U.S. Route 201
U.S. Route 201 (US 201) is part of the nationwide system of United States Numbered Highways. It runs for 157.46 miles (253.41 km) entirely within the state of Maine and is a spur route of U.S. Route 1. Its southern terminus is in Brunswick at US 1 and Maine State Route 24 Business. Its northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Jackman (a terminus it shares with Maine State Route 6), where it connects to Quebec Route 173.
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US 201 highlighted in red and US 201A in blue | ||||||||||
| Route information | ||||||||||
| Auxiliary route of US 1 | ||||||||||
| Maintained by MaineDOT | ||||||||||
| Length | 157.46 mi[1] (253.41 km) | |||||||||
| Existed | 1926–present | |||||||||
| Tourist routes |  Old Canada Road Scenic Byway | |||||||||
| Major junctions | ||||||||||
| South end |     US 1 / SR 24 Bus. in Brunswick | |||||||||
| North end |   Route 173 / SR 6 at the Canada–US border near Saint-Théophile, QC | |||||||||
| Location | ||||||||||
| Counties | Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, Somerset | |||||||||
| Highway system | ||||||||||
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Between Solon and its northern terminus, US 201 is known as the Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway.[2]
Route description
US 201 begins in Brunswick along SR 24 Business (former SR 24) at an interchange with US 1. It follows the Kennebec River from Gardiner, Maine, to The Forks where it winds away from the river and runs up into the north woods mountains. The highway crosses the Appalachian Trail at Caratunk, Maine.[3]
North of The Forks, US 201 climbs in elevation over Johnson Mountain and around Coburn Mountain near Upper Enchanted and Parlin Pond Townships. Before reaching Jackman, the road peaks at the Attean Pond Lookout, a popular rest area, before descending into town. US 201 intersects the northern end of SR 15 in Jackman and is cosigned with SR 6 for the remaining 16.4 miles (26.4 km) north to the Canadian border. The road continues through parts of Moose River and Dennistown before reaching the Armstrong-Jackman Border Crossing at Sandy Bay Township. US 201 and SR 6 ends as the highway crosses into Quebec, Canada and becomes Route 173.
A former alignment designated US 201A runs through the towns of Madison and Norridgewock.[1]
History
US 201 follows old river trading routes of the Abenaki people. Parts of Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec took place along the route that today make up US 201.[4][5] On June 15, 2000, the route was designated a National Scenic Byway.[6]
US 201 used to be New England Interstate Route 20 (NEI 20) in the 1920s. The original 1922 plan had NEI 20 starting in Portland. The southern half was later shifted east to start in Brunswick (the realignment may have been done prior to actual signing of the route.) The southern end of the original NEI 20 is now SR 100 from Portland to Augusta. The Brunswick end of the original NEI 20 intersected with NEI 1 (which is now US 1), which remained the southern terminus of US 201 until the construction of the US 1 freeway, at which point its terminus was moved to its current location on SR 24.
Since its designation in 1926, US 201 has only undergone one major realignment. The original highway used to run through Norridgewock, Anson, and Madison on its way to Solon. In 1954, US 201 was moved to a new eastern alignment which completely bypasses this area and the existing alignment was redesignated US 201A. US 201 has also undergone various other minor route adjustments, but largely maintains its original 1926 routing.
