Interstate 95 in Maine

[US 41]

Didn't the Maine turnpike in Maine use to be I-495 and I-95 ran along the current I-295. I'm curious into why Maine rerouted I-95.

[1995hoo]

You are correct. I-95 went up to what is now I-495, then cut across and ran up the "free" route past Brunswick. I-295 ran from the same place where it currently ends to the spot where it met I-95. The Maine Turnpike was I-495 between the interchanges where I-95 departed.

The reason for the way it used to be is that once upon a time the Maine Turnpike wasn't numbered. When the I-95 numbering came through, it ran along the free route to the east through that area and the segment of the Maine Turnpike in question was left unnumbered. When Congress amended the National Maximum Speed Law in 1987 to allow 65-mph speed limits on rural Interstates, however, that segment of the Turnpike wasn't eligible because it wasn't an Interstate. So it was numbered as I-495 (the next logical even-numbered 3di available in Maine since I-295 was in use) and the 65-mph signs went up.

But a lot of people found the convoluted route numbering to be confusing, and it also made the exit numbering weird because of I-95 exiting and rejoining and because the Maine Turnpike had its own set of exit numbers (sort of like how I-87 in New York has a set of numbers south of the Thruway, then the Thruway numbers, then the Northway numbers–but in Maine it was over a much smaller distance). So eventually they rerouted I-95 onto the thru route (the Maine Turnpike), extended I-295 north over former "free I-95," and changed I-95 to use milepost numbering for the exits.

What I just said is what the State gave as the rationale. The cynic would note another logical reason for the renumbering: By making all of the Turnpike I-95, longer-distance motorists unfamiliar with the area might be more inclined to stay on the toll road instead of exiting to follow (old) I-95 (now I-295) because that's the "thru" number. (If you know the area, you'd use some or all of I-295 anyway because it's a shorter route, and if you're really savvy on the northbound drive you'd avoid the toll at the I-295 exit by using the next exit to the north.)


Edited to add: Here's a link (.PDF) to the brochure they handed out back in 2003—04 about the renumbering: http://www.maine.gov/mdot/pdf/redesignation_brochure.pdf

[US 41]

Thanks.

[KEVIN_224]

Thank goodness for the renumbering, too! The old exits went 1, 2, 3, 4, [York Toll Plaza], 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. Now that's 1, 2, 3 (all Kittery), 7 (York), [York Toll Plaza], 19 (Wells), 25 (Kennebunk), 32 (Biddeford), 36 (Saco/O.O.B.), etc.

[1995hoo]

BTW, follow-up on my previous comment just in case it was unclear. Present-day I-495 in Maine is unsigned. It's the "Falmouth Spur"–tiny little connector route between I-95 and I-295 north of the Portland area. That brochure I linked in my prior post referred to that segment as a "ramp."

[KEVIN_224]

This is how said roadway is signed today from I-295 North (take in May of 2011):

[cpzilliacus]

Anyone here remember when I-95 was a Super-2 highway between Bangor and Houlton?

It widened out to four lane divided at the interchanges, but was two lanes most of the rest of the way.  There were lots of signs reminding drivers that they were on a two-lane Interstate highway, with quite a few NO PASSING zones.

[yakra]

There are no ramps from 295 north or to 295 south. Those movements are Breezewooded via Bucknam Rd and US-1. Signage for That, more precisely, is what Kevin's photo shows.
The exit from 295 south for the Falmouth Spur is signed as Exit 11.
No [TO] signage; it's just signed with (95) and Turnpike trailblazers themselves, as 495 is considered pretty much a glorified ramp.
Also: It may not have I-495 shields on it, but it does have a Maine Turnpike shield.

[swbrotha100]

Maine had the right idea with renumbering. When will the other New England states ever get with the program? Also NY and DE should consider renumbering their exits in the (distant) future.

As far as the 75 mph speed limit in Maine, will there ever be a 75 mph speed limit in other eastern states?

[amroad17]

Other than the Thruway between Buffalo and Syracuse, no.

[PHLBOS]

When will the other New England states ever get with the program? Also NY and DE should consider renumbering their exits in the (distant) future.

According to the info. in a couple other threads, MA & NY are indeed planning on phasing in mile-marker-based exit numbering within the next few years. 

Regarding DE, when DE 1 was first built it indeed had mile-marker-based exit numbers but then it changed over to kilometer-based exit numbers shortly thereafter.

[1995hoo]

Maine had the right idea with renumbering. When will the other New England states ever get with the program? Also NY and DE should consider renumbering their exits in the (distant) future.

As far as the 75 mph speed limit in Maine, will there ever be a 75 mph speed limit in other eastern states?

Considering that Maine is the only state northeast of Virginia and West Virginia that posts even a single segment at anything above 65 mph, I wouldn't hold my breath for that. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those states finally posted 70-mph limits on some roads, but 75? None of them ever even had 75-mph limits prior to the NMSL. I believe I saw a map somewhere showing that Tennessee was the only state east of the Mississippi to post a 75-mph limit back then (though I have no idea whether that limit was their prevailing freeway limit or whether, like Maine, it was just on one segment).

