DEXTER, Maine — Several area politicians will take part in a public forum to discuss the proposed east-west corridor on Saturday, July 14.
The forum will be held in the gym at Ridge View Community School from 6 to 9 p.m.
“The mic is open to the public for comments, questions and any kind of discourse that unfolds,” said Sidney Mitchell, central region coordinator for the Stop the East-West Corridor coalition.
State Reps. Raymond Wallace, R-Dexter, Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, and Peter Johnson, R-Greenville, will be present along with their Democratic opponents in November, David Pearson, Frederick Austin and Harold Dowse, respectively.
Democrat Herbert Clark, who is running for the District 27 Senate seat, will also be on the panel. Incumbent Sen. Doug Thomas, R-Ripley, has declined the invitation, said Mitchell.
Cianbro president and CEO Peter Vigue, who has spoken twice about the project in Dover-Foxcroft, declined to take part in the forum, according to Mitchell.
Hilary Lister and Chris Buchanan, both of the Stop the East-West Corridor coalition, also will be on the panel. Mitchell said she hopes a representative of the Maine Department of Transportation also will attend.
The proposed corridor project would be a 220-mile toll highway connecting Calais to Coburn Gore, making an east-west route from New Brunswick to Quebec. Vigue has said the highway would avoid town centers and pass between Dover-Foxcroft and Dexter. He also has said that eminent domain will not be used in acquiring land for the project.
Six exits are planned at major interchanges, with two other exits being considered in Washington County, said Vigue in previous forums.
Vigue has said that the highway will help bring jobs to the region, while opponents say it will destroy land.
Dexter-Dover Area Towns in Transition, which is hosting the forum, will have a community celebration from 3 to 6 p.m. in the school before the forum.
“We will have a celebratory three hours of food and music,” said Mitchell. “People will be promoting their local businesses that have to do with agriculture, crafts and art from businesses that are functioning, manufacturing and selling to the populace who live here. We’re celebrating that. We’re not the hollow middle; there’s a lot going on here and it’s growing.”
Instead of wasting my time going up there, I’ll just give my opinion right here.
This idea of an East West highway has already failed one feasibility study a dozen years ago when the economy was in far better shape, and border security wasn’t a major concern. To re-hash this lousy idea now is just ridiculous. A highway to nowhere is what it is.
If you wannabe magnates and barons want to get more product moving across the State, why don’t you spend the money on rail? Nah, that would work, far more efficiently, at a much lower cost per ton moved. So, I guess that’s why there’s no interest in that. It makes too much sense.
East-West Highway, dumb idea. Unbelievably high tolls, if you could actually ever get the albatross up and running would doom it to failure, among a dozen or so other fatal flaws. Why am I not surprised that Paul LePage thinks this is such a great idea? That ought to tell us all we need to know.
Dumb, dumb, dumb…
You gotta love this. 1st Vigue calls for the roadway to be built non-stop from Coburn to Calais. Now he say’s it gonna have 6 interchanges and an additional 2 are planned for Washington County specifically. By extension of this, that means that this E-W Highway is now going to have to be built to US Standards, not what Cianbro had planned for originally, namely wider, with no speed control’s or weight standard’s, to acommidate both Irving’s Bald Mountain ore truck’s but also the ship component’s from Ontario going to Halifax and Sydney’ shipyard’s for Irving’s Canadian Navy contract’s. And it’s gonna have 6 more immediate toll station’s, and 2 more just waiting to be built, on top of the one’s on each end, just waiting to fill Cianbro’s corporate treasury and doing nothing for Maine’s transportation revenue funding.
It’s also interesting that Vigue is now publically stating that Eminent Domain is not going to be used. Fine, I’ll believe that when the E-W Highway Act is amended or repealed and eminent domain is specifically legislated as not being a means of land acquisition. Until then, as the Act stands now, eminent domain is still legal in the Act and can be used. Vigue knows it, Thomas knows it and you can bet your bottom dollar that every landowner, or title holder, in person or by proxy, looking to make a ‘buck’, knows it as well.
