The main proponent of a toll highway that would stretch across Maine from Calais to the Quebec border says construction could start as early as 2015.
On Friday, Peter Vigue said the proposed highway — which has been discussed for more than five years — is moving closer to fruition.
Last week, Vigue spoke in favor of the project at a public hearing, held before the state legislature’s transportation committee.
That committee, comprised of state representatives and senators, is now deciding whether to proceed with a $300,000 feasibility study.
The study, which would be undertaken by Maine’s transportation department, would evaluate the case for pushing forward with the highway.
Ted Talbot, a spokesman with the Maine Department of Transportation, says no decision has been made on the feasibility study.
“It has not yet been made official,” he said.
But Vigue, the president and CEO of Cianbro, a construction company based in Pittsfield, says he believes the feasibility study will soon be approved.
According to Vigue, a positive review from the study’s authors would help set the project in motion.
“Once we get a green light, we can move ahead with the design and getting all of our permits, which we believe is going to take about two years,” said Vigue. “Then we can start working.”
Potentially, crews could begin “breaking ground” as early as 2015, he said.
If approved and completed, the highway would run east-west across Maine. It would begin at Calais, which sits across from St. Stephen on the New Brunswick border. From there it would run to the Maine-Quebec border. The highway would end at Coburn Gore, Maine.
Vigue says the benefits of the project are clear: The highway would better connect Maine and the Maritime provinces to markets in Quebec, Ontario and the central U.S.
“It’s very important that the state of Maine work in a collaborative manner with our Canadian neighbors,” he said. “We have the same economic challenges and issues to deal with.”
The proposed highway would be created mainly by upgrading existing, privately owned roads, most of which are now used by the forestry industry.
The project, previously pegged at well over $1 billion, would be funded exclusively with private cash, Vigue said. The highway’s operators would charge a toll for its use, but unlike many other highways, there would be no weight restrictions for heavy trucks.
Jean-Marc Picard welcomes any news concerning the planned highway.
The executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association says the proposed route would significantly cut down on the trucking distance between the Maritimes, Montreal and Toronto.
Currently, Maritime truckers haul their loads around the top of Maine, along the Trans-Canada highway.
“It’s obviously going to save on fuel and wear and tear,” Picard said.
“If the fee is reasonable … it could very well be a positive.”
Vigue has been pushing for the highway for years, but he put the plan in neutral in 2008 after the economy slipped and private sector investment dried up.
He now says “multiple conversations” are under way with interested investors.
“We’re driving this because we think it’s long over due.”
“to the Quebec border says construction could start as early as 2015.”
To where on the Quebec border ?
Without that that detail we are talking about ” deciding whether to proceed with a $300,000 feasibility study ” to do what …..
never mind why?
If you read the article, it says that the Westernmost terminus of the proposed highway is at Coburn Gore in Northern Franklin County. That’s right on the doorstep of the Canadian road that runs from the Gore to Sherbrooke.
You missed that detail, as it was in the article.
” The highway would end at Coburn Gore, Maine.”
You missed my point: WHERE ?
WHY ?
where why when who what
Just tell me why Maine needs that road ?
Who:?
Anyone … ’cause we can’t afford it.
The why is very easy. The number one reason there is a lack of businesses moving here is a lack of inferstructure. The where is clearly stated in the article, Calais to Coburn Gore. And if you actually had any reading comprehension you would see that it states that the road would be entirely built with private funds.
Privately owned and opperated roads are not supportive of our society. Privitizing public infrastructure for profit benefits only the Corporations. Wake up people!! Before long they’ll think they own us too!
Are you serious. Private money is the only way our infrastructure is going to be built. The state can’t do it right now because of the huge shortfalls and DHHS issues they have to deal with. The fact is Cianbro and Pete Vigue is our only hope if we are going to move Maine foward. I would like to see this highway be built now but though the red tape and Far Left Liberal Extremists will do everything to tie this up like they do everything else.
Obama proposed spending money on the Infrastucture but The Conservatives opposed it!
They say that the “Liberals” spend to much!
But spent all our Money on Wars!
They speak out of BOTH sides of their mouths!
Everything I have ever read about this proposal plays up the fact that it would help cut transport distance for Canadian products. What American companies will gain from this (Cianbro notwithstanding)?
TRAVEL ROUTE NINE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND YOU WILL KNOW
Actually, that was meant as a serious question. Are you able to give me a concrete answer? Haven’t been on Rte. 9 for over a year and I have to confess, I wasn’t paying attention to the US to Canada transport trucks.
