Interstate 95

Interstate 95
I-95 highlighted in red
Route information
Length	1,908.48 mi[1] (3,071.40 km)
Existed	1956–present
History	Completed September 22, 2018[2]
Major junctions
South end	US 1 in Miami, FL
Major intersections	I-10 in Jacksonville, FL I-16 in Pooler, GA I-20 in Florence, SC I-40 in Benson, NC I-85 in Petersburg, VA I-64 through Richmond, VA I-76 in Philadelphia, PA I-80 in Teaneck, NJ I-87 in New York, NY I-90 in Weston, MA
North end	Route 95 at the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing
Location
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 Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future

Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States,^[3] running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The highway largely parallels the Atlantic coast and US 1, except for the portion between Savannah and Washington and the portion between Portland and Houlton, both of which follow a more direct inland route.

I-95 serves as the principal road link between the major cities of the Eastern Seaboard. Major metropolitan areas along its route include Miami, Jacksonville, Savannah, Florence, Fayetteville, and Richmond in the Southeast; Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Newark, and New York City in the Mid-Atlantic States; and New Haven, Providence, Boston, Portsmouth, and Portland in New England (Charleston, South Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, and Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia, the three major coastal metros bypassed by the highway's inland portion, are connected to I-95 by I-26, I-40, and I-64, respectively).

I-95 is one of the oldest routes of the Interstate Highway System.^[2] Many sections of I-95 incorporated pre-existing sections of toll roads where they served the same right of way.^[4] Until 2018, there was a gap in I-95's original routing in Central New Jersey caused by the cancellation of the Somerset Freeway. An interchange between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-95 was completed in September 2018; this allowed I-95 to be re-routed along New Jersey's Pearl Harbor Memorial Turnpike Extension into Pennsylvania, creating a continuous Interstate route from Maine to Florida for the first time.^[2]

With a length of 1,908 miles (3,071 km), I-95 is the longest north–south Interstate and the sixth-longest Interstate Highway overall.^[1] I-95 passes through 15 states (as well as a brief stretch in the District of Columbia while crossing the Potomac River), more than any other Interstate, and almost 1/3 of the contiguous United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only five of the 96 counties or county equivalents along its route are completely rural,^[5] 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".^[6] According to the Corridor Coalition, I-95 serves 110 million people and facilitates 40 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.^[7]

Route description[]

End of I-95 southbound at US 1 in Miami, Florida

I-95 express lane near Miami, Florida

Northbound I-95 at the interchange with I-16 near Savannah, Georgia

I-95 bridge over Lake Marion, Santee, South Carolina; the old bridge (on the left) was abandoned and converted to a fishing pier, but is now closed even to pedestrian traffic.

Northbound I-95 at its interchange with I-40 near Benson, North Carolina, c. 2009. This interchange has since been renovated.

Woodrow Wilson Bridge carrying I-95/I-495 across the Potomac River, Washington, DC

I-95 northbound at Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland

I-95 southbound on the Delaware Turnpike south of Wilmington, Delaware

I-95 southbound at the interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania

I-95 splits into the Eastern and Western Spurs of the NJ Turnpike

A view of I-95 (Bruckner Expressway) from the overpass at Westchester Avenue, Bronx, New York

I-95 crossing the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook/Old Lyme, Connecticut

End of I-95 northbound at US–Canadian border

1955 plans for the Interstate Highway System

South[]

Florida[]

I-95 begins at U.S. Route 1 just south of downtown Miami and travels along the state's east coast, passing through Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, the Gold Coast, Treasure Coast, Space Coast, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Saint Augustine, and Jacksonville before entering the U.S. state of Georgia near the city of Brunswick. This portion of the highway was notably featured in the film Flight of the Navigator when the spaceship flew along the highway towards Miami.^[8] In Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, SunPass Express lanes pass over the highway.

