at about the town line?
See "Scenarios Considered But Not Evaluated" on page 128 of that same PDF.

This scenario was not evaluated for three reasons: 1) the scenario would likely not improve eastwest mobility or reduce congestion above Roadway Improvement Scenario I or 2, 2) the scenario
would likely have a greater impact to natural and physical resources than Roadway Improvement
Scenario 1 or 2, and 3) north-south congestion issues documented in the Study Area are being
addressed by the proposed Maine Turnpike widening between Exits 44 and 52 in the future.
These improvements would likely eliminate the need for this scenario.

Or to look at this a different way... The Gorham Bypass was originally supposed to have two components -- the SW leg that opened about a decade ago was just a "Phase 1".
A northern bypass of ME25 was supposed to happen later on, depending on traffic need & funding availability & what-have-you, though it seems to have been quietly forgotten about now.

This roadway scenario, shown in Figure 7-5, was included and approved in the Final
Environmental Assessment for the Gorham Bypass Study, completed in October 2005. This
scenario provided a northerly bypass around the Gorham Village, beginning at the bottom of
Brandywine Hill on Route 25 and extending across to the intersection of Route 25 and 237
(Mosher Corner) in Gorham.
...
This scenario was not evaluated for two reasons: 1) the previously approved northerly bypass
was intended to address the need for additional east-west roadway capacity around Gorham
Village and in South Gorham which is provided in both roadway improvement scenarios, and ...

Makes sense really that this component is receiving less attention these days. If the proposed 703 extension takes a lot of thru traffic off of ME25 thru Gorham village, there's less need for this.
...Back to Mosher Corner though. What else would tie in there?

returning to I-95 at Exit 52 as a "continuation" of the unsigned I-495 Falmouth Spur...

The Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation Committee (PACTS) 2003 Destination Tomorrow Plan mentioned:

Falmouth Spur extension arterial to Gorham/Moshers Corner, in Falmouth,
Westbrook, Gorham

2006 Destination Tomorrow Plan mentioned:

Extend Falmouth Spur to Rt 25/Moshers Corner (Falmouth, Westbrook, Gorham)

Not much beyond that though; it doesn't appear the consideration it received was very serious or in-depth?

It also would create a "commuter loop" lessening the infernal traffic on Portland/Westbrook/S Portland's bowl of spaghetti street system.

These scenarios all together would create just such a commuter loop, if one that doesn't connect too seamlessly at ME25 on the west side of Gorham. Not that the odds of the full thing coming to fruition are all that good.
The 703 extension does look more promising, at least. And that's the big ticket item. I live near the E end of ME25, and would love it if I could hop on 295 and take a limited access road out toward Standish without having to frig around with Brighton, Westbrook or downtown Gorham.

A "Trippy Drive" Maine Edition side note:
The "Westbrook Expressway" was an alternative for I-295 considered before the South Portland route was eventually chosen. (Portland & Westbrook got the scaled-back Westbrook Arterial as a consolation prize, and even that was not all eventually built.) A map in the 1964-05-02 Portland Evening Express showed it bypassing Westbrook to the south, and ending at ME25 in Gorham after an interchange with New Portland Rd. The map isn't clear on where exactly the end is (and I'm too lazy ATM to dig up the accompanying article) but ISTR (Mandela Effect?) that it would be at or at least near -- you guessed it -- Mosher Corner. Imagine if all this crap actually got built. That would be a hell of an intersection. Would put Brighton/Deering/Falmouth to shame...

[fwydriver405]

4. On the major state routes that are non-freeway, like US 202 or SR 4, why are there no mile markers posted like what New Hampshire and Massachusetts does on those kinds of roads?

Well, a few days ago, I spotted a few mile markers on US-201 NB coming out of Brunswick, but not sure where they stopped only for the first 8 miles (12.8 km) before they disappered completely after that part. According to GSV, it looks like these were recently installed since 2013 GSV and beyond show the markers in place.

