New Hampshire Route 115

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New Hampshire Route 115 (NH-115) is a north–south highway in Coos County, in northern New Hampshire. The highway connects Carroll (intersecting north of the village of Twin Mountain) with Jefferson. The highway is also known as Owl's Head Highway, named after an adjacent mountain prominence.

Route 115 intersects NH-115A (Cherry Mountain Road) and NH-115B (Israels River Road), where it crosses the Israel River. Several hiking trails can be accessed from Route 115 including the Cohos Trail and two trails up Cherry Mountain, each with designated parking areas. The Agnew State Forest is accessible to the south, via Cherry Mountain Road.

The speed limit varies from 40 MPH in Twin Mountain to 55 MPH over the remainder. Much of the road skirts the White Mountain National Forest or other wildlife conservation land.

The southern terminus of NH-115 is at the intersection with US-3 in Carroll. The northern terminus is at the intersection with US-2 in Jefferson. Total length of NH-115 is approximately 10.7 miles (17.2 km).

At the northern end of the road the intersection with US-2 was moved from Stag Hollow Road to a new location further east, before 1970. Part of NH-115 once followed what is now NH-115A to NH-115B to Stag Hollow Road, but the road was significantly simplified, widened and straightened in the 1980s. The increased speeds of the improved route may have directly contributed to a significant number of tragic moose-vehicle collisions in recent years along that section.

A spectacular viewpoint is located on Route 115 where it crosses the Jefferson town line, permitting views of distant mountains to the north and west, in Vermont as well as the Pilot Range and Pliny Range in New Hampshire. The Mountain View Grand Hotel is also visible, as is the Mount Washington Regional Airport, both in Whitefield. The airport is accessible via the Airport Road intersection below the viewpoint.

[edit] Route 115A

New Hampshire Route 115A (NH-115A) is a north–south highway in Coos County, New Hampshire. The southern terminus of the road is at the intersection with NH-115, south of Jefferson, at Old Cherry Mountain Road. The northern terminus of NH-115A is at the intersection with US-2 in Jefferson at the Old Corner Store. Total length of Route 115A is approximately 4.0 miles (6.4 km).

Route 115A intersects Whipple Road and so-called 115B (Israels River Road), a continuation of the Turnpike Road, built by Colonel Whipple for access from the village of Riverton (Jefferson Mills) to Portland, Maine in the late 1700s. It also crosses the old railroad grade once used by the Boston and Maine Railroad for access to Gorham and the private siding that once serviced the Waumbek Hotel complex. The Montreal pipeline also crosses NH-115A, just below the old Waumbek site. The pipeline right-of-way also serves as "Corridor 5" of the local snowmobile trail system.

The local name of NH-115A is Meadows Road, as it once served the Jefferson Meadows train station and post office. The road passes the Forest Vale Cemetery, where lies the only victim of the Stanley Slide of 1885, which brought a large part of Cherry Mountain down upon the highway.

Route 115A between Route 115 and Route 115B was formerly part of Route 115, including two right-angle turns, at least until the 1980s, when the current, more direct Route 115 was built.

NH-115A crosses the wide Israel River valley and passes through what was once a booming dairy industry, now represented by a single dairy farm.

[edit] Route 115B

New Hampshire Route 115B (NH-115B) designates an east-west connector between NH-115 and NH-115A, along the Israel River, in Jefferson. It once formed part of route NH-115 prior to the southerly relocation and improvement of that route.

NH-115B (also known as "Israels River Road") is approximately 1.5 miles long and continues across NH-115 as the Valley Road, once the main route from Jefferson to Randolph and beyond. An RV campsite is located along this road.

[edit] See also

• List of New Hampshire numbered highways

Browse numbered routes
< NH 114A	NH		NH 116 >

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