Then add to this his statement that the Highway is specifically not going to be built near any Town’s and at the same time is being built to bring job’s to the region. Now I may not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas Tree but at what point are we all supposed to be subject to ‘dimming down’ and accept this nonsense at face value ? How are you going to bring job’s to a region when there is no way to get people to those job’s ? How are you going to move raw material’s, and finished product to market, if the road’s aren’t there to move them ? Manufacturing and transportation are inseperable, both from a raw or component material’s delivery, manufacturing process, final delivery point of view and a labor market point of view. Even Cianbro knows it. Why else did they come to Bangor to build their modular facility on the river when it was the smartest and cheapest way to get their material’s here and their module’s out to market using the river as their means of trasnportation to the module’s various jobsite’s around the Country, and elsewhere ?
And not to drag the point out too long but again, what purpose does the Highway serve if it doesn’t move Maine’s economy forward ? It’s sure gonna move the Canadian economy forward, cutting off at least 3 to 5 hour’s, each way, for travel time from Montreal to Halifax, for the Canadian trucking companies. And I won’t even go near the Bald Mountain ore processing issue as there as others who are far better at the ton profit/ per mile figures than I. If there was ever a case to be made for the Maine rail system, this one is it. MMA and Eastern Maine Rail have said consistently, along with Maine’s DOT, who own those line’s in case anyone’s forgotten, that consistent volume and steady use of the rail’s makes the railroad’s the best, and cheapest, means of moving freight, either in raw form, or finished product, to the manufacturing plants or to the market’s. Now if Vigue wanted to make the case for the E-W Highway to changed to a rail system, then he might have something. But a roadway ? The fact that he’s not showing up to this ‘Public Forum’ tells me that he’s seen the light. Add Thomas’s absense and the writing is now on the wall. Past this it just gets embarassing. And November is coming. Gee, is it a wonder why so many Candidate’s are showing up in Dexter for this ?
“How are you going to bring job’s to a region when there is no way to get people to those job’s ?”
You make yourself out to be an expert on economics and job creation. How many jobs have you created in your career? Do you hold a job yourself these days? Seems like you have plenty of time to post blog comments all day long, filled with little more than personal opinions passed off as facts.
Also, how do you propose to bring jobs to the region?
Logging, regretably due to the Colorado fire’s, is going to be a strong job creator, along with the ‘ripple effect’ that’s going to come out of this tragedy. These folk’s out there lost their home’s. What do you think most of those house’s were built from ? WOOD. And with the Rockies now in serious trouble concerning logging, Maine and the Northeast are going to be a serious source of wood for the re-building, more so since the Canadian’s BC timber was found infested with a pine beetle about 2 years ago and was almost immediately harvested, to get what wood could be logged out of the area, and the rest of the tree’s left to drop. According to the BC logging folk’s it’s going to be a long time before they recover . Wood has to be cut, processed, and shipped. Those are job’s, and the support one’s like the mechanic’s and the tire dealer’s and the welding shop’s and mobile truck’s, are not going to go away any time soon, unlike Eliot Cutler’s wood house’s to China. Once the Chinese get the hang of building those house’s without needing Cutler’s ‘expertiese’ those jobs, and the ‘ripple employment’ is gonna go POOF !
But Colorado, and the other State’s, are not going away. When Katrina hit, how many load’s of lumber did Maine logging and timber companies send down South on either spot contract’s, open contract’s or Gov’t Bulk Purchase’s requiring 72 hour delivery ? Same for the Midwest and the hay when the heat all but destroyed the hayfield’s in Kansas and Nebraska. Maine sent a lot of hay West, not out of a job’s reason but because we all know that Midwest beef, which is what Maine has in most of the store’s, and it’s price’s rise and fall with the availability of those cow’s to be fed at a reasonable cost. Again, maybe not a formal job’s issue but the economic’s impact us all everytime we go to the store’s.
