Maine State Route 166
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by MaineDOT | ||||
| Length: | 7.34 mi (11.81 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | Main Street/Battle Avenue in Castine | |||
| North end: |
 SR 175 in Penobscot | |||
| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Hancock | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Route 166 (SR 166) is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, located in the southern coastal part of the state adjacent to the mouth of the Penobscot River. It is a short highway running 7.34 miles (11.81 km) between the town of Castine and an intersection with SR 175 in Penobscot.
Route description
The southern terminus of SR 166 is located at the intersection of Battle Avenue and Main Street in Castine, near the Maine Maritime Academy main campus. Battle Avenue carries the initial stretch before turning northward as Castine Road as the route exits the downtown area. SR 166A splits off just to the north towards the Penobscot River to the west. SR 166 briefly runs along the Bagaduce River before SR 199 splits off to the northeast to continue the riverside route. SR 166 continues north, intersecting the northern end of the SR 166A half-loop. Once again on the eastern bank of the Penobscot, the highway crosses into the town of Penobscot and terminates at SR 175.
History
Split route in Castine (1939-47)
Modern SR 166, as first designated in 1939, actually existed as two separate split routes—SR 166W and SR 166E.
State Route 166E was a renumbering of State Route 202, which was first designated in 1925. When U.S. Route 202 (US 202) was designated in 1934, it became a duplicate numbering but was not renumbered until 1939. SR 166E was the longer of the two split routes, serving Castine to the south and connecting with SR 175 to the north. This designation only lasted until 1941, when SR 166E, SR 175 and SR 199 underwent routing changes. The remaining length of SR 166E was renumbered as SR 166.[1]
State Route 166W was a newly designated half-loop routing along the western side of the peninsula, and persisted even after SR 166E was renumbered. This route was eventually renumbered SR 166A in 1947.[2]
Pre-renumbering (1925-36)
The first highway in Maine numbered 166 was located in the northeastern part of the state. It was designated in 1925 and ran between Magadahoc and Houlton. In 1936, the entire route was redesignated as US 2A.[3]
Junction list
The entire route is in Hancock County.
| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castine | 0.0 | 0.0 | Main Street/Battle Avenue | Southern terminus of SR 166 | |
| 1.3 | 2.1 |  SR 166A north (The Shore Road) | Southern terminus of SR 166A | ||
| 3.8 | 6.1 |  SR 199 north (Dunbar Road) – Penobscot | Southern terminus of SR 199 | ||
| 5.4 | 8.7 | SR 166A south (The Shore Road) | Northern terminus of SR 166A | ||
| Penobscot | 7.3 | 11.7 | SR 175 (Castine Road/New Road) – Penobscot, Orland | Northern terminus of SR 166 | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
Suffixed routes
State Route 166A
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| Location: | Castine |
| Length: | 3.77 mi[4] (6.07 km) |
| Existed: | 1947–present |
State Route 166A, also known as the Shore Road, is an alternate of SR 166 in Castine, running 3.77 miles (6.07 km) on the western side of the peninsula. It forms a half-loop and connects with its parent at both ends. The route was first designated in 1939 as SR 166W and what is now SR 166 was designated SR 166E. After reorganization of several routes in 1940, SR 166E was redesignated as SR 166 proper. SR 166W retained its designation until 1947, when it was renumbered to 166A.
See also
Maine portal
U.S. Roads portal