I wonder how much the price of doing road and bridge construction has gone up since the announcement of the stimulus bill...all that goverment money...surely the price of concrete, gravel and hot top has taken a jump...got to be a supply and demand theory there somewhere....price of crude oil is down, so we can't blame that...

Let's use $30,000,000 for The Penobscot River Restoration Project! It would put people to work taking down the dams. With the Penobscot flowing natural and free again the fish have a chance to come back and that would create a new boost to the economies of the towns alone the river. We'd get something to show for all the money we are spending.

All the $$$ wasted in Iraq could have rebuilt Maine and our nation's infrastructure, instead of wasting it on useless wars!

Frankly: Lets use 30 mil to build a new dam so we can have cheap power to create new Jobs .....Most people dont care about catching some inbred

salmon.

Railroads?

OMG!! Spending money you don't have yet! How government is that!! At least wait until you have it BEFORE you spend it!! And what he hell is the sense of fixing RT 189 when Route 1 between Easti Maichias amd Whiting is almost down to dirt, very narrow and no shoulders!! UNREAL. I have heard tourist say if they make it out of Lubec and Route 1 to Machias they will never "return to the downeast coast of Maine!". They say this with total fear in their voices! Yup do up RT 189 incase one of them there Lubec'rs decide to go to Whiting!!

$9.25 million for reconstruction of nearly 3 miles of Route 1A in Ellsworth. - Great news, this is badly needed.

$5 million to rehabilitate the Sedgwick Bridge between Deer Isle and Sedgwick.- More great news.

More than $14 million to resurface portions of Interstate 95’s southbound lanes between T2 R9 and Old Town. - Again, great news as that section of the interstate is in terrible shape.

I will deal with a lane being shutdown. I will deal with those that control the stop slow sign and wait my turn. If the above gets fixed I'll be very happy.

Hey, minbrewer....Route 189 hasn't been repaved for at least 10 years....have you driven down it in the last 3 or so years? Of course tourists ( or anyone else) don't want to drive down it....it is abolutely awful...There are people that drive down it EVERY DAY!...and THEY GO BEYOND WHITING CORNER AND COME FROM BEYOND WHITING CORNER!! There are sales reps for the businesses that come to Lubec...delivery people....emergency personel...people who go to the regional medical center here....school personel...sports teams....people who work outside of Lubec (and YES, beyond Whiting Corner)...People come and go along this route all the time. Obviously, the money that is coming to the state is already earmarked for this route.....Route 189 was already going to be repaved last summer...but the state funding ran out. If you drive Route 189, you will find it is WORSE than Route 1 between East Machias and Whiting...I'm not saying Route 1 is good....but it's better than Route 189. And if you feel that Route 189 is not worth traveling...then don't travel down it!!! There have always been parts of Route 1 between East Machias and Whiting that have been narrow with no shoulders for a VERY long time....basically near the Indian Lake area...You have heard tourists say, "if they make it out of Lubec and Route 1 to Machias they will never "return to the downeast coast of Maine"....by the sounds of your blog, they have already "made it out of Lubec"...cuz they allegedly made these comments after they've been here. So, stop making yourself sound like a typical redneck...and a know-it-all....Oh....and the money isn't "spent"....it's called, significant funding. And if you don't like the way it's being funded, then run for a political office and run your mouth that way!!

I think the Coast Guard would be hard pressed to see the Waldo Hancock Bridge as a waterway obstruction. MDOT would have to convince them that the bridge is about to collapse in the river. I'll be curious as to how MDOT prepares the details in the proposal to the CC.

Who decides how you get on the list of projects - any one know where to view the list? Hopefully they will look at route 191, particularly Cooper hill, it has needed repaving for years and is actually a danger to pass in the spring especially. Although it is not considered a "main artery" many Washington County residents travel that road to work daily and it is more like a side street in Calais than a highway...........

Comrade Baldacci........... He obviously can't wait to spend that stimulus money.

There will always be 2 Maines without I 95 extension north or no east west highway........

damn i didnt realize it was so expensive to repair roads....how about fixing route 7 between Dexter and Dover-Foxcroft...that road sucks more then the Baldacci administration....

Initiative Plan:

1. BUILD THE GODDAMN BOATLAUNCH

2. BUILD THE GODDAMN BOATLAUNCH

3. BUILD THE GODDAMN BOATLAUNCH

4. Fix route 15 from Guilford Center to Monson

5. BUILD THE GODDAMN BOATLAUNCH

6. Save Monson Elementary from closure tonight at 6PM @ Monson Elementary School

7. Export somalians back to Somalia or at the very least Detroit, MI

8. Make a topless coffee shop in Bangor

9. Allow gambling for the tribes (the casino should have been built by them)

10. BUILD THE GODDAMN BOATLAUNCH

and finally #11. BUILD THE GODDAMN BOATLAUNCH

did u mention building the boat launch?