If Democrats were building East-West Highways with taxpayer money and running it with Taxpayer Dollars you would be jumping at it in seconds. Though this is private money going to build it your balking because this is the only way our infrastructure is ever going to get done. Because it will never get done because Democrats will see to it that it never happens. They will use every excuse they can to stop progress from happening. They want Maine to continue to fall into the Abyss.
How very presumptuous of you.
Presumptuous perhaps… but most certainly accurate.
One of the major reasons to have the State of Maine obtain the Studay is that too many complainers would never trust the Study’s findings if a private company funded it and picked the engineers.
That is presumptuous enough to be on verge of being a break with reality.
It is going to whole new level.But do not think that I’m saying you should stop it. In fact I encourage it because your personal issues become associated with and part of the package the politics of the boondoggle you are promoting.It makes everyone wonder if any of what you say has any basis in realitythank you very much.
Very thoughtfully posted…
What is the excuse. If it isn’t Wind Turbines, Stupid Parks that draw noone the Liberals don’t want it. They claim to be for infrastructure though every time they put money into Maine DOT or put bonds on the ballot and it passes the money didn’t go to transportation infrastructure. It went to Welfare and Handouts to Enviros. That is why Baldacci, King and Democrats wrote IOU’s to DOT because they bankrupted the DOT account to expand DHHS , WELFARE, and freebies to Enviros.
LePage has taken Maine into the Abyss already. Where have you been for a year?
How has LePage taken Maine to the abyss. It’s the stupid Liberal Maine Democrat Party who put us in the position we are into today. Instead of worrying about creating jobs, fixing our decaying infrastructure building East-West Highways etc. which we desperately need and worrying about decaying and failing schools. The Democrats did everything to buy votes to keep them in power. Their policies drove out all of our businesses, jobs , and working folks. Only to be replaced by blood sucking greedy Enviros, mooching Welfare Bums, Greedy Liberal Special Interest Groups and former Maine Democrat Politicians all of which want to live off of the Working Maine Citizen. Where have I been for a year. It’s Liberals like yourself who are out of touch with what the Maine Working person wants we want lower taxes, less folks on welfare, more jobs, better highways and bridges, better schools. Not continuing to pay for everyone who wants to live off us working folks.
Is this road already in existence but needs to be improved (i.e. pavement, shoulders, etc)? just curious–private funding make it happen!
“We’re driving this because we think it’s long over due.”
Ya right. Anyone believe that? Mr. Vigue is pushing this project because of the years of work and millions of dollars in profit it would brings to his company. As CEO he isn’t at all bashful about brashly pushing the right political buttons to get these projects approved to profit.
And there’s no way you’re going to fund a complete feasibility study for $300k, that’s a joke.
And you base your information on….?
Just Look at the Picture !
Vigue is so Shady the only thing that the camera could capture was his Shadow!
Dream on, never will happen. Madawaska is still waiting for I 95 to be built.
Yeah, all 14 inhabitants. Think about the cost per person per mile of construction to where????
BooooooooonDoggle!
No. A boondoggle would be something built with public money. This will be built with private money.
Guess who will guarantee the debt. No lender is going to buy into a toll way with 13 lumber trucks dead heading to Quebec to load up.
Actually the money was all lined up in 2008.. before the financial problems hit. If it was financially viable then it will be viable now. Even more so.
Might not be built with public money , but it will end up being maintained by public money !
Where did you hear that?
Yeah just like the DHHS and Dirigo Health boondoggle that Liberals went bonkers over that we are paying the price for currently. Build this road and build it now. Build baby Build they will come.
Build It and They Will Come.
Let’s ROLL !
It seems like Lepage will spend any amount of money and even violate the Constitution so long as it helps Canada..
I agree! It’s time for the “birthers” to demand he show his birth certificate.jk He has too many Canadian connections to be just a coincidence. Sooner or later…
I requested a copy of Lepage’s birth certificate so I could check his immigration status and his birth date.
All I got for an answer was that you only have to be a US citizen for 15 years to be sworn in as governor of Maine.
Gee, do you see any connection between the “non answer” you got and his latest effort (LD 1805) to suppress his working papers and hide anything covered by the FOAA?
I can’t even imagine what the car, moose accidents will be like and they will happen every day in
The northwestern end of the highway. The Canadians and truckers coming out of Canada speed to begin with.
