By 1953, the earthen road in Portage Valley had generally been relocated near the location of the present highway.

Also around that time, a road in Whittier in the location of the present highway existed as a graded, dirt road.

The Scenic Highway Relief Project was begun traveling south to north west of the present highway.

From there, the route travelled through Thedford to Port Franks, where it merged into the present highway.

The park could easily go under the present highway, but that is not what anyone involved wants.

The original extent of the route was much shorter than the present highway.

In Anadarko, SH-8 linked up with the present highway.

In 1981 the present divided highway was completed between Bangor and Houlton at the Canadian border.

The highway was extended west in the late 1930s after MD 2 was relocated to its present four-lane divided highway.

The explosion was so powerful that the wheels and axles of a tank wagon were hurled 500 metres to the present highway 187.