PORTLAND, Maine — Two environmental groups blasted Cianbro Corp.’s east-west highway proposal on Monday, charging that the likely route would affect conservation sites and hurt the state’s economy by damaging its “brand” as a wild and natural place — allegations the project’s chief sponsor vehemently denied.
Jym St. Pierre, Maine director of Restore: The North Woods, and Jonathan Carter, director of Forest Ecology Network and a former Green Party candidate for governor, both said Monday that there are too many questions about the plan and public comment is too scarce.
“This proposal is a complete environmental nightmare,” said Carter.
Carter also suggested that the highway proposal actually was secondary to industry’s desire to have a potential resource and utilities corridor across the state with transmission lines carrying power and telecommunications and pipelines carrying tar sands gas, oil, water and other resources.
Peter Vigue, chairman and CEO of Pittsfield-based Cianbro Corp., strongly denied that on Monday.
“We have not had one conversation with anyone about any such thing — that is a fact,” said Vigue on Monday. “Their statements are totally unfounded.”
The 220-mile privately funded toll highway proposed by Vigue gained state funding for a $300,000 feasibility study in early April that is scheduled to be finished in January.
The $2 billion roadway would start in Calais, follow Stud Mill Road to Costigan, just north of Old Town, cross the Penobscot River, then head northwest to LaGrange, Milo, south of Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and The Forks before connecting to Route 27 and crossing the Canadian border into Quebec.
The initial plan has six interchanges in Maine, and from the border, it is only about 60 miles to Trans Canada Highway Route 10 near Sherbrooke — with connections to Buffalo, Detroit and other Midwest destinations — and to Trans Canada Highway Route 73 to Beauceville, located south of Quebec City.
Vigue has said that since the project is privately funded, eminent domain is not allowed and will not be used to acquire land for the project, which means the exact route is in flux until the land is under contract.
But St. Pierre on Monday displayed a large map showing what he believed would be the likely route across the state, pieced together from Vigue’s public presentations, and from a “confidential 2008 report prepared for Cianbro” that he and Carter said had been referenced by the Maine Department of Transportation request for proposals for the feasibility study.
“Depending on the precise route on the ground, it appears that the proposed east-west corridor would cross, come perilously close to, or be in the viewshed of more than five dozen significant conservation and recreation areas,” St. Pierre said. “My organization, Restore: The North Woods, has a direct stake in this issue because the proposed east-west corridor would cross part of our proposed Maine Woods National Park & National Preserve. It could also cross Atlantic salmon rivers and other wildlife habitats and ecosystems we have worked to protect.”
Vigue said the project would avoid any such areas, however.
“We are not going through any conservation areas whatsoever. We’re doing everything to avoid those and we recognize the importance of those conversation areas. We have no interest in going through any of those conversation areas — [St. Pierre and Carter] have totally misrepresented what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said.
The east-west highway proposal has proven contentious in public forums around the state, with residents demanding more information from Cianbro. Restore’s park proposal has in the past been fairly controversial as well, drawing criticism from residents of rural Maine.
St. Pierre said residents should be asking questions about the highway proposal, including regarding the environmental impact, whether the corridor would accelerate export of raw forest products, and whether the corridor would open up remote areas for grid-scale wind power and other energy products. He is also skeptical about Vigue’s claim that eminent domain would not be used to take land for the project.
“By making Maine just one more drive-through state, the east-west highway and corridor could destroy some of Maine’s best natural assets and put the state at a competitive disadvantage,” said St. Pierre. “It could further divide, rather than connect, the two Maines.”
Vigue said charges that the highway would destroy Maine’s tourism-based economy were unfounded. There are many tourism-related businesses in remote areas of Maine that are challenged to attract customers because of inadequate access, he said. He also said that existing manufacturing companies would benefit from better throughways to market, and noted Lincoln Paper & Tissue specifically.
“I stand by my record of enhancing and improving the economy in the state of Maine,” said Vigue.
The economy in the rural parts of the state has “been going in the wrong direction for the last 25 years, and there’s not a lot happening to try to correct it.”
“I recognize what the motives are for Jonathan Carter and Mr. St. Pierre, to make it one big park. I also understand their motive to block and stop any development in the state of Maine, specifically in those areas,” said Vigue. “If they’ve got a better idea on how to turn these things around and improve the economy in the northern part of the state I’d be more than happy to listen to them. But I have yet to see those two individuals do anything but try to stop and block activity in the north half of the state of Maine.”
Yes, let’s not change a thing. Keep the state just the way it is so that the out-of-staters can enojy it.
Just keep crabbing about the loss of our young population due to lack of any new industry or jobs that are not in the service business.
As a matter of fact it is not only our young people now, middle age folks are walking out the door of their deflated value homes and leaving as well, we are now bleeding off the people that pay the most in taxes.
And retiree’s that move to a state without state income taxes so that they can afford to eat something other than dogfood and enjoy lower property taxes.
Yes, keep it the way it is. Really not going to be much to keep at the rate we are going.
No progress, goodness no.
Sounds good, we’ll take all the young and middle aged working folk you want to send our way. You can keep the environmentalists and the welfare recipients.
Thanks!
signed,
New Hampshire
The only thing that this Highway is going to be bringing to NH is the fact that Colebrook is going to turned into one huge Irving truckstop. Chew on that and do the math.
For once, prove your factless theories.
Time is gonna do that for me. Just go look at Cianbro’s history and the proposed route.
What in Cianbro’s history proves your factless theories?
Cianbro has a repeated history of playing fast and loose anytime they have a job that requires specialized skills that ‘cost’, union or not, as far as labor rate’s go. Cianbro’s HR folk’s frequently send out a job announcement so specific in skill’s, experience and training requirement, that are either not available or taught here in the US, that Cianbro can go and make the supposed case to the INS and Labor people that they need to go ‘outside the US’ to get the skill that they ‘can’t find here in the US’. Please, gag me with a snow shovel ! Specialized skills require specialized training and experience to gain ability and proficiency in. Cianbro knows this but repeatedly refuses to hire, or cooperate with, any labor group that push’s for this type training to be taught or learned. Cianbro’s history with the Labor Dept proves that beyond any doubt.
Now, with so many of the Iraq and Afghan vet’s coming back, especially the Army’s Engineer’s, the Navy’s Seabee and Air Force Civil Engineering people coming into the work force with these type skill’s, Cianbro is going to be hard pressed to keep this charade and magic act up much longer. Once Labor, the VA and the INS start looking at these supposed ‘outside job skill’s requirement’s, and see just how badly they have all been ‘bent over the sofa’ by Cianbro, you can bet the farm that Cianbro is going to have to start hiring these same people for these jobs. In short, Cianbro’s H-2 Visa day’s are over or are seen on the horizon as coming to a close real fast. Now if that makes Cianbro’s labor cost issue a problem, big deal and get over it. That’s what management and innovation are all about. Do I call for employment for a ‘do nothing’ job just to hype some Company’s hiring stat’s ? No way ! If you’re going to hire, then make the hire for something that count’s, and benefit’s, not just the work force but for the Company that hires them (See I do understand the need for profit, just not blind Gordon Gecko greed) as well as for the rest of us all. The building of a E-W Highway using existing road’s, and with the public’s best interest put first, is the smart way to go. A private highway, answerable to no one but it’s builder’s and with the profit motive as that sole goal, doesn’t even come close to meeting that need. Maine has enough needs already. The last thing we need is someone’s private need being fed off of the public’s nickel. That’s Corporate Welfare here in Maine, any way you cut it. I’m just wondering why Paulie has been so silent on this. Now that’s a question that really need’s answering !
Mike, you obviously have not read the news articles which point out that there is a severe shortage of skilled workers in the construction trades in Maine, which is why Cianbro chose to spend millions of dollars of its own money to train the new workers that Vigue put to work on the modules job in Brewer which you speak of (training which was also well documented in the press). I guess these facts don’t do much for your claim that Cianbro does not support this type of training. If the expertise does not exist in Maine to do a particular task, are you suggesting that companies turn their back on entire projects, rather than find the workforce that makes the project doable? It’s obvious why Vigue is the leader of Cianbro, why you are not the leader of any company, and why your ideas should not be followed in terms of job creation for fellow Mainers.
No, not at all. What Cianbro needs to do is quit playing Corporate Cowboy (and the ‘My Way or the Highway’ attitude that goes along with it) and work with the Union’s, and their Apprenticship Program’s and School’s, and invest in their people by supporting, in partnership, the needed Training School’s and Program’s to get people trained for these specialized job’s. And given the military’s training in these skill’s, like bridge building and mechanical rigging, it’s not such a big leap for both sides to realize that the trained workforce they need are already out there. It is a documented fact that Company’s that invest in their people have less turnover, are more productive and make more money than the ‘fly-by-nighter’s’ that always seem ot spring up and ruin the industry as a whole for those Company’s that are determined to both be profitable but also deliver on their contract’s on time, if not ahead of schedule, and under budget. That’s what’s needed, not Corporate Drama and Mystery. That’s what’s got this whole thing going now.
You mean “corporate drama” like this?
“WILTON – After working the past few years as a mechanic, Dale Leonard of Livermore Falls loves the opportunity Cianbro has offered him and others to train in the art of welding.
Leonard was leaving the day shift Monday at the Nichols Building. He and others are starting their fifth week in training; a day class is held from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and a night class from 2:30 to 11 p.m. daily for 12 weeks.
Cianbro, said company representative Steve Pound, needs 250 welders and has set up classes in Wilton, Lincoln and Bangor to train and prepare workers for jobs at Cianbro’s Brewer location.
The success of a training session held last summer in Wilton where all 12 students were hired prompted the company to begin another two sessions with two more to follow for a total of 24 weeks.
Because of that response, this time around Cianbro is trying a different approach, said Patty Ladd from the Wilton CareerCenter, who helped with the hiring process. The summer program was a four-week course with the potential to be hired at completion.
This time, the company decided to recruit, interview and hire the participants. It selected people who have an idea of what welding work is about but not the knowledge. The training program gives them that knowledge and $10 an hour while in training, she said.
