 Interstate 95 | |
|---|---|
 I-95 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 1,905.96 mi[2] (3,067.35 km) |
| Existed | 1956–present |
| History | Completed on September 22, 2018[1] |
| NHS | Entire route |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |  US 1 inMiami, FL |
| Major intersections | |
| North end |  Route 95 at theHoulton–Woodstock Border Crossing inHoulton, ME |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Florida,Georgia,South Carolina,North Carolina,Virginia,District of Columbia,Maryland,Delaware,Pennsylvania,New Jersey,New York,Connecticut,Rhode Island,Massachusetts,New Hampshire,Maine |
| Highway system | |
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–southInterstate Highway on theEast Coast of the United States,[3] running fromU.S. Route 1 (US 1) inMiami, Florida, north to theHoulton–Woodstock Border Crossing betweenMaine and theCanadian province ofNew Brunswick. The highway largely parallels theAtlantic coast and US 1, except for the portion betweenSavannah, Georgia, andWashington, D.C., and the portion betweenPortland andHoulton in Maine, both of which follow a more direct inland route.
I-95 serves as the principal road link between the major cities of theEastern Seaboard. Major metropolitan areas along its route includeMiami,Jacksonville, andSavannah in theSoutheast;Richmond,Washington,Baltimore,Wilmington–Philadelphia,Newark, andNew York City in theMid-Atlantic; andNew Haven,Providence,Boston, andPortland inNew England.[4] TheCharleston,Wilmington, andNorfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan areas, the three major coastal metros bypassed by the highway's inland portion, are connected to I-95 byI-26,I-40, andI-64, respectively.
I-95 is one of the oldest routes of the Interstate Highway System.[1] Many sections of I-95 incorporated preexisting sections oftoll roads where they served the sameright-of-way.[5] Until 2018, there was a gap in I-95's original routing in CentralNew Jersey caused by the cancelation of theSomerset Freeway. Aninterchange between thePennsylvania Turnpike and I-95 was completed September 22, 2018; this allowed I-95 to be rerouted along thePearl Harbor Memorial Turnpike Extension of theNew Jersey Turnpike intoPennsylvania, creating a continuous Interstate route from Maine to Florida for the first time.[1]
With a length of 1,906 miles (3,067 km), I-95 is the longest north–south Interstate and the sixth-longest Interstate Highwayoverall.[2] I-95 passes through 15 states (as well as a brief stretch in theDistrict of Columbia whilecrossing thePotomac River), more than any other Interstate. According to theUS Census Bureau, only five of the 96 counties or county equivalents along its route are completely rural,[6] while statistics provided by the I-95 Corridor Coalition suggest that the region served is "over three times more densely populated than the U.S. average and as densely settled as much of Western Europe".[7] According to the Corridor Coalition, I-95 serves 110 million people and facilitates 40 percent of the country'sgross domestic product.[8]
| mi[2] | km | |
|---|---|---|
| FL | 381.90 | 614.61 |
| GA | 111.80 | 179.92 |
| SC | 198.76 | 319.87 |
| NC | 181.36 | 291.87 |
| VA | 178.25 | 286.87 |
| DC | 0.13 | 0.21 |
| MD | 110.01 | 177.04 |
| DE | 23.43 | 37.71 |
| PA | 41.53 | 66.84 |
| NJ | 89.23 | 143.60 |
| NY | 23.50 | 37.82 |
| CT | 111.57 | 179.55 |
| RI | 43.30 | 69.68 |
| MA | 91.95 | 147.98 |
| NH | 16.13 | 25.96 |
| ME | 303.11 | 487.81 |
| Total | 1,905.96 | 3,067.35 |
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I-95 begins atUS 1 just south of downtownMiami and travels along the state's east coast, passing throughFort Lauderdale,West Palm Beach, theGold Coast, theTreasure Coast, theSpace Coast,Daytona Beach,Port Orange,St. Augustine, andJacksonville before entering the US state of Georgia near the city ofKingsland. In Miami and Fort Lauderdale,SunPass express lanes pass over the highway.
