AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Senate gave final approval Tuesday to a bill that would commit public funds for a new feasibility study on an east-west highway.
The 18-14 Senate vote affirms last week’s vote in the House and sends the bill to Gov. Paul LePage’s desk for a signature or veto.
The bill commits an estimated $300,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation’s highway fund to commission an independent study.
The idea for an east-west highway was last studied more than a decade ago, but supporters say the time is right to revisit plans because there is renewed private-sector interest in building a new route.
An amendment was attached to the bill last week in the House stipulating that once final authorization is given to construct a highway, the developer would reimburse the Department of Transportation for the estimated $300,000 study.
In the past, some have suggested that an east-west highway be built with public dollars but the current sentiment is that it would be a private toll road. Many say that building the road would improve the transportation of goods and services and provide a shot in the arm for tourism as well.
“This allows the state to still spend the money because it’s vitally important that the state is behind the steering wheel on this project,” Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, said last week. “So, we get to keep control of the study now and if and when the project occurs, the developer pays the state back. That’s a good compromise.”
Some Democrats had said they were not opposed to the concept of a new study, but they didn’t want to commit public funds for what would be a privately financed project.
Go on Map Quest and you will see that Yes “You Can” Get there from Here!
Without the Private Toll!
yeh just takes 40% longer due to road condition as opposed to a traditional interestate highway.
The $300,000 would have been a Good Start on the Road Condition Issue.
Money we don’t have for a toll road! It took almost forever to raise the weight limit on federal highway. What will be the weight limit on this road? Also, will the toll always be there? Who benefits from the cash collected?
It’s a private toll road and the study money will be repaid upon completion. The State needs to study this so they’ll know the impact it will have on the State and the public. I would think it would be built to certain standards in case the State or another private company bought the road.
Hey Jim Can I borrow 300k to study the feasibility of creating an open pit mine on property I do not yet own in Franklin County? If I can get the needed permits from the State and Feds, and sell this plan to investors with enough jack to finance it, force the current owners to sell and the study says the mine will be profitable, I’ll pay you back. I must tell you that two previous studies said that this was a bad idea, but I thought that maybe a new less than two years from the last would say something else.
Oh yeah, thanks in advance, and if you ever decide to run for governor you know, a little quid-pro-quo.
Mr. Snyder, could you provide links to the “two previous studies” you mentioned or tell us how we might find them? Regardless of our feelings about the E-W highway, we ought to have all the information we can find as we “discuss” it.
Remember, Governor, you have stated publicly that you are AGAINST Corporate Welfare. Prove it! VETO THIS BILL.
We are broke. I know so because Paul Richard LePage and just about every one of his supporters and apologist have told us so over and over and over again. They have also told us how they are tired of their precious tax dollars being spent on welfare. So where are all of the radical right tea party LePage supporters and apologist now? Shouldn’t they be telling all of us how we are broke and that spending $300,000 on a project that will be owned by private investors is corporate welfare? Where are they? Did we all of a sudden become unbroke? Or is welfare okay as long as it benefits Cianbro?
try reading the 300,000 part agen they will get it back once they get the ok to build the road
Try reading the part about how they have to ok to build the road to get the $300,000 back.
thats what i said
LePage should take it out of DHHS money. Do like Baldacci and King used to do and that is take money from Maine DOT and Education to expand Welfare. These East-West Highways which have been studied for more than 50 years and for the 33+ years I have lived here need to be built. We have to upgrade our infrastructure and accelerate job growth.
Then let the private industry that wants to build it do so. Why waste any more money on a “feasibility study” if it’s already been studied for the past 50+ years as you stated? If it’s “feasible”, then those private entities will find the funding to build it.
The developer has to repay the money.
Come to Massachusetts friend! Leave this tainted vile evil republican Maine government. We have a nice liberal gov you would just giggle about.
Either I don’t understand this proposal or someone else doesn’t. This would be a PRIVATE road, the construction and upkeep paid by the tolls collected. I would assume that for it’s entire lifetime there would be tolls. Weight limits, I’m guessing are not an issue as this is a PRIVATE road, like the Golden Road
All of your points are correct.
not true, most of the east west highway will be part of existing roads like Rt 9. get out your checkbook to use roads you used to use for nothing
Maine citizens do not use ANY Maine roads “for nothing.” unless they are using Daddy’s car and burning his gasoline.
not true. The current east-west highway proposals by private developers would use private right of ways, such as the stud mill road. It would not incorporate existing public roads.
Welp, there goes all my good bird hunting spots…
I wonder if $300,000 would fill 1% of the pot holes on Aroostook County roads. Yes, there are roads north of Bangor!
Youse people get plenty of welfare up there already from us down here
and you get food up here.
The state will get that study money back once they get the ok to build the road
300k that is going to be reimbursed is a small amount compared to the unfunded welfare liabilities we are doling out.
Since the 1960’s this EW Highway has been a dream. Maybe earlier. I think it makes some sense, as a traveler, but to chew a road through Maine just to get to NH or Quebec/ New Brunswick seems like a waste of good country, and money now.
This highway is there now its a bunch of small local roads connected together. All they are talking about is widening the current roads and upgrading them to an Interstate styled highway similar to I-95 and the Maine Turnpike is. To handle the the type of speed (55 to 75 mph) and the amount of traffic that this road will see after its built. It’s a 2 to 5 year steady project if done right as Vigue has pointed out in past articles, it will create hundreds of jobs.
