Interstate 95 in New Hampshire

Interstate 95 (I-95), the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, cuts through the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire. Running from the Massachusetts border to the Piscataqua River Bridge at the Maine state line at length of 16.31 miles (26.25 km),[1] the Blue Star Turnpike or New Hampshire Turnpike is a toll road maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Bureau of Turnpikes. In its short length through New Hampshire, Interstate 95 traverses six municipalities: Seabrook, Hampton Falls, Hampton, North Hampton, Greenland, and Portsmouth.

Interstate 95
Blue Star Turnpike
I-95 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NHDOT
Length16.131 mi[1] (25.960 km)
Existed1957–present
Major junctions
South end I95 in Salisbury, MA
 
North end I-95 in Kittery, ME
Location
CountiesRockingham
Highway system
I-93 NH 97

Route description

View south along I-95 just after crossing the Piscataqua River Bridge from Maine

I-95 crosses from Massachusetts into New Hampshire in the town of Seabrook. There is a welcome center just north of the Massachusetts state line. The Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant is accessible via exit 1. The highway then continues through the coast towns of Hampton Falls and Hampton, with state-run liquor stores just prior to exit 2. I-95 interchanges with New Hampshire Route 101 (NH 101) in Hampton, then comes to a toll plaza soon after. That interchange also contains a ramp toll used by all traffic passing between the turnpike and NH 101. Traffic using the turnpike that does not pass by or use exit 2 does not pay a toll.

I-95 then continues through the towns of North Hampton and Greenland before entering the city of Portsmouth. Near the north end, a connection to the Portsmouth Circle provides access to U.S. Route 1 Bypass (US 1 Byp.) and the Spaulding Turnpike (US 4/NH 16). I-95 crosses into Maine less than 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Portsmouth Circle.

History

The turnpike opened in 1950 as a four-lane highway parallel to US 1 and was widened to eight lanes in 1976. The blue turnpike shield for the New Hampshire Turnpike is no longer in use, but was similar to the present-day signs for the Spaulding Turnpike and Everett Turnpike.[2]

From its designation in 1957 until 1972, I-95 in Portsmouth did not connect to I-95 in Kittery, Maine. Instead, the expressway ended at the Portsmouth Circle. From there, motorists followed US 1 Bypass via the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge to a junction near the Kittery Circle with US 1. This bridge connected the New Hampshire and Maine Turnpikes. It was a drawbridge over the Piscataqua waterway, which created problems on busy days with frequent ship traffic. Not only was this an obstacle to traffic, but the bridge was a narrow three-lane undivided roadway where the center lane could either be used in the direction of the greatest traffic flow or left closed for greater safety. Lane identification was accomplished via repeated banks of three traffic lights, one over each lane, and was the reason for the third (center) traffic light on the bridge. This bridge has since been replaced by another drawbridge with the same name.

Furthermore, US 1 Bypass is not a controlled-access highway, but an all-access divided highway (similar to US 1 between Saugus and Boston in Massachusetts). As far as most motorists were concerned, I-95 ended at the Portsmouth Circle and restarted in Kittery. The Piscataqua River Bridge, which unlike the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is not a drawbridge, was completed in the early 1970s to correct this problem. Four construction workers fell to their deaths during construction of the bridge.[3]

Exit list

Exit numbers are sequential. The entire route is in Rockingham County. [4][5]

Location[4][5]mi[4][5]kmExitDestinationsNotes
New HampshireMassachusetts line0.0000.000 I95 southContinuation into Massachusetts
60 Route 286 – Beaches, Salisbury, MA, Massachusetts Visitor CenterSigned based on Massachusetts numbering; southbound exit originates in New Hampshire; future exit 90
Seabrook0.6621.0651 NH 107 Seabrook, Kingston
Hampton5.4658.7952 NH 101 Exeter, Hampton, Hampton Beach, ManchesterHampton Side Toll Plaza
5.7779.297Hampton Main Toll Plaza
Portsmouth12.45120.0383 NH 33 Greenland, PortsmouthSigned as exit 3B southbound
13.22521.2843A Pease International Tradeport, Park & Ride, Bus TerminalSouthbound exit only
13.32921.4514 Spaulding Turnpike / US 4 / NH 16 New Hampshire Lakes, White Mountains, Newington, DoverNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
13.83622.2675 US 1 Byp. (Portsmouth Circle)Northbound signage
14.46223.274 Spaulding Turnpike / US 4 / NH 16 Newington, Dover, Durham, ConcordSouthbound signage
14.56523.4406Woodbury Avenue PortsmouthNorthbound exit only
15.42124.8187Market Street / Woodbury Avenue – Downtown PortsmouthWoodbury Avenue not signed northbound
Piscataqua River16.19326.060 I-95 north (Piscataqua River Bridge) – All Maine PointsBridge; continuation into Maine
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. GRANIT GIS data - Turnpikes
  2. "Eastbound New Hampshire 51". aaroads.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019. Photo by Michael Summa, 1976.
  3. "Four Workers Die, 7 Hurt in Fall at Bridge". Chicago Tribune. UPI. June 25, 1970. p. 38. Retrieved March 31, 2018 via newspapers.com.
  4. Bureau of Planning & Community Assistance (February 20, 2015). "NH Public Roads". Concord, New Hampshire: New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. Bureau of Planning & Community Assistance (April 3, 2015). "Nodal Reference 2015, State of New Hampshire". New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2015.

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Interstate 95
Previous state:
Massachusetts
New Hampshire Next state:
Maine
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