Enough with the damn boat launch already. Why don't you go build it.? gee whiz.

richard i agree route 7 is liking driving on a wash board.

caeser put penny jars in the local stores...you would have collected enough money by now to build the dam* thing...

It's plain to see the two most important projects are to fix the boat ramp in Frankfort and remove those dams from the Penobscot River! It's un-american to think otherwise! All politics are local. Of course Caeser had some go points.

7. Export somalians back to Somalia or at the very least Detroit, MI

8. Make a topless coffee shop in Frankfort.

Why is it that when any money is spent on roads in Maine it is always on the Maine Turnpike or 295. Aroostook County is part of the state of Maine also. there is a part of the Mapleton Road Route 163 that the State highway department said it was going to fix 2 years ago. That part is about 4 to 5 miles long and it beats you to pieces to ride on it. But when ever money is spent it's in Southern Maine cause that helps us out so much more. we can't even get a major highway up here, but it seems like every 5 years their adding another lane or ramp in Portland. I think it's way past time for the State of Maine to realize that portland isn't the whole State of Maine. Or amybe Northern Maine should be it's own indepentent State like North and South Carolina, then the Federal Government would put a few Million Dollars of Stimulus Dollars up north. we have no good roads or jobs up here. but every year they put millions and millions of dollars in the portland area. new docks roads terminals ect ect. Wakeup Maine and People of Maine and demand action we all live and pay tax's here not just southern maine.

Great point Chastings! lets get alot of overloaded trucks off the roads and ship by RAIL!!!! It only makes sense! use some stim money to build some intermodal ports and let the trucks haul localy to these and let the TRAINS take the freight from there. Saves our roads, makes safer travel, saves fuel for the truckers, Better for all!

Typical government. We built a new Waldo-Hancock bridge that cost $88 million dollars, and we could have had a $44 million dollar bridge to sufficiently cross the river. Oh, no, we needed a monumental, state of the art, Massachusetts style, eye popping bridge to cross a river in Bucksport Maine. Now, after all the money was spent to build the bridge, we couldn't really afford, somehow we forgot to allocate money to tear down the old bridge that is supposedly unsafe and an eye sore. That would be like building a mansion you could not afford on a piece of property that had a house on it that the State deemed unsafe to live in. And after you built the mansion you did not budget enough money to tear down the old eye sore. But, thanks to the Government it will bail us out again for the irresponsible ways our politicians act. We will use Coast Guard funds to remove obstructions from the river. HELLO, can anybody figure these jokers out???? I'm a conservative that is tired of irresponsible politicians.

Keep in mind that these are the same incompetent, brain-dead wackos at MDOT who needlessly took the adjacient family-owned restaurant by eminent domain when they constructed this over-priced monstrosity.

pjsquirrel192,

the section of road that you are talking about is going to start construction this spring it went out to bid last fall and was awarded, they will strart construction as soon as the snow is gone this was done with out stimulas money but i agree that there is alot more places in the county that could have used some influx of cash.

Exactly "pjsquirrel192", when are they finally going to fix that section of road or help us with jobs. It amazes me every day that people in Northern Maine are always forgotten about. What about us - what about jobs for us. We are in desperate times here in Northern Maine with the closing of Mills which affect whole communties and will eventually affect all of you in Southern Maine as well. But hey - keep putting money in Southern Maine and creating jobs there. To hell with the rest of us hardworking Mainers. Maybe we should succeed.

Thanks "Maineboy13 for the update on the road project. Guess we were responding at the same time.

Are the chemical reactions that deteriorate I-95 caused by the brine mixture that is applied to the roads before a storm? Hmmm, couldn't see that one coming. Just think, if everyone slowed down so the roads would only have to be plowed, we could have saved the pavement on I-95 AND built the boat launch. Seems to me that the projects outlined above focus on the Bangor, Ellsworth, Lincoln areas, not Southern Maine. My thinking is that Ellsworth's had enough lately. Put the money somewhere else. That business district in Ellswoth is a disgrace to Maine and big spenders on their way to MDI are exposed to it. Put the money into the dam removal and get the big spenders to come fishing. I hear that it's working in Newfoundland. The boat launch would help with that also.

