Interstate 295 (Maine)

Interstate 295 branches off from exit 44 of Interstate 95 (Maine Turnpike) providing access to downtown Portland, Maine and then generally follows the Atlantic coast and Kennebec River until it merges back into I-95 in West Gardiner 52 miles (84 km) to the north at exit 103.

I-295's first exit is in South Portland, giving access to the Maine Mall (southbound) and U.S. 1 in South Portland and Scarborough (northbound); its last exit is Exit 51 (formerly Exit 28), which gives access to Gardiner. The route starts at Exit 44 (formerly Exit 6A) of I-95, and it has toll plazas just before its own Exit 1, and between Exit 51 and its northern terminus at I-95.

History

1960 to 2004

From its inception in 1960 to 2004, I-295 was an 11.02-mile (17.73 km) long route branching off the Maine Turnpike/I-95 to pass through downtown Portland. Just north of Portland the through freeway became I-95 at the junction with the Falmouth Spur, a connector carrying I-95 westward to the Maine Turnpike at its Exit 9.

2004 extension

In 2004, to clear up confusion, I-95 was re-designated to continue along the Maine Turnpike for its entire length. I-295 was extended past the Falmouth Spur as a redesignation of I-95, to where it merges back into the Turnpike in Gardiner 42 miles (68 km) to the north. The 4-mile (6.4 km) long Falmouth Spur officially became I-495 but was left unsigned.^[2]

At the same time, the exits were re-numbered; previously they had been numbered more or less sequentially from south to north—there were skipped numbers, for example, there was no Exit 23. After the changes the exits re-numbered to mile-log in relation to the Scarborough junction, except for the exits in Portland and South Portland, which remained the same. Exits on Maine's I-95 were similarly re-numbered based on mileage.

Exit list

County	Location	#	Destinations	Notes
Cumberland	Scarborough	(0)	I-95 south	Southbound I-295 drivers wishing to take I-95 North must take Exit 1. I-295 South mainline merges with I-95 South.
	South Portland	1	To US 1 / I-95 — Maine Turnpike, Maine Mall Road	Northbound exit to Broadway and US-1. Southbound exit to Maine Mall Rd and I-95. Northbound entrance from I-95 and Maine Mall Road.
		2	To US 1 / SR 9 (Scarborough Connector)	Southbound exit/northbound entrance only.
		3	SR 9 (Westbrook Street)	Southbound exit/northbound entrance only.
		4	US 1 south (Main Street)/Veterans Memorial Bridge	Northbound exit to Veterans Memorial Bridge. Southbound exit to U.S. 1/Main Street. U.S. 1 removed from Veterans Memorial Bridge in May 2007. U.S. 1 overlaps I-295 northward to exit 9.
	Portland	5	US 1A north (Fore River Parkway) / SR 22 (Congress Street)	Split into 5A-B southbound.
		6A-B	US 302 (Forest Avenue) / SR 100	U.S. 1 removed from Forest Avenue in May 2007.
		7	US 1A south (Franklin Street)
		8	SR 26 (Washington Avenue)	Northbound exit 8 provides access to Route 26 North. Southbound exit 8 provides access to Route 26 South. Route 26 runs concurrently with I-295 between northbound and southbound exit 8 (about 1/4 mile).
		9	US 1 north (Veranda Street)/Baxter Boulevard	U.S. 1 removed from Baxter Boulevard in May 2007. U.S. 1 overlaps I-295 southward to exit 4.
	Falmouth	10	Bucknam Road	To I-95/Maine Turnpike, U.S. 1, and Route 9.
	Falmouth	11	I-95 (Maine Turnpike) — New Hampshire – Massachusetts	Southbound exit/northbound entrance only. Former terminus of Interstate 295. Formerly Interstate 95. Unsigned Interstate 495. Former Exit 15.
	Yarmouth	15	US 1	No northbound entrance. Former Exit 16.
	Yarmouth	17	US 1	To Route 88. Exit number unchanged.
	Freeport	20	Desert Road	To U.S. 1. Former Exit 19.
		22	SR 125 (Mallet Drive) / SR 136	Former Exit 20.
		24	US 1	Northbound exit/entrance only. Former Exit 21.
	Brunswick	28	To US 1	Former Exit 22.
Sagadahoc	Topsham	31	SR 196 (Lewiston Road)	Former Exit 24.
	Bowdoinham	37	SR 125 / SR 138	Former Exit 25.
	Richmond	43	SR 197	Former Exit 26.
Kennebec	Gardiner	49	US 201	Former Exit 27.
	West Gardiner	51	SR 9 / SR 126	Northbound I-295 drivers wishing to take I-95 South must take Exit 51. Former Exit 28.
	West Gardiner	(52)	I-95 north	I-295 North mainline merges with I-95 North. Former Exit 29.

Auxiliary routes

Auxiliary routes of Interstate 95

Florida: 195 • 295 • 395 • 595 • 795 (future) — North Carolina: 295 (future) • 795 — Virginia: 195 • 295 • 395 • 495 • 595 (former) • 895 (proposed) — District of Columbia: 295 • 395 • 495 • 695 — Maryland: 195 • 295 • 395 • 495 • 595 (unsigned) • 695 • 795 • 895 — Delaware: 295 • 495 • 895 (former) — Pennsylvania: 195 (future) • 695 (unbuilt) • 895 (unbuilt) — New Jersey: 195 • 295 • 495 (former) • 695 (unbuilt) • 895 (unbuilt) — New York: 295 • 495 • 695 • 895 — Connecticut - Rhode Island - Massachusetts: 195 • 295 • 395 • 495 • 695 (unbuilt) • 895 (unbuilt) — Maine: 195 • 295 • 395 • 495

References

^ Floodgap Roadgap's RoadsAroundME
^ "It's Time to Clear Up the confusion: Maine Interstate Re-designation 2004" (pdf). MaineDOT. May 20, 2003. http://mainegov-images.informe.org/mdot/pdf/redesignation_brochure.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-18.