State Route 157 (SR 157) is a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

in the northern part of the U.S. state of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

. It travels between the towns of

Millinocket Millinocket is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,114 at the 2020 census. Millinocket's economy has historically been centered on forest products and recreation, but the paper company closed in 2008. History ...

and Mattawamkeag generally following the northern banks of the

West Branch Penobscot River The West Branch Penobscot River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 22, 2011 tributary of the Penobscot River through the North Maine Woods in Maine. The river is ...

and the

Penobscot River The Penobscot River (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 22, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's We ...

. For just under a half of its length, it is

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with SR 11 from Millinocket to

Medway Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...

. This portion is also concurrent with the Katahdin Woods & Waters Maine Scenic Byway.

Route description

SR 157 begins at the intersection of Katahdin Avenue, School Street, and Central Street. At this point, SR 11 continues south along Katahdin Avenue towards the center of the town while the road to the north is part of the Katahdin Woods & Waters Maine Scenic Byway and heads towards

Baxter State Park Baxter State Park is a large wilderness area permanently preserved as a state park in Northeast Piscataquis, Piscataquis County in north-central Maine, United States. It is in the North Maine Woods region and borders the Katahdin Woods and Wate ...

. SR 11 and SR 157 head southeast then east along Central Avenue through a mostly residential neighborhood. At Penobscot Avenue, the road crosses the northern limits of the town's business district; this is also where the one-way SR 11B has its northern terminus. After crossing the Millinocket Stream, the road widens to three lanes (two lanes eastbound, one westbound) and climbs a small hill. At the crest of the hill, the road widens to four lanes (two lanes in each direction) passing in front of numerous gas stations, strip malls, and other businesses. The road narrows to two lanes and continues east through wooded areas. After curving to the northeast then to the southeast. It has a

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, Trail, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an Overpass#Railway, overpass ...

with a railroad then crosses Dolby Pond on a causeway. It enters the town limits of

East Millinocket East Millinocket is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,572 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. ...

and crosses another reach of the pond, but otherwise stays along the northeast shoreline of Dolby Pond. Through East Millinocket, several small businesses and houses line the north side of Main Street, the road carrying SR 11 and SR 157. On the south side of the road is a

Great Northern Paper Company Great Northern Paper Company was a Maine-based pulp and paper manufacturer that at its peak in the 1970s and 1980s operated mills in Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, and Wisconsin and produced 16.4% of the newsprint made in the United States. It was also ...

factory. The road briefly

divides In mathematics, a divisor of an integer n, also called a factor of n, is an integer m that may be multiplied by some integer to produce n. In this case, one also says that n is a multiple of m. An integer n is divisible or evenly divisible by ...

between Maple and Spruce streets and then resumes a southeasterly journey into the town of Medway. The road more closely parallels the West Branch Penobscot River in this part of the town as it passes in front of many small businesses. As SR 11 and SR 157 start to bend to the east, it intersects SR 116 at its northern terminus. The road heads in front of a few more businesses, houses, and a park before it crosses the

East Branch Penobscot River The East Branch Penobscot River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 22, 2011 tributary of Maine's Penobscot River. It flows in Piscataquis County and Penobscot ...

. Shortly after the crossing of the river, SR 11 and the Katahdin Woods & Waters Byway turn north along Grindstone Road while SR 157 alone heads southeast past a motel and other businesses surrounding

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

's exit 244. The interchange is a

diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...

with SR 157 passing over the Interstate. East of the interchange, the road passes some small houses as it parallels the Penobscot River. It briefly enters

Aroostook County Aroostook County ( ; french: Comté d'Aroostook) is a county in the U.S. state of Maine along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,105. Its county seat is Houlton, with offices in Caribou and Fort Kent. Kn ...

but re-enters Penobscot County in the town of Mattawamkeag. The highway ends at an intersection with

U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...

north of downtown Mattawamkeag and the

Mattawamkeag River The Mattawamkeag River is a river in Maine. From the confluence of its East Branch and West Branch () in Haynesville, about west of the Canada–United States border, the river runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-r ...

Major junctions

References

External links

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Floodgap Roadgap's RoadsAroundME: Maine State Route 157

157 Year 157 ( CLVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Civica and Aquillus (or, less frequently, year 910 ''Ab urbe condit ...

Transportation in Penobscot County, Maine Transportation in Aroostook County, Maine