Route One Bypass Makes History

Portsmouth area residents have always known the Route One Bypass is much more than just a secondary highway to get to and from Maine and now there is a new historic marker to note is overall significance, according to ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com.
The online magazine noted that the marker was placed near the Portsmouth Traffic Circle by officials with the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. The marker is located in the parking lot of the New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet store.
The marker notes that the Route One Bypass was created in 1940 as part of a New Deal project in 1940. The goal of the engineers was to relieve Portsmouth's downtown traffic congestion by allow Route 1 traffic to go to Maine by going around the downtown.
At a time when the Route One Bypass and the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge are either undergoing or will soon undergo millions of dollars worth of either roadway improvements or replacement, the historic marker will give state residents and visitors a chance to appreciate the transportation byway that has served Maine and New Hampshire for more than 70 years.