“The program is giving people employable skills and bringing a lot of people back to work,” Pound said.”
~Lewiston Sun Journal, November 20, 2007
Mike, you need to look at a map. I’m not sure how Colebrook will benefit, do you? In fact, this highway will most likely detour traffic away from Colebrook, which is currently served by Route 26, a fairly significant east-west truck route to VT and the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It appears this route will replace having to travel from Route 201 to 27 through Eustis and into Canada. I can’t comment as to whether there is a hidden agenda, but geographically speaking this proposed route, as it is currently mapped, should not affect Colebrook in a positive sense.
Thank you as someone can see the tree in the forest. Those folk’s in Stewartstown need to be looking out too.
Yeah, I’m sure W.Stewartstown and Pittsburg are just reeling from this news??? Reread my post again. If this highway is built as it is currently mapped, then Colebrook and northern NH will likely see LESS traffic from Quebec. So why would they need a truck stop, other than the tiny one that is there now?
The majority of the current traffic on 26 is mostly northern Vermonters and Canadians heading to OOB or other parts of central/eastern Maine. This proposed highway, as it is currently mapped, will allow an alternative route to those living in Quebec, offering them a choice to avoid Colebrook altogether.
Regardless, most of the people that recreate in northern NH, those that would use the so-called truck stop, come from southern NH, Mass. and CT. The people from southern NH, Mass. and CT are served by north/south routes like I-93, I-91 and Route 3 in NH. I’m not sure I’m following your argument, but you can leave NH out of it.
I lived down that way and LEFT!
It stinks, its noisey its busy and full of people!
I would rather be poor and happy!
Edit; Question Progress
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Same here. Lived in NH and left for ME!
Too oppressive and you’re so right about the people. There’s no getting away from them unless you come up here!
I hear ya…..
Those leaving Maine that I know of are going to Massachusetts so they can be covered by Romneycare, I mean Obamacare, I mean Romneycare…same thing.
If these so called enviromentalcases had there way they would close I95 to all truck traffic and only allow you to travel in groups of 4 more. They have trust funds to live on and don’t understand having to work for a living.
Exactly!!!
*environmental cases **their
really? nothing better to do?
I don’t have a trust fund, been here all my life and I care about the environment. Native Mainers do care about the environment. It is foolish to think only trust fund children and people from away are the ones who care.
Born here, lived here and worked here 60+ years.
Really well the folks here in the 2nd District don’t care about the environment all we care about is bringing in more jobs and getting folks out of poverty. But everytime we want to do so its always NO. The Enviros , The Far Left Wing Liberals and those from Southern Maine always oppose it and create such a fuss. That is why our state is always near the bottom of the economic rankings. Because these folks have dictated for so long what Mainers can and can’t have. Until we put these folks in their place nothing in Maine is going to move foward.
I am none of the above, Enviro, Far Left, Nor Liberal. That does not mean that I agree with this. There are plenty of things in the State that have been shut down by these people that I would like to see, i.e. LNG plant on the coast, more wind sites, etc.. but a road across Maine to funnel Canadian goods truly does not solve any issues and will not creat jobs… Good luck if you think it will.
Who says it is just going to be Canadian goods. This road is to help get the Central, Northern, Eastern Maine move them out of the 18th century and into the 21st century to help spur economic and job growth. That is the problem with the lies being spread by those on the left. They are using scare tactics to keep their stupid National Park alive which is Dead not happening folks . They have used all kinds of misinformation about this road about no rest areas, exits , interchanges etc.. This road will be just like the Maine Turnpike is in Southern Maine . Carter and his enviro friends think that us supporters will buy into his nonsense once again. We won’t. He has screwed Maine’s Businesses and Working Folks every chance he has gotten. He destroyed Maine’s Paper Industry with the Democrats adopting his radical proposals. Well now he is trying one last gasp to stop this road it won’t happen either. It is time for him and the rest of these job destroyers go find someone else to live off of. Maine taxpayers have had enough of having our tax dollars going to them and their interest.
Can you or anyone for that matter explain to me and the rest of the skeptics what is this Road going to do for Maine and its people. If anyone can get some true examples how a road THROUGH our state is going to boost our economy maybe some people would have different opinions. I just dont see what a road will do to bring jobs. If there is a true trade off for all the negatives to this road I may be willing to listen but I have really not seen an example of what it will do for us. I dont care about temporary jobs either I want to know about decent permanent jobs that this road will bring us…
We need to get our transportation up to standards to help boost job growth. Growing our Infrastructure does that. Building better and safe highways which gets 100,000 lb. trucks off our rural roads helps as well. These rural roads are taking a huge pounding. Another Interstate going East-West does that. Since the Enviros basically ripped up our railroad tracks from Augusta North so they can have their stupid Nature Trails. How are we going ship goods to keep what businesses we have left North of Augusta going, and attract new businesses and jobs. It is too expensive to fix our railroads thanks to these Enviros thinking they can protect these lands. It is time to move Maine Foward so it can compete with the rest of the country, Atlantic Canada, Quebec & Ontario Canada and the rest of the world. We can’t be a third world state forever with more than 60% of the state collecting WELFARE. It is not feasable and sustainable. We need to get our economy going. We have let folks in Southern Maine, Environmentalists, Special Interest and Liberal Politicians tied to Augusta control the agenda with their failed Eco-Friendly Vision for Maine. If most Mainers want it why is it opposed by most folks. Why did towns near where the Park that is proposed vote it down through referendums. The fact is they want a Pro-Business, Pro-Jobs, Lower Taxes state with better roads to drive on and them being propserous like those who live in other parts of the country.
Again, Please give me even 1SPECIFIC improvement to our Job market from a road. To say that a road will attract new businesses is pretty hopeful.
Are you claiming the addition of I-95 did nothing for MAine?
Not positive but I dont think that is what I said.. Those were also different times than we are in now.
“Again, Please give me even 1SPECIFIC improvement to our Job market from a road. To say that a road will attract new businesses is pretty hopeful. “That’s what you said and I gave you one example of a road that cut the State in half and IMO improved the State.Please feel frr to explian why times are different now other than the fact that we are worse off not better off, and need help more.
Trust fund people? Get real. What exactly do jobs have to do with preserving our wildlands and wildlife habitats or prevent the polluting our fresh water supply. If you would rather have a job than clean water then I’ll send you all the mercury & chromium water you can drink for a lifetime. You must be a city person who doesn’t realize that what was under the sod, concrete and asphalt used to be habitats. Stupid city people.
Further, you know why 1 in 4 people make $10 an hour now is that we’ve been reduced to exclusively consumers, sucking our bank accounts and futures dry. When a company moves their manufacturing or sells their business so do all the jobs in the company like their research and development, company secrets, payroll department and ditto for A/R, A/P, human resources, call center, executive and management positions, manufacturing and design engineering, drafting, assembly, warehousing, distribution, sales, just everything. If they left because of our pollution laws they shouldn’t be allowed to do business in the U.S. I live close to the 2nd largest cement plant mercury emitter in the U.S. They use coal. All they do is whine about how expensive it is to put in proper pollution devices and don’t care how many babies get retarded. Yes, jobs but not at the cost of our health, clean air and fresh water supply.
like?
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If you avoid dc like the plague why do you respond to his/her posts?
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The people from Southern Maine are just transplants from Massachusetts. After all, Restore the North Woods are out of Concord Massachusetts.
You don’t care about the environment? You live in Maine and you don’t care about the environment? Give us a break.
And, tell me – how do you define a “far left wing liberal?” Is that akin to your more critical and dangerous “radical left wing Marxist?” Believe you’re the same Cat who called someone a Marxist-Fascist.
If Le Page and/or Romney were to bring 5,000 job openings in a shoe factory, would that satisfy you? How about a tanning factory? An oil refinery? Or, any square concrete block, windowless factory with 12-hour shifts, no air, and a 10-minute sandwich, for $6.50 an hour?
Talk about Marxism!
Mainers and those “from away” want to preserve this jewel they call home. Fishing on a smog-less pond, hiking,camping,sailing, snowshoeing, kayaking, climbing, sky diving, rafting. All within a few minutes from the back porch. Poor be damned. We’re a lot richer than a lot of other states.
I like to be called a Marxist, communist, radical left wing, food stamp gobbler. I’d put it on the stern of my boat, if there was enough room.
So now that you got your SSI when industry used to be here the rest of us can just go jump in a lake right?
SSI babies are nothing more than Government paid trust fund babies.
I promise you one thing, if they destroy these natural scenic areas instead of utilizing already existing roadways I will LEAVE Maine. I stay in this state for its natural beauty. There are other options. I agree we need a corridor, but not across the proposed studmill road. Use Rt. 9 or Rt. 6 and upgrade those roadways. The infrastructure is already there.
The exit is only 150 miles and a couple of tollbooths away, have at it.
Trust me it is in the plans, I love this state for a lot of reasons, not one of them includes developmont of wild areas. The great thing about my job is that I can live anywhere and do it. The State is in bad shape and this is not really the answer but you can fool yourselves and think it is. It will hurt me to leave but it hurts the state as well to lose hard working high paid people. I dont mind giving my taxes to someone else. oh wait when I move to Alaska they dont tax me…. Have fun in Maine…
Why wait?
Only waiting until my daughter finishes high school.
Need help packing..I’ll even offer my truck…
Ill take you up on that, its a long ways to Kenai…
Yes, but then you will live in fear of the pipeline. Or are you after the resident dividend??
Dont care much about the dividend, dont care much about a pipe line either. I am just tired of the constant change in Maine. Look around it is not what it used to be and therefore I dont care to stay. Think all you want that a road is going to fix our problems. But since you know me so well based on a comment I made on one subject that I feel passionate about I should not bother explaining. I would be interested to know where you live in relation to any of the proposed road ways and if this was in your back yard and favorite places of recreation if you would feel the same. If there is a trade off people will be more likely to accept this road, I have yet to see anyone tell me some specific examples of what this road will do for us to improve our economy. By letting people get through our state faster I dont see how that helps. “If you build it, they will come” seems to be a bit of wishful thinking for all that it will disrupt.