If they have a billion dollars to build the road, why don’t they spend private money for the feasability study?
Smells like a bait and switch that will lead to a taxpayer bailout.
Public money for the study will ensure the most objective results. If Cianbro funds the study, how do you think it will come out?
This type of infrastructure should not be private. It’s just wrong. We need public transportation and improvements to our existing infrastructure, shared by all. We do not need a privately owned, for profit road used for business bisecting our state. Boondoogle is too good a term. Ripoff is more like it. How do the people benefit from this?
Where’s the rip off if the public isn’t paying. Think a little deeper on this one.
The ripoff will be when the project goes belly-up. They’ll start crying they underestimated the costs and in order to complete it they’ll need a taxpayer bailout. Otherwise they’ll leave the State of Maine half torn apart with a partially built road.
Cost overruns on a construction project? Like that never happens.
How is it going belly up your tax dollars aren’t going to go for this it will be private sector dollars and tolls to pay for up keep. Unlike the Downeaster or Public Bus service which I don’t use that keeps asking taxpayers for more. If they had to rely on just the people who use it the service would die in a few months at most.
So what happens after they acquire the property to built said private highway and when it doesnt make the minimum to maintain it properly A Do we the taxpayers get stuck bailing them out or B they abandon it and the state ends up owning a road that is in just as bad of shape as the existing east/west highway that already exists rte9/rte2. I know the answer , the taxpayer gets screwed again !
The Taxpayer gets screwed anyways because we pay for the Welfare Crowd. You Liberals would rather us spend it on Welfare. Well too bad it is time to rebuild Maine. I trust people with real vision and leadership like Doug Thomas, Peter Vigue and Paul LePage. These folks are like the rest of us who have had enough of the Democrat way of doing things. We want our money going to investing in jobs, businesses and infrastructure new highways etc.. The Liberals want Welfare go somewhere else that wants to have a Welfare State.
The fact that YOU don’t use public transportation is an illogical argument against funding it. The option needs to be there for people who A) are physically unable to drive; B) can’t afford the cost of a car and all its ancillary services; and C) have decided not to own a car for their own reasons. As I have repeatedly attempted to point out, I as a taxpayer spend more money on car infrastructure that I don’t use than you as a taxpayer spend on public transportation.
The public transportation and DownEaster train service is working for us LOL. That is why they both keep going back to the Taxpayers to keep them from folding. Downeaster that Liberals love to tell us is thriving what a joke. They had to run to Baladacci and ask him to have them to be bailed out by Taxpayers a few years ago because they were running out of money. They should be the next group to be investigated by Augusta to see where our tax dollars are ending up. It is time for the private sector to take control of building the roads because if we wait for Augusta to do it we will be waiting forever. Our roads haven’t been a priority for years it is pet Liberal Projects, expanding Welfare , using money to buy land for Enviros, giving handouts to build ugly Wind Turbines.
The private automobile is much more subsidized by taxpayers than all the trains and buses combined. The government, through taxation, pays not only for roads, but props up car manufacturers, dealerships, trucking firms and oil companies. It is doublespeak to talk of “investing” in the car and truck infrastructure and in the next breath to complain about “subsidies” for trains and buses.
Really why should we continue to fund the DownEaster Train service and Public Buses with our tax dollars. The DownEaster train service has never made a profit. As I stated above before Baldacci left office the New England Train Authority Board (Downeaster Board) ran to Baldacci to have Maine Taxpayers bail them out. Why because the Feds, New Hampshire and Mass. Government all said No to getting bailout money. If these folks thinks the DownEaster deservers no more money why should Mainers continue to subsidize it. Most of the Maine people don’t use the service anyways. Why should we fund bus service to a few folks too. As I stated above both of these boondoggles aren’t worth funding anymore. Both are bankrupting taxpayers who ever runs these services aren’t doing a good job. It is time Maine Legislature does a look at these services and reform both of these like the did with MTA and now are looking at MSHA as well. These 2 should be in Augusta answering questions. I’d rather have my money going to roads which I use everyday while something I have no intention of using.
You cover 51% of the costs of highways through user fees. Learn your facts. http://subsidyscope.org/transportation/direct-expenditures/highways/funding/analysis/. Oh, and I don’t use all the roads you drive on, but I pay for them!