Before 1987, a notable gap in the highway existed between West Palm Beach andFort Pierce; I-95 traffic between those cities was diverted toFlorida's Turnpike. Today, I-95 runs along a routing parallel to the turnpike.[9][10]
In 2010, more fatalities occurred along the Florida section of I-95 than on any other Interstate Highway in the country.[11]
In Georgia, I-95 closely parallels the coastline, traveling primarily through marshlands a few miles from the shore. The route bypasses the cores of major coastal citiesBrunswick andSavannah, routing traffic through the western sides of both cities' metro areas; it connects to the latter city by an intersection withI-16 before crossing into South Carolina. The exit numbers were converted from asequential system to amileage-based system around 2000. I-95 in Georgia has theunsigned designation ofState Route 405 (SR 405).[12]
EnteringSouth Carolina, I-95 diverts from its coastal route to a more inland route to the west. I-95 does not go near any major cities in South Carolina, with the largest city along its route beingFlorence, thetenth largest in the state. The rest of South Carolina can be accessed via other Interstates that intersect I-95. It intersectsI-26 nearHarleyville, which provides access toCharleston,Columbia, andUpstate South Carolina. It also intersectsI-20 at Florence, which also connects to Columbia and then on toAtlanta, Georgia. At the North Carolina border, I-95 passes theSouth of the Borderroadside attraction.
In North Carolina, I-95 informally serves as the separation between the state's centralPiedmont and easternAtlantic Plain regions. Much like its route in South Carolina, I-95 runs through mostly rural areas, avoiding major cities likeRaleigh andDurham. The route intersectsI-74 nearLumberton,I-40 nearBenson, andFuture I-87/US 64 nearRocky Mount. Several medium-sized cities lie along I-95 in North Carolina, including (from south to north)Fayetteville,Wilson, and Rocky Mount. AtGaston, I-95 crosses into Virginia.
Much of I-95 in the Mid-Atlantic region is tolled, following the course of several turnpikes that predate the Interstate Highway System, as well as several other toll roads and toll bridges.
I-95 enters theMid-Atlantic region inVirginia and travels through the center of thedensest and most populous urban region in the US. I-95 travels north–south through Virginia, passing throughPetersburg, and follows theRichmond–Petersburg Turnpike into downtownRichmond (where it is concurrent briefly withI-64), and, from there, it turns northeast as it entersNorthern Virginia. In theWashington metropolitan area, it is concurrent with theCapital Beltway from theSpringfield Interchange along withI-495, before passing through the southernmost corner of the District of Columbia for about 300 feet (91 m) along theWoodrow Wilson Bridge[13] before enteringMaryland nearNational Harbor, Maryland.
In Maryland, I-95 goes northeast toward Baltimore, paralleling the olderBaltimore–Washington Parkway. I-95 uses theFort McHenry Tunnel to travel under Baltimore'sInner Harbor and travels through northeast Maryland along the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, crossing into Delaware nearElkton.
Entering Delaware atNewark, I-95 follows theDelaware Turnpike east across Delaware until the large and complexI-495/I-295/US 202/Delaware Route 141 interchange nearNewport and turns northeast throughWilmington, skirting the west side of the downtown area before leaving Delaware inClaymont at the state's extreme northeastern corner. I-95 is the only two-digit interstate highway in Delaware, and it only passes through theTwelve-Mile Circle, the northernmost part of the state.
Entering southeastern Pennsylvania nearMarcus Hook, I-95 crossesDelaware County and the city ofChester, closely following theDelaware River. EnteringPhiladelphia nearPhiladelphia International Airport, the freeway has an interchange withI-76 before it follows a large viaduct along the extreme eastern edge ofCenter City Philadelphia. Northeast of Philadelphia inBucks County, I-95 joins thePennsylvania Turnpike nearBristol before entering New Jersey on theDelaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge.
I-95 follows a 77.96-mile-long (125.46 km) course in New Jersey, starting in the south at thePearl Harbor Memorial Turnpike Extension of theNew Jersey Turnpike, crossing theDelaware River on theDelaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge, joining the mainline turnpike at exit 6. I-95 has interchanges withI-78 inNewark andI-80 in southernTeaneck. At the northern end of the turnpike inFort Lee, I-95 turns southeast and crosses over theHudson River intoNew York City via theGeorge Washington Bridge.[14]
I-95 in New York City comprises all or part of several named expressways, including theTrans-Manhattan,Cross Bronx, andBruckner expressways, as it crosses east-northeast across the boroughs ofManhattan andthe Bronx. Within this 15-mile (24 km) stretch, I-95 intersectsI-87 in theSouth Bronx, which connects toAlbany andUpstate New York, as well as several auxiliary Interstates that provide access to other New York City boroughs and toLong Island. EnteringWestchester County inPelham, I-95 then follows theNew England Thruway northeast to the Connecticut border atPort Chester, where it continues as theConnecticut Turnpike.[15]
I-95 entersNew England in the state of Connecticut, where it closely follows the state's southern coast. The highway's direction through Connecticut is primarily east–west, and it passes through the most densely populated part of the state, including the cities ofStamford,Bridgeport (the state's most populous city), andNew Haven. In New Haven, it intersects withI-91 as it passes into the more rural areas of theLower Connecticut River Valley. I-95 leaves the Connecticut Turnpike atI-395 at theEast Lyme–Waterford town line. I-95 next passesNew London andGroton, before the route curves northeast and leaving its close connection to the coast. It leaves Connecticut in the town ofNorth Stonington.
