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[RoadsAroundME main page] US Highway 201 (Maine)
[Route marker portrait.]
<< Maine State Route 200 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 201 >>


Termini and Mileage (2006)

Termini (in-state)
Main alignment: Int of MAINE ST, MAINE ST, Brunswick to End of US 201, Sandy Bay Twp. (T5 R3 NBKP)
Southbound alignment: Int of MADISON AVE, RUSSEL, Skowhegan to Int of MAIN ST, MAIN ST SB, Topsham
Mileage (in-state)
Main alignment: 157.46 miles (total over all segments)
Southbound alignment: 1.54 miles (total over all segments)
 

Regional and National Route Information

History as Pole Highway (1919-1925)
Part of the Red International Trail route to Canada, with modern US 201A.
History as New England Interstate (1925)
Primarily signed as part of NEI 20 in NEI 20's final incarnation in 1925; see the New England Interstates page for other routings of NEI 20 in Maine. It is unclear if NEI 20's final alignment along the Skowhegan-Solon routing is best represented by US 201A or US 201, although all 1924 maps show NEI 20 on what is now US 201A and only one 1925 map disagrees.
History as US Highway
Original 1926 route.
 

Notes and History

US 201 is Maine's sole intrastate US highway and in fact one of the nation's few remaining intrastate US highways after AASHTO's disapproval of such routings under 300 miles (for another, more homicidal way to deal with this, see the California Great Renumbering). It is a strange remnant as, given the precedent of ME 11, it could just as easily be another massive state highway and not have a US number at all. Serving the western portions of the state, it is the only significant arterial for the sparsely populated townships and plantations north of Skowhegan. It was an important part of the original 1913 designation of state highways, encompassing former lettered highways H and Q.

Owing to its (comparatively) smaller traffic volumes, US 201 has not been as greatly molested as other major US highway arterials such as US 1, with its only major change being the eventual designation of Alternate US 201 (US 201A) over what was the original routing of US 201 through Norridgewock to Solon. Here are some of the known changes:

  • Brunswick. Originally US 201 met US 1 at the junction of Pleasant St and Maine St, where NEI 20 and NEI 1 did originally as well, partially cosigned with ME 24 after that route was designated, as well as with ME 196 until that route's realignment. With the construction of the US 1 freeway, US 201 was retracted to the freeway and the old stub terminus became entirely part of ME 24; see US 1 for history and map depictions of this change. See also ME 196.

  • Topsham. US 201 crosses over I-295 (originally built as part of I-95) on a new underpass built in 1973. The old alignment is signed as Old Augusta Rd and Atwood Rd, and can be seen on the 1957 topo (warning: large image). Part of this project appears in the archival photographs below.

  • Richmond. US 201 now occupies a straightened alignment now signed as Brunswick Rd. The former alignment appears to be Old Brunswick Rd and Mitchell Rd and can be seen on the 1943 topo (warning: large image). The current alignment appears on the 1957 topo (warning: large image), indicating the realignment occurred between those dates.

  • Libby Hill-Gardiner. US 201 now occupies a straightened alignment entering Gardiner now signed as Brunswick Ave. The former alignment appears to be Old Brunswick Rd and Old Brunswick Ave and can be seen on the 1943 topo (warning: large image). The current alignment appears on the 1957 topo (warning: large image), indicating the realignment occurred between those dates.

  • Augusta. US 201's routing in Augusta is little changed except where it crosses the Kennebec. Then, as now, US 201 approached the city from the south on State St (now US 201/ME 27), picking up then-ME 3, ME 11 and ME 17 at Western Avenue (now ME 11, ME 17 and US 202). From there, they continued north to Bridge St and turned east, crossing the Kennebec River along the Father Curran Bridge. The Father Curran Bridge in some form or another dates back to 1797, the original crossing built in Augusta, and has been continuously upgraded and expanded since then. At Cony St, it then turned north along Bangor St to leave the city.

    In 1949, the new Memorial Bridge was constructed as a toll crossing with a vertical clearance of 70' and length of 2,098', carrying US 201, US 202, ME 17 and ME 100. This bridge remains in use, but it doesn't cost anything today. In fact, it doesn't appear that any numbered highway is routed along the Father Curran anymore, likely due to its substandard capacity.

    The last crossing over the Kennebec in Augusta was not constructed until 2005, and is actually part of ME 3 (see ME 3).