Major intersections
| County | Location[7] | mi[7] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | Brunswick | 0.00 | 0.00 | SR 24 Bus. south (Maine Street) | Continuation beyond southern terminus; southern end of concurrency with SR 24 Business |
 US 1 to I-95 – Portland, Bath | |||||
| Sagadahoc | Topsham | 0.54 | 0.87 | SR 24 Bus. north (Elm Street) – Bowdoinham | Northern end of concurrency with SR 24 Business |
| 1.35 | 2.17 |   SR 196 (Lewiston Road) to I-295 – Bath, Lewiston | |||
| Bowdoin | 6.87 | 11.06 |  SR 138 (Post Road) – Bowdoinham | Southern terminus of SR 138 | |
| 8.23 | 13.24 |  SR 125 north – Bowdoinham | Southern end of wrong-way concurrency with SR 125 | ||
| 8.32 | 13.39 | SR 125 south – Bowdoin, Lewiston | Northern end of wrong-way concurrency with SR 125 | ||
| Richmond | 14.08 | 22.66 |  SR 197 (Richmond Road) to I-295 | ||
| 14.33 | 23.06 | SR 138 south (Lancaster Road) | Northern terminus of SR 138 | ||
| Kennebec | Gardiner | 20.14– 20.37 | 32.41– 32.78 |  I-295 to I-95 / Maine Turnpike – Brunswick, Portland, Augusta | Exit 49 on I-295 |
| 25.00 | 40.23 |   SR 9 west / SR 126 west (Water Street) – Lewiston | Southern end of concurrency with SR 9 / SR 126 | ||
| 25.27 | 40.67 |  SR 9 east / SR 126 east / SR 27 south – USVA Togus, Randolph SR 24 – Richmond | Northern end of concurrency with SR 9 / SR 126; southern end of concurrency with SR 27 Northern terminus of SR 24 | ||
| Augusta | 31.09 | 50.03 |     US 202 west / SR 11 south / SR 17 west / SR 100 south to I-95 – Winthrop SR 8 north / SR 11 north / SR 27 north – Belgrade | Rotary; northern end of concurrency with SR 27; southern end of concurrency with US 202 / SR 17 / SR 100 Southern terminus of SR 8 | |
| 31.82 | 51.21 | SR 9 west / SR 17 east (Stone Street) – Randolph, Rockland SR 105 east (Cony Street East) – Windsor | Rotary; eastern end of concurrency with SR 17; western end of concurrency with SR 9; western terminus of SR 105 | ||
| 32.44 | 52.21 | US 202 east / SR 9 east (North Belfast Avenue) – China | Northern end of concurrency with US 202 / SR 9 | ||
| 33.12 | 53.30 |  SR 3 to I-95 / Maine Turnpike – Augusta Civic Center Drive, Portland, Belfast | |||
| Winslow | 48.30 | 77.73 |  SR 137 (Carter Memorial Drive) to I-95 – Kennedy Memorial Drive, Oakland, China | ||
| 49.24 | 79.24 |  SR 137 Bus. – China | Southern end of concurrency with SR 137 Bus. | ||
| 49.37 | 79.45 |  SR 100A (Halifax Street) – Clinton, Burnham | Southern terminus of SR 100A | ||
| Waterville | 50.04 | 80.53 | SR 137 Bus. (Spring Street) to I-95 – Oakland | Northern end of concurrency with SR 137 Bus. | |
| 50.49 | 81.26 |  SR 11 south (Main Street) / SR 104 – Oakland, Sidney | Southern end of concurrency with SR 11 | ||
| Somerset | Fairfield | 53.55 | 86.18 |  SR 11 north / SR 100 north / SR 139 east | Northern end of concurrency with SR 11 / SR 100; southern end of concurrency with SR 139 |
| 53.77 | 86.53 | SR 139 west (Western Avenue) – Norridgewock | Northern end of concurrency with SR 139 | ||
| 54.45– 54.72 | 87.63– 88.06 | I-95 – Bangor, Augusta | Exit 133 on I-95 | ||
| 58.70 | 94.47 |  SR 23 south – Oakland | Southern end of concurrency with SR 23 | ||
| 61.09 | 98.31 | SR 23 north – Canaan | Northern end of concurrency with SR 23 | ||
| Skowhegan | 68.88 | 110.85 |   US 2 west / US 201A (West Front Street) – Norridgewock SR 104 – Fairfield Center | Southern end of concurrency with US 2; northern terminus of SR 104; southern terminus of US 201A | |
| 69.25 | 111.45 | US 2 east | Northern end of concurrency with US 2 | ||
| Madison | 73.55 | 118.37 |  SR 148 (White School House Road) – Madison | Eastern terminus of SR 148 | |
| 79.22– 79.27 | 127.49– 127.57 |  SR 43 (Thurston Hill Road / Horsetail Hill Road) – Athens, Madison | Brief concurrency with SR 43 | ||
| Solon | 84.31 | 135.68 | US 201A (Ferry Street) / SR 8 – North Anson, Madison | Northern terminus of US 201A / SR 8 | |
| Bingham | 92.11 | 148.24 |  SR 16 west | Southern end of concurrency with SR 16 | |
| 92.75 | 149.27 | SR 16 east – Abbot | Northern end of concurrency with SR 16 | ||
| Jackman | 140.96 | 226.85 |  SR 6 east / SR 15 – Rockwood, Greenville | Southern end of concurrency with SR 6; northern terminus of SR 15 | |
| Sandy Bay | 157.37 | 253.26 | SR 6 ends | Northern end of concurrency with SR 6; western terminus of SR 6 | |
| Route 173 | Continuation beyond Armstrong–Jackman Border Crossing into Québec | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Special routes
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| Location | Skowhegan - Solon |
| Length | 26.18 mi (42.13 km) |
| Existed | 1954–present |
U.S. Route 201 Alternate (US 201A) is the designation of a former alignment of US 201 in the towns of Skowhegan, Norridgewock, Madison and Anson. The route is 26.18 miles (42.13 km) long and forms a western loop of US 201, which was rerouted in 1954 to bypass to the east. US 201A runs along the Kennebec River over its entire length.