Prior to 1987, a notable gap in the highway existed between West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce; I-95 traffic between those cities was diverted to Florida's Turnpike. Today, I-95 runs along a routing parallel to the turnpike.^[9][10][11]

In the year 2010, more fatalities occurred along the Florida section of I-95 than on any other Interstate Highway in the country.^[12]

Georgia[]

In Georgia, I-95 closely parallels the coastline, travelling primarily through marshlands a few miles from the shore. The route bypasses the cores of major coastal cities Brunswick and Savannah, routing traffic through the western sides of both cities' metro areas; it connects to the latter city by an intersection with I-16 before crossing into South Carolina. The exit numbers were converted from a sequential system to a mileage based system around the year 2000. I-95 in Georgia has the unsigned designation of State Route 405 (SR 405).^[13]

South Carolina[]

Entering South 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 being Florence, the tenth largest in the state. The rest of South Carolina can be accessed via other interstates that intersect I-95. It intersects I-26 near Harleyville, which provides access to Charleston, Columbia, and Upstate South Carolina. It also intersects I-20 at Florence, which also connects to Columbia and then on to Atlanta, Georgia. At the North Carolina border, I-95 passes the South of the Border roadside attraction.

North Carolina[]

In North Carolina, I-95 informally serves as the separation between the state's western piedmont and eastern coastal plain regions. The route intersects I-74 near Lumberton, I-40 near Benson, and Future I-87/US 64 near Rocky Mount. Several medium sized cities lie along I-95 in North Carolina, including (from south to north) Fayetteville, Wilson, and Rocky Mount. At Gaston, I-95 crosses into Virginia.

Mid-Atlantic region[]

Much of I-95 in the Mid-Atlantic region is tolled, following the course of several turnpikes that pre-date the interstate highway system, as well as several other toll roads and toll bridges.

Virginia[]

I-95 enters the Mid-Atlantic region in Virginia and travels through the center of the densest and most populous urban region in the US. I-95 travels north-south through Virginia, passing through Petersburg, and follows the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike into downtown Richmond (where it is concurrent briefly with I-64) and from there it turns northeast as it enters Northern Virginia. In the Washington Metropolitan Area, it is concurrent with the Capital Beltway from the Springfield Interchange along with Interstate 495, before passing through the southernmost corner of the District of Columbia for about 0.11 miles (0.18 km) along the Woodrow Wilson Bridge^[14] before entering Maryland near National Harbor.

Maryland[]

In Maryland, I-95 goes northeast toward Baltimore, paralleling the older Baltimore-Washington Parkway. I-95 uses the Fort McHenry Tunnel to travel under Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and travels through Northeast Maryland along the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, crossing into Delaware at Elkton.

Delaware[]

Entering Delaware at Newark, I-95 follows the Delaware Turnpike east across Delaware until the large and complex I-495/I-295/US 202/DE 141 interchange in Newport and turns northeast through Wilmington skirting the west side of the downtown area before leaving Delaware in Claymont at the state's extreme northeastern corner.

Pennsylvania[]

Entering southeastern Pennsylvania near Marcus Hook, I-95 crosses Delaware County and the city of Chester, closely following the Delaware River. Entering Philadelphia near the Philadelphia International Airport, the freeway follows a large viaduct along the extreme eastern edge of Philadelphia's Center City, joining the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bristol before entering New Jersey on the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge.

New Jersey[]

In New Jersey, I-95 follows the Pearl Harbor Memorial Turnpike Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike, joining the mainline Turnpike at exit 6. At the end of the Turnpike, I-95 turns east along its own freeway alignment and connects to New York City (and crosses into New York State) via the George Washington Bridge.^[15]

New York[]

I-95 in New York City comprises all or part several named expressways, including the Trans-Manhattan Expressway, the Cross Bronx Expressway, and the Bruckner Expressway as it crosses east-northeast across the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx. Within this 15-mile (24 km) stretch, I-95 intersects I-87 in the South Bronx, which connects to Albany and Upstate New York, as well as several auxiliary interstates that provide access to other New York boroughs and to Long Island. Entering Westchester County in Pelham, I-95 then follows the New England Thruway northeast to Connecticut border at Port Chester, where it continues as the Connecticut Turnpike.^[16]

New England[]

Connecticut[]

I-95 enters New England in the state of Connecticut, where it closely follows state's southern coast. The direction through Connecticut is primarily east-west, and passes through the most densely populated part of the state, passing the cities of Stamford, Bridgeport (the state's most populous city), and New Haven. In New Haven, it intersects with I-91 as it passes into the more rural areas of the Lower Connecticut River Valley. I-95 leaves the Connecticut Turnpike at I-395 at the East Lyme/Waterford town line. I-95 next passes New London and Groton, before route curves northeast and leaving its close connection to the coast. It leaves Connecticut in the town of North Stonington.