I don't know what other non-freeways (and limited-access segments as well) have mile markers in Maine, so it appears that it depends on the highway (though I have not seen them on other major, non-freeway/limited-access routes as well).

[sturmde]

4. On the major state routes that are non-freeway, like US 202 or SR 4, why are there no mile markers posted like what New Hampshire and Massachusetts does on those kinds of roads?

Well, a few days ago, I spotted a few mile markers on US-201 NB coming out of Brunswick, but not sure where they stopped only for the first 8 miles (12.8 km) before they disappered completely after that part. According to GSV, it looks like these were recently installed since 2013 GSV and beyond show the markers in place.

I don't know what other non-freeways (and limited-access segments as well) have mile markers in Maine, so it appears that it depends on the highway (though I have not seen them on other major, non-freeway/limited-access routes as well).

Those mile markers on US 201 were installed during the year and a half when I-295 southbound was closed and US 201 was the alternate route.  Both northbound and southbound lanes were totally rebuilt from just north of the ME 196 exit up to US 201/Gardiner.  It was done by putting northbound traffic on the southbound lanes, which gave a definite European feel that year.  Since southbound traffic had the I-95 MTA option at Gardiner, it made sense to shut down southbound.  Traffic travelling northbound from Yarmouth, Freeport, Brunswick, etc., didn't have that option so northbound remained switched over.  There was a temporary on-ramp from US 201 that can still be seen in Google Earth just north of the ME 196 Topsham exit.
.
After the I-295 rebuild project, the US 201 mile markers remained.  The only other non-Interstate Maine road I know with mile markers is ME 9 from Brewer to Woodland/Calais.

[fwydriver405]

Question regarding the old Maine Turnpike sequential exit numbers before the mile based exit numbers in 2004. Was Exit 1 on the Maine Turnpike:

- the York Toll Plaza, similar how the Allston-Brighton toll plaza on the Mass. Pike was exit 19 before the exit renumbering project?
- the SB exit for York (current exit 7, old exit 4) on the Maine Turnpike?
- non-existent in the first place?

[SectorZ]

Question regarding the old Maine Turnpike sequential exit numbers before the mile based exit numbers in 2004. Was Exit 1 on the Maine Turnpike:

- the York Toll Plaza, similar how the Allston-Brighton toll plaza on the Mass. Pike was exit 19 before the exit renumbering project?
- the SB exit for York (current exit 7, old exit 4) on the Maine Turnpike?
- non-existent in the first place?

http://bangorinfo.com/Special/new_maine_exits.html

It went 1, 2, 3, 4 (at York, now exit 7), then re-started at exit 2 (now exit 19).

So there was technically no exit 1 on the Maine Tpke, just an exit 1 on I-95 after coming in from NH.

[shadyjay]

Prior to the redesignation and renumbering of exits in c 2004, I-95's exit numbers didn't make much sense at all.  1-4, then resetting at 2.  And then when I-95 left the turnpike at Exit 9, the next I-95 exit was 15.  Over the years I've solved the "southern end" mystery, but still a little vague on the central exit jump. 

Originally, the Maine Turnpike was built from basically the Kittery traffic circle, on to its existing route.  Search around on Google Maps north of the circle, the direct ramp from US 1 North to I-95 North, you'll notice an overpass for US 1 South overhead is wide enough for 2 carriageways.  Additional searching on old TOPO maps of the area has revealed there was a toll plaza in Kittery, somewhere north of today's Exit 3.  After the toll plaza, the next exit would have been Exit 2 (today's Exit 19) in Wells.  So that would've made Exit 1 be assigned to the toll plaza. 

Once the high bridge was built (today's I-95) over the Piscataqua River, this introduced I-95 Exits 1,2,3.  Most likely it was about this time that the former Exit 1/now Exit 7 was built and the toll plaza built just to the north.  Maps through the 70s into the early 'naughts identified this exit as Exit 1, even though it was signed on I-95 as Exit 4.  Also, the mile markers were different.  Maine Tpke MM 0 I believe was at the York toll plaza.  It is possible that Maine Tpke "transferred" the portion from Kittery to Exit 4/7 to MaineDOT in order to allow free travel up to York.  Also at the time, you didn't see any "Welcome to the Maine Turnpike" signage until you were at or past the toll plaza.  Up until the mid 90s, you got a ticket at York and headed on north, while surrendering your ticket SB. 

