I-295 Corridor Study: Alternatives

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	I-295 Corridor Study

	Study Area
	Study Team
	Existing Conditions
	Future Conditions

I-295 Corridor Study

Alternatives

After the identification of a Study Purpose, the Study identified a series of broad improvement strategies from which improvement alternatives would be developed and evaluated. These seven broad strategies are defined below.

Base or No Build (BASE) – This strategy would maintain the existing corridor infrastructure, but would not include any improvements on I-295 or any parallel transportation routes that could affect transportation operations on I-295.

Auxiliary Lanes (AUX) – This strategy would include low-cost actions that would include the construction of additional travel lanes at I-295 ramps or along short segments of I-295 between interchanges. In rural locations, auxiliary lane improvements would typically involve extensions to on-ramp acceleration lanes and off-ramp deceleration lanes. Auxiliary lanes would not include thru travel lanes and would not involve construction requiring the construction of new or expanded bridges.

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) – This strategy would involve the use of improved to monitoring and communication of I-295 traffic conditions so that traffic impacts of incidents, such as crashes and vehicle breakdowns, can be minimized.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) – This strategy would involve the use of tolls or carpooling incentives to reduce traffic volumes on I-295.

Commuter Transit (COM) – This strategy would include the implementation of commuter transit services, rail or bus, to divert peak-period (rush hour) traffic away from I-295.

Improved Interchanges (INT) – This strategy would seek to improve I-295 interchanges by constructing new or modified ramps that would provide new opportunities for access to I-295 or relieve poor operating conditions at existing interchanges.

New Construction (CAP) – This strategy would involve the construction of new thru travel lanes for extended lengths of the highway to increase the vehicular capacity of the highway corridor.

Strategies	Actions	Options	Description	Peak-Hour Transportation Impacts in 2025
NB			No Build Strategy	widespread capacity and level-of-service deficiencies, particularly in Portland and South Portland
Strategies	Actions	Options	Description	Peak-Hour Transportation Impacts in 2025
AUX			Low-Cost Auxiliary Lanes
	weave		improve weaving sections Click for diagram
		3 to 4	add northbound auxiliary lane between Exits 3 and 4	can improve capacity and level of service
		5 to 6	add northbound auxiliary lane between Exits 5 and 6	can improve capacity and level of service
		6 to 7	add lane to northbound off-ramp at Exit 7	can improve capacity and level of service
		7 to 8		deficiencies not addressed by auxiliary lanes
		8 to 9		deficiencies not addressed by auxiliary lanes
		8 to 7	add southbound auxiliary lane between Exits 8 and 7 and add lane to off-ramp at Exit 7	can improve capacity and level of service
		exit 6		deficiencies not addressed by auxiliary lanes
		5 to 4	add southbound auxiliary lane between Exits 5 and 4	can improve capacity and level of service
		4 to 3	add southbound auxiliary lane between Exits 4 and 3 and add lane to off-ramp at Exit 3	can improve capacity and level of service
	ac/dc		lengthen substandard acceleration/ deceleration lanes at ramps Click for diagram	can improve level of service at many ramp junctions
Strategies	Actions	Options	Description	Peak-Hour Transportation Impacts in 2025
ITS			Intelligent Transportation Systems
	fms		freeway management system Click for map
		ims	incident management system	can reduce duration of incidents by 14% and congestion from incidents by 26%
		vms	variable message signing	can reduce congestion during incidents and help balance congestion loads on facilities
Strategies	Actions	Options	Description	Peak-Hour Transportation Impacts in 2025
TDM			Transportation Demand Management
	hov		high occupancy vehicle lanes
		exist	convert an existing freeway lane to HOV lane	not practical, increases congestion
		new	construct a new HOV lane	same overall effect as general purpose lane
	toll		toll modifications	differential tolling can divert over 250 thru vehicles from I-295 to Maine Turnpike
	pool		carpool and vanpool incentive	an added $0.40 per mile incentive to rideshare could remove 200 vehicles from traffic stream
Strategies	Actions	Options	Description	Peak-Hour Transportation Impacts in 2025
COM			Commuter Transit Click for map
	bus		commuter bus
		north	north of Portland, with potential pickups in Brunswick, Freeport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, and Auburn	can remove 100 to 150 commuting vehicles from traffic stream
		south	south of Portland, with potential pickups in Kennebunk, Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Scarborough	can remove 100 to 150 commuting vehicles from traffic stream
	rail		commuter rail
		north	north of Portland, with potential pickups in Brunswick, Freeport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, and Auburn	can remove 150 to 250 commuting vehicles from traffic stream
		south	south of Portland, with potential pickups in Kennebunk, Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Scarborough	can remove 150 to 250 commuting vehicles from traffic stream
Strategies	Actions	Options	Description	Peak-Hour Transportation Impacts in 2025
INT			New and improved interchanges
	6		Exit 6 (Forest Ave, Portland) Click for chart
		a	add collector-distributor roadway	can improve some levels of service but F would exist at some ramp junctions with I-295
		b	modify to partial cloverleaf with loop on-ramps	can improve some levels of service but F would exist at some ramp junctions with I-295
		c	modify to partial cloverleaf with loop off-ramps	can improve some levels of service but F would exist at some ramp junctions with I-295
		d	reconfigure to diamond interchange	can improve some levels of service but F would exist at some ramp junctions with I-295
		e	reconfigure to single-point urban interchange	can improve some levels of service but F would exist at some ramp junctions with I-295
		f	add through lanes between Exits 5 and 7	can improve levels of service to D or better
	11		Exit 11 (Maine Turnpike Spur, Falmouth) Click for diagram
		a	improve/replace existing ramps	can improve levels of service at ramps
		b	add/modify ramps to create full-service interchange	can improve levels of service at ramps and divert over 150 vehicles
	4		Exit 4 (Veterans Bridge, South Portland) Click for diagram
		a	add/modify ramps to create full-service interchange	can divert over 200 vehicles and reduce VHT
	15		Exit 15 (Route 1 South, Yarmouth)
		a	add northbound on-ramp n/o Route 1	can divert over 200 vehicles and reduce VHT
		b	add northbound loop on-ramp s/o Route 1	can divert over 200 vehicles and reduce VHT
		c	convert northbound off-ramp and add new off-ramp Click for diagram	can divert over 200 vehicles and reduce VHT
Strategies	Actions	Options	Description	Peak-Hour Transportation Impacts in 2025
CAP			Add highway capacity by constructing new through lanes
	95		6 lanes on Maine Turnpike (I-95), Exit 44 to Exit 52 Click for map	can divert over 350 thru vehicles from I-295 to Maine Turnpike
	295		6 lanes I-295, Exit 3 to Exit 9 Click for map	can divert over 250 thru vehicles from Maine Turnpike to I-295

Last Updated - January 20, 2006