State Route 703

Samantha Smith Way
Maine Turnpike Authority Approach Road
Map of the South Portland and Scarborough area with SR 703 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MaineDOT
Length1.91 mi[1] (3.07 km)
Existed2004–present
Major junctions
East end US 1 / SR 9 in South Portland
Major intersections I-295 in South Portland
West end I-95 / Maine Turnpike in South Portland
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMaine
CountiesCumberland
Highway system
← SR 701→ US 1

State Route 703 (SR 703) is the designation of Samantha Smith Way, also called the Maine Turnpike Authority Approach Road, a 1.91-mile (3.07 km) road located in South Portland, Maine. It connects U.S. Route 1 (US 1) and State Route 9 to the Maine Turnpike (Interstate 95, I-95), as well as I-295 and The Maine Mall. Except at its endpoints, it is a four-lane freeway with a 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) speed limit.

The SR 703 designation is only indicated on mileposts, which increase from east to west as opposed to the standard practice of increasing from west to east. All other signage refers to the routes to which it connects (I-95, I-295, US 1 and SR 114).

Route description

SR 703 begins at an at-grade intersection with Main Street (US 1/SR 9) just north of the Scarborough town line. Heading westbound, the highway meets the northbound Scarborough Connector at Exit N, which connects to I-295 north and Broadway. After crossing under I-295, Exit G connects directly to The Maine Mall and Maine Mall Rd. The highway terminates at a diamond interchange at the Maine Turnpike as of 5 October 2022, which used to be a trumpet interchange prior to the reconfiguration of Exit 45.[2]

There are four lettered exits heading eastbound: Exit J serves The Maine Mall via Maine Mall Rd / Payne Rd, Exit E connects directly to I-295 north, Exit A connects to Broadway in South Portland, and Exit S connects with the southbound Scarborough Connector, which carries traffic towards US 1/SR 9 in downtown Scarborough.

History

The Maine Turnpike Approach Road has existed in some form since the Maine Turnpike first opened to traffic in 1947. Various improvements and upgrades, including the construction of the southern section of I-295 in 1971, have resulted in the modern freeway that exists today. The SR 703 number was first introduced in official correspondence in 2004 and was later made an official (albeit unsigned) designation.[3]

On October 5, 2022, exit 45 on the Maine Turnpike was reconfigured from a trumpet interchange into a diamond interchange.[2] The road was renamed in June 2023 to Samantha Smith Way in honor of Manchester activist Samantha Smith.[4]

Extension

The Maine Turnpike Authority has proposed constructing a toll road, called the Gorham Connector, to connect SR 703 to SR 114 where it intersects with the Gorham Bypass road, for the purpose of relieving chronic traffic congestion on SR 22 and SR 114. The six mile road would have an interchange at Route 22 and at Running Hill Road in Scarborough, with an estimated toll of $1.50. [5] It is estimated to cost as much as $237 million. The Maine Legislature has limited the bond capacity of the MTA for constructing such a road to $150 million, but other Turnpike revenues can go towards such a project. [6][7] The Portland City Council passed a resolution opposing construction of the road, citing climate change; the four communities the route will pass through, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, and Gorham, have all preliminarily approved it. [8]

Exit list

Exits are listed in order from east to west as mileposts increase in that direction. The entire route is in South Portland, Cumberland County.

mi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.000.00 US 1 / SR 9 (Main Street) – South Portland, ScarboroughAt-grade intersection
0.741.19
 I-295 north – Portland		Westbound exit and entrance, unsigned SR 701 north
Scarborough Connector — Scarborough, Old OrchardEastbound exit and entrance, unsigned SR 701 south
1.011.63Broadway — South PortlandEastbound exit/westbound entrance
1.242.00
 I-295 north – Portland		No westbound exit
1.662.67
 To SR 114 / Maine Mall Road – Jetport
1.913.07 I-95 / Maine Turnpike – Kittery, Boston, Lewiston, AugustaEntrance toll; exit 45 on I-95
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 Maine Department of Transportation. Maine DOT Map Viewer (Map). Maine Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "2021.07 Exit 45 Reconstruction". Maine Turnpike Authority. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Floodgap Roadgap's RoadsAroundME: Secret State Route 703". Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  4. ↑ Guildford, David (June 5, 2023). "Road renamed to honor Cold War peace icon Samantha Smith". WCSH. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Gorham-Maine Mall connector plan takes shape". Portland Press Herald. December 1, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Gorham Connector FAQ". Maine Turnpike Authority. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Costs for Gorham turnpike spur will be higher than anticipated". Portland Press Herald. November 29, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Portland City Council takes stand against Gorham Connector". Portland Press Herald. July 14, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
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