Rain falls in Gray, far away... A clustercoitus and a bypass. Gray, ME - 2006-11-19

I went to Gray to check out the new bypass 3 days after it opened.
Then I bipped into town and snapped the signage at the clustercoitus in the village center.

Thumbnails open the snaps in a new window. Close to return here.

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	Looking northeast from the new highway toward the Maine Turnpike.
	A blurry snap but a snap nonetheless. Northbound on the ME-26A Gray Bypass. Thar be crushed rock ahead on the slope; it looks like the hill was cut into to create the highway grade.
	Approaching the north end of the bypass. Pretty steep dropoff toward some gravel pits past the guardrail on the left.
	END! The dominant movement is now between ME-26 and ME-26A.
	Facing south on ME-26 before the Gray fire/rescue building (right). New traffic patterns - "Left turning traffic yield ahead".
	Just south of the fire/rescue building. Note the faux red brick gore.
	Continuing south...
	Okay, what about ME-4? Or ME-115? (ME-100 doesn't count!)
	Facing southeast as ME-26 crosses over the Maine Turnpike.
	Northbound ME-26 curves left to meet the north end of the ME-26A bypass. The driveway entrance behind the mailbox, to the right of the mound of turf, is ME-26's old alignment.
	Looking north along what used to be ME-26 toward what still is. Note the embankments to keep people from driving in dumb places.
	Standing atop the new embankment, looking south at the new curve, and the bridge in the third photo up.
	Still atop the embankment, looking at ME-26 northbound as it transitions to/from ME-26A to the left.
	ME-26 is in the foreground; the Gray Bypass begins in the background. The lighting pole neatly obscures the first SOUTH 26 shield.
	Aah, there it is. The beginning of the new bypass. The left turn lane serves, I believe, a small new local road with a couple residences. I'll have to check it out again sometime.
	A blurry view of the first SOUTH 26 shield. That local road merges in lower right.
	woop woop woop woop woop werd werd werd werd werd t0ot t0ot t0ot t0ot t0ot
	Gee whiz guys, now how we gonna install those guardrails?
	Approaching the south end of the bypass.
	The new bypass borrowed an intersection with US-202 and a little pavement from Northbrook Dr, which served a local business park. Where's the new entrance, to the west on McConkey Rd. perhaps?
	Approaching, approaching the bypasses south end, its junction with US-202. That's a park & ride on the other side of the signal.
	Low light + no flash = one ill-behaved camera. Feh. I suppose there's a manual online for this thing I could download...
	MTA maintenance lot on the east side of the bypass. Evidently the sign in the last pic wasn't enough; they appear to have plans to erect this monstrosity. Just turn left damn you! That's the Gray Cemetary in the distance, on the other side of the Turnpike.
	Another not-so-decent shot of this assembly.
	Heading east on US-202 (and a bunch of other routes)...
	...as we near the southern end of the bypass.
	Aah, tourist destinations. Bethel's some 50+ miles away, but that's okay. Ski. We need yr munny.
	Fresh MDOT signage. Delicious. Just west of the bypass, I believe this's a WEST {202}, SOUTH [4], WEST [115]... Far be it from me to actually get a shot of the right side. HA!
	Signage at the intersection. Just what Maine needs - another wrong-way quadruplex!
	MDOT forgot one little detail - crosswalks! Woe be to the poor foolish pedestrian!
	Signage east of the intersection, as we start to cross over the Maine Turnpike.
Panorama of the Exit 63 interchange and the new Park & Ride lot.
	Dammit! I hate it when hummers get in my pictures! Looking west on US-202.
	An angle with a more prominent view of the bypass.
	*GASP* - a somewhat clear view of that assembly?!
	Dig the junction assembly that's almost too blurred to make out. Here we see one of Maine's favorite tricks: two thru lanes that merge within all of about 5 meters after a traffic signal. Oh - and go skiing, damn you!
	As I headed in, this assembly was my first indication there was a new numbered highway in Maine. My first hasty snap looked like ass.
	MAINE TURNPIKE AUTHORITY CECIL W. TOWNSEND Maintenance Facility GRAY, MAINE No trespassing - just stand on the overpass and take pictures, m'kay?
	The Gray Cemetary, on the east side of the Pike. Yet another highly autistic artistic shot.
	Only slightly more blurred than the less autistic shot without the tree, here we see yuppies with skis and other ME-26 northbound travelers directed left as they exit the turnpike. The sign faces the turnpike exit; these vehicles are on US-202.
	Entering the village, ME-26A gets ready to join ME-26 proper. Poland Spring Bottling, to the north on ME-26, is still routed through the village rather than via the new bypass. This is the last reassurance marker on southbound 26A.
	Confused yet? (It's worth adding that US-202's an east-west route)
	Looking west outta town. That sine salad would taste even better with a NORTH 26A shield. From here, the snaps are arranged going roughly clockwise around the village center.
	Okay, here goes. The southern junction in town. The turning lane in the foreground carries US-202 west and ME-4 south. The SUV at the right appears to want to continue on ME-115 east. Receding into the background are ME-26 and ME-100. The cars on the left are stopped on ME-115 west. The lanes going from the center to the lower left are a short (~.04 mi) quadruplex of 202/4/26/100.
	Shaker Rd: ME-26 south arrives at the li'l quadruplex.
	A shot of ME-26 heading north out of the li'l quadruplex, with the levels heavily doctored.
	Same sign, different angle, cheap website!
	Panning right - Is this J. Random Soldier, or Joshua Chamberlain?
	A gas station on every corner. ...And no shortage of corners.
	Pulling back to reveal the scene: 202/4/100 occupies the foreground while 26 north leaves town to the left.
	Looking southwest on Main St at the start of the li'l quarduplex. I'm disappointed in MDOT - they could have made this a little more confusing. How about directing eastbound ME-115 traffic to the left along Brown St?
	Brown St provides a connection between ME-26 to the north and ME-115 to the east.
	Signage at the end of Brown St, facing Main St.
	Main St & Brown St - This is not the Lincoln Highway! These were on about every utility pole in town.
	Main St: Facing the northern intersection, at the northern end of the li'l quadruplex. Use the Free Public Parking after hours, and it's trespassing and disorderly conduct, as below...
	If you park here, you are a Bad Person™. So just park across the street, stand on your car and take a swell shot of the intersection, m'kay?
	Looking northish. Yarmouth Road carries ME-115 east to... guess where. Portland Road carries ME-26/100 south to... guess where. Dig that "Lincoln Highway" flag holder.
	ME-115 east leaving town.
	The village's southern junction as seen from ME-115 west.
	...and from ME-26/100 north.
	The view out of town along ME-26/100 south.
	Back where we started, at the southern intersection.

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Route markers are courtesy of Barry L. Camp.