Constant Change?
Nothing has changed up here in 60 years other than people and opportunity leaving. You must live closer to Portland than you claim if you think anyone’s situation but yours has improved up here.
When did I say my situation improved? And if you think nothing has changed in 60 years look around. Maine used to be thriving with manufacturing. Now that number is quickly approaching ZERO for manufacturing jobs in Maine. This state is not even a shadow of what it used to be 60 years ago. We are a state full of service industry jobs and that is it. If I thought for a minute that this road would change that I would be on the other side of the argument. I think the time, money and resources would be better spent developing some places and jobs in areas that already have the infrastructure. i.e. anything along the I-95 corridor that have all been closing up shop over the last few decades, Paper Mills, Lumber Mills, Shoe Factorys, Wood products and textiles. none of which exist. These were all decent paying full time jobs where people could actually make a living. Is anyone going to tell me that if we put a highway across the state these types of places will be opening back up for business???? Some major things needs to happen within our government before any of these places will ever open back up and be competative in a global market. Dont fool yourselves that a road across the state to move canadian goods from cananda to canada is going to do anything to improve Maine economy other than put a little more money in Chianbros pocket.
First, the time and money belong to a private company and unlike the Government they don’t tend to waste theirs as much.
Second, un like you I am not fooling myself. Nothing will change or improve in Western Maine without a road of some sort providing for that opportunity.
Stagnation has not worked for any part of Maine yet and that is all the environmentalist work towards. The fewer people there are, the more trees and animals there are for them to enjoy in their leisure time. Sure the will suffer putting up with the few of us that it takes to take care of them as they summer or vacation here, but no more than that.
Yes, the infrastructure is already there, but take a look at Rt#9. How many homes are already at the edge of the road and would have to be moved or destroyed to widen out the road to a 4 lane.? Quite a few- versus how many on the stud mill road? Not trying to pick a fight, just pointing out what I see. What gets me is that Carter and Crew are already seeking the Pavlovian responses of the public by hitting the right buttons, without really presenting any facts or studies to base their opposition. Example? “pipelines carrying tar sands gas–” . And OHMYGAWD- it MIGHT cross the almighty proposed ” Maine Woods National Park and Preserve” which, according to their rhetoric, will immediatedly create millions of jobs for Mainers, selling trinkets to the billions of tourists who would swarm to Maine. (I exaggerate-but not by much) Of course the NPand P is not a green problem and would not destroy the “Way life should be”- just take a look at the problems Yellowstone and others have. And while we’re at it, Carter and Crew already have Eastport hot-topped over for all the Mega-container ship cargo and cranes towering over the “quaint” village of Eastport. OK- putting my soapbox away for now.
I thought the environmental stuff was virtually done along the Studmill road and had been done for 30 years or more including updates. Seems to me there are gas pipelines a nice wide road, Power lines and everything else out there.
Stay and fight. We’re going to squash this thing, like it was a mosquito.
We do not need a corridor. Canada has rails and roads cutting up Maine.
Unfortunately, a lot of people move to Maine to get away from the problems of the urban world, such as crime and having a super highway in their backyard. As soon as they settle in, they try to change Maine to that which they moved here to avoid. If you want a Canadian Highway, move to Canada and build one!
Carter used the wrong term – Vigue doesn’t have an ‘ulterior motive’, he has a hidden agenda. We all know that Vigue’s motive is to build an East-West Highway that will generate new sources of revenue for his company. And we know that he wants to build it using a combination of his money and ours (in the form of General Fund tax revenue).
What he’s not telling us is that he can’t build this thing without our agreement, because he’s going to need the power of Eminent Domain to pull it off. Cianbro already knows precisely where this road is going to have to go in order to meet their economic interests. Let’s all grow-up for a moment and remember that this is a state of the art, multi-national construction company. Cianbro can build an oil rig in Brewer and drop it onto pylons in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico without batting an eye.
If he were so inclined, Vigue could name for us, right now, every single piece of privately owned land in Maine that would be affected by this project. But he’s not so inclined, because the the Penguin administration just gifted him with $300K of our money for a “feasibility study” and our Governor has spent the last six months rolling back environmental oversights and hamstringing regulators.
We shouldn’t spend another second or another dime on this profit-driven proposal until Cianbro shows us it’s data. Vigue and his company should be required to provide the Taxpayers of Maine with a highly detailed map of their proposed route.
In 2012, this map should be available to us online and in high definition. We should have a chance to look at the same data that Vigue has seen. If this project is worthy of our money, we’ll be able to judge that for ourselves. Until we see the facts, this proposal should be allowed to die at the starting line.
Hi Bangorian, It seems like you are on the inside and know all. What part,other to fund a neutral study, is general tax revenue going to be used to fund construction?
Regretably it’s going to be the same eminent domain arguement that’s going to cost us all as far as the inevitable Transportation Bond that’s going to have to be issued. Given the current plan as stated, for the record, by Vigue, Cianbro’s going to have to acquire the land for the Highway. Fine, no arguement from me here. But when Cianbro has to have ‘that piece of land to make it all work’ comes up, Cianbro is going to require Maine, under the Highway Act, to use it’s Eminent Domain Authority to seize the said land for the Highway. Kelo vs New London made that the law and is in no way going to be overturned in the near future.
What that’s also gonna do is require Maine to reimburse the land’s legal owner, on the public’s, not Cianbro’s, ‘nickel’ at the market rate of the land AT THE TIME OF SEIZURE. That’s why the recent flurry of land revaluation’s and Transfer’s of Title and Deed is not all that surprising, more so when you know that the State is gonna pay the legal owner for what they get the land valued at in advance of a ’eminent domain’ seizure. Under the terms of The Constitution’s 4th Amendment, ‘The State’ must reimburse. The Highway Act also calls for it. That land has to be paid for with something other than Paulie’s good look’s so someone please tell me where, if the budget is so tight, Maine is gonna get all of this money to pay for these land seizure’s that Cianbro is gonna dictate ? Again, can we all say ‘TRANSPORTATION BOND’? Now I will admit this may be a bit simplified but if anyone has a better perspective, please, don’t keep it a secret. Maine has had far too much of that recently.
Sounds like opinion about how things “might” go and no information. Again my question to Bangorian was what part of the project was going to be funded by general tax revenue? No answer.
“That’s why the recent flurry of land revaluation’s and Transfer’s of Title and Deed is not all that surprising…”
Where is your documentation for this? Or are you just making it up, like most of your other statements?
AMEN….
And a Canadian highway is progess???? Tell me how this new highway is going to fix anything for MAINE, other than allow people to pass through it quicker.
You apparently couldn’t care less that Canadians want to cut the state in two.
As long as they have a way over it or under it so I don’t have to put my brakes on going North.
Well said.
I say build it and they will come.
But who’s gunna choke on the hot dog?
“We have not had one conversation with anyone about any such thing — that is a fact,” said Vigue Monday.
————
There haven’t been any conversations about that part of the deal…… yet.
This is a way for Canada to ship it’s own products through Maine.
This will be an environmental disaster and an ugly scar across some of the most beautiful land in the state
It will be nothing but a superhighway for Canadian trucks and a pipeline transporting Canadian goods from the western part of Canada to their eastern ports.
I don’t think they will even bother to build the highway beyond I95. Canada already has a rail line around Maine that ships cheaper then any short cuts.
All Vague wants is the right of way from the Quebec gas fields to the maritime’s, and he wants a private road to I95 south so Canada can dump their illegally subsidized potato’s , hay and wood on the US markets.
Once they bankrupt all the American farmers and wood produces in Maine Canadian investors can buy up our lands for penny’s on the dollar.
Maine farmers are already going bankrupt because of the state’s weak economy, and are already selling off their land in order to survive.
Yes, and cutting a swath through Western Maine for this road won’t in and of itself reverse a single economic trend in Maine.
Actually, the number of farms in Maine has begun to increase again, not decrease.
Yes they have and it’s encouraging to see folks taking it up again.
More young folks/families are farming, it’s good to see it happen.
I agree that encouraging farming in Maine is a good thing. And I’d be willing to argue that better transportation routes for the goods produced by Maine farms to the large population centers in the U.S. might be a very good thing for our farmers.
Ha!
We already have a road that heads to the population centers of the US. It’s called Interstate 95. The only area that will be but a few hours easier to reach is Montreal and there’s no way Maine farmers are penetrating that market given how protective Canada is of its farm markets there.
My neighbor farms 300 acres of potatoes and grain and he’s not impressed by the markets this new road could open up, if any.
..
There are all sorts of texts online that talk about the fact that rail is the worst way to ship produce, because the freight can’t be monitored continually like it can when trucked. Also, produce can sit in a rail car for long periods of time waiting for transport, whereas trucking takes the produce immediately to its destination. Also, if rail is the way to go, why aren’t more Maine farms using rail rather than trucking?
“The main downside to rail is the lack of timely transport, a near non-starter for companies that demand just-in-time logistics. Further, as Don Baldwin from Michelin Tires noted at RMI’s recent Trucking Summit, ‘the need to put things in storage makes rail particularly difficult for perishables.’ Perhaps this is why 43.8 percent of rail transit is comprised of coal while only 7.8 percent comes from farm products. This, from the Association of American Railroads.” ~Treehugger
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Exactly…. trucking is the way to deliver produce from farms to markets, not rails, which is the point I thought I made to you. Who the heck are you?
………
Look, you claimed that rails work just fine for transporting produce. I pointed out that there are numerous credible sources of information which demonstrate that rail is one of the worst ways to deliver produce, and I also provided you with a verifiable source of that information. You seem to be a paid mouthpiece for the Northwoods National Park. So what?
