Do you "cheat" the Maine turnpike on your way home? (Portland: areas, businesses)

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by shadowfax1997

There are two exits in falmouth. the spur goes across to 295 that goes up to brunswick, then to gardiner. That spur is a $1 to get off, after potentially paying a dollar to get on just a few miles away.

Oops, I completely forgot about that, it's a really strange one. Doesn't it change from 295 to 95 or something weird like that? Wait, I'm confused. There's the Bucknam Rd exit and where's the next one? I am confused. Maineah, help?

[GreenGene]

When my wife and I were in Maine this August, no, we didn't cheat the Maine Turnpike. To tell you the truth, we were so delighted to be on it, it didn't matter about the tolls.

On the trip up from Virginia to Maine, we paid tolls in all states save for Virginia and Connecticut. The most expensive single toll on the trip was $5.00 for the JFK highway (I-95) in Maryland ... although if we had stayed on the Jersey Turnpike the whole way, I believe that would have been more. The most expensive road we were on was - yep - the Maine Turnpike, at $5.25 spread over three tolls.

Total cost northbound (VA to ME): $32.10

Total cost southbound (ME to VA): $0.00 ... we took an alternate route, taking route 2 over to VT, catching 91 south into CT, then 84 west through NY to PA, then 81 south into VA. No tolls, but considerably longer in both distance and time.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by island mermaid

There has been a toll booth on 295 in Gardiner for a long time. It used to be just a quarter, now I think it's a buck. I'm not aware of any toll booth in Falmouth.

It's the West Falmouth exit, maybe #10, you get off right before the toll booth if your headed up to L/A. The new TD office building and Hannafords shopping center is there. There is a toll booth there but there never was a person there and you paid getting on but not getting off. You end up after 200' on Washington Ave/Gray Rd depending on which map your looking at. Your probably thinking of the divided highway access road to Rt 1 and Falmouth, the one before the West Falmouth exit and there is a toll booth on that one too.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by island mermaid

Oops, I completely forgot about that, it's a really strange one. Doesn't it change from 295 to 95 or something weird like that? Wait, I'm confused. There's the Bucknam Rd exit and where's the next one? I am confused. Maineah, help?

MRVPhotog is correct. It used to be Portland North exit #10 Now it's exit 53 since they changed all the exits to coincide with mileage markers. It exits onto route 100 and 26 just above the North Deering section of Portland. 295 is now the old 95 and the Turnpike is now 95.

[brother227]

I paid my share of tolls when I lived back there,but out here in the West,no tolls anywhere

[melinuxfool]

Originally Posted by Maineah

MRVPhotog is correct. It used to be Portland North exit #10 Now it's exit 53 since they changed all the exits to coincide with mileage markers. It exits onto route 100 and 26 just above the North Deering section of Portland. 295 is now the old 95 and the Turnpike is now 95.

Right, and the Maine Turnpike was 495, wasn't it?

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by melinuxfool

Right, and the Maine Turnpike was 495, wasn't it?

Yes it was. 95 used to be what is 295 now. 295 started in Portland and turned to 95 in Falmouth. It was 95 from Falmouth to Augusta where it merged with 495 which was the turnpike. I don't know why they changed the Turnpike to 95 as I thought the interstate system was mandated to be toll free when it was first conceived by Eisenhower.

[melinuxfool]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I don't know why they changed the Turnpike to 95 as I thought the interstate system was mandated to be toll free when it was first conceived by Eisenhower.

Probably to sucker the tourists into paying more tolls. It works, I have relatives who have been back home for five years now, but still refuse to deviate from I-95 on the trip back. Follow the turnpike all the way to Route 3. I've given up on convincing them that 295 is shorter.

[BrokenTap]

I think you will find that because of the way the Interstate North of Augusta was funded and built, the State of Maine has no authority to put a toll highway in North of Augusta. My Father remembers when the "interstate" was just a two lane road from Orono North. Because of all the accidents as people tried to pass and whatnot, it was turned into a north/south interstate.

I remember being a kid when they built 395 in Bangor to Brewer. Imagine all the jobs that would be created, and how efficient the tourists could get to MDI if 395 was extended to Ellsworth. Or the East-West highway was built across Maine...oh my that is crazy talk now!

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by BrokenTap

I think you will find that because of the way the Interstate North of Augusta was funded and built, the State of Maine has no authority to put a toll highway in North of Augusta. My Father remembers when the "interstate" was just a two lane road from Orono North. Because of all the accidents as people tried to pass and whatnot, it was turned into a north/south interstate.

I remember being a kid when they built 395 in Bangor to Brewer. Imagine all the jobs that would be created, and how efficient the tourists could get to MDI if 395 was extended to Ellsworth. Or the East-West highway was built across Maine...oh my that is crazy talk now!

The east west highway form say Calais to Burlington VT would be a wonderful thing to see happen. Maine would benefit greatly from such an undertaking. Think of the jobs that project would produce along with opening an economic corridor to some of the most rural parts of Maine ,New Hampshire and Vermont!