Back in 1995 when the NMSL finally joined Prohibition I kind of expected Alabama and South Carolina might post 75. Wishful thinking, I guess. Conversely, in 2010 I was rather pleasantly surprised to see the Virginia General Assembly go along with Governor McDonnell's proposal to post 70-mph limits. I expected more resistance than we saw.

[vdeane]

CT is considering 75.  I don't expect it to happen.

NY seems to be admitting that they will have to go mileage-based with the I-781 exit numbers, though they're resisting with existing highways.  Partly because of money.  I suspect the DOT employees don't want to have to re-memorize the numbers too.

[mtantillo]

CT is considering 75.  I don't expect it to happen.

NY seems to be admitting that they will have to go mileage-based with the I-781 exit numbers, though they're resisting with existing highways.  Partly because of money.  I suspect the DOT employees don't want to have to re-memorize the numbers too.

What about us roadgeeks?!?! I've had most of NY's memorized since I was in 6th grade!

[vdeane]

I don't think the fact that we've memorized the numbers (especially since most NY natives haven't) impacts their thought process so much as the fact that the DOT does everything by exit numbers.  I remember visiting region 4's office in 5th grade; at first, the engineers were being cautious and talking in terms of the road names, but once they figured out I had the numbers memorized, my Mom wasn't able to follow the conversation any more... I think I'm the only person in the family who know them for anything other than frequently used Thruway exits.

Even though I do advocate for mileage-based numbers, I have to admit I'll miss the familiar ones if/when NY switches.

[mtantillo]

I was definitely being sarcastic. I hope NY makes the switch and especially fixes the cluster that is I-87 and I-90 exit numbering.

[SidS1045]

When will the other New England states ever get with the program? Also NY and DE should consider renumbering their exits in the (distant) future.

According to the info. in a couple other threads, MA & NY are indeed planning on phasing in mile-marker-based exit numbering within the next few years.

From the MUTCD Massachusetts Supplement:

Section 2E.31 Interchange Exit Numbering
Massachusetts will be changing all its interchange exit signs statewide to the reference location
numbering system, with the entire state highway system to be converted to the new numbers within
the next five to ten years. The Department will be updating the exit numbers to the reference-based
system on a route-by-route basis, after existing signs within a given highway corridor have been
updated during normal replacement.

[KEVIN_224]

http://www.wcsh6.com/comments/235190/314/Interstate-traffic-hits-75-mph-if-new-speed-limit-passes

These people are nuts if they think this will work on any part of I-295! Maybe for I-95 north of Bangor, but definitely NOT from say Scarborough to Falmouth!

[PHLBOS]

http://www.wcsh6.com/comments/235190/314/Interstate-traffic-hits-75-mph-if-new-speed-limit-passes

These people are nuts if they think this will work on any part of I-295! Maybe for I-95 north of Bangor, but definitely NOT from say Scarborough to Falmouth!

Excerpt from the above-web-link (bold emphasis added):

A Maine legislative committee is taking up a bill that would allow the Transportation Department to raise the speed limit on sections of Interstate 295 from Scarborough to West Gardiner to 75 miles per hour. The speed limit on much of that southern Maine stretch is now 65 mph.

I could see the section of I-295 that was originally part of I-95 (Falmouth to West Gardiner) as possible candidate for a 75 mph limit... especially north of Freeport.  When I last drove that stretch of road (back when it was still I-95 circa 1988-1989) at 65-70 mph, most vehicles were passing me.

[1995hoo]

I wonder why I-295 and not the corresponding portion of I-95 (the former I-495 segment). The I-95 segment there used to get less traffic because of people exiting to take the more direct "free" route instead of going out of the way on the Turnpike. Has the renumbering resulted in that much more traffic staying on the Turnpike?

[PHLBOS]

I wonder why I-295 and not the corresponding portion of I-95 (the former I-495 segment). The I-95 segment there used to get less traffic because of people exiting to take the more direct "free" route instead of going out of the way on the Turnpike. Has the renumbering resulted in that much more traffic staying on the Turnpike?

I was about to ask the same question.

[vdeane]

If they were to do this, might as well raise the rest of I-95 to 75 while you're at it.

[yakra]

Hm. That article doesn't say what sections.
I think it's reasonable north of Topsham.
The bits from there to West Gardiner opened in the late 70s (77? 78?) and are accordingly better engineered. Greater sight distances n'all that. More sparsely spaced interchanges, and lower traffic than south of Brunswick.

[yakra]

Bill proposes 75 mph for sections of I-295

Chenette said the bill wouldn't require any speed limits to be raised, but would allow it where state officials say it could be done safely.

Looks like the title of the WCSH article Kevin linked upthread ("Interstate 295 traffic hits 75 mph if new speed limit passes") is more than a bit misleading -- There's no speed limit to pass (what kind of sense does that make, anyway?), but rather, just a bill that would allow the DOT to raise limits. So even then, this is no P->Q situation, and there's no guarantee traffic would actually hit 75.

[KEVIN_224]

WCSH-TV is who I used to watch when I lived in Old Orchard Beach. I still check them out if I make a visit to Portland at the hotel.

Anyways, I know this speed limit would never work for I-95 Maine turnpike, between York and Portland. I still think it should be tried on I-95 once north of Bangor.