Interstate 395 (Maine)

Interstate 395 marker

Interstate 395

I-395 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-95
Maintained by MaineDOT
Length4.99 mi (8.03 km)
Major junctions
West end US 2 / SR 100 in Bangor
Major intersections
East end US 1A in Brewer
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMaine
CountiesPenobscot
Highway system
US 302 I-495

Interstate 395 (I-395) is a 4.99-mile-long (8.03 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in Bangor, Maine. The western terminus of the route is at a cloverleaf interchange with I-95 near downtown Bangor, where I-395 continues west as U.S. Route 2 (US 2) and State Route 100 (SR 100). The eastern terminus is at US 1A in Brewer.

Veterans Remembrance Bridge carrying I-395 between Bangor and Brewer
I-395 offers a wide view of downtown Bangor from Veterans Remembrance Bridge

Route description

I-395 begins as an extension of Hammond Street at an at-grade intersection with US 2 and SR 100 on the south side of Bangor International Airport. US 2 and SR 100 turn north from the intersection onto Odlin Road, while I-395 reaches a cloverleaf interchange with its parent route, I-95, immediately to the east. The four-lane freeway is joined by SR 15 and travels east around the south side of Bangor, also becoming concurrent with US 202 near the Beal University campus. I-395 then intersects Main Street, carrying US 1A and US 202, near the Cross Insurance Center on the west side of the Penobscot River.

The freeway crosses the Penobscot River on the Veterans' Remembrance Bridge, which carries four through lanes and two auxiliary lanes from Bangor to Brewer. SR 15 leaves I-395 at a junction on the east bank of the river, while the freeway continues southeast through the outskirts of Brewer. I-395 travels into the rural outskirts of the Bangor area and turns northeastward to terminate at a partial cloverleaf interchange with Wilson Street (part of US 1A) east of Brewer. US 1A continues southeast towards the Down East region of the state, serving Ellsworth and several coastal towns.

The freeway primarily serves as a bypass of Bangor and Brewer for travelers wishing to access the Downeast/Bar Harbor region of Maine. It also connects I-95 to the region via US 1A.[citation needed] It is designated by the Maine state government as part of Highway Corridor Priority 1, which includes all Interstate Highways in the state as well as other important roads. Traffic volumes on the highway, measured in terms of annual average daily traffic by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), ranged in 2017 from a minimum of 8,470 vehicles near its eastern terminus to a maximum of 17,090 vehicles on the Veterans Remembrance Bridge.

History

I-395 was originally named the Bangor Industrial Spur and was intended to relieve traffic on Hammond and Union streets in the city's industrial area. Construction began on December 2, 1957, and was part of a larger project to construct I-95 around Bangor. The first section of the highway, from Hammond Street to Main Street in southern Bangor, opened on September 24, 1959, and was formally dedicated on October 29. It was the first Interstate Highway to be completed with federal funding under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 and cost an estimated $3.79 million to construct.

The 1,550-foot (470 m) Veterans' Remembrance Bridge, connecting Bangor to Brewer over the Penobscot River, was dedicated on November 11, 1986. It was designated in 1985 by the state legislature following disagreements between local groups over which person or war should be honored by the name. The extension of I-395 over the bridge and through Brewer to Wilson Street (US 1A) opened to traffic on November 17. During its first days of public use, the Brewer section was targeted for speed enforcement due to its 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) speed limit and low traffic.

Extension

There are studies underway about extending I-395 to connect to SR 9. In February 2008, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) suggested five possible routes to extend I-395 to SR 9, with two in particular designated as "State's Choice" and "Holden's Choice". The state's choice route would cut through the middle of Holden and connect to SR 9 in East Eddington; Holden's choice would run along the Brewer–Holden border and join SR 9 earlier. Since then, the state has eliminated the "State's Choice" route and only supports the "Holden's Choice" route, designated 2B-2. All three affected communities issued resolutions in 2014 opposing this route.

Exit list

The entire route is in Penobscot County.

LocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Bangor0.000.00 US 2 / SR 100 – Hermon, AirportAt-grade intersection
0.220.351A
I-95 south – Newport
1B

I-95 north / SR 15 north – Orono, Airport
Western end of concurrency with SR 15
0.921.482
US 202 west – Hampden
Western end of concurrency with US 202
1.672.693
US 1A / US 202 east / SR 9 (Main Street) / Farm Road – Downtown Bangor, Hampden
Signed as Exits 3A (west) and 3B (east) eastbound; eastern end of concurrency with US 202
Penobscot River1.913.07Veterans' Remembrance Bridge
Brewer2.053.304



SR 15 south / SR 15 Bus. (South Main Street) to SR 9 east – Brewer
Eastern end of SR 15 concurrency
2.764.445Industrial Park Road / Parkway South – Brewer
4.747.636A

US 1A east to US 1 (Coastal Route) – Ellsworth, Bar Harbor
6B
US 1A west – Downtown Brewer
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

This page was last updated at 2022-11-02 09:45 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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