Interstate 95 in New Hampshire

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Interstate 95
Main route of the Interstate Highway System

New Hampshire Turnpike (south of exit 5)

Length:

16.08 mi^[1] (25.88 km)

Formed:

1957

South end:

I-95 in Salisbury, MA

Major
junctions:

Route 101 in Hampton

US 4/Spaulding Tpke. in Portsmouth

US 1 Bypass in Portsmouth

North end:

I-95 in Kittery, ME

New Hampshire Routes
< I-93		NH 97 >

Interstate 95, the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, cuts through the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire. The majority of it, from the Massachusetts border to the Portsmouth Circle in Portsmouth, is the 14.29^[1]-mile (23.00 km) Blue Star Turnpike or New Hampshire Turnpike, a toll road maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation Bureau of Turnpikes. The final piece in Portsmouth splits from the Turnpike south of the circle, running 2.42^[1] miles (3.90 km) to the Piscataqua River Bridge, a steel arch bridge, towards Maine and the Maine Turnpike.

The turnpike has one barrier toll booth, at exit 2 (NH Route 101) in Hampton. That interchange also contains the only ramp toll, used by all traffic passing between the Turnpike and Route 101. Traffic using the Turnpike south of exit 1 (NH Route 107) or north of exit 3 (NH Route 33) does not pay a toll. At the north end, the Portsmouth Circle provides access to U.S. Route 1 Bypass and the Spaulding Turnpike (U.S. Route 4/NH Route 16).

From its creation in 1957 until 1972, I-95 in Portsmouth did not connect to I-95 in Kittery, Maine. Instead, I-95 seemed to end at the Portsmouth Circle, along with the New Hampshire Turnpike. From there motorists had to use the US 1 Bypass and go over the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge to the junction near the Kittery Circle with U.S. Route 1. This bridge was what connected the NH & Maine Turnpikes. It is a drawbridge over the Piscataqua waterway, which would create an obvious problem. Not only would this be an obstacle to traffic, but the bridge is also a two-lane, undivided roadway. Furthermore, US 1 Bypass is not a controlled-access highway, but an all-access divided highway (similar to US 1 between Saugus and Boston in Massachusetts). As far as most motorists were concerned, I-95 ended at the Portsmouth Circle and restarted in Kittery. The Piscataqua River Bridge was completed in the 1970s to correct this problem.

The turnpike has state-operated liquor stores and a welcome center in Seabrook. The Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant is accessible via Exit 1.

The turnpike opened in 1950 as a four-lane highway parallel to U.S. Route 1, and was widened to eight lanes in 1976. The blue turnpike shield for the New Hampshire Turnpike is no longer in use, but was similar to the present-day signs for the Spaulding Turnpike and Everett Turnpike.^[2]

[edit] Exit list

County	Location	Mile^[1]	#	Destinations	Notes
continues into Massachusetts
Rockingham	Seabrook	0.93	1	NH Route 107 - Seabrook; Kingston; TO U.S. Route 1
	Hampton	5.56	2	NH Route 101 - Exeter; Hampton; Hampton Beach	Exit and entrance toll: 75 cents
	Hampton	Hampton Toll Barrier			Auto toll $1.50
	Portsmouth	12.95	3	NH Route 33 - Greenland; Portsmouth	Exit 3B southbound.
		12.95	3A	Pease International Tradeport; Bus Terminal; Park & Ride	Part of Exit 3 northbound. Exit 3A southbound.
		14.16	4	Spaulding Turnpike; U.S. Route 4 West; NH Route 16 North - New Hampshire Lakes; White Mountains; Newington; Dover	Exit 5 southbound.
		14.16	5	U.S. Route 1 Bypass - Portsmouth Circle	Exit 5 northbound. Part of exit 5 southbound.
		14.58	6	Woodbury Avenue - Portsmouth	Northbound exit only.
		15.38	7	Business District; Portsmouth; Newington
continues into Maine