Interstate 95 South - Houlton to Bangor

Home » Guides » Maine » Interstate 95 South - Houlton to Bangor

Interstate 95 South
Welcome to Maine sign posted within the parclo interchange (Exit 305) with U.S. 2 (Airport Road). U.S. 2 begins here and travels south to Houlton International Airport (HUL) and west along Military Street into Houlton. 06/27/05
The first of many southbound reassurance shields posted along 1,919.74 mile route of Interstate 95. Posted just west of Exit 305 and the Canadian Border, Interstate 95 arcs two miles west into Houlton. 06/27/05
Downtown Houlton lies south of Exit 302 via U.S. 1. Interstate 95 otherwise continues southwest 120 miles to Bangor, the largest city in northern Maine. 06/27/05
U.S. 1, often the companion of Interstate 95 on their 15-state journey southward, meets Interstate 95 for the first time at Exit 302 on the north side of Houlton. Following North Street, U.S. 1 leads south to an overlap with U.S. 2 (Smyrna Street) east to Downtown. 06/27/05
Interstate 95 southbound (westbound) at the diamond interchange (Exit 302) with U.S. 1 (North Street). U.S. 1 joins Houlton and the freeway with points northward including Presque Isle, Caribou and Fort Kent. Southward, the US highway leaves Houlton for Cary, Calais and Eastport, hugging the eastern border of the state at times. 06/27/05
Descending the off-ramp to U.S. 1 (North Street) from I-95 south. Motorists entering the U.S. from Canada are provided with a tourist information center on North Street adjacent to Exit 302. Presque Isle lies 40 miles to the north while U.S. 1 ends at the St. John River crossing into New Brunswick in 97 miles at Fort Kent. 06/27/05
Southbound reassurance marker posted after the B Stream crossing west of U.S. 1 (North Street) and Exit 302. 06/27/05
Interstate 95 traverses slow rolling hills from Houlton southward to Bangor. This scene looks at the straight away along the Ludlow and New Limerick town line. 06/27/05
A diamond interchange (Exit 291) joins I-95 with U.S. 2 in one mile. U.S. 2 follows a parallel routing west from Houlton to New Limerick and Ludlow before crossing paths with Interstate 95 for a second time at Smyrna. 06/27/05
One mile east of Exit 291 to U.S. 2 on I-95 south. U.S. 2 winds west through the town of Smyrna. Ludlow lies just east. 06/27/05
Interstate 95 begins its southward push from Exit 291 west to Exit 286. U.S. 2 parallels the freeway to the north to Smyrna Mills. 06/27/05
South of Smyrna Mills is the I-95 diamond interchange with Oakfield Road at Exit 286. Oakfield Road joins the freeway with Oakfield and Dyer Mills to the south. 06/27/05
Mattawamkeag River East Branch passes under Interstate 95 ahead of the ramp departure (Exit 286) to Oakfield Road. Oakfield Road meets U.S. 2 (Silver Ridge Road) at its intersection with Maine 212, 1.3 miles north of the freeway. SR 212 provides a connector between U.S. 2 at Smyrna Mills and SR 11 at Knowles Corner. SR 11, in conjunction with U.S. 1, provides the only routes to the cities of northeastern Maine. 06/27/05
Interstate 95 Maine shield posted ahead of the U.S. 2 (Silver Ridge Road) over crossing. U.S. 2 passes to the east of Interstate 95 through Dyer Brook on its southward journey to Island Falls and Golden Ridge. 06/27/05
Interstate 95 reaches Island Falls in seven miles and Bangor in 97 miles. Only ten interchanges lie along the freeway between Smyrna Mills and Bangor. 06/27/05
Perhaps some of the loneliest stretches of Interstate 95 outside of Exits 302 to 305 lie along the freeway between Smyrna and Old Town. Large swaths of trees separate the freeway roadways, adding to the feeling of isolation. This is a stark contrast with many urban stretches of Interstate 95 further south in the Northeast megalopolis or South Florida. 06/27/05
Maine 159 crosses paths with Interstate 95 outside of Island Falls. The east-west highway links U.S. 2 (Houlton Road) at Island Falls with Maine 11 (Main Street / Patten Road) at Patten. 06/27/05
U.S. 2 enters Island Falls from the northeast to intersect the east end of Maine 159 at Sherman Street. The US highway heads south from the town center to Golden Ridge. Westward, SR 159 passes through the town of Crystal en route to Patten. Once in Patten, SR 11 and 159 share pavement briefly along Main Street. 06/27/05
Southbound I-95 at the diamond interchange (Exit 276) with Maine 159. SR 159 east ends in three quarters of a mile at U.S. 2 (Sherman Street). Patten lies 9.3 miles to the west. Beyond SR 11 and Patten, SR 159 branches northwest to Shin Pond and the north entrance to Baxter State Park. SR 11 meanwhile continues north to Hersey and Moro. 06/27/05
Continuing southward through forest covered hills of southern Aroostook County on Interstate 95. 06/27/05
