Old Sanford street signs, US 202/ME 4A EB. Most photos on this page are taken while concurrent with at least one other route, so get used to it. I have a different angle on the Sanford page, which you can see by scrolling way down to the links at the bottom.


Heading east on US 202/ME 4 to the eastern end of ME 4A. I'm a sucker for state-name shields, even when I know they're new. ME 117 ends to the east at ME 112, so it should be signed TO EAST 112. Then again, nothing here is signed in any direction.


Still EB with ME 4, appearing to pass ME 112 again. That's a lie; ME 25 is the junction ahead, and ME 112 ended to the west on 25. 25 then joins 202/4 in Gorham past the customized and ugly mini-assembly. There are a ton of old signs at the ME 237 intersection, which you can only see on the ME 237 page (linked at bottom).

Throw in a similar WB sign.


Two of US 2's children cross north of Portland, and the better sign goes to US 202 EB by a mile. The rotary does get an old Maine Turnpike shield, but the new ones look the same anyway.


Being on US 202 is like taking the world's heaviest man to a buffet. It just keeps joining every route it finds with no end in sight. Of the four state highways at the first intersection (first three photos, EB), all four of them are joined with US 202 for some length. Put down the chicken wing! When ME 26 decides to leave the party, it not only picks the ugliest assembly wth which to do so, but hids it behind a utility pole so that you can't possibly see what happens to ME 4/100. If you guessed they're still stuck with US 202, you win... the chicken wing.


Like almost every other state, Maine can't resist making 202 a state route, although these detour signs are the only instance I saw of that.


The detour comes down Kitty Hawk Rd. SB and mercifully ends after that. Kitty Hawk Rd., which is named because it leads from the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport (wild guess, there), is a worthwhile detour to see an older sign assembly. When it was erected, the Maine Turnpike was I-495, which is why the I-95 shield is oversized and awkwardly positioned - and much more reflective than the rest of the sign.


Here's the second ME 11 multiplex, because if once is good, twice is better. (The first one carries across the border from New Hampshire.) In fact, let's bring all these other routes along too. The second photo is courtesy Doug Kerr.


Continuing northeastward out of Auburn and Lewiston.


Now add ME 17 to the mix in Manchester, with ME 11/100 and US 202 all still together. They're about to separate here, thankfully. ME 8 begins, of course, multiplexed with ME 11 to the north for several miles before breaking away on its own. US 202 now heads onto US 201, so see the big link at bottom for those photos.


By the way, I still don't have a photo of US 202 alone. Here it's EB with ME 9 between Augusta and Bangor. Both signs have that kickin' Maine font.


Now some newer signs with those state-name shields, still on US 202/ME 9 EB. The second assembly is where US 202 breaks away momentarily from ME 9 to take an alternate route into Bangor. That doesn't last, because all US 202 does is use I-395 to get right back on ME 9 (with US 1A along as well).


EB at Coldbrook Rd. Finally, US 202 gets to breathe on its own. When I-95 shields are pitted against the other routes, the 95s lose. This is especially true when the other shield is older.


Another way to lose is to use a non-cutout, non-state name construction shield.


The city of Bangor gains something through the DOT compact, though I don't know what. EB, since US 202 never makes it out the other side of the city.


Skipping the US 1A/ME 9 concurrency (see big link below), this is WB at the far end of it in Bangor. The 1A shield is as ugly as Maine can get.


Baked into the corner at ME 222.


There's another small, ugly US shield in the other direction, but right as US 202 EB ends in downtown, it gets an older assembly with the proper shield and all is well once more. And look - US 202 ended without any routes multiplexed!

Onto ME 4 alone
Onto ME 11 alone
Onto ME 9 alone
US 201 and US 202/201
ME 17 and US 202/201/ME 17
Onto US 1A and US 202/1A/ME 9

Into New Hampshire on US 202
Into Sanford (and Springvale)
Onto ME 112
To I-95 (Maine Tpk.)
Onto ME 25
Onto ME 237
Onto ME 26
Onto ME 115
Onto ME 8
Onto ME 27
To I-395
Onto US 2
Back to Maine Roads
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