My neighbor, a south/central Aroostook potato grain farmer, ships most all of his product by truck, either down 95 to markets there, or to McCain. McCain, from what I understand, ships some stuff out by rail and some by truck, though I’m less sure of that than what my neighbor does. In either case, it’s rail or 95, headed mainly down south. Anything McCain ships is frozen, so a couple of hours shaved off of any trip into the Montreal, Quebec area isn’t much of an added value on stuff in boxes that has several months’ shelf life at that point.
County farmers used to use rail almost exclusively, and it worked okay for potatoes and grain, both of which have decent shelf lives, until the Penn Central rail strike of 1969 marooned many box cars worth of stuff in rail yards near Albany, NY in freezing weather. Penn Central went bankrupt, so there was nobody to sue to recover damages after the potatoes spoiled due to sitting several weeks after the car heaters ran out of fuel.
Rail has improved since then, but either rail or truck could be crippled by a strike again. In any case, most larger County farmers and c0-ops got trucks and ICC common carrier licenses and started hauling their own potatoes to market in their own trucks and never trusted their goods to rail again, even though the originating railroad, the Bangor and Aroostook, had nothing to do with the rail stoppage down south. (Getting licenses enabled them to legally load up and take other goods on the back haul home to The County so as to better pay for the trucks.)
The point is, beyond the history lesson, is that 95 and rail suits everybody just fine right now. Few, if any Maine potatoes and whatnot go west over Rt 2 and 201, as far as I can tell from my vantage point in Maine’s number one agricultural county, surrounded by farmer/neighbor/friends as I am. (I just have a garden, though I am thinking of getting a house cow.)
I drive for a company that transports Michelin products to and from Canada. And I have seen first hand the damaged freight in rail cars, and have yet to see any in a 53′ trailer. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but I just haven’t seen it. And I don’t see the rails delivering from SC to Nova Scotia in 2-1/2 days!
Right and giving the land so the Enviros can have their little Eco-Friendly Paradise sure has worked wonders for Maine’s Economy huh. That is why Maine is losing Billions in taxable revenue thanks to the enviros taking the land off the tax rolls. No job growth, restricting access for folks who grew up having access for recreation etc.. So these folks can try to impose this park they want that noone in that area wants.
So you are telling me that Acadia and Baxter Parks dont bring any revenue into the state? It doesnt say vacationland on our plates for nothing. People come to our state to get away from Urbanism. Myself and I am sure numerous others continue to live here because of our unique recreation opportunities, I promise you I dont live in Maine because the Healthy Work environment, or the low taxes, or the low cost of living. If I want these things I will move to a place where they exist. I live in Maine because it is rural and relaxed. Not so I can watch 18 wheelers from Canada roar past my favorite fishing or camping site.
And, of course, you have ample, incontrovertible evidence of this? And you’d be happy to produce it, right?
It always concerns me when someone suggests we aren’t taxing people enough. Why would property that’s not using any state or local resources on a net basis be a drain on any government’s coffers? Why? Because, governments waste money at an exorbitant rate and have to keep finding new reasons and ways to tax people and businesses so they don’t have to change their wasteful ways.
If Maine’s economy is in trouble BECAUSE we’re not taxing people enough, we’ve got even bigger problems.
That’s the reason they fired Lepage’s economics guy after he give that speech where he told rural Mainers to “get off the reservation” because their wouldn’t be any economic development coming to Northern Maine.
Environmentalists are right to be suspicious. If you simply look at history or theory, you’ll see that the economic drive prioritizes profit over natural beauty, over and over and over, the result being a defaced, polluted and crowded world.
Humanity now needs about 40% of the Earth’s non-ocean surface just to grow enough food to feed its burgeoning billions.
And we’re making scary inroads into harnessing/exploiting more of the oceanic surface too :-(
Will Jonathan Carter every go away? Now he has a new cause to justify his position and raise funds from other economic obstructionists….
I don’t like enviromentalist.. But I’ll take him on my side on this issue..
There is no long term economic benifit to Maine building this road… I’m tired of big business having their way with thing then leaving the distruction for the people to deal with.
Environmentalists do nothing but lie. Remember the DDT lie. Remember the Ozone hole lie. Remember the Global Warming lie. Now I admit I don’t know anything about the E-W highway but if environmentalist are against it then the highway must be a good idea.
DDT was NOT a lie. People have short memories. I remember those days, they were real and DDT was disastrous.
Silent Spring should have been silenced since it contained myths mixed with a little fact.
It was true and if you lived during the 60’s in Maine you witnessed it.
If you want to believe the lies that it was harmless go ahead.
http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/pest/pest1.html
http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/DDT_and_Birds.html
Go back and read a long, very long post I just made. Then you tell me that I don’t know what I am talking about. Read my post—-if you dare.
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Obviously, you did not read the research cited towards the end of the post. You have no clue as to the horror of malaria. Nor, did you bother to look at or comment about the research. I have seen more than you can imagine.
DDT, used correctly, was fairly safe. The problem was, it was rarely used correctly. There was so little oversight and regulation that it was egregiously overused and abused resulting in the infamous environmental issues. Sometimes, it’s not the chemical that’s the real problem, it’s the people using it.
Isn’t that true of everything? If the directions say to use a little, they believe a lot is better.
……
What myths, exactly? I take it you’ve read it?
I inserted a very long post with the information you might find interesting. She made many errors in her assessment. As an alarmist, she was excellent—but a scientific writer she was not. Read that long post, if you dare.
Ohh, if I dare…what is this, a Goosebumps novel?
Gee, I don’t know about Goosebumps novelas—yes, novelas. Reading it would be enlightening at the very least. You wanted to know about the myths and I provided you with them, if you were just being facetious and did not really want to know about the myths, then you should not read it. Those who only question others may, in fact, be projecting their own knowledge.
As DDT and the Ozone hole were and are both real and dangerous things, admitting you don’t know anything was a pretty good place to start.
… yeah, see, none of those things you mentioned are lies, so you’ve sort of shot your argument in the foot there.
DDT was not a lie. Insects developed resistance. Other animals were affected and started recovering after DDT was banned. The ozone hole has somewhat stabilized thanks to increasing bans worldwide on CFCs. Time will render its verdict on global warming in the next few years, but looking out at the continental US so far this summer, your point isn’t looking too strong on that either.
You can repeat all your lies all you want, but in the end, it’s YOU that’s lying.
I have inserted a long post—read it then you can tell me if you really believe everything in print. Sometimes research is better than the words of an alarmist. And, it will take more than a few years. Climactic changes take 10,000 years—if you think that global warming is occurring right now and will be complete in a few years, you are wrong. Yes, there are changes, there always have been. Just think of the last big drought in the US—the 1950’s and how about the dust bowl. The problem is that we want to see things going on in a few years or even decades and the changes are more subtle.
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The research cited by the article is not a bunch of lies. Why are you so adamant about knowing that which you obviously can not grasp? Read all of it, then do your own reading. Knowledge is a powerful tool and necessary too.
Congratulations! You can copy and paste!
Yes, I can do many things even understand scientific research. You were incredulous regarding the fact that Rachel Carson was not interpreting scientific fact correctly. I provided you with the information that you seem unable to find for yourself. Now you are still a tad angry. Get a grip and learn to read and understand before you challenge others who may know more about the subject than you do.
Actually, there is scientific evidence in the geological records that shows huge advances and retreats in continental glaciers in only 100 or so years’ time, amazing as that is.
It doesn’t/didn’t always take 100 centuries.
You’d feel very at home in China. The government has an amazing ability to “silence” environmentalists. Of course, the country’s an environmental train wreck, but, it sounds like that’s your kind of place. Oh, take a respirator and plenty of bottled water.
hooray for new maps..woooo!
How about fixing up the roads we have now instead of just adding new ones? Pretty soon GM and Ford will be competing on new car designs all based upon the Lunar Rover since the surface of the moon is a good comparison to the shape of the condition of some of the roads here in Maine.
The state has trouble fixing the roads we have because there is no money in the treasury to do the job. That’s why this proposal to use private investment is out there. It may or may not become a reality, but at least it’s a new approach. As you point out, the current system is falling behind when it comes to taking care of infrastructure.
The Treasury is broke because our current economic system is based on a system of usury where private interests have gotten together and have asserted their power of monopoly over the issuance of currency worldwide which is currently not backed by gold and only backed on what they call “faith” alone, and these private banking cartels such as the IMF and BIS work in tandem with the private Federal (in name only) Reserve Bank to arbitrarily decide how much money to loan after seemingly conjuring it up out of thin air and then charging compound interest on something that they never had to lend out in the first place and thereby enslaving us through our labor to work for a piece of paper that is the embodiment of our labor only to have the government tax that labor in the form of the income tax to pay back to the Federal Reserve Bank as a tribute to their enslavement of the American Public through usury. If this current system that we were born into worked properly then our infrastructure would be maintained, at the very least, and there would be plenty of jobs out there that would see to it that what was done in the past would not fall into complete decay. To say that a new highway would solve Maine’s economic crisis is to merely put a band-aid on a cancer patient and hope for the best.
Wow, that was the longest sentence I believe I’ve ever read! Anyway, a lot of folks believe that anytime you put a task in the hands of the government, there is going to be waste and inefficiency…not to mention that lots of people don’t want to be taxed to pay for roads and the like. They feel it is theft to be relieved of their hard earned dollars, even if it goes toward something important, like maintaining the roads. There are lots of reasons why there is no money to fix the roads. Maybe the private sector is the answer, as it is on so many other levels in our economy.
Good grief, people, it’s a road, not a nuclear test site.
it not just a road its a sovereign country unto it’self… your wrong
The word you wanted is “sovereign”, and that’s the silliest thing I’ve seen anybody assert on this website in quite a while – which is saying something, I assure you.
If that’s the silliest thing you’ve read on this site, then you have not been here very long. You think turning over a 2,000 ft. wide right of way across the state to a private firm is a good idea? I won’t give anyone a right of way across my property, period. Why should the state?
I don’t believe I’ve made any judgments here about the road itself. The assertion that a private highway somehow constitutes a sovereign nation – that’s the silliest thing I’ve seen anybody around here claim in, oh, at least a week.
