BREWER, Maine — Municipal leaders will consider a resolve Tuesday that will withdraw the city’s support for building a proposed Interstate 395-Route 9 connector road that has been in the planning stages for more than a dozen years.
“It’s pretty darn clear” that city councilors are upset with the Maine Department of Transportation, City Manager Steve Bost said Monday.
City Council members are frustrated with the DOT’s recent actions — mainly the department’s recent change of its preferred route from one selected in 2003 without first consulting city or area town leaders.
In an unusual move all five councilors have put their names on a resolve withdrawing support for building the limited-access highway.
While city leaders support improving the transportation corridor between the Canadian Maritime Provinces and the federal highway system, “The City of Brewer and other stakeholders have been excluded from the public process as well as the decision-making process used by the DOT,” the proposed council resolve states.
State transportation officials have been studying a Brewer-Holden-Eddington connector since before 2000. Brewer and Eddington leaders learned in January that the DOT had selected a new preferred I-395-Route 9 connector route.
A draft Environmental Impact Study and Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit Application — which include more than 300 pages of information — have been completed on the new preferred route and two others that are similar, and the state and federal governments are now taking public comment, the state’s I-395-Route 9 connector website states.
Maine transportation officials recently eliminated the proposed route they selected in 2003 — which was supported by Brewer councilors and would have cut through the mostly unpopulated center of Holden — and have now selected the 2B2 option.
The new preferred route would extend I-395 at its Wilson Street junction and would roughly follow the Holden-Brewer line until entering Eddington and connecting with 4.5 miles of rebuilt Route 9.
The DOT and the Federal Highway Administration also are officially considering two other alternatives — 5A2B2 and 5B2B2 — which are similar to 2B2.
The 5A2B2 route extends I-395 at its most southerly point by approximately one mile and then turns north to a junction with U.S. Route 1A, roughly following the Holden-Brewer line, mostly on the Brewer side, until entering Eddington and connecting with Route 9.
The 5B2B2 route would extend I-395 at its Wilson Street junction and would wind north toward the Eastern Avenue and Lambert Road junction, then would parallel the Brewer-Holden town line until crossing into Eddington and turning east toward Route 9.
The Federal Highway Administration, which eventually will pay for the project, the DOT and the Army Corps of Engineers agreed to study the three alternatives in the spring of 2011.
The three agencies will hold a joint open house about the project at the Brewer Auditorium from 3 to 8 p.m. on April 4. A public hearing will be scheduled for May.
Public comments for the DOT on the draft environmental study can be sent to: Russell D. Charette, P.E., Maine Department of Transportation, director, Mobility Management Division, Bureau of Transportation Systems Planning, 16 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, or by email at russell.charette@maine.gov.
Public comments for the FHA on the draft environmental study can be sent to: Mark Hasselmann, Federal Highway Administration, Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building, 40 Western Ave., Room 614, Augusta, ME 04433, or by email at mark.hasselmann@fhwa.dot.gov.
Public comments on the draft environmental impact assessment-Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit Application are due by May 15.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to open public comments for the water permit application for the I-395-Route 9 connector shortly.
They’ve been “studying” the connector for over 10 years and still nothing. When & if they do agree on a route, the fight for permits and legal challenges will add another 10 years & millions of dollars to the project. The Empire State Building was completed in just over a year, but, that was done before we were so “enlightened”.
Build it already.
Hey – if these folks enjoy having heavy rigs roll through the middle of their town – let them have at it. Most normal communities would relish the idea of diverting trucks out of their city streets and onto highways.
There are no snaildarters here, so “environmental” is the excuse. Is this more “we’ve never had a connectah so we don’t need a connectah” at work? I’ll bet the folks on the Gore Road wouldn’t mind it.
What’s wrong with 1A and RT 46? Those are already heavily traveled roads. Make them better or more like highways than they already are? Why make people who liked the quiet woods and farmlands live near highway?
Way too much traffic and cops. They would slow down the Canadian Trucks to a crawl.
Here we go again. Not in my backyard. The Canadian Truckers need this extension. Sacrifice for your Canadian Brothers.
Yep, knee jerk reaction. There are a couple of Americans living in this state that also use the Airline. Oh that’s right they are mostly in Washington County, so they don’t count.
Is this the mythical East-West highway and what we can expect ?
Well if the last 35 years is any indication, I think that maybe a newborn might see some real action on the development of the East-West highway. It took them 35 years to upgrade Rt. 9 to the state of the art (for the early 50’s). They even have some decent passing lanes every so often now, and the mud isn’t oozing up through the winter frost heaves like they used to do back in the early 70’s. It seems that when it comes to improving the infrastructure of our state, that the NIMBY’s and tree huggers have a louder voice than the rest of us.
I support Quebec and New Brunswick hiring Cianbro to build the mythical East-West highway,
but can’t see why Maine taxes should be used to build a road that they need.
Every truck that runs across highways in Maine pays highway use taxes, it doesn’t matter what country or what state they come from. They also pay prorated mile taxes. The federal government should have built this highway 50 years ago. If a private contractor like Cianbro builds this road we are giving up control. If it is to be a toll road let it be one similar to the turnpike where the money goes back toward the cost of building it and the maintenance of it. Please, I know there was a guy that’s going to prison for ripping the turnpike authority off, so let’s not go there.
IMO the East West highway should be an interstate that links Calais to upstate New York through New Hampshire and Vermont and run accross upstate New York crossing into Canada between Montreal and Toronto. That would open up commerce to some of the most deprived and forgotten areas of the northeast. Giving easier access to a host of areas that won’t see progress until they have infrastructure that brings along industry. This road would be in the nations interest. Canada could build links to it if they wished.