  • Riverside-Vassalboro. US 201/ME 100 now occupies a straightened bypass alignment to the southeast now signed as Riverside Drive. The former alignment appears to be Cushnoc Rd, Holman Day Rd, Dunham Rd and Burleigh Rd, and can be seen on the 1893 topo (warning: large image). The current alignment appears on the 1943 topo (warning: large image), consistent with the Seven Mile Brook crossing dated 1939 making that the likely date of realignment.

  • Fairfield. US 201/ME 100 crosses over the Maine Central RR on a bridge dated 1948, signed as Main St. The former alignment remains (discontinously) as Old Main St.

    After ME 100's exodus, US 201 also crosses under I-95 on a western realignment now signed as Main St. The former alignment is discontinuous but includes Upper Main St and a small unmaintained stub section on the other side of the freeway. The I-95 bridge date is 1960, making it the likely date of realignment.

  • Shawmut. US 201 now occupies a curve-smoothed bypass alignment to the east. The former alignment is signed as Old County Rd and must have been an early bypass as the modern alignment appears as early as the 1943 topo (warning: large image).

  • Nyes Corner. US 201 now occupies a curve-smoothed bypass alignment to the west. The former alignment is signed as Nyes Corner Drive and appears on the 1957 topo (warning: large image) as well as on the 1966 general atlas. It is not clear when the modern alignment was constructed.

  • Skowhegan. As mentioned above, US 201A is old US 201. Although it is tempting to propose it, there is no map evidence to suggest that E Madison Rd was ever an old alignment of US 201 because both US 201 and its predecessor, ME 147, always traveled west of Wesserrunsett Lake. US 201 took over old ME 147 in 1954, leaving its orphaned alignment into Norridgewock along US 2 to the Alternate routing.

    For the old alignments along US 201A, see that entry.

  • Bingham. US 201 and ME 16 originally met at the old crossing over Austin Stream (now reconstructed, roughly at the end of what is now Old Canada Rd), as shown in the 1905 topo (warning: large image), from which US 201 proceeded into Moscow along Old Canada Rd and Nichols Hill Rd. The current alignment appears by the release of the 1956 topo (warning: large image); ME 16 was given the remainder of the routing south along what is now Mayfield Rd, and US 201 entered Moscow on a straightened routing to rejoin the old alignment as Main St and Canada Rd. Subsequently, the US 201 crossing over the Austin Stream was reconstructed in 1969 but with no change in routing. This junction is changing yet again with a new ME 16 approach to the US 201 mainline which is nearly complete, but on the other side of the Stream, and appears on NAVTEQ as New Route 16.

  • Caratunk Plt. US 201 now occupies a bypass alignment to the southwest signed as the Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. The former alignment is S Main St, with a beautiful tiny old 1922 bridge crossing the Pleasant Pond Stream, and can be seen on the 1956 topo (warning: large image); the current alignment is shown on the 1965 general atlas, consistent with the new crossing dated 1963 making it the likely date of realignment.

  • West Forks Plt. US 201 now occupies a straightened alignment to the west now signed as Pierce Rd. The former alignment is variously signed as N Old 201 Rd and N Old ME 201, and can be seen on the 1927 topo (warning: large image); the current alignment appears on the 1958 topo (warning: large image), indicating the realignment occurred between those dates.

  • Dennistown Plt-Sandy Bay. US 201 now occupies a straightened alignment to the west signed as the Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. The former alignment is signed as Old ME-201, and can be seen on the 1925 topo (warning: large image); the current alignment appears in the 1965 general atlas, consistent with the Sandy Stream crossing dated 1955 making it the likely date of realignment.

  • Sandy Bay Twp. ME 6/US 201 now occupies a straightened alignment to the southwest signed as Main St. The former alignment is signed as Old ME-201 and a portion of Campbell Pond Rd back to the mainline and then the Canadian border, and can be seen on the 1930 topo (warning: large image). Although satellite data is poor for this region, there is also an unmaintained/undesignated road that seems to connect with or near Route Ancienne RT 23 (Old Route 23), the former designation for ME 6/US 201's continuation as QC 173 into Quebec, which may have been an even older alignment. The old routing still appears as late as the 1965 general atlas. The history of this realignment is unclear.

ME 6/US 201 continues into Québec, Canada today as QC 173.