There are privately owned roads all over this state. Granted, most of them are not on quite the same scale as the one proposed here, but it’s hardly a new or ominous concept. The way people are reacting, you’d think someone had proposed digging a canal from the Bay of Fundy to the St. Lawrence Seaway with atomic bombs.
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the proposed tract would be around 13,000 acres. Just to put that in perspective for you Roxanne Quimby owns over 60,000 acres, and there are over 2 MILLION acres of land that are currently in conservation forever. 13,000 acres is a drop in the bucket, so don’t make that number out to be outlandish
I didn’t and that is still a fair amount of land. Don’t try to dismiss it as a drop in the bucket.
A law was written for this purpose for this road. so yes
“…most of them are not on quite the same scale as the one proposed…”
No, not quite.
“You think turning over a 2,000 ft. wide right of way across the state to a private firm is a good idea?”
The right of way is 5oo feet. Please get your facts straight.
Please, Brandon, cite your source. Thank you.
Vigue made the statement while answering questions from the public at the informational meeting in Dover Foxcroft. My pleasure…thanks for asking.
You have read that this was Peter Vigue’s claim, therefore it is true? Why would you believe him over anyone else speaking out on this issue?
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Who told you the figure is 2000 feet? Just because they said so, it’s true? I attended the Dover Foxcroft meeting, where were you? At least my information comes directly from the source. By the way, why didn’t you show up at the DF meeting? You could have asked your questions yourself. I guess it’s a lot easier to parrot the misinformation of others.
Yes, Brandon, it is easier to parrot the misinformation of others. Just like you have done. I was asking you questions and you come out with a non answer. I was lending you my ear. No more, though, you are obviously non informed and prejudiced. And who says I wasn’t there? Why don’t you just answer my question rather than spinning your take on it? Now I mistrust your information even more. I do not trust your take.
If you were there, then you failed to hear Vigue state unequivocally that the ROW is 500 feet.
I’m not writing for you. You’re going to believe what you want to hear anyway. I am simply correcting your misinformation for others who read this blog. And for the record, the stated size of the right of way is 500 feet, not 2000 feet.
Vigue denies eminent domain would be used to acquire property. Yet, you maintain there is a Right of Way?
May I ask, when was a Right of Way granted? Furthermore, how could such a Right of Way be approved on a project not yet even sanctioned by the state?
It is currently nothing more than a Feasibility Study? Not even knowing the route’s trajectory and to suggest that a Right of Way of 500 – feet has already been approved for this project, sounds somewhat convoluted. Right of Way authorizes unrestricted travel across any lands. When was this right given?
Ask Peter!!!!! LOL new game show
Who better to ask, you? I don’t think so.
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What evidence do you have that the request is for 2k?
That is a figure you made up, likely because the existing ROW for the Stud Mill Road already is 2K and has been for decades.
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Of course we are free to ignore each other.
You seem to support the 2k Row fantasy. If I am incorrect I apologize. If I’m not, how is that that you think it is so?
Better than giving it to the government.
I agree its better that the private sector gets this land because the state and the enviros have no clue on how to manage it properly.
And better than giving it to Queen Bee Quimby!
You need to read the article. The state of Maine is not giving anyone the right-of-way, it will be built on “private land” with the right-of-ways coming from the land owners. If they don’t agree with it crossing their land, they don’t have to accept it.
I know the existing right of way along the studmill road already is 2,000 feet and has been for decades. What evidence do you have that is the request on the other side of the Penobscot?
thanks for the spell check.
Before Peter made this public he had the house and senate pass a bill stating if he did build this road that the State had no right at all to it and that they could never interfere or regulate it, so yes it would become a sovereign state from any government rule. that is what soverrign means.
Placing a private road outside the purview of the DOT (which is what you’re referring to there) is not exempting the territory it stands on “from any government rule.” I frankly doubt the state legislature even has the authority to do that, much less the inclination. That’s tinfoil hat country.
Peter already set the speed limit.
………and don’t forget the black helicopters!
…and the chemtrails…
Read the Act, in it’s entirety. Once the land is acquired, by what ever means, it becomes subject to Cianbro, and only Cianbro’s, authority. The land is now, once acquired by Cianbro, no longer subject to any porton of Maine law, criminal or civil. That includes, by the way, any means of producing revenue since the Highway is gonna be a toll road feeding Cianbro’s bank account, not the State’s Transportation Revenue Fund. In practical term’s that means that if you’re driving on this E-W Highway and have an accident, you have no means of suing for recovery of damages since the Road is, by law, not subject to Maine law. Now, you really want to go fight Cianbro when the Court’s and Legislature have no authority to rule ? Why are so many people so dammed eager to ice skate uphill ?
Mike, are you a business attorney, a contract attorney, any sort of attorney? If not, why should anyone believe your interpretations of law?
I suppose if I ever want to murder someone, the best thing to do is to lure them onto the highway, where I can get away with it. With all due respect, your argument is laughable.
“The land is now, once acquired by Cianbro, no longer subject to any porton of Maine law, criminal or civil.”
Preposterous.
Preposterous but true. The state passed a bill for Peter just for this purpose.
Are you saying if someone breaks a law on this highway they are not subject to state & federal laws?
That my friend is certifiable.
I agree with you, Ben. According to MK, this would be our 51st state, Cianbroia- or would it be a new country?. It’ would be private land, just like my land is private land- still subject to the laws and regulations of Maine and the US
Bigge, you need to read that Act with your local Attorney. Under the terms of The Act you can hunt in that ROW, year-round, and not be subject to any hunting restriction’s or law’s. That single provision is gonna cause more trouble than anyone has thought of.
And thus my arguement is made ! Cianbro is now a sovereign state unto itself, courtesy of the Maine Legislature and Governor that had the IQ of a brick !
And I suppose traffic control would be provided (if any) by Cianbro employees and Cianbro would set the guidelines, speed limits, etc?
That’d be the case if what you describe could actually happen. Fortunately, it can’t.
It comes close to describing the Canadian acquisition of a 220-mile, 2,000-wide piece of Maine land stretching from St. Stephen, N.B. to Coburn Gore, Que. Obviously, Canadian money will build it and operate it.
The “silliest” thing is the proposal itself. Somehow, Vigue wants to drop a 220-mile stretch of highway across Maine, but doesn’t know where to put it. A bit silly, don’t you think? Obviously, the route is already drawn up. Has to be in order to reach that exact distance.
To think otherwise is silly.
Oh look Jonathan Carter is againt it. Gee Surprise If he has his nose in it The project would be a benefit for the State
I don’t much care, actually I don’t care at all about these enviromental groups.. But I care less for Peters E/W highway… I do not want a Private highway with options of pipelines and power grids running through Maine.. On a business standpoint it has one value, once you make 2 billion dollars building it, the fastest way to get a return on you investment is to sell it to the Canadian Government… I do not think 2 years of construction jobs is worth a eternity of Canada owning a 2 thousands foot path through Maine… And according to the aggreement Maine won’t have a say about it… The highway will become sovereign to itself. Only a few people will make money on this and the rest will get a few crumbs while it’s being made.
Once again Canada wants to steal Maine’s lands and resources without fair compensation.
They have done this type of thing numerous times and the government of Maine has always just rolled over like a trained puppy.
And the enviro’s aren’t just look at what they have locked up.
Most tend to be preservationists not conservationists. They want everything left totally without any imprint of mankind or human use. A good conservationist would believe to use resources wisely is a good thing. People must live too.
There is no shortage of pulp or timber in Maine. We can develop both the working woods and the tourist industry.
There is a shortage of good paying jobs but only if you speak Canadian.
It is past time we started to develop all of Maine’s resources to benefit the people of Maine instead of Canadian and Wall st investment bankers.
I suppose that is why Clinton signed NAFTA.
Well I guess if it’s all Clinton’s fault then we should just let Lepage sell us out to his country men.
Who does Vigue think he’s kidding? Once the land has been transfered beyond Maine’s jurisdiction, that this Act SPECIFICALLY CALLS FOR, Cianbro, and whoever they enter into a contract with, can build any type of commercial or industrial installation they want since the legal title and authority issue has rendered Maine’s authority to regulate these type’s of installation’s useless. In short, once Maine surrender’s it’s sovereignty over the land, it can’t go back and later make claim to it for any type of damage that Cianbro is responsible for. Does Vigue really think we are all that stupid ?
Development is badly needed here in Maine, moreso up north of Bangor. But to do it this way shows me, and a lot of other’s, that this type of development is nothing more than a Corporate Bank Robbery of Maine’s resource’s and people thru empty promise’s and pie-in-the-sky plan’s that even Cianbro’s own people know aren’t workable in this lifetime, much less the next. Now if Vigue wants to re-draft his plan’s and make them a lot more transparent to both the public and the Legislature, there is going to be a whole lot less problem’s. But he had better get on that ‘horse’ and ride, now, since November is coming real quick. And once the voter’s make their choice’s in the local Rep’ and Senate seat’s, those choice’s he has now, that are not that all secure despite the local GOP, are gonna get a lot less secure.
Mike, what makes you such an expert on international trade issues, engineering, politics, law and job creation? Nothing you’ve posted online shows that you are a diplomat, engineer, political scientist, lawyer or employer. If I have read your posts properly, you aren’t even employed, which makes you one of the 10% who are unemployed in the region that the highway would cross. You’d think you might be in favor of the proposal, since you could use your expertise as an ex-cop to apply for a job policing the new highway.
Lots of opinions are expressed here by people without any professional backgrounds. Probably close to 100% of commenters have no academic background in any subject. Don’t believe this? Read the comments! Most are by idiots! But they have a right to express their opinions.
I agree with you completely. I do not begrudge Mike his right to state his opinion. I’m merely questioning the value of his opinion, stated so authoritatively, which has absolutely no expertise to back it up. Also, on the off chance that he actually knows something of value that the rest of us don’t know, I’d be interested to hear more. I want to hear him defend his theories. That’s how we will learn if he knows something, or if he’s just shooting off at the lip.