No you learn your facts if you read what I typed. But of course Liberals are blind and only see things their way. I said The DownEaster is only surviving because they ran to Baldacci to have taxpayers bail it out a couple years ago. They were broke and were going to stop service period if Maine Taxpayers didn’t bail them out. Just like Public Bussing systems in Bangor and Portland aren’t worth having Mainers pay for it only Bangor and Portland folks should be the only ones to dole out the money for it. The Downeaster won’t last much longer trust me this expansion will be the last because nobody uses it. That is why fixing our roads and bridges, building new turnpikes and east-west highways should be priority. But as I stated it will be bogged down to Red Tape, Enviornmental Extremists and Liberals who can’t see the forest through the trees and only care about subsidizing Welfare. Stupidity from Enviros stopped the first widening of the Maine Turnpike in the early 90’s which would have done most of the highway. Only to get a watered down 30 mile version now. This East-West Highway will have the same things happen if DOT and LePage don’t put the hammer down on these idiots which should have had the hammer put down on them years ago.
You’re getting real boring with the same drivel you keep spewing.
Well I don’t use the public bus system and the DownEaster which I voted No on and don’t intend to waste my money on it either because it isn’t worth spending money on either boondoggle.
Big waste of $$ when so many roads and bridges are in disrepair. Stupid is as stupid does meets greedy
Will Vigue pick up the tab for the “feasibility study.” That would seem like public money. And if you think he won’t be coming back to the public trough in the form of tax breaks and other “incentives”. you’re nuts. There will be taxpayer money spent aplenty on this and the only ones who will benefit are Vigue and the Canadians.
Oh but don’t forget the others who might reap some cash…Canada’s biggest cheerleader, for one.
Has Mr. Vigue ever been in Washington County? There is already a road that goes east west from Calais, 7 miles south of the proposed road, called Route 9.
Yeah, but he cant charge a toll on that one, he doesn’t own it!
” Governor ” Vigue should be thanked for allowing the general public to be notified of his decision to build an east/west highway in Maine. I hope he continues to notify us of his future plans for his State. Hail to the Chief.
Just thought of something…the song used to be called “Hail to the Chief.” Given what we have representing us in Augusta, we should now change it to “Hail to the Thief.”
If Cainbro wants to build it, let’em. Don’t waste any state tax payer money on a “feasibility study” for a private venture.
Amen this highway and the one from Calais through Central Maine into New Hampshire has been studied to death build them both and start putting people to work.
I like this idea. let a truely private company build it and charge their tolls. if they make $ that means that we as the users of the road found the price worth it.
I see no benefit to Maine as we already have excellent connections to Canada, so why should I have to pay for a study that will support a private toll way?
Talked about for five years? They – whomever – have been on about it for more than 40 years.
It is nothing more than a quick Pike for the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Canadians to scoot over to Quebec or Montreal.
Tiny towns and villages will echo the benefits of traffic on their businesses. But for the Canadians it will mean a super highway can bypass interior Maine.
Private Booooondddoooggglllleee!
I need a Public Funded Feasibility Study for my Pizza Shop!
How do I get onto one of these scams?
Donate to a Political Party?
Donate some tea, Dlbrt.
I think they need to get Sarah Palin involved, she’ll vote for anything… Including a “Bridge to Nowhere”…
With this proposal in mind, who currently owns the property to be used for this highway. Is it another “Get Rich Quick” like the one in Brewer?
The only reason we’re discussing this is because there are private companies who stand to make a lot of money if the project goes ahead. The stated purpose of the road to allow trucks from the Maritimes to cross Maine more quickly to get to the rest of Canada. To make it more palatable to us “Maine-iacs”, the road’s proponents claim that it’ll create jobs, stimulate business in Maine, etc.; but there’s no evidence that shows that’ll happen. More likely, small communities will be bypassed by the road.
In the meantime some very remote country may be opened up to development and exploitation. The road may follow woods roads that are already there, but the area is still remote. We don’t know what route the road would take, but there’s no way it can be built without having some impact on the public infrastructure. It may be built and operated with private funds, but can anyone guarantee that there won’t be costs to the taxpayers?
Perhaps Maine should spend a little money for an unbiased (hopefully) study to investigate what, if any, benefit Maine would get from the road, what would the environmental costs be, what guarantee there would be that the taxpayers wouldn’t be stuck with the project at some point.
….
More subsidies for the car-and-truck culture, and indirectly, for the oil industry.
Meanwhile, Republican governors in Florida and Wisconsin turn down funds for high speed rail projects that could begin to bring this nation’s transportation infrastructure into the 21st century.
