2012 Maine Revised Statutes
TITLE 23: HIGHWAYS
Chapter 15: PROTECTION OF HIGHWAYS
23 §1201. Recreational areas on turnpike system

Part 1: STATE HIGHWAY LAW

Subchapter 1: SIGNS AND MARKERS

§1201. Recreational areas on turnpike system

In order to guide the users of the state turnpike system to the exit leading therefrom to the major recreational areas and other areas, structures and objects of local, regional and statewide interest of the State, there shall be erected and maintained at strategic points on the rights-of-way beside the lanes of traffic approaching the exits, separate descriptive and directional signs of such design that each sign will be conspicuous and readable when traveling at the maximum lawful speed. The department shall erect and maintain said signs on the state constructed and maintained interstate system and the Maine Turnpike Authority shall erect and maintain said signs on the highways constructed by said authority; and said State and authority shall cause the wording of said signs to be sufficiently descriptive of the area to identify it clearly to the traveling public. Nothing in this section shall require the department to erect signs which are not in accordance with the Manual for Signing and Pavement Marking of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, this manual having been adopted by the American Association of State Highway Officials and approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Public Roads. [1981, c. 105, §1 (AMD).]

The Maine Turnpike Authority shall develop guidelines for review of applications from organizations requesting signs on the Maine Turnpike, directing motorists to structures and objects of local, regional and statewide interest. Authority for approval of applications for directional signs rests with the Maine Turnpike Authority. [1983, c. 332, (NEW).]

The major recreational areas of the State are:

1. Kittery to Portland Beaches;

2. Portland and Casco Bay Region: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 7 miles southerly from exit 7 and shall be worded as follows:

Portland and Casco Bay Region -- Exit 7;

3. Sanford Region: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike about 1/2 distance northerly between the Kittery and Sanford exits and shall be worded as follows:

Sanford -- Recreational Lake Region -- Exit 2;

4. Bethel Area: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 7 miles southerly from exit 7 and shall be worded as follows:

Bethel-Recreation Area -- Exit 11;

4-A. Sebago-Long Lakes Region: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike at approximately mile 4 and shall be worded as follows:

	SEBAGO
LONG LAKES
	REGION
Exit 7 or 8;

[ 1965, c. 90, (NEW) .]

5. Sebago Lake -- Raymond -- Bridgton Area;

6. Sebago Lake, West Shore: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 7 miles southerly from exit 7 and shall be worded as follows:

Sebago Lake

West Shore

Exit 7;

7. Falmouth-Coastal Route 1. Such signs shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike at points southerly no more than 2 miles, 1 mile and at exit 9 and shall be worded as follows:

NEXT EXIT	EXIT 9	KEEP RIGHT FOR
FALMOUTH	FALMOUTH	FALMOUTH
COASTAL	COASTAL	COASTAL
ROUTE 1	ROUTE 1	ROUTE 1
2 Miles	1 Mile	Exit 9;

[ 1975, c. 30, (RPR) .]

8. Andover-Rumford Area: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 3 miles southerly from exit 12 and shall be worded as follows:

Andover-Rumford Recreation Area -- Exit 12;

9. Belgrade Lakes Region: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike as close as possible to 6 miles southerly from the Belgrade Interchange on Interstate 95 and shall direct traffic to use the Belgrade Interchange;

10. Boothbay Harbor Region. Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike and shall be worded as follows:

Boothbay Harbor Region -- Exit 9;

[ 1973, c. 788, §104 (AMD) .]

10-A. China Lake Region: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on Interstate 95;

[ 1967, c. 152, (NEW) .]

11. Mid-Coastal Area (Route 3 -- Augusta to Belfast);

12. Acadia Trail (Route 3 -- Belfast to Bar Harbor): Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 7 miles southerly from Augusta exit;

13. Moosehead Lake Region. Such sign must be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike at the first reasonable opportunity northerly from the York exit and must be worded as follows:

Moosehead Lake Region -- Big Moose Mountain -- 4 1/2 hours;

[ 2001, c. 244, §2 (AMD) .]