Are your usually for more big government solutions, Pat ?
If big government hadn’t built the interstate system in this country the whole country would be a lot further behind. Infrastructure that benefits us all is the responsibility of the government. We are the government.
So, it only makes sense to have universal heath care to keep the government healthy then, right ?
It makes sense to have universal health care if you have any empathy for your fellow man. Although I don’t know what health care has to do with an East-West highway.
If big government hadn’t built the Interstate system we would be moving goods by train, barge, and ship and not be behind at all. Trains, barges and ships were owned and operated by private companies (before the 1960’s) and they did a great job moving stuff using far less energy resources. The Interstate highway system is an anachronism from a time of 28 cent a gallon diesel fuel.
Eisenhower made the wrong call.
I disagree Harry, without the advent of the trucking industry, you and I would still be under the thumb of the RR’s. RR’s have, in this country doomed themselves, due to their apparent lack of ability to serve their customers in a timely manner. The trucking industry has enabled the timely delivery of fresh fruit, meat, vegetable, dairy, clothing, etc. etc.. They do a much better job deliverying so many products that enable comanies to not have to have huge warehouses, with the subsequent tax expenses for these buildings and the stock inside. The interstates have made it possible for people to move around the country at their leisure in a short time period. I can leave Calais and be in Philadelphia in 10 hrs. by car today. I don’t even want to think of the time it would have taken 60 years ago.
Some of us live in these “deprived and forgotten areas of the northeast” to get away from the interstate highway system.
Montreal is due north of Lake Champlain on the New York Vermont border. Is your idea to go across extreme northeast New York into Kingston, in which case one would have to double back to Montreal? going lower into New York also presents a problem with linking to the Toronto road system because there is a lake… a rather large lake… in the way.
If you did plan to go the lower route, this part of the “esat-west” highway is already there, it is called the New York Thruway (I-87) and the Northway I-90 links I 81 (the Montreal crossing road) to the Toronto crossing (below Lake Ontario) . All this connects at Albany New York, which would be the terminus of your east-west highway EXCEPT that it isn’t an east-west highway anymore, it is a north South highway and guess what it is already there. It is called I-95 to I-495 to I-90 to Albany..
I always love these people who tell me that those who are anti highway are NIMBY’s What do you call those folks who want to pave over every piece of US soil?
We have had two studies on the proposed East-West highway. both said the cost of the road far exceeded any benefit to US citizens. For how many studies do we have to pay?
It’s a stupid idea. benefiting only contractors and Canadians. Drop it!
Harry, we live in Washington County, a county that is quickly turning into a geriatric ward. Why? Could it be that we have no modern highway on this side of the Canadian border? In the last 30 years the population of Calais has dropped by about 20%. Is that what you want? You and I will probably be long dead before there is any decent infrastructure in this county. So I wouldn’t worry about being off the beaten path.
As it stands now the state of Maine doesn’t want anything of any import in Washington County. They don’t want the tourists to know that there is more of downeast Maine beyond Bar Harbor.
If we can’t give up the little realestate it will take to build an efficient highway system that will service this part of the world, I don’t know what we can do. I don’t beleive that a safe highway translates into paveing all of Washington County or anyother county.
Two things, im sure that will shake them to their toes to hear these turkeys are withdrawing their support and finally can we just call them options 1,2,3 geez louise !!!!
The old plan would have displaced a few homes. The new plan calls for over 20 homeowners to be displaced. Remember folks animals first, people second. If you’ll excuse me I have to go hug my tree.
I’m not a civil engineer but frankly neither of the routes shown in the drawing look very expedient. Perhaps if they ran 395 down 1A to 46 and then over to 9. 46 already exists so there would be minimal impact on existing property and this would hasten construction by a large factor.
Rebuilding 1A and 46 in particular has always made the most sense rather than constructing an entirely new road. Other than in the spring when 46 is closed to truck traffic a majority of trucks go that way now. But this option was effectively taken off the table years ago because of a small but vocal group of residents who live on 46 and wish to pretend that Rt 46 is still a rural side road.
I still don’t understand why they have not looked at other options. A bridge connecting Hogan Rd. in Bangor to Rt. 9 in Brewer, I think would be the smallest impact on homeowners and the environment. This would put the Canadian Truckers onto I95 and be done with it. They wouldn’t have to deal with I395 and that mess getting onto I95.
The MDOT needs work, this will use Federal money to keep them all busy. They don’t want small scale projects that make the most sense. We should leave the road building to Vigue, at least he is intelligent.
…and incredibly self serving. He’s behind the third study of the east-west highway that the previous two studies rejected. Exactly how many studies do we need? How much does each one cost?
I thought about that growing up in Brewer thirty years ago….makes too much sense.
I’d say the biggest problem is they have a “Bridge (I-395) to Nowhere”.. therefore no other option can be played out! Your idea certainly sounds good!!
connect rt 9 directly to i 95 quit piece mealing something that won’t work for everybody
You know, that is an excellent idea. Sure you’d have to build a bridge but in the big picture that’s not to large an investment.
Why don’t they drop them all and build the more important Wiscasset by-pass? Everyone will be happy.
The old saying “Too many cooks spoil the broth” applies here. Route 95 juts way west to go South because Margaret Chase Smith wanted the interstate to pass through her town.
The old iron Brewer Bangor bridge was removed and replaced on site instead of being moved up to Hogan Road, because Baldacci’s restaurant was off Broadway. There are literally thousands of these self-centered alterations of traffic pattern across the Country.
These jogs and turns cost the taxpayer and motorists. They should be exposed and halted.