Next in line for southbound motorists is the diamond interchange (Exit 264) with Maine 158 (Station Road / Main Street). Maine 158 serves the nearby settlements of Sherman and Sherman Mills. 06/27/05
Exit 264 provides connections to Maine 158 west to Maine 11 at Sherman and U.S. 2 at Woodbridge Corner. Maine 11 enters Sherman from Patten and turns westward to Stacyville and southward to Grindstone. Maine 158 travels 4.4 miles overall between Maine 11 and U.S. 2. 06/27/05
A series of hills take Interstate 95 south along the Aroostook and Penobscot County line between Sherman and Benedicta. A half diamond interchange (Exit 259) ties Casey Road in with I-95 south from Benedicta. 06/27/05
The freeway veers west to circumvent Lawler Ridge by Gantners Landing and parallel Salmon Stream. 20 miles of exit less freeway conclude at Medway. 06/27/05
Salmon Stream remains adjacent to the western frontage of Interstate 95 on the approach to Medway. Interstate 95 passes over the stream two miles north of the diamond interchange (Exit 244) with Maine 157 (Medway Road). 06/27/05
Maine 157 straddles the Penobscot River from Millinocket east to Medway and Mattawamkeag. The state route provides connections with Maine 11 (Grindstone Road) north and Maine 116 (Pattagumpus Road) in Medway. 06/27/05
Interstate 95 lowers into the Penobscot River valley to Exit 244 at Medway. SR 157 merges with SR 11, 0.6 miles to the west and ends at U.S. 2 in Mattawamkeag 11 miles to the southeast. SR 11 & 157 overlap from Medway west to Millinocket. Drivers bound for the south entrance to Baxter State Park and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway are directed to use the state route pair west to Millinocket. 06/27/05
17 miles separate Interstate 95 from Medway and Exit 227. Outside of a rest area south of the Penobscot River and Maine 116 under crossing, the stretch is devoid of anything other than trees and hills. 06/27/05
An unnumbered Access Road links Interstate 95 at Exit 227 with Maine 116 (River Road) south into the town of Lincoln. The roadway leads east from a diamond interchange to the turn of SR 116 from Chester Road to River Road. SR 116 south spans the Penobscot River to intersect U.S. 2 and SR 6 (Broadway).
U.S. 2 & SR 6 combine northeast to Downtown Lincoln from SR 116. Southward the tandem join SR 116 to West Enfield along the Penobscot River. 06/27/05
Ten miles southward, Maine 6 and 155 come together at Howland to cross paths with Interstate 95. The two overlap westward from Exit 217 to Lagrange. 06/27/05
U.S. 2 & Maine 6 (Main Road) part ways at Maine 155 (Hammett Road) in West Enfield. U.S. 2 continues south along the east banks of the Penobscot River to Passadumkeag and Old Town. SR 6 & 155 meanwhile travel Bridge Street across the Penobscot into Howland, overlapping with Maine SR west to Edinburg Road. The two continue west from Howland to Lagrange on their respective paths to Dover-Foxcroft and Bradford. 06/27/05
Maine 6 & 155 and U.S. 2 shield assembly posted at the end of the southbound off-ramp. Maine 6 & 155 head 10.4 miles west to Lagrange; Maine 6 continues from there to Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville, Jackman and Quebec via U.S. 201. Eastward, Maine 6 & 155 split at U.S. 2 in two miles. Maine 116 continues along the west banks of the Penobscot River south to Argyle. 06/27/05
Interstate 95 South / State Route 15 East
Interstate 95 & Maine 15 curve between industrial park area east of Bangor International Airport (BGR) and the Bangor residential street grid ahead of the parclo interchange (Exit 183) with U.S. 2 & Maine 100 (Hammond Street). 04/15/16
U.S. 2 combines with Maine 100 in Downtown Bangor and follows Hammond Street west to Exit 183. The US highway takes a circuitous route west around Bangor International Airport (BGR), meeting the west end of Interstate 395 in the process. I-395 begins in 1.25 miles at forthcoming Exit 182. 07/01/12
Interstate 395 constitutes a 4.99 mile bypass of Bangor and Brewer. The freeway provides a direct route to U.S. 1A southeast for Ellsworth and U.S. 1 along the southeast coast. 07/01/12
Exit 182B departs I-95 & SR 15 south for U.S. 2 & SR 100 at Hammond Street and Odlin Road. U.S. 2 & SR 100 parallel I-95 west to West Bangor, Hermon, Carmel and Newport. 07/01/12
SR 15 partitions with I-95 south at Exit 182A to overlap with I-395 east to South Brewer. U.S. 202 also overlaps with the Bangor Industrial Spur east from Exit 2 to U.S. 1A & SR 9 (Main Street) north to Downtown Bangor. Interstate 395 was completed in 1986. 07/01/12


 


Photo Credits:

  • 06/27/05 by AARoads and Carter Buchanan.
  • 07/01/12 by I.C. Ligget.
  • 04/15/16 by I.C. Ligget.

Connect with:
U.S. 1
U.S. 2

Page Updated 04-16-2016.

Go to Top