I-95 entersRhode Island in the town ofHopkinton and connects the rural areas of the southwestern corner of the state with the more metropolitan region around the state capital,Providence, in the state's northeastern corner. The highway's direction through Rhode Island is primarily southwest–northeast. It leaves Rhode Island in the city ofPawtucket.
EnteringMassachusetts inAttleboro, I-95 heads northeast towardBoston. InCanton, roughly a mile (1.6 km) south of Boston's city limits, it turns to the west and begins a 37-mile-long (60 km)concurrency withRoute 128, a beltway that traverses Boston's inner suburbs. At this point,I-93 has its southern terminus and provides access to the city of Boston itself. I-95 intersects theMassachusetts Turnpike/I-90 at theWeston–Newton line and I-93 a second time at the tripoint ofWoburn,Reading, andStoneham. North of Boston, I-95 leaves the beltway and heads northward inPeabody, while Route 128 continues east toCape Ann. I-95 leaves Massachusetts inSalisbury.
I-95 entersNew Hampshire in the town ofSeabrook, following the pre-InterstateNew Hampshire Turnpike and traversing the 18-mile-long (29 km)Seacoast Region and the historic city ofPortsmouth where it leaves the state. I-95 in New Hampshire is the shortest section of the highway (excluding D.C.).
InMaine, I-95 follows theMaine Turnpike, closely following the coast in a northeasterly direction until reachingPortland, the state's largest city. From there, it turns northward toAugusta, where the Maine Turnpike ends while I-95 continues north toPalmyra, where it turns east toBangor. From Bangor, it turns north again toSmyrna and makes a final turn to the east, reaching theHoulton–Woodstock Border Crossing inHoulton. The road continues into the Canadian province ofNew Brunswick asRoute 95.[16]
Many parts of I-95 were made up of toll roads that had already been constructed or planned, particularly in the northeast.[17] Many of these routes still exist today, but some have removed their tolls. All current I-95 toll facilities are compatible with theE-ZPass electronic payment system; in Florida, while I-95 can be driven toll-free, use of the "95 Express Managed Toll Lanes" requires aSunPass transponder (E-ZPass is now compatible with SunPass).
The toll roads utilized as part of I-95 formerly includedFlorida's Turnpike, theRichmond–Petersburg Turnpike (tolled until 1992), and theConnecticut Turnpike (tolled until 1985). Additionally, theFuller Warren Bridge, spanning theSt. Johns River in Jacksonville, was tolled until the 1980s. Today, tolls remain on Maryland'sFort McHenry Tunnel andJohn F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, theDelaware Turnpike, thePennsylvania Turnpike, theNew Jersey Turnpike, New York'sGeorge Washington Bridge andNew England Thruway, theNew Hampshire Turnpike, and theMaine Turnpike.