THe exit jump from 9 to 15 I'm not sure about, in Portland-North on the Falmouth Spur.  One solution is that you had I-95 Exits 1,2,3,4 then Turnpike Exits 2,3,4,5,6,6A,7,8,9.  If you made them all sequential, you'd have Exits 1-13.  That would've kept an exit # in reserve (for one of the unbuilt-at-the-time Portland exits) or for another ramp.  Then 15 was the next number, used for the US 1 ramps at the east end of the Falmouth Spur.  Really old turnpike maps actually show the US 1 exit at the end of the Falmouth Spur as Exit 9, meaning the spur's exit off the mainline was unnumbered. 

At the north end, I remember the exits going from 28 to 15 to 31, with 15 being the first Augusta exit heading north.  If you were coming north from "free I-95", you encountered the toll plaza just past then-Exit 28 (the one that is being upgraded with express EZ-Pass lanes), got a ticket, then entered the turnpike and encountered another toll plaza just south of then-Exit 15/now-Exit 109.  Here, you surrendered your ticket and entered "free I-95".  Later, Exit 15 became I-95 Exit 30, the Augusta toll plaza was removed, and fixed rate barriers replaced the ticket system. 

The "great redesignation", it made things a heck of a lot simpler for everyone.  I-95's rerouting on the Maine Turnpike kept a single solitary exit sequence, from 1 in the south to 305 in the north.  I recall at the time something about I-95's lost mileage being added to the system... this would've been the 7 miles between the high bridge and the York tolls.  And in even more recent times (the past couple years), the Maine Turnpike signage has been extended right to the Piscataqua bridge, where you now see small "BEGIN/END MAINE TURNPIKE trailblazers.  I applaud Maine for not going with the early-on routing of I-495 on the Falmouth Spur and what was free I-95.  Having I-495 being a "secret" designation for the Falmouth Spur leads to the least confusion for motorists.  "Free I-95" is a natural extension of I-295 up from Portland, and it made sense to just extend that route right up to Gardiner. 

Boy, I wish I had the luxury of digital cameras back in the 80s/90s during some of my trips to Maine, as it would've been helpful and informative now. 

[SectorZ]

Prior to the redesignation and renumbering of exits in c 2004, I-95's exit numbers didn't make much sense at all.  1-4, then resetting at 2.  And then when I-95 left the turnpike at Exit 9, the next I-95 exit was 15.  Over the years I've solved the "southern end" mystery, but still a little vague on the central exit jump. 

Originally, the Maine Turnpike was built from basically the Kittery traffic circle, on to its existing route.  Search around on Google Maps north of the circle, the direct ramp from US 1 North to I-95 North, you'll notice an overpass for US 1 South overhead is wide enough for 2 carriageways.  Additional searching on old TOPO maps of the area has revealed there was a toll plaza in Kittery, somewhere north of today's Exit 3.  After the toll plaza, the next exit would have been Exit 2 (today's Exit 19) in Wells.  So that would've made Exit 1 be assigned to the toll plaza. 

Once the high bridge was built (today's I-95) over the Piscataqua River, this introduced I-95 Exits 1,2,3.  Most likely it was about this time that the former Exit 1/now Exit 7 was built and the toll plaza built just to the north.  Maps through the 70s into the early 'naughts identified this exit as Exit 1, even though it was signed on I-95 as Exit 4.  Also, the mile markers were different.  Maine Tpke MM 0 I believe was at the York toll plaza.  It is possible that Maine Tpke "transferred" the portion from Kittery to Exit 4/7 to MaineDOT in order to allow free travel up to York.  Also at the time, you didn't see any "Welcome to the Maine Turnpike" signage until you were at or past the toll plaza.  Up until the mid 90s, you got a ticket at York and headed on north, while surrendering your ticket SB. 

