Maine State Route 175

State Route 175 (SR175) is a state highway entirely in Hancock County, Maine that travels for 37.8 miles (60.8km). The shape of the route is an unusual U-shape and travels along the peninsula surrounded by Blue Hill Bay, Eggemoggin Reach, and Bagaduce River. The route is signed as north-south but has two northern termini: at State Routes 15, 172, and 176 in Blue Hill, and at SR166 in Penobscot. The transition point of the directional signage occurs about 2+1⁄2miles (4.0km) from the Blue Hill terminus.

Route description

SR175 begins at a roundabout in Blue Hill. The roundabout's legs include SR15/SR176 to the southwest and northeast, Beech Hill Road to the northwest (which connects to SR177), and SR172 on the southeast and northeast legs. SR172 and SR175 together head southeast from there on a concurrency, both routes signed as south, through a commercial shopping area, but this gives way to a stretch of some houses lining both sides of the road. Two and a half miles (4.0km) later, SR175 splits off from SR172 at Blue Hill Falls and heads east and south on Falls Bridge Road. The first sign for "North SR175" is found just past this intersection. The road now runs very close to the Blue Hill Bay and crosses over several small fingers from the bay. It travels south along the Blue Hill Neck peninsula passing through the hamlet of South Blue Hill. It then enters the town of Brooklin where it travels through the settlement of North Brooklin and bending towards the southwest at Herrick Bay. In the center of Brooklin, the road turns towards the west to follow Eggemoggin Reach. SR175 begins to curve to the north to follow the short Benjamin River. Past West Brooklin, the road turns to the west again to cross the river and enter the town of Sedgwick.

Upon entering the town, SR175 reaches the town center of Sedgwick. It executes a pair of sharp bends to the south at High Street and continues west past some houses. It intersects SR172 at its southern terminus. Reach Road and SR175 continues west but makes a sharp curve to the south at Cross Road. At Sargentville, SR15 meets SR175 and the two routes together head north along Caterpillar Hill Road. The road climbs along the side of the hill of the same name before descending and entering an annex of Brooksville. At Black Corner, SR175 turns off of SR15 and heads west along Coastal Road towards the center of Brooksville. Before reaching the center, SR175 turns onto Bagaduce Road while SR176 begins and continues west along Coastal Road. As the road name implies, it follows the Bagaduce River on its west side. Upon reaching North Brooksville, the road reaches SR176 which had followed the other side of the peninsula. The two roads form a concurrency northeast along Bridge Road. It crosses the river, re-enters Sedgwick, and comes to a T-intersection at Southern Bay Road. SR176 heads southeast while SR175 continues northwest into the town of Penobscot.

Now heading along the east side of the Bagaduce River, the road heads through a mostly wooded area with some houses lining the road. At the settlement of South Penobscot, SR176 reaches the western terminus of SR177. Through here, it passes a market, but mostly houses. The road continues northwest into the center of Penobscot where it passes a church and additional houses. In front of Penobscot's town hall, SR199 intersects SR175 and then both head west forming a wrong-way concurrency alongside Northern Bay. The road curves around the north side of the bay and its coves before SR175 breaks away from the concurrency after two miles (3.2km). SR175 heads almost due west towards the Penobscot Bay passing through a mostly wooded area before ending at SR166, Castine Road.

Along its concurrency with SR15, SR175 is part of the state highway system therefore maintained by Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) year-round. On all other portions, the road is part of the State Aid System and is maintained by MaineDOT during the summer and by its respective town during the winter.

History

SR175 formerly extended further north from its westernmost point to Orland at U.S. Route 1. In 2014, to simplify route numbering for travelers between Orland and Castine, MaineDOT proposed the truncation of SR175 to SR166. The change took place by June 2015.

Major junctions

The entire route is in Hancock County.

External links