Misplaced Pages

U.S. Route 201
US 201 highlighted in red and US 201A in blue
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 1
Maintained by MaineDOT
Length	157.46 mi (253.41 km)
Existed	1926–present
Tourist routes	Old Canada Road Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end	US 1 / SR 24 Bus. in Brunswick
Major intersections	I-295 in Gardiner I-95 in Fairfield US 202 in Augusta US 2 / US 201A / SR 104 in Skowhegan
North end	SR 6 / R-173 at the Canada–US border near Saint-Théophile, QC
Location
Country	United States
State	Maine
Counties	Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, Somerset
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Maine State Highway System Interstate US State Auto trails Lettered highways
← SR 200 → US 202
← SR 146 → SR 148 ← Route 18 N.E. → Route 24

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.

Between Solon and its northern terminus, US 201 is known as the Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway.

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, 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.

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.

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. On June 15, 2000, the route was designated a National Scenic Byway.

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	mi	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
				R-173 north to A-73 – Saint-Georges, Québec	Continuation beyond Armstrong–Jackman Border Crossing into Québec
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Somerset County Alternate route

U.S. Route 201A
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 Solon, 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.

Location	mi	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       Concurrency terminus

References

1. ^ U.S. Numbered Highways – 1989 Edition (current). AASHTO. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
2. Scenic Byway. visitmaine.com. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
3. Maine Scenic Drives: Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
4. Gibson, John (1998). Maine's Most Scenic Roads: 25 Routes Off the Beaten Path. Camden, Maine: Down East Books. pp. 123–130.
5. Old Canada Road Scenic Byway (Route 201). exploremaine.org. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
6. Old Canada Road Scenic Byway – Official Designations. byways.org. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
7. ^ "MaineDOT Public Map Viewer". Maine Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 10, 2017.

External links

• U.S. Route 201's page on Byways.org
• Endpoints of U.S. Highway 201

v t e U.S. Routes related to US 1
	US 1A US 201 US 301 US 401 US 501 US 601 US 701 Special 301 401 501 601 701

• National Scenic Byways
• United States Numbered Highway System
• U.S. Highways in Maine
• Interstate 95
• U.S. Route 1
• Transportation in Somerset County, Maine
• Transportation in Kennebec County, Maine
• Transportation in Sagadahoc County, Maine
• Transportation in Cumberland County, Maine