“I used to think that I was cool
riding around on fossil fuel
until I saw what I was doing
was driving down the road to ruin.”
— James Taylor
That would definitely be ideal. Imagine the positive change that would bring to the state of Maine? *sigh*
We have a “Golden Road”….what shall we name this one?
About time! Route 9 is better than it used to be, but still largely unsafe and not cared for the way it should be. Washington County needs to be better connected to the rest of the state for so many reasons…
What good will it do connect washington county to anywhere, the largest export is oxys and you cant legally export those to a local friend let alone another country !
Before this Joint Venture ‘monkey-with-a-football’ thing gets going I am reminded of the recent Kestrel fiasco. Kestrel wanted a ton of money and tax breaks to come here and supposedly build plane’s. Fine, but when it came time to put their half of the ‘Joint’ into the Venture they not only came up short. Indeed, they came up both short of money and planning. That Wisconsin got stuck with them is all the better for us. This road has too many similar properties.
!st off, as it has been more than clearly stated, who’s going to build this road ? Gee, that’s a toughee’ isin’t it ? So we all know who stands to make a killing in the construction contract’s, right ? And the real issue is still to be determined, and by something not even mentioned here yet. 2nd, where is it going to be built, who’s going to plan it’s route and who owns the land, NOW, and who’s going to own it when the time for the land purchases to be made ? Gee, I may be from outta state but even I know that when you shoot yourself with a .45 auto it’s gotta hurt some, right ? Again, I may be from outta state but I’m not brain dead. The really interesting part is going to be LURC and it’s role, now that it’s going to be right in the middle of this if it ever gets going. Is it a wonder why so many of the large landowner’s are buying up large tracts right in the middle of where this road is going to have to run thru ?
And, finally, that these same landowners are so frantic, or fanatic as it were, to see LURC either eliminated, and with it the last possibility of some reasonable and outside oversight, or to have LURC reduced and subjected to a clearly influenced County-based LURC that’s going to be more than overwhelmed by road developer’s and land speculator’s should not be missed either. This whole road project stinks of someone trying to sell widget’s and framistan’s and scrut’s (anyone remember these !), outside influence peddling, if not out-right bribery, right from get-go 1. That LePage hasn’t said anything about this also tells me that he’s learned his lesson as well. Even he knows that when the other side has the table ‘wired’ in a poker game even a King High straight is just a sucker’s bet. If this road is so important then it is up to Mr Vigue to make his case to the Legislature and the public with actual fact’s that are supported by actual evidence of need, not a barrage of propoganda press release’s trying to bulldoze us into believing the State needs another road that we are going to eventualy have to take care of when Mr Vigue’s ‘toll road’ concept goes ‘bust’ from lack of use or requiring such huge amounts of maintenance and repair that the Maine Toll Authority can’t afford it. And this dosen’t even begin to cover the public safety issues of State Police and Fire/EMS coverage it’s going to require. Build for permanance, build for performance and build for maintainability, not just so someone can have some plaque put on a bridge abuttment. Maine deserves better. And if we all aren’t careful, well, we’re going to get ‘better’ real soon. And it’s going to be coming from the wrong end. As those of us who have served in the military can say with a lot of authority, B-O-H-I-C-A !!!
What’s up with the diatribe? You can make the same point in five sentences. Online commenting is about short snippets, not a dissertation. Just some friendly advice if you are looking to convince.
This is a joke. i cant beleive we are building a road through maine so canada can connect 2 provinces . its got no economic value to mainers canadian trucks will fuel up in canada so other than that what benefits do we reap ..none let canada pay 100% of the cost. not to mention the products that are illegal in maine will be transported through maine such as lobsters wood products etc. no way mainers need to stand up and vote this down..im sure gonna put the pressure on my legislators….
Have you seen gas prices in Canada?
What about the unfinished I-95 through Aroostook County?…….
Connecting Canada to Canada does not seem to help the state out as much as connecting Maine to New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and the rest of the states. Maine is one of the few states that has only highways (highway) north and south. If you want to attract companies and industries to Maine, and create a good tax base, it starts with infrastructure. Getting your products out and getting the resources you need. Maine has been backwards, losing out on business and industries because of taxes, infrastructure, and high energy costs. Canadaians will reap most of the rewards from this project, with Maine footing the bill and getting little. Lets not forget the governor’s last name Lepage. He has strong ties to Canada and has proven this over and over again.
Just how will Canadians reap the rewards? It soulds like you need to travel rout 9 a few more times.