The southern terminus of US 201A is at US 2, US 201 and State Route 104 in Skowhegan. The northern terminus is at US 201 in Anson, a terminus it shares with State Route 8.
US 201A is also part of the Arnold Highway (named for Benedict Arnold), established in 1931 over the original US 201.
US 201A is completely overlapped with other routes due to various realignments of the routes signed over it.
Route description
US 201A begins in Skowhegan just south of the Kennebec River, at an intersection with US 2, US 201, and SR 104 (which has its northern terminus here). US 201A begins overlapped with US 2 and the two routes proceed southwest along the southern bank of the river on the way to Norridgewock. Upon reaching town, the highway intersects with SR 8 and SR 139. SR 139 has its western terminus at this intersection while SR 8 northbound joins the concurrency. Just to the west, US 2 splits off to the southwest, while US 201A goes to the northwest with SR 8 in tow. US 201A and SR 8 are cosigned for the remainder of their lengths.
US 201A and SR 8 continue along the riverbank, turning north into Madison and intersecting with SR 43 and SR 148. US 201A and SR 8 then turn west, joining the converging routes to cross the river as a four-route concurrency. On the west side of the bridge lies the town of Anson, where US 201A and SR 8 split to the north off SR 43 and SR 148, which continue west concurrently. The highway turns north along the west bank of the river into the village of North Anson, intersecting the eastern end of SR 234 before meeting SR 16 just to the north. SR 16 joins US 201A and SR 8, proceeding north along the river out of town, and eventually passing into Solon. Nearing the riverbank once more, SR 16 splits to continue north along the river, while US 201A and SR 8 turn northeast to cross the river. Both routes terminate at US 201.
Junction list
The entire route is in Somerset County. [7]
| Location[7] | mi[7] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan | 0.00 | 0.00 |  US 2 east / US 201 / SR 104 | Southern end of concurrency with US 2; northern terminus of SR 104 | |
| Norridgewock | 5.02 | 8.08 | SR 139 east (Waterville Road) – Waterville | Western terminus of SR 139 | |
| 5.04 | 8.11 | SR 8 south (Mechanic Street) – Smithfield | Southern end of concurrency with SR 8 | ||
| 5.42 | 8.72 | US 2 west – Mercer, Farmington | Northern end of concurrency with US 2 | ||
| Madison | 13.12 | 21.11 | SR 43 north (Weston Avenue) / SR 148 east (Main Street) – Athens, East Madison, Skowhegan | Southern end of concurrency with SR 43 / SR 148 | |
| Anson | 13.60 | 21.89 | SR 43 south / SR 148 west – Farmington, Starks | Northern end of concurrency with SR 43 / SR 148 | |
| 18.07 | 29.08 |  SR 234 west (Union Street) – New Vineyard | Eastern terminus of SR 234 | ||
| 18.25 | 29.37 | SR 16 west – Kingfield, New Portland | Southern end of concurrency with SR 16 | ||
| Embden | 25.03 | 40.28 | SR 16 east (Kennebec River Road) – Bingham, Concord | Northern end of concurrency with SR 16 | |
| Solon | 26.16 | 42.10 | US 201 (Main Street) / SR 8 ends – Skowhegan, Bingham | Northern terminus of US 201A and SR 8; north end of concurrency with SR 8 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- U.S. Numbered Highways – 1989 Edition (current). AASHTO. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- Scenic Byway. visitmaine.com. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- Maine Scenic Drives: Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
- Gibson, John (1998). Maine's Most Scenic Roads: 25 Routes Off the Beaten Path. Camden, Maine: Down East Books. pp. 123–130.
- Old Canada Road Scenic Byway (Route 201). exploremaine.org. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- Old Canada Road Scenic Byway – Official Designations. byways.org. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- "MaineDOT Public Map Viewer". Maine Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 10, 2017.