As far as the E-W Highway goes, I personally think it’s a huge waste of money since their are already a number of road’s that just need up-grading and repairing, not a completely new Highway, to get from one side of Maine to the other. But what really ‘frost’s’ my Yoo-Hoo’s is that Vigue and Company would actually believe that those of us that live above Bangor, west to east, would be so ignorant as to let the State’s authority, and sovereignty, be used by a Private Enterprise for the sole purpose of letting them use the State to build, run and make a profit off of the State’s resource’s for them and not provide anything of value in return or to provide the people of the State a ‘say’ in this type of project. The E-W Highway Act was written, by it’s own admission, by Cianbro’s Governmental Relations people and passed without any formal hearing’s or substative review by anyone that had the Public’s interest in mind. That includes the Office of The Public Advocate (You folk’s really need to start paying attention to the Statehouse’s Daily Register a lot more !). Now, if this get’s some of you folk’s a bit pee’ved off at me, fine. I hope you are. Take out that ‘pee’ving’ by asking your local Rep’s and Senator’s what their position is on this road and why did they vote the way they did. You do that, and make them accountable for the condition of the State, and the business environment that needs the State to provide those conditions for it to work and grow, and you have a responsible and knowledgeable electorate. That’s what November is about, not temper tantrum’s………….
Are you saying that Maine logging jobs are going to be the savior of the region’s unemployed? How many additional loggers do you expect to be hired as a result of the Colorado fires? The last I heard, Maine logging jobs aren’t even the savior of Maine’s unemployed loggers, with or without Katrina. Also, if logging demand created by Katrina was such a boon for the region, why is the death rate higher than the birth rate in many of these areas today, along with high unemployment rates?
Also, how many jobs have you actually created in your career?
My contention is that this proposed project is being heavily sold as a “road” but the idea of it being a “road” is just the camoflage that is being used to keep the real reasons for creating this corridor….from the people of Maine.
Vigue and Thomas have said that this corridor would be anything from 2000 ft wide to now 500 ft wide. They have consistently refused to discuss any other possible uses of this corridor. Why? What are they trying to hide?
Other possibilities are, in no particular order, high voltage transmission lines, fiber optic data transmission lines, railroads, natural gas pipeline, crude oil pipeline, and maybe some others I have not thought of.
With these kinds of uses of privately owned land, rent, or more often called “leases” pay money to the owners of the land that their lines are on, each year for the use of the land! Just for fun I studied rates for pipeline leases in the central part of ths USA. You can find leases prices for lease payments over a broad range, but $10/ft annually seems about the cheapest. With the length of this corridor that would generate between 12 and 15 million dollars a year for the lucky landowners, with virtually no cost to the landowners whatsoever!
The largest oil discovery in North America, in50 yrs has taken place in N Dakota and Southern Alberta Canada. This Bakken crude is extremely valuable to refiners. Irving has a huge refinery in St John, NB. That refinery has now started to ship Bakken crude, by rail, from N Dakota to St John, crossing Maine by rail. Several 104 car unit trains have transited Maine in the last month. Irving has a capacity, in St John, of unloading 4 of these trains per day so this will rapidly increase.
But shipping oil by pipeline can be done for 1/2 the cost of rail. Transcanada Corp, a pipeline company recently released a proposal for a crude oil pipeline from Alberta to Montreal, PQ and eventually on to St John and Irving. I am not a genius but know it would be a lot shorter to follow Mr Vigues corridor than to build up around the top of Maine.
Think it can’t happen?
No wonder they don’t want to talk about it. The profits from that pipeline, if built in said corridor, would make any profit from this road look like nickels and dimes by comparison.
I am totally opposed to this, primarily because I belive the promoters are totally unwilling to tell us about all the possible uses, and plans for this “corridor” besides the road!
I will oppose it until I believe we are being told the truth and the promoters are upfront and honest with the people of Maine.
Mike you should look up Bald Mountain on a map. Bald Mountain is a long stretch to the proposed East-West.The mountain is a lot closer to Canada up Rt.11.Canada can also be reached by Irving’s extensive woods road system. Like I said look it up on a map before you speculate on the uses for the road.
Rather than look in a book, I have driven Rte. 11, and talking about sending much traffic to FT. Kt. on Rte. 11 is nonsense. Did you know the bridge across to Canada from Ft. Kt. has weight restrictions? So rather than taking the ore E, W or S to where it can be processed or exported, you think going N to Fort Kent is the answer?