Rhode Island[]

I-95 enters Rhode Island in the town of Hopkinton, and connecting the quiet 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. It leaves Rhode Island in the town of Pawtucket.

Massachusetts[]

Entering Massachusetts in Attleboro, I-95 heads northeast towards Boston. In Canton, southwest of Boston, it turns sharply to the west and begins a 37-mile long concurrency with Route 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 the Massachusetts Turnpike/I-90 at the Weston/Newton line and I-93 a second time at the tripoint of Woburn, Reading, and Stoneham. North of Boston, I-95 turns north in Peabody, while Route 128 continues east to Cape Ann. I-95 leaves Massachusetts in Salisbury.

New Hampshire[]

I-95 enters New Hampshire in the town of Seabrook, following the pre-Interstate New Hampshire Turnpike and traversing the 18 miles (29 km)-long Seacoast Region and the historic city of Portsmouth where it leaves the state.

Maine[]

In Maine, it follows the Maine Turnpike, closely following the coast in a northeasterly direction until reaching Portland, the state's largest city. From there it turns northward to Augusta, where the Maine Turnpike ends while I-95 continues north to Palmyra, where it turns east to Bangor. From Bangor it turns north again to Smyrna and makes a final turn to the east, reaching the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing in Houlton. The road continues into the Canadian province of New Brunswick as Route 95.^[17]

History[]

Many parts of I-95 were made up of toll roads that had already been constructed or planned, particularly in the northeast.^[18] Many of these routes still exist today, but some have removed their tolls. Outside of Florida, all current I-95 toll facilities are compatible with the E-ZPass electronic payment system; in Florida, while I-95 can be driven toll-free, use of the '95 Express Managed Toll Lanes' requires a SunPass transponder.

The toll roads utilized as part of I-95 formerly included Florida's Turnpike, the Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike (tolled until 1992), and the Connecticut Turnpike (tolled until 1985). Additionally, the Fuller Warren Bridge, spanning the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, was tolled until the 1980s. Today, tolls remain on Maryland's Fort McHenry Tunnel and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, the Delaware Turnpike, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the New Jersey Turnpike, New York's George Washington Bridge and New England Thruway, the New Hampshire Turnpike, and the Maine Turnpike.

By 1968, three states had completed their sections of I-95: Connecticut, using its existing turnpikes; New York; and Delaware.^[19]

21st century[]

Until 2018, a gap existed on I-95 within New Jersey. From Pennsylvania, I-95 entered the state on the Scudder Falls Bridge, and continued east to US 1 in Lawrence Township. Here, I-95 abruptly ended and transitioned into I-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 an extension of the turnpike, and ended on the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge at the Pennsylvania state line, where the route transitioned into I-276. This discontinuity was caused by the 1983 cancellation of the Somerset Freeway, a planned alignment of I-95 further inland from the turnpike. In order to close the gap, an interchange was constructed where I-95 crosses the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bristol 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.^[2] 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.^[20]

In the 21st century, several large projects between Richmond, Virginia, and New Jersey have aimed to decrease congestion along the corridor. The reconstruction of the Springfield Interchange in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., helped to ease traffic at the intersection of I-95, I-495, and I-395, and surrounding interchanges. The Springfield Interchange is one of the busiest highway junctions on the East Coast, serving between 400,000 and 500,000 vehicles per day. With the exception of HOT lanes on the Capital Beltway (I-495/I-95), this project was completed in July 2007.^[21] A few miles to the east was another major project: the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement. The bridge carries I-95/I-495 over the Potomac River. The former Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which has since been demolished, was a six-lane bridge that was severely over-capacity. 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 thru-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 of Baltimore near Laurel, 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 to Maryland Route 200.

