Historic endpoints of US highway 4 in Portsmouth, NH
Photos credits: Serdar
Kaya; Dan
Moraseski
US 4 was commissioned along with the original routes of 1926.
At the time, it ended in Portsmouth, most likely downtown. I haven't seen
a map that pinpoints exactly where, but we know US 1 was routed along State
Street. My best guess is that US 4 traffic was directed to come in on Maplewood
Avenue, jogged around a bit, ended up on Pleasant Street, and terminated
at its junction with US 1 at State. The shot below shows that intersection:
Kaya, Feb. 2008
That's looking south on Pleasant, which is one-way northbound
today. But it was probably two-ways originally, and it's possible that US
4 came down this way and ended at the intersection in the middleground (State,
or US 1).
The following research is courtesy of Dan
Moraseski. He writes:
"In 1940, a bypass for US 1 was built around Portsmouth Center,
and US 4 was realigned or cut back to end at it."
Before we continue, you may find it helpful to refer to a
modern map of that part of the city:
USGS,
most recent
US 4 now ends at the rotary in the center of the map, but it once ended just
north and east of there: it used to be routed on the road that goes past St.
Catherine Church (Woodbury Avenue).
In the map below, you can see US 4 coming in from the upper left; it ends at
US 1 near the label for Christian Shore:
USGS, c. 1941
"The following photos are of this location; it is not clear if the interchange
is original or was built in 1950."
This first one shows the signage heading southeast on Woodbury Avenue at BYP
US 1 (once mainline US 1) at the former east end of US 4:
Moraseski, Jan. 2003
To the right are connections with I-95 and the Spaulding Turnpike, or modern
US 4; interesting how that's signed only as NH hwy. 16 but not US 4.
Moraseski, Jan. 2003
Also, you have to go right, then loop back around (behind the camera and to
the left) to go north on BYP US 1.
Below, we're heading the opposite direction (northwest on Woodbury) at BYP
US 1. (Likewise here you have to go left and then loop back to the right to
go north.) Straight ahead was once the east beginning of US 4.
Moraseski, Jan. 2003
The green signs in the distance are shown close-up below:
Moraseski, Jan. 2003
Below are photos from old US 1 (now BYP US 1) at the former east beginning
of US 4; this first one is from northbound...
Moraseski, Jan. 2003
...and the shot below is from southbound BYP US 1:
Moraseski, Jan. 2003
"Between 1941 and 1956, US 1 was moved back to the old (and current) route
and the bypass became BYP US 1. The New Hampshire Turnpike (now I-95) was built
in 1950. This tied into BYP US 1 just south of US 4 (modern I-95 heading into
Maine wasn't built until later). In 1956 (I think), the Spaulding Turnpike was
built. US 4 was moved onto it. A rotary (Portsmouth Circle) was built (probably
in 1950) at the intersection of the two turnpikes and BYP US 1."
USGS, c. 1956
"From 1970-1972, current I-95 bypassing and north of Portsmouth Circle was
built (see most recent map above; features in purple are relatively recent revisions).
Previous to that, I-95 traffic used BYP US 1 between the NH and Maine Turnpikes.
Direct ramps from both directions of I-95 to US 4 west and US 4 east to I-95
south were built; traffic from US 4 east to I-95 north still has to use Portsmouth
Circle but it is a right turn. Around 1992, NH 16 was moved onto the Spaulding,
so US 4 and 16 both end at the same interchange. So US 4 has ended at Portsmouth
Circle since probably 1956."
To view photos from there, please refer to this
page.
Page (in its original form) created 17 February 2003; last updated
02 March 2008.
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