My less than expert opinion is for you to take a trip up north. Spend some money, help the economy. Exit where 11 crosses 95. Beautiful views until Patten, then pretty much just woods, woods, woods until above Ashland. When you get towards Eagle Lake, views are enough to make you want to move there, (like the stretch of US 1 just above Danforth) don’t do it unless you are wealthy, masochistic or running from the law.
64, your point is well taken. Yes Baldy is closer by way of Rt 11. But one needs to also be aware that when Baldy is mined, as it appears is going to happen, that Baldy’s ore needs to be moved in bulk to the smelter’s. That requires road’s that are specifically built to accomidate the weight, the wear and tear and the bulk of the truck’s involved. The current road’s going north are, at best, a huge gamble for moving ore now, along with the logging rig’s running, much less in the winter. The E-W Highway, and a Northern Annex Roadway to Baldy that is already seen as inevtiably coming if one understands Corporate Planning, is clearly going to be a part of the Highway Act. That being said, could Irving’s wood’s road system be used ? Maybe, but Irving is going to have to pay a huge premium, or their contract hauler’s are, on their insurance rate’s during the winter month’s for using this road system. The Northern Annex Roadway, built specifically to accomidate the ore truck’s, is going to make it a lot cheaper for Irving, and Cianbro, to survive the insurance rate hike’s that are sure to come, safety issue’s not included. The real question is going to be, if it’s built, will the E-W Highway be able to accomidate these types of vehicle’s and load’s together, safely, and still be a workable Highway ? As the man from Missouri once said ‘Show Me’. Given the current Act as written, I just can’t see it.
But that’s the good thing about planning. It allows for flaw’s to come out, for condition’s to be examined and checked and technology’s emerging to be adapted for the good of everybody concerned. The only real question then becomes are we smart enough to realize it and take advantage of it ? That I’ve seen so far, NO ! It’s all Cianbro this, Cianbro that but no Maine input beyond a huge rah rah party that is essentialy a corporate tent event being held to sell this. We need less sell and a whole lot more objective ‘Devil’s Advocate’ here, not a banzai charge of Mainer’s going off like lemmings off the cliff.
“E-W Highway be able to accomidate these types of vehicle’s and load’s together, safely, and still be a workable Highway ? As the man from Missouri once said ‘Show Me’. Given the current Act as written, I just can’t see it.”
Mike — on what expertise do you base your opinions about the engineering of a highway like the proposed EW Highway? Just curious if you are a civil engineer, or if you have some sort of engineering training or education that would make your views more valid than the average amateur theorist.
I think it’s bloody funny to see how many people are against this E-W highway, yet if it ever becomes reality those same people will be the ones using it. But, its horses of courses I suppose and tis’ just a matter of time to see if it does come to be.
The story before this one described the highway as having limited access. A rough map indicated possible entry points at Bangor and two more near Coburn Gore, the western end of the highway. This is not official. Nothing is.
This story says six exits will be provided. But says nothing about entry points. That leaves the uniformed to believe that you can only drive onto the “On Ramp” in St. Stephen and across the border in Quebec. The only other “On” spots were suggested – suggested – at Bangor and possibly another near Coburn Gore.
Limited access doesn’t offer much opportunity to Maine businesses. Since no one can verify or wishes to state exactly what number of entry points and exit points are expected, we can only surmise this highway has one mission: To provide a long awaited high speed 220-mile link between Atlantic Canada and the Province of Quebec.
Years ago, some Mainers fawned over the same idea. Fortunately, common sense saw the project for what it is – A Canadian Super Highway – or, Autobahn.
Canadians in Northern New Brunswick are not to happy with the plan, either. Such a highway would sap the economy of businesses which generally serve the traffic the E-W Highway would take away from them.
Since the project’s mastermind refuses to openly describe his plans for this highway, we are all left to speculate what it is, what it will do, the ulterior motives, and why it is needed.Instead he chooses to barricade himself with bodyguards, monitor admittance to meetings, and, answer only questions he deems suitable.Such secrecy should not dominate projects that affect so many Mainers. Openness, with detailed information on the road’s specifics should be displayed at the next meeting.