In 2006, the Virginia General Assembly passed SJ184, a resolution calling for an interstate compact to build a toll highway between Dover, Delaware, and Charleston, South Carolina, as an alternative to I-95 that would allow long-distance traffic to avoid the D.C. Metropolitan area.^[22]

Federal legislation has identified I-95 through Connecticut as High 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 through Bridgeport were widened and brought up to Interstate standards. Work has shifted to reconstructing and widening 12 miles (19 km) of I-95 through New Haven, which includes replacing the Pearl 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 from Petersburg, Virginia, to Florida through a U.S. multi-state 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.^[23]

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 the I-4 junction in Daytona Beach was expanded to six lanes in 2005. Projects begun in 2009, widening the roadbed in Brevard County from the SR 528 junction in Cocoa to Palm Bay, as well as in northern Palm Beach County. The last segments of I-95 in Florida to remain at only four lanes have now been upgraded, providing motorists with about five-hundred miles of continuous six-lane roadbed.

In 2009, state legislators representing Maine's Aroostook County proposed using federal economic stimulus funds to extend I-95 north to Maine's northernmost border community of Fort Kent via Caribou and Presque Isle.^[24] The proposed route would parallel New Brunswick's four-lane, limited access Trans-Canada Highway on the U.S. side of the Canada–United States border. Legislators argued that extension of the Interstate would promote economic growth in the region.

Major intersections[]

Florida

US 1 in Miami

US 41 in Miami

Florida's Turnpike in Golden Glades

US 441 in Golden Glades

I-595 in Fort Lauderdale

US 98 in West Palm Beach

US 192 in Melbourne

I-4 in Daytona Beach

US 92 in Daytona Beach

I-295 in Jacksonville

US 90 in Jacksonville

I-10 / US 17 in Jacksonville

US 23 in Jacksonville

Georgia

US 17 / US 82 in Brunswick

US 84 near Midway

I-16 in Savannah

US 80 in Pooler

South Carolina

US 278 near Port Royal

US 15 near Orangeburg

US 21 in Yemassee

US 78 in St. George

US 178 near Bowman

I-26 near Harleyville

US 176 near Holly Hill

US 15 / US 301 in Santee

US 521 near Manning

US 378 near Turbeville

US 76 in Florence

I-20 in Florence

US 52 near Florence

North Carolina

US 301 / US 501 near Rowland

I-74 / US 74 near Lumberton

I-295 / US 13 in Eastover

US 421 in Dunn

I-40 in Benson

US 70 in Selma

I-795 / US 264 in Wilson

US 64 in Rocky Mount

US 158 in Roanoke Rapids

Virginia

US 58 in Emporia

I-295 near Petersburg

I-85 / US 460 in Petersburg

US 250 in Richmond

I-64 in Richmond

I-195 in Richmond

US 1 / US 301 in Richmond

US 17 in Fredericksburg

I-395 / I-495 in Springfield

District of Columbia

none

Maryland

I-295 near Forest Heights

US 50 near Glenarden

I-495 near Adelphi

I-895 near Baltimore

I-195 near Baltimore

I-695 near Baltimore

I-395 in Baltimore

US 40 in Baltimore

Delaware

I-295 / I-495 / US 202 in Newport

Pennsylvania

US 322 in Chester

I-476 in Ridley Township

I-76 in Philadelphia

I-676 / US 30 in Philadelphia

I-295 / I-276 / Penna Turnpike near Bristol

US 13 near Bristol

New Jersey

US 130 in Florence Township

N.J. Turnpike in Mansfield Township

US 206 in Bordentown Township

I-195 in Robbinsville Township

I-287 in Edison Township

G.S. Parkway / US 9 in Woodbridge Township

I-278 in Elizabeth

I-78 / US 1 / US 9 in Newark

I-280 in Kearny

US 46 in Ridgefield Park

I-80 in Teaneck Township

US 1 / US 9 / US 46 in Fort Lee

US 9W in Fort Lee

New York

US 9 in Manhattan

I-87 in The Bronx

I-278 / I-295 / I-678 in Throggs Neck

I-287 in Rye

Connecticut

US 7 in Norwalk

I-91 in New Haven

I-395 in East Lyme

Rhode Island

I-295 in Warwick

I-195 / US 6 in Providence

US 6 in Providence

US 44 in Providence

Massachusetts

I-295 in Attleboro

I-495 in Mansfield

I-93 / US 1 in Canton

I-90/Mass Pike in Weston

US 20 in Waltham

US 3 in Burlington

I-93 in Reading

I-495 in Amesbury

New Hampshire

US 4 / Spaulding Turnpike in Portsmouth

Maine

I-195 in Saco

I-295 near Portland

I-495 in Portland

US 202 in Augusta

US 201 in Fairfield

I-395 in Bangor

US 2 in Bangor

US 1 in Houlton

US 2 in Houlton

Route 95 in Houlton

Auxiliary routes[]

Interstate 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.

