Maine

[sipes23]

Back in 2003, before I was a roadgeek who'd committed the route to memory, a blown fuse took my interior light out of commission, preventing me from reading my written directions. So for simplicity, I stayed on I-95 all the way from I-278 to Scarborough.

And to tie your mention of the 04074 (fond memories) and moose in this thread, it's the only place I've come close to hitting one. I was tooling down the Payne Road at about 50, and there it was. Square in the road. It turns out that my brakes did work, but just enough to not hit it.

[KEVIN_224]

You must've been down Payne Road quite a distance then! The northern end of becomes commercial pretty quick once by the South Portland city line! I walked it to Gallery Boulevard a while back and nothing was out of the ordinary! Of course, it was in the middle of the afternoon, but still.

[yakra]

ME26 has been truncated by one block. Two days ago, I noticed that the END sign is now posted at the corner of Cumberland Avenue.

Used to be, that despite the END sign posted at Congress St, on paper (or, in the shapefiles if you prefer) the designation turned south on Cumberland to end at State St (AKA ME77 south north). However, NO signage in the field reflected this.

Now, even the shapefiles (2014-10-28 file date; DATE_MOD attribute = 2014-10-26, FWIW) and field signage agree: Mile 0 is at Cumberland & Washington.)

[Dougtone]

An article about nine scenic drives around the State of Maine.
http://themainemag.com/play/a-list/2730-scenic-drives.html

The article includes drives around the coast near Acadia National Park, Moosehead Lake and more.

[The Nature Boy]

http://www.pressherald.com/2011/10/27/its-a-plot_2011-10-27/

There's a bit here about the Hatch-Mitchell Cemetery right at the side of the Maine Turnpike in Kennebunk.

[SectorZ]

http://www.pressherald.com/2011/10/27/its-a-plot_2011-10-27/

There's a bit here about the Hatch-Mitchell Cemetery right at the side of the Maine Turnpike in Kennebunk.

I think I'll pass on the pet cemetery. Thanks Stephen King for that.

[Ian]

http://www.pressherald.com/2011/10/27/its-a-plot_2011-10-27/

There's a bit here about the Hatch-Mitchell Cemetery right at the side of the Maine Turnpike in Kennebunk.

Hah, I've passed by that cemetery probably hundreds of times and was always curious about it. Thanks for the link!

[1995hoo]

I was curious about something.  I remember in the early 80's at (I think it was) the York Toll Plaza on I-95 Northbound, they had signs over the toll plazas that would flash a message of some kind.

Anyone remember this and know what the messages were?

I can't say I remember signs at the toll plaza that flashed a message, but I recall there was some sort of overhead sign shortly after you crossed the bridge on I-95 from New Hampshire that would flash a "SLOW DOWN" sort of message (I do not remember the exact words) if you were going "too fast." The sign flashed at my father every time we went through there, which is why I remember there being something like this. I do not remember any such sign being there on my most recent trip through Maine in 2008, but then I wasn't speeding either (as an experiment I was seeing how it would be if I just went 65 the whole time).

[PHLBOS]

I was curious about something.  I remember in the early 80's at (I think it was) the York Toll Plaza on I-95 Northbound, they had signs over the toll plazas that would flash a message of some kind.

Anyone remember this and know what the messages were?

I can't say I remember signs at the toll plaza that flashed a message, but I recall there was some sort of overhead sign shortly after you crossed the bridge on I-95 from New Hampshire that would flash a "SLOW DOWN" sort of message (I do not remember the exact words) if you were going "too fast." The sign flashed at my father every time we went through there, which is why I remember there being something like this. I do not remember any such sign being there on my most recent trip through Maine in 2008, but then I wasn't speeding either (as an experiment I was seeing how it would be if I just went 65 the whole time).

Those flash/light-up signs that you're referring to were ones that reminded motorists that the speed limit, at the time, was 55 mph.  If one drove faster than 55; the sign would light-up or flash SPEED OVER 55 TOO FAST.  The signs were taken down once 65 mph speed limits returned to Maine circa 1987-1988.

[Pete from Boston]

An article about nine scenic drives around the State of Maine.
http://themainemag.com/play/a-list/2730-scenic-drives.html

The article includes drives around the coast near Acadia National Park, Moosehead Lake and more.

Great list.  I'm particularly fond of the Rangeley/Mooselookmeguntic route.  Fall's a great time to wander around Maine, as is every other time.

[KEVIN_224]

I like how Old Orchard Beach was added to this entrance sign, like an afterthought! Many French people finishing their shopping at the Maine Mall, heading back to said resort town? This one is at the end of the Maine Turnpike approach road in South Portland:



This onramp sign is by Exit 45, west of PWM-Portland Jetport, close to the Portland/South Portland town line:

[The Nature Boy]

I'm not a terribly huge fan of Kittery as a control city (and it appears as such as far north as Augusta). OOB should be the control city instead of Kittery.