I do travel route 9 quite a bit. The Canadians reap the benifits by using our roads to truck products from New Brunswick to Quebec by-passing trucking on their roads. Leaving us to maintain a road for their use. If we want better roads and lower taxes, we need to build a better tax base from industry, not off the backs of the working class. Maine should not be a state that products pass through but a state that products start and start from. Maine has missed the boat on many chances ie. LNG terminals, Tidal Generators in Mid-Coast, Natural gas generators, and Rail and Ship terminals. These are real opportunities that have been stopped by special interest groups who run our state. These projects would have provided billions in construction alone. Many of hundreds of jobs, not to mention the tax base would of been broaden. Industries like these build on the local buisnesses. The transmission line project in part is being done so electricity from Canada can enter the U.S electricity grid. If some of these power generation projects were online, the local economy would have benifited. Maine needs to think and plan for it’s economy.
“New Brunswick to Quebec by-passing trucking on their roads” actually the majority of truck travelling to and from Ontario and Quebec to NB are staying in Canada. The trucks that are going from NB – to and through Maine are on their way to point south – this hwy would benefit Maine. An agreement was made many years ago now, that if Canada (NB & NS) upgraded their roads to 4 lane hwys that Maine would upgrade rt 9 to a 4 lane hwy at the same time. Canada has followed through and has a wonderful hwy to travel on – now its Maine turn to fulfil their their long over due promise.
Please check your facts concerning transportation routes from NB,PEI,NS,NFLD to and through Maine and that the majority of the trucks are not travelling from ONT & Que to NB, NS, PEI and NFLD as they usually stay in Canada its just easier for them to do that.
Actually the facts are if that if this is built the Canadians will be using this route instead of their routes. You are right, they do stay on their routes. Common sense dictates the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. With fuel prices on the rise, shaving a 100 miles or so of a delivery is over $400 in saving for the trucking company, one way. One of the reasons Maine has not upgraded their roads per the “agreement” is it was more of a benefit to the Canadians. Our return on dollars spent would be minimal. I agree on an East/West Highway , but with connections to Highways in New Hampshire, Vermont, New York. Maine has to make more of a connection with the rest of the States. By just connecting to Canada, Maine will limit the return on the dollars invested in this project.
Give me work and I’m happy and no longer have to sit here entertaining you :)
Public funding for the study is needed to ensure the most objective results. How objective do you think the results will be if Cianbro funds the study?
You need a damn passport to get into Canada . We all know someone who’s been turned away at the border. Real hard on the tourisim industry in both countrys. Lighten up a little. The boogey man has gone.
The boogey man hasn’t gone…he simply moved to Augusta.
The Canadian’s spent billion of dollars on a rail line around Maine just so they could by pass Brownsville junction. A move that put hundreds of Mainers out of work. Whats to stop the Canadian’s from going around this pipe dream and then when the road goes belly up Maine tax payers will get stuck with the bill. Just like the Dolby landfill.
And they think trappers will kill a few lynx each year.
We already have a highway from Coburn Gore to Calais. Take 27 to 16 to 201A to 139 to I-95 to I-395 to 9. Works fine already. Just improve it and bypass a few burghs, and finish the 395 extension through Holden and that’s a better use of $300K worth of planning.
You want to save on wear and tear? And save on fuel? Build a railroad!
How is Cianbro going to acquire the land necessary for this private highway?
Will the state have to use it’s eminent domain power to aquire the land to give to Cianbro?
Is the state going to sell current routes?
Who’s going to patrol this highway, private security?
I think Cianbro may benefit the most out of this deal , and they will own the road which makes it so much easier for them to transport equipment and goods to Canada to increase their income !
Some of the comments here are pretty funny. If and when the highway gets built most if not all the posters will benefit by it even if they never drive one mile on it.
Cianboro seems to be getting a lot of Maine work lately. They should do teh feasibility satudy for free. Heqven forbid that marxist word, but really, tehy stand to be the one to benefit the most after truckers.
All I can see from here is the Chief F A of the largest construction company north of Boston trying to pump up the media so he can secure enough meat for is company from the starving citizens of maine. Folks…the same ol stuff rehashed! What the citizens of Maine need is an opportunity to have their own business so they can pay their own bills and feed themselves. Throw out the almighty zoning laws and let the people make a living. Sorry Maine does not need an East West Highway. The construction
companies need it to stay in business…and that is the sorry truth.