WISCASSET, Maine — Maine’s transportation commissioner is pulling the plug on plans to build a bypass road around the town of Wiscasset.
David Bernhardt said he is terminating a study looking at possible bypass routes that would provide relief from traffic congestion on U.S. Route 1 that often clogs downtown Wiscasset during the summer tourist season.
Bernhardt said he made his decision after evaluating the limited benefits and high cost of the project, estimated at $100 million.
He said his decision had nothing to do with last year’s discovery of an eagle’s nest that halted plans for a route approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The bypass has been studied and debated for more than 50 years.