Meanwhile, Canada already has a very active rail line which cuts through the heart of Maine from Danforth and runs right into the Province of Quebec It serves Canada. That’s all. Boarding privileges at Brownville Junction have long since disappeared. This highway will selfishly serve the needs of Canadians.
“Canadians in Northern New Brunswick are not to happy with the plan, either.”
Here’s what one trade expert in New Brunswick thinks: “I think for our region of the province, it certainly is a great option for us to get to Quebec and the states and for some will cut four hours off that trip,” said Imelda Gilman, president of the Saint John Board of Trade. ~ Portland Press Herald, May 27
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“This story says six exits will be provided. But says nothing about entry points. That leaves the uniformed to believe that you can only drive onto the “On Ramp” in St. Stephen and across the border in Quebec. The only other On spots were suggested – at Bangor and possibly another near Coburn Gore.”
At Vigue’s presentation in Dover Foxcroft, he said there would be at least six on-off interchanges: Calais, I-95, Rt 15, Rt 23, Rt 201, Rt 16/27
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“Since no one can verify or wishes to state exactly what number of entry points and exit points are expected…”
Apparently, you did not attend the Dover Foxcroft presentation, at which Vigue and Thomas spoke and answered questions from the public for three hours.
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“Since the project’s mastermind refuses to openly describe his plans for this highway, we are all left to speculate what it is …”
Why did you not attend the Dover Foxcroft meeting which was open to the public and which included a three hour discussion of the highway proposal?
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“Instead he chooses to barricade himself with bodyguards, monitor admittance to meetings, and, answer only questions he deems suitable.”
Prove any of these claims. I was at the DF meeting and he answered every question put to him from the audience except toward the end of the meeting where some of the questions had become repetitive. Who says he monitors admittance to meetings, and can the accuser be trusted to be factual? Also, I think your claims of “barricades of bodyguards” are highly overstated. Do you actually know how many “bodyguards” he has, and what is the source of your info?
Understandably, the Saint John Board of Trade would be happy to skirt Maine with a direct route to Quebec. This is what the Highway is designed for. Saint John, N.B. is east of Saint Stephen, N.B. Not north.
From what I read, businesses north of St. Stephen and Eastern New Brunswick have reportedly expressed concerns for their own businesses if such a highway is built. An editorial in the Bangor Daily News and letters to the BDN have mentioned Vigue and his employment of body guards. In fact, an editorial scolded attendees for showing “hostility” toward Vigue. I don’t believe the number of bodyguards modifies the simple fact that Vigue feels it is necessary to have bodyguards in order to explain why he intends to construct a highway. Unless, of course, he realizes the impact such a project it will have on the State of Maine. Letters indicate police took signs away from attendees at one meeting.
Attendees said only “certain” questions were answered. Information concerning exits and entrances to this super highway is contradictory. At first it was billed as a “limited access highway.” Now, you say there will be more than the two or three entrances that were reported at the outset of the proposal. Must have been a modification.
The confusion is due to the fact that Vigue has not been open with the public on this issue. He will not even – or dare – show a map of the planned route. For now, we believe it will go somewhere between Dover-Foxcroft and Brownville Junction. We are also led to believe that it will begin at St. Stephen, N.B. across from Calais, Maine, and end somewhere in the vicinity of Coburn Gore in Western Maine.
Dont believe anything that Representative Wallace has to say about this, he is just a go along rubber stamp artist!
Creepy, first the government puts up a Berlin Wall between the U.S. and Canada, now they want an east-west highway to cater to Canada and a road going through Brewer/ Holden for the same.
Someone asked: How does one cross from one side of the highway to the other? Good question. It has all of the similarities of the Berlin Wall.
Canada has an East-West railway line already bisecting the state through the Brownville Jct. area. No one can board the passenger train at Brownville Jct. It is however another direct route between the Maritime Provinces and the Province of Quebec.
Soon, the state will offer the Canadians a route circumnavigating the City of Brewer and the City of Bangor. It will give Canadians a more direct route to the Boston-New York markets without hindrance of inter-city traffic, currently faced in the twin cities.
