East end of US highway 302 in Portland, ME

View a map showing this route.

Photo credits: me
Additional research: Eric Bryant; Cameron Kaiser

The east endpoint in Portland has changed over the years: from at least 1949 to 1967, the US 302 designation split off Forest Avenue onto Deering Avenue, and followed that to its junction with US 1. Here's a perspective looking east on Deering:

me, Oct. 2004

The light ahead is US 1 (Park Avenue); US 302 ended at this point. Obscured by the trees at right is this assembly:

me, Oct. 2004

Forest is less than a half-mile to the left. Looking south on Park (southbound on US 1), US 302 used to begin to the right:

me, Oct. 2004

Heading that direction, Deering does not have an interchange with I-295. So my guess is, when that freeway was built, it was decided that US 302 should be rerouted along a road that has a connection with the interstate highway. At any rate, today US 302 stays on Forest. Below we're southbound on I-295:

me, Oct. 2004

US 302 begins at that interchange. Now for the perspective from southbound US 1: below we're heading south on Baxter Boulevard:

me, Oct. 2004

Southbound US 1 traffic is directed to head east on Forest, but according to signage from this direction, US 302 begins to the west on Forest:

me, Oct. 2004

That makes sense: technically, US 302 also goes left to I-295, but drivers heading this direction don't really need to know that. However, if you were to head east on Forest and go through the I-295 interchange, you'd soon see the sign below:

me, Oct. 2004

That's looking east on Forest at Park Av. This may be an historic endpoint of US 302. But today I-295 runs a few blocks behind the camera, and US 302 is duplexed with US 1 to the interchange, where it ends (according to Maine DoT logs). But for some reason, US 302 is still signed with US 1 through the interchange to this point (southbound US 1 continues to the right on Park). And this is not the only sign that indicating that US 302 goes all the way to Park...

Now, for the most complicated perspective: that of a driver following northbound US 1. The shot below is heading north on Park:

me, Oct. 2004

That left turn puts you on westbound High Street, which then curves to a traffic signal at Forest, just east of the I-295 interchange. There's really nothing in terms of directional signage if you turn on High. But if you ignore that left turn sign and instead take the next left (on Forest), you'll see this:

me, Oct. 2004

The cars at far left (behind the No Parking sign) are on westbound High. So why is traffic for these routes directed onto High? I think they do it because there's more room on Park for a backed-up line of cars waiting to turn left at High (there's hardly any space for a left turn at Forest). But I can't answer the question why US 302 is signed at all from Park, when it doesn't actually begin until I-295. Just ahead is the signage shown below, at the true beginning of US 302:

me, Oct. 2004

The intersection in the distance is Baxter Blvd, where northbound US 1 traffic is directed to turn right - below is a closeup shot:

me, Oct. 2004

Unfortunately there's no direction there for those wanting to stay on US 302 (or ME 100). In fact, even if you correctly guess that you should continue straight on Forest, you'll drive another 3/4ths of a mile before you see a confirming assembly:

me, Oct. 2004

That's at a five-way intersection where Forest makes a slight curve to the north. This sign is a little late, because if you're in the left lane at this point, you're locked into a left turn at Woodford Street... or else a sharp left, which would put you on eastbound Deering (which, as I mentioned above, is the original route of US 302 east of this point). It took me a few days and several mistakes before I got the hang of getting around in Portland.

You can view my main US 302 page for more information about this route, and for photos from the west end in Montpelier VT.