Construction Timeline

The Interstate in Maine was built in different sections that were not always connected immediately. Some sections were started from southern Maine heading north. Then a section would be built 60 or 70 miles north of that. In fact from the town of Howland north to Houlton, the Interstate went from a four-lane divided highway to a two-lane, two-way highway.

The 1940s

• 1947
  • The Maine Turnpike from Kittery to Portland (later designated I-95) opens.

The 1950s

• 1955
  • The Maine Turnpike from Portland to Augusta ( later designated I-95) opens for traffic.
  • The Falmouth Spur opens.
• 1957
  • The section from Freeport to Brunswick opens.
• 1959
  • The Bangor Industrial Spur (I-395) opens to traffic.

The 1960s

• 1960
  • Tukey's Bridge in Portland (I-295) is completed.
  • In Bangor, the Interstate is completed from Hammond Street to Hogan Road.
  • The Interstate from Augusta to Fairfield (Rt. 201 interchange) is complete.
• 1961
  • The section of the Interstate from Bangor to Orono is complete.
  • The Interstate from the Falmouth Spur to Yarmouth (southbound interchange) is opened to the public.
• 1963
  • The section form Newport (Rt. 100 interchange) to the Bangor Industrial Spur is complete.
• 1964
  • The section from Fairfield to Newport is complete.
• 1965
  • The Orono to Howland section is built (part four-lane divided, part two-lane, two- way).
• 1966
  • The Howland to Medway section of the Interstate is built as a two-lane road with two-way traffic.
  • The Oakfield to Houlton section is built. Interstate 95 ends here at the border with Canada in Houlton. It too is built two-lane, two-way.
• 1967
  • The last section to complete the Bangor-to-Houlton link is constructed between the towns of Medway and Oakfield.

The 1970's

• 1971
  • The first sections of I-295 in Portland are opened.
• 1972
  • The Piscataqua River Bridge in Kittery is opened.
  • Two additional lanes (southbound) are constructed in the towns of Alton and Howland, north of Bangor.
• 1973
  • The connector from the Piscataqua River Bridge to the Maine Turnpike is opened.
  • The Interstate from Brunswick to Topsham is opened.
• 1974
  • The Interstate from Scarborough to South Portland (I-295) is opened.
• 1976
  • Two additional lanes (southbound) are constructed from the town of Howland to the town of Lincoln, north of Bangor.
  • Two additional lanes (southbound) are constructed between the towns of Lincoln and Medway.
• 1977
  • The interstate section between the towns of Topsham and Gardiner is opened.
  • Two additional lanes (southbound) are constructed and opened between the northern Maine towns of Symrna and Houlton.
• 1979
  • The section between the northern Maine towns of Medway and Sherman is opened.
  • Two additional lanes (southbound) are constructed and opened between the northen Maine towns of Sherman and Island Falls.
  • Two additional lanes (southbound) are constructed and opened between the northern Maine towns of Island Falls and Oakfield.

The 1980's

• 1981
  • The section between the northern Maine towns of Oakfield and Smyrna are constructed and opened. This last section completes the change to a four-lane system between Bangor and Houlton.
• 1982
  • The section of I-195 between Saco and Old Orchard Beach in southern Maine is opened.
• 1983
  • The Saco Industrial Spur is opened (I-195).
• 1986
  • New northbound lanes are constructed between Yarmouth and Freeport.
  • I-395 is opened between Bangor and Brewer.

The 1990's

• 1995
  • A section from South Portland to Portland across Memorial Bridge and connecting to Tukey's Bridge is opened (I-295).
  • The section between U.S. 201 and the Maine Turnpike in the town of Gardiner is opened.

This page last updated on 7/17/06