THe exit jump from 9 to 15 I'm not sure about, in Portland-North on the Falmouth Spur.  One solution is that you had I-95 Exits 1,2,3,4 then Turnpike Exits 2,3,4,5,6,6A,7,8,9.  If you made them all sequential, you'd have Exits 1-13.  That would've kept an exit # in reserve (for one of the unbuilt-at-the-time Portland exits) or for another ramp.  Then 15 was the next number, used for the US 1 ramps at the east end of the Falmouth Spur.  Really old turnpike maps actually show the US 1 exit at the end of the Falmouth Spur as Exit 9, meaning the spur's exit off the mainline was unnumbered. 

At the north end, I remember the exits going from 28 to 15 to 31, with 15 being the first Augusta exit heading north.  If you were coming north from "free I-95", you encountered the toll plaza just past then-Exit 28 (the one that is being upgraded with express EZ-Pass lanes), got a ticket, then entered the turnpike and encountered another toll plaza just south of then-Exit 15/now-Exit 109.  Here, you surrendered your ticket and entered "free I-95".  Later, Exit 15 became I-95 Exit 30, the Augusta toll plaza was removed, and fixed rate barriers replaced the ticket system. 

The "great redesignation", it made things a heck of a lot simpler for everyone.  I-95's rerouting on the Maine Turnpike kept a single solitary exit sequence, from 1 in the south to 305 in the north.  I recall at the time something about I-95's lost mileage being added to the system... this would've been the 7 miles between the high bridge and the York tolls.  And in even more recent times (the past couple years), the Maine Turnpike signage has been extended right to the Piscataqua bridge, where you now see small "BEGIN/END MAINE TURNPIKE trailblazers.  I applaud Maine for not going with the early-on routing of I-495 on the Falmouth Spur and what was free I-95.  Having I-495 being a "secret" designation for the Falmouth Spur leads to the least confusion for motorists.  "Free I-95" is a natural extension of I-295 up from Portland, and it made sense to just extend that route right up to Gardiner. 

Boy, I wish I had the luxury of digital cameras back in the 80s/90s during some of my trips to Maine, as it would've been helpful and informative now.

Excellent summary 

[shadyjay]

https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/topoexplorer/index.html

This site is excellent for viewing old USGS quad maps.  Just type in Kittery, ME and then click on the area of today's Exit 3 on I-95, then choose 1955.  What is listed as "Interchange 1" is the present site of where the ramp to I-95 North leaves US 1 North just north of the Kittery circle.  The US 1 South overpass which curves after passing over the ramp from US 1 Byp North to I-95 North is the other ramp shown, as is the present loop ramp from US 1 South to I-95 North just after the outlets (this ramp is most likely the original ramp, as it empties into the ramp from US 1 Bypass North to I-95 North, to meet up with I-95 later.  "Tollgate" is shown just north of where the ramps meet to begin the Maine Turnpike.  There's an old postcard I've seen on EBAY with "MAINE TURNPIKE" lettering on the overpass.  Its most likely that spot. 

This is the area I'm talking about.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1070992,-70.7411452,17.43z

And this is most likely the location of the MAINE TURNPIKE lettering... the original northbound carriageway is abandoned.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1076854,-70.7412634,3a,47.8y,25.15h,87.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sk37Wjzisyd2KmEE_qozMrg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[yakra]

Prior to the redesignation and renumbering of exits in c 2004, I-95's exit numbers didn't make much sense at all.  1-4, then resetting at 2.  And then when I-95 left the turnpike at Exit 9, the next I-95 exit was 15.  Over the years I've solved the "southern end" mystery, but still a little vague on the central exit jump. 

There were I-95 exit numbers, and then there were turnpike exit numbers. The I-95 numbers made sense as long as you ignore the stretch of turnpike numbers in the middle...