It will create thousands in TOLLS!
I hope they fill in some of them bug infested swamps, to build this road.. The envirofreaks need to spread out a little, the only thing they have been working on as of late is Moosehead and a few windmills. Wait,,,,, one of the enviromental godesses John Martain wants to open gold mining up in his neck of the woods, maybe a trade off lobbist convinced him money is better then any mountain… I guess the enviros are busy stopping job creation…
Maine is near bankruptcy yet LePage and Republican Goons will throw 300,000 Dollars down the sewer and into the hands of a corporate crony.
Try reading the part agen about the 300,000 the state will get that money back when they get the ok to build the road .
So if The State aproves the road and provides all the State permits, all the owners of land in the right-of-way agree to sell or are forced to, the Army corps of engineers approves the part of the project witch requires Federal regulation, the EPA approves the project’s route, the requsite number of wealthy investors are lined-up, and the project is compleated, the 300k will be returned.
A good rule of thumb when “lending” taxpayer funds is to ask your self if you would lend your neighbor any funds under similar conditions. For me, the risk ($300,000) far exceeds any possible gain (0).
I’m not sold on a new highway. But wouldn’t the new highway be taxed on what it makes and what it’s worth? Wouldn’t they have to pay for the police to patrol it? I’m asking because I don’t know how that works. How much have we paid in the past to study this road with no results?
$300,000.00 is the Tip of the Iceberg!
Just say NO to Privatisation !
what if no one steps up to build the fantom road?then They will have to have another study on that. how much money has been spent over the years on this?and not even a spoonfull of dirt has been turned! nothing has changed except the trees got bigger since the last study
My opinion is that the east west highway will only benefit the folks in Canada and not the folks in Maine. How many people in Maine intend to use this highway and justify the expense. We would be far better off with rail service to Boston from Bangor. Now with the Grayhound cut back and maybe leaving us, the need is more than ever for good rail service. Put the money in rail service…….
There are several ways to get south, but going west falls under the ‘can’t get there from here’ category. You have to either go north or south in order to find a way west. This will be only one road, but it will help.
Why did the city ever tear down Union Station, and stop passenger service on the rail line? Whose bright idea was that?
Lepage will do anything to help Canada under cut Maine.
I wonder whether the proposed four-lane highway might become a pipeline route as well. Running Alberta tar sludge into eastern Canada is already underway, something I imagine Irving is more than mildly interested in. Haven’t Cianbro’s contracts of late have become pretty much tied in with the oil crowd? They’re probably just as keen to help build a propane port at Searsport for Conoco-Phillips aren’t they? Seems to me the whole thing is as much about them as about anything else. Just give ’em the money and they’ll rip, tear, dig and pave almost anywhere. That’s the extent of their vision. That’s the sum of their existence…”pave paradise and put in a parking lot.” If only they could get just as hot-to-trot over resurrecting the railroad systems with state-of-the-art versions of those that once served Mainers throughout the state to the other.
Uh, isn’t Cianbro a construction company? Seems like that’s what construction companies do.
I believe at least one proposal was to make the E-W highway right-of-way a “multi-modal” corridor – pipelines, electric, etc.
For a similar proposal, you could “Google” the “Trans-Texas Corridor”; 4 football fields wide and thousands of miles long.
how many studies is enough if the lawmakers had put that much money in rail studies and upgrades to the system we would be styling on our way to boston and other connectors in much more comfort and have money in our pocket.we wont see the money to front the study in our lifetime come from the contractors so we leave another big bill for our children and watch our tax dollars fly away.Hey, i wonder what the requirements are to put in for this i know a few lawmakers.
The Canadians want this, make them pay for it. Seriously, take a look at a map. Let’s just hope that its run better than the Turnpike.
The Canadians will be paying for it. And probably owning it. Last I heard Irving was one of the biggest land owners in the state of Maine. With this road you can count on a large intermodal facility in Brownville as well. Irving stations have been popping up in southern New England states in the last year…….. Connect the dots.
Perhaps, like other issues we “Maine-iacs” have dealt with, they figure if they keep bringing it up often enough, they’ll finally get what they want.
I’d be surprised if this $300,000 (plus?) study doesn’t show that it’s “financially feasible”. But there are a ton of other issues that would have to be addressed. As it stands now, we have very little information of what the proposal is, not the least of which is where the heck it’ll go. Seems like Cianbro and Mr. Vigue could give us a better idea of what they actually have in mind.
And if it’s going to be a private toll road, are they going to be allowed to take over Route 9 from Calais to Brewer, or other state roads? If so, how can anyone call it a “private” road? Doesn’t seem like people like those of us in eastern Washington County will have much choice about whether or not we use the toll road.
If the Canadians want a cut across road, let them pay for it and place exit tolls.
In addition to using Maine taxpayer dollars to fund a feasibility study for private interest, I hope all readers are aware of the shocking speed in which environmentally destructive bills are being shoved through Maine government! It is becoming more and more apparent that the rich only wish to get richer by extracting, using up, and shipping out Maine resources. Let’s save Maine resources for Mainers!!!! If LePage has even half a brain, he’ll veto this baloney!