14. Katahdin Park Area & Aroostook County;

15. Hancock & Washington County Coastal Areas, including Bar Harbor and Eastport;

[ 1969, c. 330, §1 (AMD) .]

16. Acadia National Park -- Route 3 -- Exit 15 or Interstate Route 95;

[ 1965, c. 62, (AMD) .]

16-A. Maritime Provinces.

[ 2011, c. 610, Pt. C, §1 (RP) .]

17. Washington County: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 10 miles southerly from the Augusta exit and shall be worded as follows:

Quoddy State Park -- Most Easterly Point in the U.S. -- Exit 15;

[ 1969, c. 330, §2 (AMD) .]

18. Arnold Highway to Quebec, Routes 201 -- 201A;

19. Rangeley Lakes -- Saddleback Mountain -- Recreation and Ski Areas -- Exit 12;

[ 1973, c. 644, (RPR) .]

20. Sugar Loaf Mountain: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 2 miles southerly from exit 12;

21. Bath Area: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 7 miles southerly from exit 9;

22. Damariscotta-Pemaquid Region: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 7 miles southerly from exit 9 and shall be worded as follows:

Damariscotta-Pemaquid Region -- Exit 9;

23. Lewiston-Auburn: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than one mile southerly from exit 9;

24. Winthrop Lakes Region (Exit 13): Such signs shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike at exit 13, known as Lewiston exit;

25. Evergreen Valley Area: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no less than 7 miles southerly from exit 7 and shall be worded as follows:

EVERGREEN VALLEY RECREATION AREA -- EXITS 8 and 11;

[ 1973, c. 356, (NEW) .]

26. City of Hallowell. This sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike within 1,000 feet north of the Augusta Exit and shall be worded as follows:

EXIT FOR CITY OF HALLOWELL;

[ 1975, c. 472, (NEW) .]

27. The Maine Gold Star Memorial Highway. Two signs shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike, one within 1,000 feet of the York Toll Gate to the Maine Turnpike and one within 1,000 feet of the Gardiner interchange. These signs shall contain the words "The Maine Gold Star Memorial Highway" and other appropriate wording in accordance with the Resolves of 1965, chapter 31;

[ 1975, c. 472, (NEW) .]

28. Pleasant Mountian Recreational Area: Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no less than 7 miles southerly from exit 7 and shall be worded as follows:

PLEASANT MOUNTAIN RECREATIONAL AREA -- EXITS 8 AND 11;

[ 1975, c. 770, §97 (NEW) .]

29. Rockland area. Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike southerly of exit 9 and shall be worded as follows:

ROCKLAND AREA -- EXITS 9 and 15;

[ 1977, c. 288, (NEW) .]

30. Peaks-Kenny State Park. Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike southerly of exit 15 and shall be worded as follows:

Peaks-Kenny State Park -- I-95 -- Newport Exit;

[ 1977, c. 696, §195 (AMD) .]

31. Lost Valley Ski Area. Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike between exits 11 and 12 and shall be worded as follows:

LOST VALLEY SKI AREA -- Next Exit;

[ 1979, c. 76, (NEW) .]

32. York Region. Such sign shall be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike not more than 2 miles northerly from exit 1 and shall be worded as follows:

RECREATIONAL AREA

YORK BEACH -- YORK

YORK HARBOR

CAPE NEDDICK

YORK EXIT;

[ 1981, c. 26, (NEW) .]

33. St. Joseph's College; Westbrook College. Signs shall be provided by St. Joseph's College and Westbrook College and installed and maintained by the Maine Turnpike Authority at Exit 8 to replace the existing signs which read "Exit for the University of Southern Maine." The replacement signs shall conform with standards established by the Maine Turnpike Authority and shall read as follows:

EXIT FOR:

ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE

WESTBROOK COLLEGE;

[ 1981, c. 566, (RPR) .]