Once the high bridge was built (today's I-95) over the Piscataqua River, this introduced I-95 Exits 1,2,3.  Most likely it was about this time that the former Exit 1/now Exit 7 was built and the toll plaza built just to the north.

1973 and 1974 topos bear this out. Scroll SW and you'll also see the the Piscataqua River Bridge was new in 1974.

Maps through the 70s into the early 'naughts identified this exit as Exit 1, even though it was signed on I-95 as Exit 4.

Contemporary MDOT maps don't show exit numbers at all. Be cooler if they did.
I do see this on the 1994 topo, though USGS can't necessarily be trusted with exit numbers -- see Scarborough thru Falmouth Spur.

It is possible that Maine Tpke "transferred" the portion from Kittery to Exit 4/7 to MaineDOT in order to allow free travel up to York.

I doubt this; MTA wouldn't need a jurisdiction change to allow free travel on part of their road if they wanted. For example, travel is free between Auburn & Sabattus today.
In contrast, MTA recently bought out the stretch from the Piscataqua River Bridge to the Spruce Creek bridge at mile 2.2. Makes sense to have the agency that makes a load of revenue from I-95 be in charge of maintaining I-95 in good shape here. Shapefiles suggest this happened between 2014 & 2016, consistent with this sign disappearing between 2011 & 2018.

Up at the north end, when Exit 113 opened in 2004, 4 more miles from Exit 109 were designated as a Turnpike extension, to allow heavy trucks to bypass weight limits on free Interstates. (Bostonroads.com has a good summary.).
Shapefiles still show this as State hwy rather than Toll hwy jurisdiction, however.

THe exit jump from 9 to 15 I'm not sure about, in Portland-North on the Falmouth Spur.  One solution is that you had I-95 Exits 1,2,3,4 then Turnpike Exits 2,3,4,5,6,6A,7,8,9.  If you made them all sequential, you'd have Exits 1-13.  That would've kept an exit # in reserve (for one of the unbuilt-at-the-time Portland exits) or for another ramp.

This.
Exit 12 would have been for the Westbrook Arterial, a scaled-back consolation prize from when the Westbrook Expressway, an early alternative for I-295, was dropped in the mid-60s in favor of the South Portland route. It was planned to extend eastward through the Fore River estuary, to connect to I-295 Exit 5A, hence the weird ramp layout there. This stalled (in the 70s?) due to environmental concerns and was eventually cancelled; the extra exit 5 ramps sat unused until the Fore River Parkway was conceived in the aughts.
For many years the part of the Arterial that did get built extended only as far as Larrabee Road. My friends and I used to have a wicked guwud time slaloming through "the S-curves" when commuting between the University of Southern Maine's Gorham & Portland campuses. Gotta wonder if that layout was to allow for construction of a planned interchange dead ahead, similar to NS107's W end.
Eventually, 2002-2003ish, it was extended across the Turnpike and Exit 7B (now 47) opened.

Then 15 was the next number, used for the US 1 ramps at the east end of the Falmouth Spur.  Really old turnpike maps actually show the US 1 exit at the end of the Falmouth Spur as Exit 9, meaning the spur's exit off the mainline was unnumbered. 

I wouldn't reach the same conclusion here. Maybe they were taking their clues from USGS & similar, which as noted had some wires crossed. This doesn't smell right.

At the north end, I remember the exits going from 28 to 15 to 31, with 15 being the first Augusta exit heading north.  If you were coming north from "free I-95", you encountered the toll plaza just past then-Exit 28 (the one that is being upgraded with express EZ-Pass lanes), got a ticket, then entered the turnpike and encountered another toll plaza

This one replaced this one.

just south of then-Exit 15/now-Exit 109.  Here, you surrendered your ticket and entered "free I-95".  Later, Exit 15 became I-95 Exit 30, the Augusta toll plaza was removed, and fixed rate barriers replaced the ticket system. 

Southbound, pass Exit 30, take Exit 14B to Free I-95, then pass Exit 28.