You just want to know how to defend the project
Well, let’s hear you defend Mike’s stance, then. You haven’t offered much factual info either, my friend, just more amateur legal opinions. You and Mike can start a law firm: Kiernan & Buttons.
Still hoping to see a highway “the environmentalists” like.
Good Luck with that, can’t even agree on a Brewer bypass. How will anything ever get done in this state from now on???
I know the answer, it won’t.
That would be I-190 in Massachusetts. The Taconic State Parkway in New York, The Kankamangus in New Hampshire, or the Blue Ridge in Virginia.
And only one of those roads readily accept truck traffic.
That’s almost right. The Kancamangus in New Hampshire allows trucks.
Re-read my post, I did not say truck traffic not allowed. I said readily as the Kancamagus Highway is really not fit for loaded trucks. I have driven loaded trucks on it in the past and I repeat that is not safe for big trucks or the many tourists.
Also please note that I know enough about it to spell it correctly.
Sorry about spelling. I had no trouble driving fully loaded logging trucks over the Kanc (as we called it). It is a good road and better built than Route 11, Route 2, or parts of Route 15 where I also drove.
Ironically, they love the roads they drive on every day. If not for I95, Carter and St. Pierre would never fulfill their dream of opening up their National Park to the hordes of tourists. Good thing these guys weren’t around when the existing roads were built, or else we’d still be using migratory paths through the woods, that is, unless Jym and Jon had a self-interest to indulge.
http://www.csgeast.org/policy/documents/borderapril.pdf
And, you don’t believe there will be overpasses and underpasses? Doesn’t 95 do the same thing from north to south?
Someone needs to open up Maine.
Just exactly what is it we are trying to save anyways???
Since the windmills came I only have one native Mainer living on my road now besides me, the rest are from elsewhere.
The extreme taxes have driven everyone else off, I’m not far behind.
So don’t think you are doing the natives any big favor by putting up a fuss, better check with the new populace.
““””
Are you a native Mainer???
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No, I want to preserve it to a point but we have to progress on occasion.
For example The State Of Maine has been cut bald three times at least in the last couple hundred years. Guess what, the trees grew back. OMG>>>>>
I am tired of people stopping normal progress for every special interest that comes along. We as a state are suffering and dying as a result and losing our most valuable resource, the people. The ones with a work ethic and common sense. The ones that I grew up around and learned from.
This road ISN’T “progress.”
You have never had to get 100,000lbs on the back of a truck across this state obviously.
It is an unsafe, tedious process.
Saving a few hours tops to Montreal is no big deal.
Tell me, exactly when was the last time YOU had to move 100k lbs “across” this state? (East/west, that is.) I’m looking for an exact origination and destination. Let us all see how many hours this road would save you.
There is very little that needs to go east/west in this state, unless you are really a Canadian trucker.
I most certainly am NOT a Canadian trucker.
10 years or so back I hauled Black Liquor from IP in Jay, Me. to Domtar in Bailyville (Woodland), unloading and reloading with Green Liquor to return to Jay, Me. Also hauled product to Boise Cascade in Rumford. I know the mills have changed names at this point but the fact is that I did it. So I guess that should pass your test.
The road is not so much about saving time, but increasing safety for all. Not to mention it would save the trucks fuel as they are far more effecient at speed rather than starting and stopping 20 times in each little burg you pass through.
Also be aware that most of the asphalt used in the area comes from Irving in Saint John NB.
Do you think that it is teleported in??????
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Liberals and democrats: ” We need jobs! where’s our jobs lepage? job killer!”
“no east west highway, we don’t want progress! We don’t want to open the way for new jobs!”
not just the libs on this one… I know that if the people are divided it’s easier to pass stuff through Augusta.
Well, I am liberal and a Democrat, and yet I want to see the East-West highway built, and also supported the cargo port these people shot down. Sorry to ruin you hate rant, imagine, you are agreeing with a liberal Democrat. Better change your position.
The only bad part of this private highway idea is that it brought Jonathan Carter back to the surface. Hopefully he’s as successful in this campaign as he was in his run for governor..
Really, i though where Maine is so “progressive” now, he went to Alaska….no such luck!
Evviromentalist groups? Try preservationist extremist groups. I don’t understand how what they think is newsworthy.
As I have written before, right up and over the top of Mt. Katahdin is the only way to go if we wish to enjoy looking at the destruction of the scenic beauty in all directions forevermore.
Hundreds of camp owners use the Stud Mill road to get to their property. They should be concerned about how this is going to affect access to all the shorefront property they payed dearly for.
Access to stud mill road denied
This “press conference” was attended seemingly by just the press, i just saw video of the “event” and is was just these two gentlemen jabbering at the front of the room to a attentive audience of empty chairs!
This thing is going to the voters.. Because it’s to easy to conv$nce Maine politicans
Not so. The ROW, as declared under the Act, is for 2000 ft. But the stated ROW to be actually used is indeed the 500 ft as you describe. But as we all know, once a ROW is granted, and especially in this case, that entire ROW, as declared under the Act, is going to be used. Anytime someone calls ‘foul ball’ about this ROW being used at any particular point in the Highway’s construction, the recourse that Cianbro is going to use is that the declared ROW the Act states is eligible for use. In short, once the ROW of 2000 ft is made legal, Cianbro is going to be fully within their right’s to use the whole ROW to build anything they want that they decide on, Maine’s oversight and regulatory process’s be dammed, since Cianbro is going to argue, if it ever gets that far, in Court that the 2000 ft ROW was provided for in the original Act and is fully legal. Since the Act indeed provides for the 2000 ft, and Cianbro is sure to use every inch of it to build whatever they want to make money off of it for their Company, do you really think that Cianbro is going to voluntarily NOT use that land to make money off it ? Please, with Cianbro already building the tar sand’s pipeline from Alberta east, do you really think they are gonna just stop and re-direct the pipeline around the whole of the Gaspe`Peninsula when they have a legal means to run the pipeline thru Maine, free of any oversight and claim’s for damage in the event the pipeline rupture’s ?
Extend the arguement to BP and the Gulf. Imagine if BP had those drilling lease’s signed leaving them free and clear of any civil or criminal damage’s. Where would the Gulf folk’s be right now ? Vigue, and Cianbro, is blowing more than smoke up everyone’s skirt on this one. What he’s counting on is your not looking down the road at the inevitable end and then getting out of town, and the Country, before anyone realizes just what he’s done, simply on his ‘good will’ say-so. Are you really that trusting ? If so, I have farm land west of Miami for you to buy. Just check the map.
where’s the source to back all that up?
Why would Vigue be planning to leave the country? He was born in Maine, lived here his whole life, raised his kids here, lived in the same Maine town since childhood, etc. Judging from your posts, you are the one who came here from away.
new highway means jobs
jobs are a threat to welfare loafers
I thought government spending was bad?
Irving has found a willing pawn in Vigue… who is willing to ignore improving the current infrastructure in lieu of developing a grand privately-controlled highway that does little to nothing to benefit Mainers. Vigue has been an effective manager for Cianbro, but this current line of duplicity is an affront to anyone who can see through the ruse and a new low for the company’s CEO.
If you cannot see the beneift of an East-West highway, then you are letting your obvious hatred of Cianbro cloud your brain.
Your statement is unfounded and untrue. In the future you would do well to consider the source of your resentment before you allow the pen to soil your presumptive arrogance.
Quequeeg, what’s your plan to improve Maine’s crummy economy? You’re right, as a manager of Cianbro, Vigue has put hundreds and thousands of people to work. How many people have you employed in your career? How do you know the highway would not benefit Mainers? How do you know Vigue is using “duplicity” and is not simply confident that his skill at creating jobs will come through for Maine people again?
So many questions, Brandon… So, let’s start with the really important issue first so as not to cause any further undue confusion: what’s your plan to improve Maine’s economy? You’re not gonna like this, Brandon, but let’s give it a shot anyway.
1. Remove Obama
2. Remove Pingree
3. Remove Michaud
4. Revert to conservative principles
5. Eliminate the welfare mentality.
Cute, but you still managed to dodge the questions I asked.
It will be built, sorry to break it to you folks…
if you go outside the State you will see this whole country is in a recession- so ruining the thing Maine has that setts is apart in the words or progress really truly makes no sense- these people like Jonathan are not trying to do something bad for the people or the State of Maine..don’t you people get it? But biz and big $ does not CARE if they hike up your electricity rates so people have their electricity turned off, they do not CARE if you have to pay more school taxes when they convince you of a TIF package for a wind farm near your lakes and in your woods.
Our small town gets 70% of its taxes from people who come here for the peace and quiet and nature. This brings more business to local carpenters, plumbers, electricians and stores. Yes, it may not be so easy to earn a living here but is it anywhere really unless you are investment bankers benefiting from wind scams and such?
The person who said environmentalists have trust funds are so mis-informed- I have heard that rumor about myself and let me tell you that could never be further from the truth. But a few cents in my pocket from wind companies etc will not in the long run benefit me or the State. it comes down to values and priorities- and often those you are judging you are doing so wrongly.
What they are doing is bad for the people of Maine. You will never sell me on a good new highway will be the death of Maine. We have needed an East West highway for decades, it is time.
“Depending on the precise route on the ground, it appears that the proposed east-west corridor would cross, come perilously close to, or be in the viewshed of more than five dozen significant conservation and recreation areas,” St. Pierre said. “My organization, Restore: The North Woods, has a direct stake in this issue because the proposed east-west corridor would cross part of our proposed Maine Woods National Park & National Preserve. It could also cross Atlantic salmon rivers and other wildlife habitats and ecosystems we have worked to protect.”
I, along with several other people on a daily basis who travel from northern Maine to LL Bean cross over rivers and streams or within the viewshed of several conservation ares, if not directly through them and I haven’t read any stories lately that they are being destroyed.
As the old saying goes, I’ve never met a project an environmental group ever liked!
I’ll second that….