34. Mt. Abram Ski Area and Sunday River Ski Resort. The sign shall be provided by Sunday River Ski Resort and by Mt. Abram Ski Area and constructed, installed and maintained by the Maine Turnpike Authority at exit 11 and shall be worded as follows:

EXIT 11

MT. ABRAM SKI AREA

SUNDAY RIVER SKI RESORT;

[ 1981, c. 613, (NEW) .]

35. Southern Maine Community College. A sign shall be provided by the Southern Maine Community College and installed and maintained by the Maine Turnpike Authority at Exit 7 which will conform with standards established by the Maine Turnpike Authority and shall read as follows:

EXIT FOR:

SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE;

[ 1989, c. 443, §58 (AMD); 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §2 (AMD); 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §4 (AFF) .]

36. The University of New England. A sign shall be provided by the University of New England and installed and maintained by the Maine Turnpike Authority at Exit 4 which will conform with standards established by the Maine Turnpike Authority and shall read as follows:

EXIT FOR:

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND;

[ 1983, c. 26, (NEW) .]

37. Norway, South Paris and the Oxford Hills Region. Such sign must be constructed and maintained on the Maine Turnpike no more than 7 miles southerly from exit 11 and shall be worded as follows:

EXIT FOR NORWAY, SOUTH PARIS

AND THE OXFORD HILLS REGION;

[ 1993, c. 612, §1 (AMD) .]

38. Bates College. The signs must be provided by Bates College. The Maine Turnpike shall erect one sign on the side of the northbound lanes between exits 12 and 13 and one sign on the side of the southbound lanes north of exit 13. The Maine Turnpike Authority is responsible for the maintenance of the signs; and

[ 1993, c. 612, §1 (AMD) .]

39. Saco Plaza; facilities at former Exit 5. Signs for the facilities permitted by Title 23, section 1967, subsection 5 must be installed and maintained along the northbound and southbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike at appropriate locations leading to and at the former exit 5 of the Maine Turnpike. The signs must be provided and maintained by the Maine Turnpike Authority. The signs must be paid for by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services and the owners or operators of any facilities described in the signs. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services and owners or operators of the facilities may decide upon the division of expenses.

One sign along the northbound lanes and one sign along the southbound lanes must incorporate the single or multicolored logos or designs used by the hotel or convention center operator. These signs must briefly describe the services available to the traveling public.

[ 1993, c. 612, §2 (NEW) .]

In the absence of a specific recreational area, the department on the state constructed and maintained interstate system and the Maine Turnpike Authority on the highways constructed by said authority may erect, situated near an exit, suitable signs at the exit designating motel, hotel and restaurant areas. [1971, c. 593, §22 (AMD).]

SECTION HISTORY

1965, c. 62, (AMD). 1965, c. 90, (AMD). 1967, c. 152, (AMD). 1967, c. 440, (AMD). 1969, c. 330, §§1,2 (AMD). 1971, c. 593, §22 (AMD). 1973, c. 356, (AMD). 1973, c. 644, (AMD). 1973, c. 788, §104 (AMD). 1975, c. 6, (AMD). 1975, c. 30, (AMD). 1975, c. 472, (AMD). 1975, c. 770, §§96, 97 (AMD). 1975, c. 770, §§96,97 (AMD). 1977, c. 154, (AMD). 1977, c. 288, (AMD). 1977, c. 305, (AMD). 1977, c. 696, §195 (AMD). 1979, c. 76, (AMD). 1981, c. 26, (AMD). 1981, c. 105, §§1,2 (AMD). 1981, c. 566, (AMD). 1981, c. 613, (AMD). 1983, c. 26, (AMD). 1983, c. 71, (AMD). 1983, c. 323, (AMD). 1983, c. 332, (AMD). 1983, c. 506, (AMD). 1985, c. 506, §§A46,47 (AMD). 1989, c. 443, §58 (AMD). 1993, c. 612, §§1,2 (AMD). 2001, c. 244, §2 (AMD). 2003, c. 20, §OO2 (AMD). 2003, c. 20, §OO4 (AFF). 2011, c. 610, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).