By 1968, three states had completed their sections of I-95: Connecticut, using its existing turnpikes; New York; and Delaware.[18]
Until 2018, agap existed on I-95 within New Jersey. From Pennsylvania, I-95 entered the state on theScudder Falls Bridge and continued east toUS 1 inLawrence Township. Here, I-95 abruptly ended and transitioned intoI-295. From New York, I-95 entered the state on the George Washington Bridge and followed the New Jersey Turnpike south to exit 6, ran along the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension, and ended on the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge at the Pennsylvania state line, where the route transitioned into the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276). This discontinuity was caused by the 1983 cancellation of theSomerset Freeway, a planned alignment of I-95 further inland from the New Jersey Turnpike. In order to close the gap, aninterchange was constructed where I-95 crosses the Pennsylvania Turnpike inBristol Township, Pennsylvania. After the first components of the interchange opened on September 22, 2018, I-95 was rerouted onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike, meeting up with where I-95 previously ended at the state line. This project closed the last remaining gap in the route.[1] The former section of I-95 between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and US 1 in Lawrence became an extension of I-295. The interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be expanded in the future, connecting northbound I-95 with the westbound turnpike and the eastbound turnpike with southbound I-95.[19]
In the 21st century, several large projects betweenRichmond, Virginia, andNew Jersey have aimed to decrease congestion along the corridor. The reconstruction of theSpringfield Interchange inNorthern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. helped to ease traffic at the intersection of I-95,I-495, andI-395, and surrounding interchanges. TheSpringfield Interchange is one of the busiest highway junctions on theEast Coast, serving between 400,000 and 500,000 vehicles per day. With the exception ofhigh-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on the Capital Beltway (I-495/I-95), this project was completed in July 2007.[20] A few miles to the east was another major project: theWoodrow Wilson Bridge replacement. The bridge carries I-95/I-495 over thePotomac River. The former Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which has since been demolished, was a six-lane bridge that was severely overcapacity. The new bridge is actually two bridges with a total of 12 lanes; five in each direction, with an additional lane in each direction for future use (rapid-bus or train). This project was completed with the 10 lanes opened on December 13, 2008, greatly reducing the traffic delays on the beltway. The lanes are divided into two through lanes and three local lanes in each direction. About 30 miles (48 km) north of the Wilson Bridge, and about 20 miles (32 km) south ofBaltimore nearLaurel, Maryland, construction on a large new interchange began in 2008, was scheduled for completion in late 2011, and opened to traffic on November 9, 2014, which connects I-95 toMaryland Route 200 (MD 200).
In 2006, theVirginia General Assembly passed SJ184, a resolution calling for an interstate compact to build a toll highway betweenDover, Delaware, andCharleston, South Carolina, as an alternative to I-95 that would allow long-distance traffic to avoid the Washington metropolitan area.[21]
Federal legislation has identified I-95 through Connecticut asHigh Priority Corridor 65. A long-term multibillion-dollar program to upgrade the entire length of I-95 through Connecticut has been underway since the mid-1990s and is expected to continue through at least 2020. Several miles of the Connecticut Turnpike throughBridgeport were widened and brought up toInterstate standards. Work has shifted to reconstructing and widening 12 miles (19 km) of I-95 throughNew Haven, which includes replacing thePearl Harbor Memorial Bridge. Environmental studies for reconstructing and widening 60 miles (97 km) of I-95 from New Haven to the Rhode Island state line are also progressing.
There are plans to expand the 1,054-mile (1,696 km) I-95 corridor fromPetersburg, Virginia, to Florida through a US multistate agreement to study how to improve the corridor through widening and reconstruction, with the goal of reducing congestion and improving overall safety for years to come.[22]
I-95 from the South Carolina–Georgia line to the freeway's southern terminus in South Florida has been widened to a minimum of six lanes. The section from Jacksonville to theI-4 junction inDaytona Beach was expanded to six lanes in 2005. Projects begun in 2009, widening the roadbed inBrevard County from theState Route 528 junction inCocoa toPalm Bay, as well as in northernPalm Beach County. The last segments of I-95 in Florida to remain at only four lanes have now been upgraded, providing motorists with about 500 miles (800 km) of continuous six-lane roadbed.
In 2009, state legislators representing Maine'sAroostook County proposed using federal economic stimulus funds to extend I-95 north to Maine's northernmost border community ofFort Kent viaCaribou andPresque Isle.[23] The proposed route would parallel New Brunswick's four-lane, limited-accessTrans-Canada Highway on the US side of theCanadian border. Legislators argued that extension of the Interstate would promote economic growth in the region.
On June 11, 2023, a portion of the northbound section of I-95collapsed in Philadelphia. This was due to a gasoline tanker catching fire after a crash.[24] A temporary roadway opened at the site of the collapsed bridge ten days later, on June 23, 2023.[25]
US 1 inMiami
US 41 in Miami
Florida's Turnpike inGolden Glades
US 441 in Golden Glades
I-595 inFort Lauderdale
US 98 inWest Palm Beach
US 192 inMelbourne
I-4 inDaytona Beach
US 92 in Daytona Beach
I-295 inJacksonville
US 90 in Jacksonville
I-10 /US 17 in Jacksonville. I-95/US 17 travel concurrently through the city.