North of Skowhegan, US 201 is also known as the Old Canada Road Scenic Byway.

The whole of original US 201 (that is, US 201 and US 201A, excluding the later routing of US 201 that replaced US 201A) was designated the Arnold Highway in 1931. The Arnold in Arnold Highway is the notorious American Revolutionary War traitor General Benedict Arnold V (1741-1801), who, disaffected by being passed over for promotion by the Continental Congress despite his successes for the rebel army, conspired to defect and turn West Point over to the British. His overtly duplicitous activities later in his career unfortunately overshadowed his considerable early loyalty; one desperate campaign that particularly exemplified his former potential was to deny the British Loyalists access from Quebec to attack upper New York. Two forces were sent, one to capture Montreal and another at Benedict's suggestion for Quebec City, with the ultimate aim of encouraging the French Canadians in the mutual goal of driving out the British. Arnold's force ascended north from what is now Gardiner along the Kennebec and Dead Rivers with an arduous portage from there to the Chaudiere River and on to Quebec. Despite thorough destruction from two British warships patrolling the river, then-Colonel Arnold managed to join forces with Brig. Gen. Richard Montgomery after his capture of Montreal and attack Quebec City. The siege was disastrous -- Montgomery was killed and hundreds were taken prisoner -- but Arnold was able to hold on until reinforcements arrived in the spring of 1776. Arnold's valiant effort is remembered in the naming of the Highway. Nevertheless, despite his instrumental work in the Saratoga campaign (which convinced France's Louis XVI to join the rebel cause against the British), he received no credit for his work due to political infighting and became further angered with the Continental Congress when they would not approve his military expenses, much of which he had paid personally. Arnold resorted to less scrupulous means of raising funds to finance his lifestyle, leading to an investigation and a court martial, but nevertheless was granted command of West Point in 1780. Arnold communicated with British Major John André, who in turn told his superior General Henry Clinton, that Arnold was willing to turn over the fort for 20,300 pounds and a brigadier's commission, but Andre was caught with the evidence and subsequently tried and hanged, thus ending the plot. Arnold escaped to Britain via a waiting ship and received his commission with a "consolation" of 6,000 pounds, and led several small campaigns against his former countrymen before returning to England in 1781. The nature of his death was unavoidably coloured by opinions of his life, but all sources agree that he died in London in 1801; his house in London still stands on Gloucester Place, with a plaque describing him as an American patriot.

See also US 201A and ME 201SH.

 
Archival Photographs

 
[Thumbnail image. Select for 640x480.] Looking north on Maine St in Brunswick, probably taken in the early 1960s. The sign indicates "PORTLAND" and "AUGUSTA" with directional signage for US 1, US 201 and ME 24. (Undated Owen Art-Color postcard, in author's collection.)
[Thumbnail image. Select for 640x480.] Western end of the US 1 expressway in Brunswick in 1964 at the Maine St interchange, after the construction of the section to Cooks Corner (Highway News 5/64). This was lengthened to Bath and upgraded to freeway by 1966; it may have briefly carried an I-95 designation. ME 24 and US 201 are on the overpass.
[Thumbnail image. Select for 640x480.] Construction of the new US 201 Cathance River crossing near Topsham (Transportation News 7/73). This replaced the Old Augusta Road alignment. Part of this construction also included US 201's crossing over I-95 (now I-295).
[Thumbnail image. Select for 640x480.] Wyman Lake alignment of US 201 after its 1952 regrading (Highway News 9/58).
 

Additional Resources

North-South routes - US 1 to US 101 - Odd numbered highways (Robert Droz)
Maine Highways: US 201 (JP Kirby)
End of U.S. Highway 201 (Dale Sanderson)

<< Maine State Route 200 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 201 >>
Routing information is property of the Maine Department of Transportation, based on most current data available at time of this writing. No warranty or guarantee is expressed or implied regarding this routing's suitability for travel or resemblance to fact. RoadsAroundME is not affiliated with, sponsored by or funded by the taxpayers of the state of Maine, or the Maine Department of Transportation.

All images, photographs and multimedia, unless otherwise stated, are copyright © 2005-2010 Cameron Kaiser. All rights reserved. All writeups are copyright © 2005-2010 Cameron Kaiser. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying or duplication without express consent of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited. Please contact the sitemaster to request permission if you wish to use items from this page.

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