These two can come in and spout anything they want and people will believe them. I think it is a crock. I do not see a highway changing the “brand” of Maine, give me a break. The only way they seem to know how to operate is to blow things extemely out of proprtion. “A complete environemental nightmare”? I’ll bet he would have said the same thing about I95, but I see swamps, birds and wildlife right next to it. I am tired of special interests distorting and lying to get their way.
Is Private infustructure a taxable asset, I would think so. Lets set the mil rate at 23.75% and thats just for the road. to transport hydro quebec power from one part of Canada to the next has got to be worth 1/2 billion. shale oil another 1/2 billion and on an on… so the State ought to be able to tax them maybe $85.000,000 a year
This is going to be a public road. If Cianbro, a Maine based business with a ton of Maine employees gets a benefit, that is even better. What did you get fired from there or something?
A bunch of people who work for a living and DON’T earn six figures questions the privileged Squire Vigue about if they will get to keep their homes. How much do Cianbro corporately and Vigue PERSONALLY stand to earn from the Cianbro/Canadian Connector?
This is going to be a public road. If Cianbro, a Maine based business with a ton of Maine employees gets a benefit, that is even better.
Dont build that road, But its Ok if you rip the tops off mountains to put a windmill!!!!!
Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone. They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot.
I wonder how many people Jim ST Pete and his little pupit jonny boy have employed over the years? time for the their dog and pony show to leave town.
I suspect an ulterior motive as well. There wasn’t much of a demand for this. We don’t even have a proper highway up in northern Maine. Want to go to Madawaska? Have fun on Route 1!
I was taking a beating for saying that Silent Spring was not all that factual. Actually, it was more alarmist than scientific. If you take the time to read the beginning, you might understand the problem with someone giving only one side, theirs. Some countries use and manufacture DDT while others need it to get rid of malaria mosquitos. I will bet that if malaria reappeared here in the US, people would clamor for DDT, the one pesticide which works. Kids die every single day in Africa because they cannot use malaria to protect them. If you don’t understand the horror of death from the disease, do some research. I dug out an article for which I included the credits:
Environmentalists’ ‘Silent Spring’ mythology killing us softly
Tools
By STEVEN BROCKERMAN
SPECIAL TO THE REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Dec. 7, 2007 | 10:00 p.m. Updated: Apr. 9, 2012 | 2:27 p.m.
Theirs is the disease you don’t hear about on the nightly news.
Newspaper editorialists, too, are silent about the death toll from this
ailment — nearly 9.5 million people since 1999, of which 8.5 million
were pregnant women or children under the age of 5.
No, the disease isn’t AIDS. It’s mosquito-borne malaria, and we’ve
had the means for wiping out this affliction for over a century.
However, thanks to environmentalist mythology, the tool, DDT
(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), has been banned in most countries
worldwide.
The ban on DDT, like the modern environmentalist movement itself,
grew out of the book “Silent Spring,” by Rachael Carson (See “Lies of
Rachel Carson,” by world-renowned entomologist J. Gordon Edwards — a
long-time member, incidentally, of the Sierra Club and the Audubon
Society.)
As almost any schoolchild today can parrot, Carson claimed DDT
thinned the eggs of birds. Pointing to a 1956 study by Dr. James DeWitt
published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Carson
wrote: “Dr. DeWitt’s now classic experiments [demonstrate] that exposure
to DDT, even when doing no observable harm to the birds, may seriously
affect reproduction.”
DeWitt, however, concluded no such thing. Indeed, he discovered in
his study that 50 percent more eggs hatched from DDT-fed quail than from
those in the control group.
Following Carson’s lead, hippie environmentalists began claiming that
raptor populations — eagles, osprey, hawks, etc. — were declining
because of DDT.
They failed to note that such populations had been declining
precipitously for years prior to the use of DDT. Indeed, according to
the yearly Audubon Christmas Bird Counts for 1941 to 1960 — years that
saw the greatest, most widespread use of DDT — the count of eagles
actually increased from 197 in 1941 to 897 in 1960. A 40-year count over
roughly the same period by the Hawks Mountain Sanctuary Association
also found population increases for Ospreys and most kinds of hawks.
Finally, after years of study, researchers at Cornell University in
1975 “found no tremors, no mortality, no thinning of eggshells and no
interference with reproduction caused by levels of DDT which were as
high as those reported to be present in most of the wild birds where
‘catastrophic’ decreases in shell quality and reproduction have been
claimed” (Scott, M.L., etc., 1975, Poult. Sci. 54(2): 350-368.).
Carson, her book’s affected prose designed to create optimum public
panic, heralded, too, a coming cancer epidemic among humans. Her
assertion was based on the high incidences of liver cancer found in
adult rainbow trout in 1961 — a result, not of DDT, but of a fungi
produced carcinogen, aflatoxin, which had contaminated the food chain of
the trout.
Since then, in 1978, after a two-year study, the National Cancer
Institute has concluded that, indeed, DDT is not carcinogenic. Even more
recently, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in
October 1997 found nothing to indicate that the risk of breast cancer is
increased by exposure to DDT or DDE, a byproduct of DDT.
DDT is indeed toxic. It has a disastrous effect on a variety of freshwater and marine beings. It was found to cause eggshell thinning in birds, especially eagles and hawks, which caused decreased reproductive rates. Sweden banned DDT in 1970, and the U.S. banned it in 1972, after months of hearings, because of environmental concerns. Though its negative effects on wildlife are axiomatic, its effects on humans are not as clear. DDT is linked with cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive and developmental effects. For details of various agencies’ evaluations of DDT’s chronic toxicity
http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/DDT
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/11583.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1012-ddt-finally-linked-to-human-health-problems.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/914371
Such an unbiased report *eyeroll*
What are liberilists? (sic)
Sorry Iwas drinking a beer,lighting fireworks,and trying to type at the same time.
This corridor is custom made for oil pipelines. Anyone with open eyes can see this.
Sorry, vision is blurry due to the smoke from the medical marijuana.
Why should we pay for a highway to connect canada it is going to have No economic benefit to Maine or Mainers, if you think for a Second that A truck loaded with lobsters or Logs needs to stop for fuel your sadly mistaken, they might stop and buy a pack of smokes or a lil debbie but thats gonna be it. canadian trucks will be able to drive the whole state without fueling up. so where is it gonna be benificial to us? ITS NOT. This is a Road through maine for canada..hopefully everyone here in MAine is a little Smarter than that..Not my money no Way and i will be fighting this til the end….
I thought the article read privately funded tolled highway? Then again blurred vision.
privately funded? so0 why is the state kicking in 300,ooo for a study?
Why do they fund six guys to watch one guy patch holes in the road. Or fund perfectly able people to sit home?
So if someone builds and owns a privately funded toll road through your town, that’s ok, as long as you don’t have to pay for it?
Fine by me.
Mr. St Pierre and Mr. Carter want nothing more than the state of Maine to be a National Park! If they had their way there would be NO roads, businesses and population. They do not want Maine to move forward. They would like Maine to be nothing but hiking trails and dirt roads. We need to keep these two crybabies out of our business if we would like to live in Maine, work in Maine and stay in Maine!!
A little perspective is a rare thing these days. Listen, we’re talking about a thin corridor of a few feet running through the 300-miles (north to south) of the State of Maine. The notion that it’s going to destroy the State is so utterly overblown and ridiculous that only a true simpleton would believe it. You may have other valid reasons for being against this project (like, if it’s running through the middle of your house), but if destruction of the Maine wilderness is your main reason, then you really need to get a grip on reality.
“You can keep the environmentalists and the welfare recipients,” one commentator weighs in. That’s richly ironic considering that Peter Vigue has to be one of the biggest corporate welfare queens in the state of Maine.
O.K. So, this is idea. Maybe all of you environmentalists and liberals could conduct your own highway research. Jump on I-95 head south. When you get to the bottom of Florida go that extra mile you all wants us to see you go. I now see Maine’s economy getting better. Is that more politically correct. LOL
TransCanada Corporation, a pipeline company, announced early in June of this year a proposal to build a crude oil pipeline from Calgary to Montreal and, eventually, on to St John, NB. Irving oil has a large refinery in St John that could use that Bakken crude as it is considerably cheaper than the imported. In fact Irving wants this crude so badly that it is now running unit tank car trains, of about 104 cars/train, across country from N Dakota, and ultimately across Maine, to St John. Irving has the capacity to unload 192,000 barrels of this crude oil daily, from trains in St John and is building more unloading capacity as we speak!
Peter Vigue is a very smart man, a great businessman and a great company leader. Mr Vigue, to say the least, is not a stupid man. I researched pipeline leases between N Dakota and Oklahoma and found that about the smallest annual lease amount for a pipeline, across private property, was around $10 per year per foot of pipeline. With a 22o mile corridor that would be rougly 12 to 15 million dollars a year, for nothing, other than owning the property.
Mr Vigue, is not stupid enough to just leave that kind of money sitting on the table! The kind of businessman he is, is surely going to consider every single angle they can think of that could generate revenue with this venture.
The reason I am opposed to this at the moment, besides living right in the middle of the path of this proposed corridor, is that I believe this kind of project is the kind of thing that can have a profound effect on the state of Maine. I believe the people of Maine deserve to know every single angle that the promoters of this project are considering.
Their unwillingness to discuss “other uses” of this privately owned corridor, other than the road itself, is disgraceful and dishonest and I will oppose it until I believe that the people are being told the truth, all of it!
Those of us who are unfortunate to be living in the presumed path of this corridor have just had our lives put on hold for the next several years, as the promoters, and their partners at MDOT are keeping this location a “secret”. We are unwilling to develop our property any further as we have absolutely no idea whether we will still own it in two or three years or not.
There are hundreds of families here who are affected by this in the same way. We have to put our lives on hold while the promoters, and the state DOT keep quiet about their “secret road”.
They have $300,000 of OUR money into this now, thanks to an unconcerned legislature, and that gives us 300,000 reasons for knowing the whole story, not just the smoke and mirrors they are “promoting”!
More anti-progress, anti-capitalist garbage from the BDN and the extremist, environmentalist movement. What more is there to say?