And in even more recent times (the past couple years), the Maine Turnpike signage has been extended right to the Piscataqua bridge, where you now see small "BEGIN/END MAINE TURNPIKE trailblazers.

Blink, blink... did I even read your post?

I applaud Maine for not going with the early-on routing of I-495 on the Falmouth Spur and what was free I-95.

Wait, what? Was that actually proposed at some point? That makes little sense in terms of continuity & simplification.
ISTR that MDOT's first AASHTO application involved the Falmouth Spur becoming unnumbered. Then it was amended to include the I-495 designation.

Having I-495 being a "secret" designation for the Falmouth Spur leads to the least confusion for motorists.  "Free I-95" is a natural extension of I-295 up from Portland, and it made sense to just extend that route right up to Gardiner. 

Agreed.

Boy, I wish I had the luxury of digital cameras back in the 80s/90s during some of my trips to Maine, as it would've been helpful and informative now.

Oh yuht.
https://www.interstate-guide.com/i-295-me/ has a couple photos of Exit 15.
I regret never capturing Maine's last button copy sign which lingered until the 2010s on the Exit 103 offramp...

Originally, the Maine Turnpike was built from basically the Kittery traffic circle, on to its existing route.  Search around on Google Maps north of the circle, the direct ramp from US 1 North to I-95 North, you'll notice an overpass for US 1 South overhead is wide enough for 2 carriageways.  Additional searching on old TOPO maps of the area has revealed there was a toll plaza in Kittery, somewhere north of today's Exit 3.  After the toll plaza, the next exit would have been Exit 2 (today's Exit 19) in Wells.  So that would've made Exit 1 be assigned to the toll plaza. 

https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/topoexplorer/index.html

This site is excellent for viewing old USGS quad maps.  Just type in Kittery, ME and then click on the area of today's Exit 3 on I-95, then choose 1955.  What is listed as "Interchange 1" is the present site of where the ramp to I-95 North leaves US 1 North just north of the Kittery circle.  The US 1 South overpass which curves after passing over the ramp from US 1 Byp North to I-95 North is the other ramp shown, as is the present loop ramp from US 1 South to I-95 North just after the outlets (this ramp is most likely the original ramp, as it empties into the ramp from US 1 Bypass North to I-95 North, to meet up with I-95 later.  "Tollgate" is shown just north of where the ramps meet to begin the Maine Turnpike.

https://historicaerials.com/location/43.110175/-70.739830/1962/17

There's an old postcard I've seen on EBAY with "MAINE TURNPIKE" lettering on the overpass.  Its most likely that spot. 

This one?

http://www.bostonroads.com/roads/me-turnpike/

[Beeper1]

It is possible that Maine Tpke "transferred" the portion from Kittery to Exit 4/7 to MaineDOT in order to allow free travel up to York.

I doubt this; MTA wouldn't need a jurisdiction change to allow free travel on part of their road if they wanted. For example, travel is free between Auburn & Sabattus today.
In contrast, MTA recently bought out the stretch from the Piscataqua River Bridge to the Spruce Creek bridge at mile 2.2. Makes sense to have the agency that makes a load of revenue from I-95 be in charge of maintaining I-95 in good shape here. Shapefiles suggest this happened between 2014 & 2016, consistent with this sign disappearing between 2011 & 2018.

Up at the north end, when Exit 113 opened in 2004, 4 more miles from Exit 109 were designated as a Turnpike extension, to allow heavy trucks to bypass weight limits on free Interstates. (Bostonroads.com has a good summary.).
Shapefiles still show this as State hwy rather than Toll hwy jurisdiction, however.

The section from Kittery to York became toll free as a result of the widening of that stretch from 4 to 6 lanes in the late 1970s (or possible early 80s).  This was the first attempt at widening the pike and went to around milepost 10 or so.  The MTA accepted special federal money to pay for most of it and as a condition of taking that money, most of the section worked on had to be made toll-free.  This is why the toll plaza was moved north to York after exit 7 was built. (I think the York interchange was built as part of this widening project.)