Floodgap Roadgap's RoadsAroundME: Maine State Route 161

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Maine State Route 161

<< Maine State Route 160 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 162 >>

Termini and Mileage (2006)

Termini
Main alignment: Int of RTE 1A, 167, Fort Fairfield to Int of RT 161, FRANK MACK, B, Allagash
Mileage
Main alignment: 83.03 miles (total over all segments)

Notes and History
ME 161 as originally designated in 1925 ran between Caribou at NEI 24 (now US 1) and Fort Kent at ME 158 (now ME 11), although around 1934 the Fort Kent approach was reconfigured to intersect US 1 directly (see the 1935 topo [warning: large image]). Surviving the Maine Great Renumbering, it was fully extended from Caribou to the New Brunswick/Canada border on its eastern end using the old alignment of ME 222; in 1937-8, it was also extended further on its western end all the way to Allagash via St John Plt and Saint Francis over the old alignment of ME 160 (see US 1 for an irregularity). There is an old alignment just east of Allagash of uncertain age, signed on NAVTEQ as Old ME 161, which was probably also part of ME 160. ME 161 appears to have always terminated just shy of crossing the Saint John River at Dickey; this was originally a ferry and is now a bridge. NAVTEQ shows it continuing on the other side but this does not appear to have ever been its routing. Nevertheless, despite not being state highway, it appears to be state-maintained.
After the designation of US 1A on its new routing from Mars Hill to Caribou, ME 161 was truncated to Caribou with its old alignment from Caribou to Fort Fairfield becoming solely part of the new US 1A; its terminus became the corner of Sweden St and Main (old US 1), which is now obliterated but can be seen on the 1953 topo (warning: large image), and the remaining orphaned alignment from Fort Fairfield to the New Brunswick international line was added to ME 167. ME 161 remained on this truncated routing until 1983, changed only minimally except for the alteration of its terminus in Caribou by the US 1 bypass (see US 1), until US 1A was routed north along the rest of ME 165 and vacated the majority of its old alignment (see US 1A). ME 161 was then routed down along ME 164 (and old US 1) on Main St and east back along its old routing on Fort St and Fort Fairfield Rd to terminate at US 1A and ME 167 in Fort Fairfield at the junction of High and Main Sts.

<< Maine State Route 160 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 162 >>

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Termini and Mileage (2006)	Termini Main alignment: Int of RTE 1A, 167, Fort Fairfield to Int of RT 161, FRANK MACK, B, Allagash Mileage Main alignment: 83.03 miles (total over all segments)

*Notes and History*	ME 161 as originally designated in 1925 ran between Caribou at NEI 24 (now US 1) and Fort Kent at ME 158 (now ME 11), although around 1934 the Fort Kent approach was reconfigured to intersect US 1 directly (see the 1935 topo [warning: large image]). Surviving the Maine Great Renumbering, it was fully extended from Caribou to the New Brunswick/Canada border on its eastern end using the old alignment of ME 222; in 1937-8, it was also extended further on its western end all the way to Allagash via St John Plt and Saint Francis over the old alignment of ME 160 (see US 1 for an irregularity). There is an old alignment just east of Allagash of uncertain age, signed on NAVTEQ as Old ME 161, which was probably also part of ME 160. ME 161 appears to have always terminated just shy of crossing the Saint John River at Dickey; this was originally a ferry and is now a bridge. NAVTEQ shows it continuing on the other side but this does not appear to have ever been its routing. Nevertheless, despite not being state highway, it appears to be state-maintained. After the designation of US 1A on its new routing from Mars Hill to Caribou, ME 161 was truncated to Caribou with its old alignment from Caribou to Fort Fairfield becoming solely part of the new US 1A; its terminus became the corner of Sweden St and Main (old US 1), which is now obliterated but can be seen on the 1953 topo (warning: large image), and the remaining orphaned alignment from Fort Fairfield to the New Brunswick international line was added to ME 167. ME 161 remained on this truncated routing until 1983, changed only minimally except for the alteration of its terminus in Caribou by the US 1 bypass (see US 1), until US 1A was routed north along the rest of ME 165 and vacated the majority of its old alignment (see US 1A). ME 161 was then routed down along ME 164 (and old US 1) on Main St and east back along its old routing on Fort St and Fort Fairfield Rd to terminate at US 1A and ME 167 in Fort Fairfield at the junction of High and Main Sts.