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 runs from southeast to northwest, connecting U.S. Route 1 and State Route 9 to the Maine Turnpike (Interstate 95) via Interstate 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.
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 | ||||
| Length | 1.91 mi[1] (3.07 km) | |||
| Existed | 2004–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end |   US 1 / SR 9 in South Portland | |||
 I-295 in South Portland | ||||
| West end |   I-95 / Maine Turnpike in South Portland | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Maine | |||
| Counties | Cumberland | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
The SR 703 designation and direction are 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 only to the other routes to which it connects (I-95, I-295, US 1 and SR 114).
Route description
editSR 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 (unsigned SR 701) at Exit N, which further connects to I-295 north and Broadway. After crossing under I-295, Exit G connects directly to The Maine Mall via Philbrook Avenue. The highway terminates at a diamond interchange at the Maine Turnpike after traffic passes through an entrance toll.[2] Traffic to I-95 north continues unimpeded while traffic to I-95 south must turn left at a signalized intersection.
Heading eastbound from I-95, exit J serves The Maine Mall via Maine Mall Rd and Payne Rd, exit E connects directly to I-295 north, exit A connects directly to Broadway, exit S connects to the southbound Scarborough Connector. The highway continues east to its terminus at Main Street.
History
editThe 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 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]
Future extension
editThe Maine Turnpike Authority has proposed constructing a new 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 SR 22 and at Running Hill Road in Scarborough, with an estimated toll of $1.50. [5] The project 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] The specific route of the road was announced on February 5, 2024. [9]
Exit list
editExits 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] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | 0.00 | US 1 / SR 9 (Main Street) – South Portland, Scarborough | At-grade intersection | ||
| 0.74 | 1.19 | N |  I-295 north – Portland | Westbound exit and entrance, unsigned SR 701 north to I-295 Access to Broadway via exit M on SR 701 | |
| S | Scarborough Connector — Scarborough, Old Orchard | Eastbound exit and entrance, unsigned SR 701 south | |||
| 1.01 | 1.63 | A | Broadway — South Portland | Eastbound exit/westbound entrance | |
| 1.24 | 2.00 | E | I-295 north – Portland | No westbound exit | |
| 1.66 | 2.67 | G (WB) J (EB) |   To SR 114 / Maine Mall Road – Jetport | Westbound access to Maine Mall Road via Philbrook Avenue | |
| 1.91 | 3.07 | I-95 / Maine Turnpike – Kittery, Boston, Lewiston, Augusta | Entrance toll; exit 45 on I-95 | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b Maine Department of Transportation. Maine DOT Map Viewer (Map). Maine Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ a b "2021.07 Exit 45 Reconstruction". Maine Turnpike Authority. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Floodgap Roadgap's RoadsAroundME: Secret State Route 703". Retrieved June 28, 2018.[self-published source]
- ^ Guildford, David (June 5, 2023). "Road renamed to honor Cold War peace icon Samantha Smith". WCSH. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Gorham-Maine Mall connector plan takes shape". Portland Press Herald. December 1, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ "Gorham Connector FAQ". Maine Turnpike Authority. Retrieved February 14, 2022.[self-published source]
- ^ "Costs for Gorham turnpike spur will be higher than anticipated". Portland Press Herald. November 29, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ "Portland City Council takes stand against Gorham Connector". Portland Press Herald. July 14, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ "Plan for road connecting Maine Turnpike with Gorham unveiled". Spectrum News. February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.