Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Portland, Mainers Don’t Miss Torn Down Road Infrastructure

Maine DOT is in the process of rebuilding Interstate 295 through downtown Portland, section by section, and a portion of the road that separates the city from the waterfront might be a prime candidate for a highway teardown.

false

Could it happen? C Neal at Rights of Way points out that Portland has already begun relieving itself of some 1950s road infrastructure, and "so far, drivers have hardly noticed the difference."

In the 1950s, before Interstate 295 existed, the original Veterans Memorial Bridge was built with a freeway-like on- and off-ramps on either side of the Fore River to carry high-speed Route 1 traffic...

Here's a view of the grade-separated off-ramp on the South Portland approach that existed until early last year (right).

Has South Portland become chokcd with traffic since losing one of its oldest freeway spurs? No, it hasn't been.

The biggest impact to losing a freeway spur has been that thousands of residents of South Portland's neighborhoods now have safe and convenient access to the West End of Portland by foot or by bike.

"This is only the beginning," Neal says.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Boston Biker pinpoints the neighborhoods that are most responsible for local gridlock, using data from an MIT study. Seattle Bike Blog reports that a bill allowing Seattle neighborhoods to lower speed limits to 20 miles per hour just passed in the state's House of Representatives and looks like a winner in the Senate. And Transit in Utah wonders why the media get so excited by sensational threats like meteors, while overlooking the growing energy and climate crises.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025

‘Blood On His Hands’: Cyclists Slam Eric Adams After Judge Lets Him Remove Brooklyn Bike Lane

Mayor Adams will have “blood on his hands” for his decision to rip up three blocks of the popular protected bike lane.

July 10, 2025
See all posts