Maine State Route 27

Maine State Route 27
State	ME
Type	SR
Route	27
Length mi	123.80
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Kennebunk
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Rangeley
Counties	York County, Cumberland County, Androscoggin County, Oxford County, Franklin County

Maine State Route 27 is a numbered state highway running north–south across southern and western Maine from Kennebunk on the Atlantic coast to Rangeley near the Rangeley Lakes Region. The route traverses a mix of coastal communities, suburban corridors, and rural forested landscapes while connecting several regional hubs including Portland, Brunswick, Lewiston, and Farmington. It serves as a transportation spine for York County, Cumberland County, Androscoggin County, Oxford County, and Franklin County.

Route description

State Route 27 begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 in Kennebunk and proceeds inland through suburban and commercial corridors adjacent to Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1 Business. The highway passes near Wells tourism areas and intersects state routes serving York and Saco before reaching the Portland metropolitan area. North of Portland the route parallels connectors to Maine Turnpike ramps and links to arterial routes into Brunswick and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens region.

Continuing toward Lewiston and Auburn, the road crosses the Androscoggin River and joins corridors that serve Bates College and downtown civic districts. In Livermore Falls and Farmington the alignment moves into the Maine Highlands and offers access to recreational nodes including Rangeley Lakes. Further north the highway climbs into forested sections of Oxford County and Franklin County, connecting small towns like Rumford and Mexico before terminating near recreational and resort areas of Rangeley and the Appalachian Mountain Club-associated trailheads.

History

The corridor that became State Route 27 has roots in 19th-century turnpikes and Maine State Highway Commission-era improvements dating to the early 20th century when motor vehicle travel expanded across New England. Early designations for segments were reassigned as part of statewide renumbering efforts contemporaneous with creation of the United States Numbered Highway System and later coordination with the New England Interstate Routes legacy. During the Great Depression and the New Deal era, federal programs supported paving and bridge projects that modernized crossings such as over the Presumpscot River and the Androscoggin River.

Post-World War II growth prompted successive realignments to improve safety and capacity near Portland and suburbanizing corridors, coordinated with Maine Department of Transportation planning. Bridge replacements and bypass projects in the late 20th century responded to increased freight movement linking Portland International Jetport access routes and inland manufacturing centers such as those in Lewiston and Biddeford. Historic preservation efforts in town centers along the route reference listings on the National Register of Historic Places for structures near the highway.

Major intersections

The route intersects several major US and state highways that connect to regional and interstate systems: - Southern terminus at U.S. Route 1 in Kennebunk; proximity to I-95/Maine Turnpike. - Junctions with State Route 9 and State Route 111 near coastal communities and links to Saco Bay. - Crossings with U.S. Route 202 and State Route 4 approaching Lewiston and Auburn. - Interchange and concurrency segments with U.S. Route 201 and State Route 26 in the inland highlands serving Farmington and Rangeley corridors. - Connections to State Route 17 and State Route 16 facilitating access to northeastern New Hampshire via Berlin-area routes and Canadian border corridors.

Traffic and maintenance

Traffic volumes vary from high-density suburban volumes near Portland and Brunswick—where peak-hour commuter flows and commercial truck movements are common—to low-volume rural segments in Oxford County and Franklin County that experience seasonal tourism spikes. Maintenance responsibilities are administered by the Maine Department of Transportation, which schedules pavement preservation, winter snowplowing operations tied to regional winter sports areas, and bridge inspections under Federal Highway Administration-mandated protocols.

Safety programs along the corridor coordinate with local law enforcement agencies in municipalities such as Kennebunkport, Brunswick, Lewiston, and Farmington to address crash-prone intersections and implement improvements funded through federal-aid programs like those administered under Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act provisions and state capital improvement plans.

Future developments and improvements

Planned projects identified by the Maine Department of Transportation and regional planning organizations include intersection upgrades to improve multimodal connectivity near transit centers serving Greater Portland Transit District and Mountain Valley Regional Transit corridors, bridge rehabilitation projects prioritized in Maine’s Ten-Year Capital Investment Plan, and pavement renewals targeting sections with high heavy-vehicle percentages supporting timber and recreational economies. Local economic development initiatives in towns such as Rangeley, Farmington, and Brunswick are aligning with corridor improvements to enhance tourism access to destinations operated by organizations like the Appalachian Mountain Club and regional conservation partners.

Scoping studies have evaluated potential bypasses, roundabout installations, and shoulder widening to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety under guidelines from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and planning grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Environmental reviews coordinate with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and federal resource agencies to mitigate impacts on river crossings like the Androscoggin River and wetlands adjacent to the Saco River watershed.

Category:State highways in Maine