Maine Turnpike tolls (Re: NY Thruway Berkshire Spur)

[NE2]

For comparison, http://historical.mytopo.com/getImage.asp?fname=gard57ne.jpg&state=ME is before I-(2)95 was built.

[yakra]

Perhaps before I-95 through Kittery was built, and all traffic had to use US1 Bypass, then it was signed Exit 1.  

You mean US1Byp signed as Exit 1, right? If so, yeah, that's my suspicion.

The south end of the Turnpike in 1956. The map doesn't say "Interchange 1", as compared to the other interchanges on the old Topos, but I wouldn't say that means too much in this case.

For the York diamond to make sense, it has to have to barrier toll north of it. Otherwise (when it was 1st built), where to get your ticket SB, or pay your toll NB? So, I'm thinking... the York exit always continued the 1-2-3-4 sequence of Free I-95.

I never noticed that the present day I-295/Turnpike barrier in Gardiner is actually underneath the loop ramp bridge which connected (present day) I-295 NB to the turnpike SB.  Now looking at the Google Map street view, I can see that now.  I guess that's why the bridge hasn't been taken down, even though its been out of use for years.

Maine likes to leave old bridges standing. I believe the old Exit 5 bridge remained in place until the pike was widened there in the early 2000s.

Looking at those old topo maps from Gardiner, it seems that there was a point in time when the ramps at Turnpike Exit 14(A) were not used, and that traffic utilized Exit 14(B) to present day I-295, pass through the barrier, and encounter the diamond interchange with 9/126.  Interesting.  Perhaps it was done to save money to only have a single barrier to staff with toll collectors.  

Agreed. That was probably a big piece of the puzzle as well.

[NE2]

The south end of the Turnpike in 1956. The map doesn't say "Interchange 1", as compared to the other interchanges on the old Topos, but I wouldn't say that means too much in this case.

Exit 1 would most likely have been the barrier toll, not the interchange just to the south. The New Jersey Turnpike is still this way (the exits at the south end have no numbers); I think "exit 1" only appears on toll tickets.

[shadyjay]

I didn't realize that there was no EXIT 4 before they built I-95 through Kittery, over the Piscataqua, to points south.  The old topos show no interchange between Kittery and Wells.  Most likely, Turnpike Exit 1 was the toll plaza.  Just the atlases prior to the exit numbering had it wrong, designating former EXIT 4 as EXIT 1, perhaps due to tight spacing issues on the maps.

[vdeane]

That's how the Thruway does it as well; "exit 15" on the ticket is actually the Woodbury toll barrier located in exit 16; you even have to pass exit 15A before you get to the real exit 15.  Note: this is not an issue at Cannan, Williamsville, Lackawanna, or Ripley.

The way the MassPike does it is insane, though.  Somehow exit 1 is correct, but you have the messes at exits 14/15 and 18/19/20.

[yakra]

I think that, originally, the Gardiner barrier was the north end of the ticket system, and there was no barrier at New Gloucester.

The N end of the ticket system woulda been the now-obliterated barrier shadyjay linked above. Get your ticket @ Lewiston or Now-295 and pay @ the barrier. Or vice versa.

That was why, for years, there were unused toll booths on the ramps at the Auburn and Lewiston interchanges.

Yeah man, I remember those puppies! Still there in 2000-2001ish... Gone by 2002, maybe?

At some point (late 80s-ish?), the barrier at New Gloucester was built and the ticket system was cut back to there, with Gardiner becoming a cash barrier in both directions and...

I bet the West Gardiner mainline toll barrier was built at the same time as New Gloucester, and has always served as a cash (slash transpass slash EZpass) barrier both directions since.
It's possible that it could have operated as cash (etc.) barrier SB and give-ticket-give-money toll NB before that point in time, but I see no reason to build an extra booth and cut the ticket system back to just there, for no real tangible gain, before making the L-A area interchanges free.

I believe the plan to remove the ramp tolls was scrapped, but they are still planning to relocate the York barrer to a safer location.

There has been some very vocal NIMBY opposition to creating a new toll barrier in York.
My opinion: the existing plaza, while less than shiny ideal-world perfect, nonetheless works fine. No need to go to the expense and trouble of replacing it.
I thought maybe this idea had been put to rest, maybe around the time LePage came into office and Paul Violette had his fall from grace. But what do I know; looks like it's still on the table.

[yakra]

NE2 & shayjay -- Yeah. Exit 1 being the southernmost barrier, I'd find pretty plausible.

deanej: NYST from Tappan Zee south -- it that all cash?
And does the MassPike have, like, one number 18/19/20 for each plaza we see here?

[vdeane]

South of Woodbury the Thruway uses a barrier system with tolls at Spring Valley (trucks only; high speed ez-pass), Tappan Zee, and Yonkers.

On the MassPike, exit 18 is I-90 east to the local roads; exit 19 is the barrier on I-90; exit 20 is I-90 west to the local roads.