What the ultimate benefits of an East-West Highway will offer Maine, is open to discussion. Unfortunately, the proponents of this major project do not feel obligated to the people of Maine to disclose such information openly. It remains, as originally drawn up – closed to public evaluation.
People are angry, and rightly so.
Thomas and Vigue wont attend,
Darn, I had a load of rotten Vegetables read to sell on the sidelines!
Why would they attend a forum that is obviously set up to be an anti-highway, anti-economic-development hate fest?
Free tomatoes?
Why are Arsonist the first ones to the Fire?
Sounds like your “forum” will have plenty of anti-economic development firebugs in attendance.
So forums should only ever include one point of view? Only listening to one side will surely get the facts out. No need to make it contentious and air rebuttals from either side.
I think the comments written by folks here about eco-terrorism among the organizers of the forum should tell you something about why only one side might show up at this event. Also, there is plenty of debate going on about the EW Highway, with or without the upcoming forum.
A forum is usually where discussions of public interest are aired.
Unfortunately, the proponents of this major project refuse to accept any disagreement with their plans. Neither do they wish to offer alternative measures which might allay the fears of residents, who believe they live within the boundaries of this road.
In essence, the builder and his supporters believe their proposal is irrevocable.
If Vigue and Thomas, the major “promoters” of this vast scheme, have nothing to hide why don’t they go to this meeting and brag the project up…….just like they have at previous meetings?
Are they “scared” of dissenting opinions?
I say right up and over the top of Mt. Katahdin is the only way to go so that rich can get richer.
Hilary Lister and Chris Buchanan are members of EarthFirst! which has committed acts of eco-terrorism on the West coast as well as here in Maine. The fact those two are part of this panel is reason enough for Vigue and Sen. Thomas to decline. Sanctioning such an organization in this debate is a disservice to the people who need to learn the real facts behind the proposed highway.
Agreed, eco-terrorism is not going to get any support from my end of the arena. But to refuse to debate the merit’s and penalty’s of the issue is nothing less than Cianbro and Thomas, and his bunch in the GOP, publicly telling everyone that the ‘My way or the highway’ position is being taken and nothing else is going to be considered. Vigue and Thomas should know that by refusing to even hear these folk’s out is nothing less than setting their position’s in concrete and not providng any means of adapting the Plan to the inevitable’s of weather, geology, stubborn landowner’s and plain old Nature. It also set’s the stage for a lot of not-very-nice happening. And the refusal to discuss, debate, negotiate and compromise is gonna be real expensive, to everyone. And that’s the real sad part of this whole thing.
Mike, if ever the plan would change, you would accuse the planners of “switching their story.”
There is a lot of unanswered issues that surround the idea of an East/West highway that have not been answered by a credible source. The thought of Vigue holding a forum and only answering questions vaguely only adds to the distrust. Attending a forum for which 2 of the board members are know eco-terrorists doesn’t prove anything either, other than having a hyped up audience after the forum. I am one of many that hopefully hasn’t passed judgement on this contentious issue until all the facts are presented in a truthful manner. How does anyone take a stance when the exact proposed route hasn’t been published, the imminent domain question hasn’t been truthfully been dealt with, how much access with be allowed to get to either side of the highway when one is engaging in recreational activities. This highway will not only pass through or near peoples personal property, it will also potentially create a barrier through many acres of very pristine and highly utilized recreational lands in the western part of the state. This proposal should be scrutinized as much as Quimby’s proposal.
If I was still a potato farmer I would be very worried about this plan to make it easier to dump Canada’s illegally subsidized farm products on the Boston and New York markets.
Excellent point that has been missed by a great many here. Good for you and your point of view !
I believe Central Maine Power Co. and others have bought up right of ways using eminent domain and those right of ways have never seen a power line. One i know of runs between Abbot and Monson and was acquired back in the 80’s and never used. My question is does Thomas and Vigue know something we don’t about these lands being used for the EW highway? Just a thought as to why a proposed route has not been forthcoming.
If they build this highway, I will leave this state forever because it won’t be the same anymore.
ALASKA it is……