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of the US 1 freeway, US 201 was
retracted to the freeway and the old stub terminus became entirely part of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.
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