[KEVIN_224]

It probably won't appear, as you'd have to access it from Exit 36 (I-195 East Saco/O.O.B.) first. I think Biddeford or York would make more sense.

[froggie]

Kittery was likely used because it's the last town in the state along 95.

[The Nature Boy]

It probably won't appear, as you'd have to access it from Exit 36 (I-195 East Saco/O.O.B.) first. I think Biddeford or York would make more sense.

I-195 is such a short 3di that it still isn't unreasonable to use it as a control city. Boston is an I-95 control city and as we know, I-95 never actually goes into Boston and Boston is even farther from I-95 than OOB is.

And I always assumed that Kittery was used because Maine DOT didn't want to sign "Portsmouth NH" and just figured that Kittery would be close enough.

[Alps]

Kittery has a bunch of stuff going on - popular shopping and day destination, Weathervane (like Red Lobster but good). I've always been a fan of keeping it on signs.


(Plus it sounds like "kitty," which may be that reason I can't put my finger on why I like the name so much. That and the Weathervane and Bypass 1, all of which I thought were cool as balls as a kid.)

[The Nature Boy]

Kittery has a bunch of stuff going on - popular shopping and day destination, Weathervane (like Red Lobster but good). I've always been a fan of keeping it on signs.


(Plus it sounds like "kitty," which may be that reason I can't put my finger on why I like the name so much. That and the Weathervane and Bypass 1, all of which I thought were cool as balls as a kid.)

I mean, I'm with you on the shopping destination but Weathervane is a Northern New England based chain that happens to have its only Maine location in Kittery.

(And its corporate headquarters oddly enough)

[KEVIN_224]

I still hate states as control cities.

[PHLBOS]

(Plus it sounds like "kitty," which may be that reason I can't put my finger on why I like the name so much.

My brother used to refer to Kittery as Kitty-rie.

I still hate states as control cities.

That's an old sign which predated MUTCD's ban on using states as control destinations.  Chances are the listing will change to actual cities (Portsmouth/Boston perhaps) if it's replaced (many pull-throughs get eliminated vs. replaced).

[shadyjay]

Funny thing with those control "cities"...

Look in the distance on the Exit 2 c&d roadway... that assembly was recently replaced, gantry signs and all, a couple years ago, and it still has the "New Hampshire/Massachusetts" control points as does the mainline pullthrough.  But, the onramp from US 1 South at this location had its points changed to "Portsmouth/Boston".  Not to mention the pullthroughs on I-95 NB in Portsmouth which are also recent installations which either say "To All Maine Points", "Maine Points", or just "Maine". 

So you never know. 

[KEVIN_224]

As soon as you hit the bridge at the state line, you get the first I-95 South pull through sign which reads "Hampton/Boston".

[Pete from Boston]

I'm not a terribly huge fan of Kittery as a control city (and it appears as such as far north as Augusta). OOB should be the control city instead of Kittery.

I don't think of OOB as a big destination.  I vacationed there once, but it still feels like a pretty minor destination.  Kittery has a state line, and Portsmouth next door.

[KEVIN_224]

I still think Biddeford would make more sense than Kittery.

Just for fun, I'm wondering when the Scarborough connector highway was built. I can imagine how different the traffic patter near the Maine Mall would be without it.

[shadyjay]

I've always wondered why BGSs for the Scarborough Connector leave out the BEACH in OLD ORCHARD BEACH, as seen here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.630853,-70.313356,3a,66.8y,222.13h,87.81t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sUcdN3d16nTht9Ut0hdhBEg!2e0

Older signage, from the Maine Tpke east/west Access Road at this location also say "OLD ORCHARD".

Also, it would make more sense, since US 1 has been rerouted in Portland onto I-295, to reroute US 1 onto the Scarborough Connector.  Then extend US 1A down to the southern end of the connector over present US 1.

The Maine Turnpike Access Road is also signed as a "secret route" of sorts... small mile markers along the route call it "703".  Google Maps calls the Scarborough Connector "701".  Anywhere else in Maine have secret routes, or is it more of a turnpike authority thing?  Though I don't think the SC is part of the turnpike authority.

[The Nature Boy]

I'm not a terribly huge fan of Kittery as a control city (and it appears as such as far north as Augusta). OOB should be the control city instead of Kittery.

I don't think of OOB as a big destination.  I vacationed there once, but it still feels like a pretty minor destination.  Kittery has a state line, and Portsmouth next door.

Old Orchard Beach appears on signs on the Augusta area and is on mileage signs whereas Kittery really isn't. For at least consistency's sake, I would sign OOB that far north. Or at the very least Biddeford or even Saco.

It does seem odd to me that NH and MA refuse to sign Portland, Maine as a control city. I can understand MA but for NH to just use "Maine" or "All Maine Points" just strikes me as odd.