I agree with all that mentioned investing in having the railroads back in service, and for so many good reasons,. Surely no one thinks that fuel and truck diesel prices in particular will stay at today's levels? Oh how quickly and easily we forget how it was just less than a year ago. Those times and prices will return with a vengence. It is long overdue to return to basis 101 of transportation; the rail systems.

There is Portland...and then there is the rest of the state. No one seems to care about the county. They have failing roads too.

Collins home town ,Caribou Aroostook River bridge was condemed,I havent seen any money for a new one,I sure hope it dont fall in when Susan drives over it,wouldnt that be a bad thing?

I need my driveway paved.. send some of that taxpayers money my way before the state eats it up .

295 north is a faily new road and their is no traffic from brunswick to old town.....go there all the time!!! this is a pork waster and south bound is the same way....remember they just did roads and put in new 'markers' for the exits???? that road the whole way is always being dug up and redone...

that is a bogus spending slot! Where have the testing of the 'new' composite bridges taken place??? are we sure we want to replace all bridges with something that has NEVER actually been tested over time and weather conditions... again, maine is jumping the gun ..

Where's the full list?

How about giving us the I95 up here in the county like we were promised in the 50s?

Several people have posted comments asking where they can find the complete list of DOT projects receiving stimulus funding. A link to the full list is at the bottom of the article. It is also available here: http://bangornews.com/detail/100270.html (Kevin Miller, BDN reporter)

Some things just do not and will not change. GO AFTER THEM MR. THERIAULT!

I checked the extended list and there is absolutely nothing for Northern Maine. Is anyone surprised????

I believe Susan Collins could have stuck in the stimulas package the money to finish the 95 as promised in the 50's. And Olympia Snowe couls have stuck the east west highway. That would have employed people in the areas where jobs are needed. What were these chicks thinking in giving there votes for the small amount Maine got compared to other states. Think about it.........................JOBS!!!!!!!

no money for poor washinton county again.its all about the other the state of maine.

patates wrote: "I checked the extended list and there is absolutely nothing for Northern Maine. Is anyone surprised????"

yup, you're right patates, that's because like some people say, that's the other Maine! here's another web site you can

check: http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state

Yeah, lets throw all the money at Aroostook and Washington Counties! Thats where all the jobs, people, and tourists go!

Over half of the bridges in Maine are soon to be unsafe or collapse under the weight of an over weighted truck.

How about replacing or rebuild most of the bridges since the State has ignored the bridge issues and just patch work the highways and repaving the interstate 95 that doesn't even need it.

If the bridges are repaired, then repair the roads and highways after, but the State doesn't know how to determine which road/highway to repair and lets the worse road/highway go to hell just so they can impress the outerstater's with a nice looking interstate.

We need to have the state to repair the back roads/highways first and the bridges first and forget the interstate, it doesn't need anything done on it.

I think the State of Maine should take lessons from Canada on how to build bridges and highways the right way and safer too.

But they want to use the bridge and highway money to pay off the hospitals and their other back bills since the State don't pay their bills like they should.

I agree with those who are upset about no money being spent in Aroostook County. The MDOT must save a lot of money on I-95 between Medway and Lincoln, both Southbound and Northbound, because its clear there is never any work done on that section on the road, including plowing after a storm. The ruts in the pavement are so deep most people ride in the passing lane. So once again Southen Maine roads get priority.

The only thing Collins cares about is buying rottin lumber from Canada,shipiong it to a war zone through S.W.Collins Com. and grabing millions from the hard working taxpayer.What good is she?

CHECK THIS OUT TO FIND WHERE THE MONEYS GOING STATE BY STATE

http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state

FYI, all states have a 120 day maximum where these funds must be used. They were told to plan for the money, because they need to spend it ASAP. You'll also find that it's already earmarked for union workers, so no jobs will be put out to bid. Screwing the local business, it's does seem to be the way of the state.

Your a fool Collins A Big Fool

minbrewer, I suggest you take a ride down route 189 and see how beautiful it is. Although you are partially right. Some sections of route 1 do suck and are almost down to the dirt, it is the same on route 189 except we have sections cracked so badly and deeply that this spring they will likely let go and leave hardly a road to drive on. There are pot holes deep enough to jump your car. When you drive 50 it feels like your going 85 mph because of the way the unevenness and cracks under your car feel when you drive over them. It might not look that bad when you're going down the road from your car, but if you get out of the car, you can see where in some spots, half of one lane is 4" higher than the other half and the raised half has splits and cracks all down through it. It's actually that type of road that just resurfacing it won't do a lot of good in the long run, but at least they're doing something to it after a decade.