I’m beginning to think there is a large demographic that would be totally accepting of everyone being unemployed and all businesses being bankrupted if the trade off was a state that was 100% trees.
I am not suggesting we flatten and pave the state, but if there are opportunities to improve our infrastructure, create jobs and help our economy, we should explore them.
Maybe if it was a state-owned road, open to all with no tolls, there would be more support.
It is useless reasoning like this that often leads me to tell my friends and relative that Maine is a wonderful state to visit, but a terrible state to live in.
Environmentalism is fine and dandy. I attended meteorology classes throughout my time in college, so I can understand the importance behind it. However, as far as our Earth is concerned, it heals itself. Actually, the damage that mankind has done to the Earth is pale in comparison to the damage that the Earth has done to itself.
Environmentalists irk me because they preach about green technology and conservation without acknowledging that somewhere in the mix, industry is involved in that green technology. Whether it is the fiberglas body of your Prius, or the wooden soles of your Birkenstocks, there is industry there.
Any chance for industry to move more freely across our state is a blessing to Mainers everywhere. It has the potential for more jobs, these jobs benefit the community, inspire more young people with the promise of a better economy, you know… positive stuff.
I do not like the East West Highway at all. It will be an animal killing field, and we do not need it, nor can we afford it!!!
privately funded? so0 why is the state kicking in $ 300,ooo for a study
This isn’t an east-west highway for Maine people — we already have that, Rte. 6 or 9 and I-95 to US 2, going where the people are. The state and feds aren’t willing to pay to maintain and upgrade those roads.
This proposal is a limited-access bypass for Canadians, specifically Canadian truckers, going where Maine people *aren’t.* Unless you sell diesel and cold sandwiches, all you’ll get out of it is the pollution.
Tell them to go back to Massachusetts
Your key words are “advances and retreats”. Changes do happen, yet we cannot make short term assumptions regarding the way the Ice Age evolved, nor can we make judgments in the daily or short term climactic changes when the dinosaurs roamed. We do know that there were changes. Once there was a lake near Mexico City in the middle of which the Aztecs built a civilization using the lake and causeways to their city as protection from other tribes. In the last 500 years, that lake no longer exists. Changes are happening, but we cannot calculate what happened 20,000 years ago.
Great news to hear FEN and RESTORE are paying attention to this disasterous scheme. Great thanks to Carter and St. Pierre! I find it interesting that most news articles regarding the highway, Vigue says that if “they” have a better idea, then he would like to hear it. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to hear it because he wouldn’t be able to fatten his pocket. By being in touch with fellow Mainers, I know that there are better ideas floating around out there, however, I don’t think universities and chambers of commerce are going to give average citizens the time of day, let alone plan high mucky-mucky $50 a head luncheons or breakfasts so the common Mainer can share visions now are they? No. If greedy opportunistics can’t fatten their own pockets, then who cares what the average Joe thinks is a good idea! And painting such a horrible and exaggerated picture of Maine – disgusting. Yes, times are certainly tough these days, and who have we to thank for that. Who is supposed to be looking out for the interests of the citizens while we struggle daily to make ends meet? You know who you are… shame on you! Only when the last tree has been cut, the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has died will we realize we cannot eat money! The time is now to change our wicked ways….
Well, here’s your chance…. tell us all what you would do to turn around the 10% unemployment in the central counties of Maine.
A few months of work building an expressway wont turn around the unemployment rate in central Maine. The Canadian truckers don’t and wont stop. The faster the limit the more money they make.
This is crazy their have been so many studies in the past years,feasabilty and other wise one of them should still be good.The main thing seems to be the ever expanding roles wind power and underlying issues telecommunications and resources.Maine seems to have no problem setting up wind farms and the like but how much of it benefits maine for the developed power,it appears to all be sold to out of state clients.A pipeline would have the same effect everything would pass thru maine and be on boats for other places.the short term job out look would look good untill everything was built then them people would be out of work.The best and cheapest way out would be to expand the rail system and every thing would be great.The rail companies would hire more people to work on the trains and maint.end whereas wind power when it is up they are gone and workers are left standing in unemployment lines again.
The aggravation is that this will be a private toll highway. What will the state of Maine get out of it? Just some tax money? How is it that private industry can afford to build this and the state can’t? How much federal money is being sifted into this project, if built? It just seems that a lot of federal money is being sifted into private industry that could be used to pay off our federal deficit.
So, we cannot extend the interstate beyond Houlton but we can build an east west highway so the Canadians can get from point A to point B…ridiculous….
Why is most of the NO’s seem to be coming from. The Portland are? Could it be that they are affraid of losing shopping traffic.
It s because the Portland area is over run with people who have no connection to the economies of the area affected. There are far more left wing progressives in southern Maine than in real Maine.
The two organizations which are complaining don’t have ulterior motives????? Give me a break!!!!
Vigue speaks in the present tense: “We are…”, “We will.” This suggests that he considers this highway a done deal. I wonder if it is.
The New Brunswick J.D. Irving billionaires must be connected with this East-West Highway proposal. The ability to provide a direct shipping route for its oil and other products to Quebec, has just got to be one one of their many goals.
Already the New Brunswick company owns 1.25 million acres of Maine timberland, and an additional 500 acres for mining atop Bald Mountain. It pipes oil and gas across Maine,too. Besides scores of retail and gasoline stations across Maine, it has been attempting to acquire control of Bangor and Portland oil terminals.
It does own a terminal in Portland Only the FTC is holding them back from total acquisition which would choke competition. Irving also owns a terminal at Searsport. Irving also holds title to being the monopolistic newspaper baron in New Brunswick. The company owns all newspapers, except one.
Irving also owns Eastern Maine Railroad in Maine. Besides this, the Canadian-owned Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway cuts across the state from Danforth to the Quebec border.
The Airline, or, Route 9, which runs from Brewer to the Maritimes, is primarily a route for Canadian heavy transport. Overall, the $350,000 Feasibility Study sponsored by Cianbro’s Peter Vigue, and pushed and approved by Le Page, falls short on defining what the prime purpose of the highway is.
Although its backers push its tinfoil wrapping suggesting giant economic benefits for Maine. Just exactly what they are, is not not known. Or, just imagined?
Opponents rightfully reject the idea. Proponents decline to reveal facts that would support their contention of unlimited economic benefits to Maine. What exactly is a privately-owned interstate highway? How will it be maintained? Will it be financed by Canadian billionaires? Will it be a Canadian highway? Private police enforcement? Tolls?
One of the most important questions the advocates refuse to show, or, simply can’t, is the route of this high speed highway through Maine. So, the average reader and observer is left with this. Here is a billion dollar project privately financed to make a short cut through Maine. The length of the corridor will be 220-miles. That is a fact. So just where do you join Point A to Point B to attain this exact figure?
The route is known, regardless of their denial. Has to be to get that figure.
Here is a feasibility study for a highway so full of factual pot holes, yet it hasn’t even been approved, yet.
What’s the point of an east-west highway?
Is route 2 not fast enough, do people not drive 2 as if it were a highway?
Mr Vigue and his company Chinbro will sometime in the future propose a windfarm 3/4 mile from the shore of East Grand Lake where 5 commercial sporting camps do business. Wonder if he thinks this will “enhance and improve” their economies
You know this how?
Because there are Met towers on Greenland Ridge in Danforth with Chinbro’s name on them
Fair enough. Watch for the developments
Now that makes me take a step back regarding this whole proposal. Environmentalists ie Restore the Maine Woods and Forest Ecology oppose it, watch out for the “enviros” and the agenda they push.
If this proposal was to benefit Mainers, the highway would go to St. Johnsbury Vt. and link up with US 91 & 93 using the existing Route 2 corridor. Vigue builds roads; doesn’t use them. So who is behind the project; Who will be Vigue’s customers. Vigue won’t say. What’s the route; Vigue won’t say. What’s the economic paln for the road. Vigue won’t say. Vigue will say that eminent domain can’t be used. The US Supreme Court says that it can be used. Lots and lots of secrecy few if any answers.
I’ll support a public east-west highway that uses routes 2 – 9 as its basic route. But not a private road that will get huge federal and state subsidies while destroying Maine’s brand and profiting a very few Canadian billionaires. NO.
Mr. Vigue has vision that will benefit all…Jonathan Carter and Mr. St. Pierre have self-serving and selfish motives that place nature above man. How many states in this nation have but ONE majorinterstate highway? Compare Maine to the other states and see what a dismal failure our state is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National_Highway_System.jpg
According to the BDN article “The $2 billion roadway would start in Calais, follow Stud Mill Road to Costigan, just north of Old Town, cross the Penobscot River……..” I happen to live in Costigan where following the Stud Mill Road passes right through my home and garden and several other homes and gardens. Vigue said in Dover-Foxcroft that his road would not disrupt any communities. Well, Costigan happens to be a community and we already feel disrupted. Crossing the Penobscot River at this point will require a hell of a long bridge since the Penobscot Indians say “no way” will a midway pier be placed on their island. And then there’s the Sunkhaze Meadow Wildlife Preserve that will certainly be disrupted.
There is no Stud Mill road passing through your house and garden unless you are a squatter. That is an existing right of way.
The liberal eco-nuts have done a pretty good job of decimating the economy of real Maine for some time. I would expect nothing otherwise with this issue.
You must be one of Cianbros Stooges. How much they paying you?
I am a native born son of Maine with no ties whatsoever to any company or group associated with this project.
East-West Highway Fail!
Revitalize the Rail!
Canadian Trucks don’t use the rails.
Has the St. Lawrence River dried up?
When the Pied Piper plays not everbody follows.
I love how the press conference concerning this region was held in Portland. Typical case of the southern Maine activists feeling they know best for those who live above Augusta. And for the record I am neither for or against the road. I don’t have all the details I would need to make my mind up for a vote. Oh WAIT – it is a private business development so it is nothing the people will vote on. Hmm. Interesting.
If these people had had a say when I-95 was proposed there would have been no Highway here at all.
A bunch of trustfund out of staters wanting to keep us out of work so they can enjoy nature.