Additional, Part-Time Lanes Coming From NH to ME on I-95

Don't you love it when your voice is heard?

For YEARS, every summer, the number one complaint from people living around the Seacoast is summer traffic.

From spring to fall, traffic north on 95 from Thursday afternoons to Saturday is miserable. It is even worse come Sunday evening, with thousands of people traveling back south from their weekend up north.

The challenging area is where 95 meets Route 16.

I-95 and Route 16 become a parking lot. Many New Hampshire locals curse the Massachusetts travelers coming north into the Granite State. Many Maine locals curse New Hampshire travelers headed north to Maine.

And all of this hate comes directly from the traffic.

Well, no more interstate hate. Our voices have been heard.

According to a CBS News article, a "'part-time shoulder use' system will be used on 3 miles of I-95 between Exit 5 in New Hampshire and Exit 3 in Maine during peak travel times from May through October."

This is huge news for locals and travelers. There will be less traffic going north during the beginning of weekends, and less traffic heading south near the end of the weekend.

The right shoulder of the road northbound in New Hampshire and southbound in Maine will be used as an open travel lane, according to CBS News.

I think this is brilliant, for more reasons than just the decrease in traffic.

1. "Summer" is not just June, July, and August anymore. Travelers headed to New Hampshire and Maine do so from spring to fall. So adding the extra lanes from May to October was the right move. It will NOT just be a "summer" month, but rather a peak travel season.

2. This is proof that our voices can be heard, and that change can come from the people. It is always refreshing to see local governments adjusting laws (highways) to meet the demand of visitors while keeping locals happy too.