US 23 in Jacksonville
US 17 /US 82 inBrunswick
US 84 nearMidway
I-16 inPooler
US 80 in Pooler
US 278 inHardeevilleUS 17 inRidgeland. The highways travel concurrently toPoint South.
US 21 inYemassee
US 78 inSt. George
US 178 nearBowman
I-26 nearHarleyville
US 176 nearHolly Hill
US 15 /US 301 nearSantee. The highways travel concurrently to Santee.
US 521 nearManning
US 378 nearTurbeville
US 76 inFlorence
I-20 in Florence
US 52 near Florence
US 301 /US 501 nearRowlandUS 301 near Rowland. The highways travel concurrently toLumberton.
I-74 /US 74 near Lumberton
I-295 /US 13 inEastover
US 421 inDunn
I-40 inBenson
US 70 inSelma
I-587 /I-795 /US 264 inWilson
US 64 inRocky Mount
US 158 inRoanoke Rapids
US 58 inEmporiaI-295 nearPetersburg
I-85 /US 460 in Petersburg. I-95/US 460 travel concurrently through the city.
I-64 inRichmond. The highways travel concurrently through Richmond.
US 250 in Richmond
I-195 in RichmondUS 1 /US 301 in RichmondUS 17 inFredericksburg. The highways travel concurrently through Fredericksburg.
I-395 /I-495 inSpringfield. I-95/I-495 travel concurrently toCollege Park, Maryland.I-295 nearForest Heights
US 50 nearGlenardenI-495 nearAdelphi
I-895 nearBaltimoreI-195 near Baltimore
I-695 near BaltimoreI-395 in Baltimore
US 40 in Baltimore
I-295 /I-495 /US 202 inNewport. I-95/US 202 travel concurrently throughWilmington.
US 322 inChester. The highways travel concurrently through Chester.
I-476 inRidley Township
I-76 inPhiladelphia
I-676 /US 30 in Philadelphia
I-295 /I-276 /Penna Turnpike nearBristolUS 13 near Bristol
US 130 inFlorence Township
N.J. Turnpike inMansfield Township
US 206 inBordentown TownshipI-195 inRobbinsville Township
I-287 inEdison Township
G.S. Parkway /US 9 inWoodbridge Township
I-278 inElizabeth
I-78 /US 1 /US 9 inNewark
I-280 inKearny
Route 495 inSecaucus /North Bergen
US 46 inRidgefield Park
I-80 inTeaneck Township
US 1 /US 9 /US 46 /US 9W inFort Lee. I-95/US 1/US 9/US 46 travel concurrently toNew York City.US 9 inManhattan
I-87 inThe Bronx
I-278 /I-295 /I-678 inThroggs NeckI-287 inRye
US 7 inNorwalk
I-91 inNew HavenI-395 inEast LymeI-295 inWarwick
I-195 /US 6 inProvidence. I-95/US 6 travel concurrently through the city.US 6 in Providence
US 44 in ProvidenceUS 44 in ProvidenceUS 1 inPawtucket. The highways travel concurrently through the city.I-295 inAttleboroI-495 inMansfield
I-93 /US 1 /Route 128 inCanton. I-95/US 1 travel concurrently toDedham. I-95/MA 128 travel concurrently toPeabody.
I-90/Mass Pike inWeston
US 20 inWaltham
US 3 inBurlington. The highways travel concurrently through the town.I-93 inReadingRoute 128 in PeabodyI-495 inAmesbury
US 4 /Spaulding Turnpike inPortsmouthI-195 inSacoI-295 nearPortlandI-495 in PortlandUS 202 inAugusta
US 201 inFairfield
I-395 /SR 15 inBangor
US 2 in BangorUS 1 inHoultonUS 2 in HoultonRoute 95 in HoultonI-95 has many auxiliary routes. They can be found in most states the route runs through, with exceptions being Georgia, South Carolina, and New Hampshire.Business routes also exist in both Georgia and North Carolina.
Geographic data related toInterstate 95 atOpenStreetMap PrimaryInterstate Highways | |
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| Signed | |
| Unsigned | |
| Lists | |
| Other | |
Routes initalics are no longer a part of the system. Major Interstates are highlighted. | |
