Historic Traffic Backup in Maine! (1 Viewer)

[Larry Allen]

As the summer tourist start to head home on this Labor Day holiday, the state highway network is CLOGGED with cars, trucks and emergency vehicles.

As of 1:00 PM today the traffic exiting the southern Maine turnpike is 41 miles long. Hundreds of vehicles are running out of gas, the temps are in the higher 80's and emergency vehicles can't get through to to the stranded motorist and disabled vehicles.{sm2}

I used to commute from home in Waldoboro to Boston years ago and I was once caught in a 12 - 13 mile back up. The normal 5 hour trip took 9 hours that day. Estimate are some of these folks won't make it home today.

WHEWWWWWW:redface2:

--- LaRRy

 

[mestell]

That's just insane . . . .
:smile2: Mike

 

[mikemiller1955]

Larry...our Labor Day got rained out big time this weekend...the Doppler radar this morning was solid green...Galveston Island is a major tourist destination for the Houston community as they are only 30 miles from us...but I have never seen lines here 41 miles long...heck...the whole island is only 32 miles long...that is crazy...

 

[Partner]

Hi Larry .Is it North or South bound or both ? I won't be planning any trips to Maine on a long weekend

Best
Kirk
PS . I thought Maine was in the boonies like us !

 

[mestell]

Another observation . . . . This certainly can't be a very good example of "life in the fast lane" . . . .
:smile2: Mike

 

[zblang]

Just back from Vermont. No traffic!!! Phew

 

[Rutledge]

During the recent total solar eclipse, I went up to North Carolina in order to be right in the path for the full effect. Afterwatds i waited for the traffic to die down before heading back to Atlanta. Or so I thought. The traffic was backed up and sluggish, non moving at times, for nearly the whole way. Took me 7 hours to make a normally 2.5 hour trip

 

[THE SHOOTIST]

I used to live in West Buxton ME. We also have a home in Saugus MA. We often would weekend in West Buxton and head back to Saugus nearly every weekend. There's been quite a few of these "perfect storm" traffic jams as I remember. The old Hampton tool booth in NH was one for the ages. It had store in the center of the toll plaza. People would cross the 4 lanes of traffic on either side to run in and get something. A few folks were hit, some even killed. When there was a fatality, it'd back traffic up to the old exit 5 on the Maine Turnpike. One night there was a crash at the tool-booth which not only killed a few people, but burned the whole place to the ground. We just went back to Buxton and waited it out for a few days.

 

[Combat]

I never leave home on a holiday. The traffic, cost, and aggravation far outweigh any enjoyment. Even on a regular day, the traffic is unbearable in many places.

 

[Larry Allen]

Hi Larry .Is it North or South bound or both ? I won't be planning any trips to Maine on a long weekend

Best
Kirk
PS . I thought Maine was in the boonies like us !

Hey Kirk,

It is SOUTH BOUND traffic on Sundays, folks heading home to NH, Mass, Conn, NY and NJ.

The traffic has always been an issue up here. On Friday night and Saturday morning it is the Inbound that gets tied up.
The reverse on Sundays and Monday mornings.

Maine can be divided into three sections. Southern Maine is a heavy populated section with bigger cities like Portland. Portland seems to be the natural dividing line as the south section has the beaches, the gift shops, and a lot of tourist focused places like Playland, water parks, campgrounds, and more. (Young crowed with kids.)

Mid-coast (where I live) is a little bit busy during the main summer months (June-August) but the tourists come here in September - December for Country Fairs, Festivals, Antique shops, Foliage peeping, Quite and remote Inns with fireplaces and some cross country skiing.(Retired couples looking to kick back and enjoy fine dinning, good wine, beautiful coastline, whale watching and the such)
Mid-Coast also sports the Mega-Yachts that pull into Camden and other similar ports. A favorite activity is to watch the $20 - $30 million dollar yachts anchor up and see who gets off.^&grin

Down East (which is really "UP" or Northern Maine) has a good mix of summer and winter tourist but they are a lot more laid back and want to escape to Paradise.

Maine, the way life should be ....:tongue: .... except for the traffic ..

--- LaRRy

 

[Larry Allen]

Another observation . . . . This certainly can't be a very good example of "life in the fast lane" . . . .
:smile2: Mike

NO SUCH THING as a FAST LANE this weekend ...:redface2:

--- LaRRy

 

[Larry Allen]

I used to live in West Buxton ME. We also have a home in Saugus MA. We often would weekend in West Buxton and head back to Saugus nearly every weekend. There's been quite a few of these "perfect storm" traffic jams as I remember. The old Hampton tool booth in NH was one for the ages. It had store in the center of the toll plaza. People would cross the 4 lanes of traffic on either side to run in and get something. A few folks were hit, some even killed. When there was a fatality, it'd back traffic up to the old exit 5 on the Maine Turnpike. One night there was a crash at the tool-booth which not only killed a few people, but burned the whole place to the ground. We just went back to Buxton and waited it out for a few days.

Ah yep, rather a rural spot, somewhat inland from Portland.

Saugus was a nasty spot in its own right. Many a Sunday night when I commuted from Waldoboro to Cambridge, MA, I was "FORCED" {sm4} to stop at Hooters.:tongue: to get something to eat and take a bathroom break before heading into Cambridge. I can't remember to much about the food or the surroundings, other images keep popping into my head .

TOLL BOOTHS .... THEY have always been the cause of most of the traffic. NH and Maine have FINALLY put in the EZ-Pass system and you don't have to stop. You can breeze right through in the EZ-Pass lane. BUT .. didn't seem to help today though.

I think today has been massive volume and those &%#@ toll booths.

--- LaRRy