Florida

• Interstate 195, a spur into Miami; Northern of the 2 spurs (Other is I-395)
• Interstate 295, a beltway around Jacksonville
• Interstate 395, a spur into Miami; Southern of the two Spurs into Miami (other is I-195)
• Interstate 595, a spur West of I-95 to I-75 and East of I-95 to Fort Lauderdale
• Interstate 795, future Designation along Florida Route 9B

North Carolina

• Interstate 95 Business, a business loop in Fayetteville
• Interstate 295, a partially completed beltway around Fayetteville
• Interstate 795, a spur running to Goldsboro

Virginia

• Interstate 195 is a short spur from north of downtown Richmond south into downtown.
• Interstate 295 is a bypass to the east of Richmond, from I-95 south of Petersburg, across Interstate 64 east of Richmond and I-95 north of Richmond to I-64 west of Richmond.
• Interstate 395 is a branch from Springfield north into downtown Washington, D.C. It was part of I-95 until 1977.
• Interstate 495 is the Capital Beltway, a full loop around Washington, D.C. Since 1977, I-95 has run along its east half.

District of Columbia

• Interstate 295 is a branch from Interstate 95 near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge through Anacostia and north to an interchange with Interstate 695 and District of Columbia Route 295.
• Interstate 395 is a branch from Springfield north into downtown Washington, D.C. terminating at New York Avenue. It was part of I-95 until 1977.
• Interstate 695 is the Southeast Freeway, connecting Interstate 395 and District of Columbia Route 295.

Maryland

• Interstate 195, a spur into Baltimore-Washington International Airport
• Interstate 295, a southern route into Washington D.C.
• Interstate 395, a spur into downtown Baltimore
• Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway
• Interstate 595, an unsigned segment of US 50 between the Capital Beltway and Annapolis
• Interstate 695, the Baltimore Beltway
• Interstate 795, a bypass of MD 140 in Reisterstown and Owings Mills
• Interstate 895, the Harbor Tunnel Thruway

Delaware, Pennsylvania, & New Jersey

• Interstate 195, a freeway through Central Jersey
• Interstate 295, an eastern bypass of Philadelphia
• Interstate 495, a bypass of Wilmington, Delaware

New York

• Interstate 295 runs southeast from the Bruckner Interchange along the Cross Bronx Expressway, then south over the Throgs Neck Bridge and Clearview Expressway to its terminus at Hillside Avenue, just south of the Grand Central Parkway.^[25] It was once signed as part of I-78^[26][27] and was planned to terminate at the John F. Kennedy International Airport.^[28][29][26]
• Interstate 495 runs from the Queens–Midtown Tunnel east along the Long Island Expressway to Riverhead, crossing I-295 in Queens.^[25] It was once planned to continue west to I-95 in New Jersey; that part is now Lincoln Tunnel and New Jersey Route 495. It was also to go east and meet I-95 again in either Connecticut or in Rhode Island. This would have made I-495 a bypass road for I-95.^[30]
• Interstate 695 is a short route along the Throgs Neck Expressway, connecting I-295 to I-95 in the Bronx.^[25] It was once signed as part of I-78.^[31] The number had been used for other plans, including a route parallel to Woodhaven Boulevard and an upgrade of the West Side Highway and Henry Hudson Parkway.

Connecticut, Rhode Island, & Massachusetts

• Interstate 195, a spur route east of Providence
• Interstate 295, a partial outer beltway around Providence
• Interstate 395 runs from the junction with I-95 in Waterford north to the Massachusetts state line where it meets I-90 / Mass Pike and I-290 south of Worcester.
• Interstate 495, an outer beltway around Boston

Maine

• Interstate 195, the Saco Industrial Spur
• Interstate 295, connects with I-95 in Portland and Gardiner
• Interstate 395, a spur to the east of Bangor
• Interstate 495, the Falmouth Spur

See also[]

•  U.S. Roads portal

References[]

Further reading[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 95.

Route map:

• Geographic data related to Interstate 95 at OpenStreetMap
• I-95: The Road Most Traveled (special series). National Public Radio. 2010.