One doesn’t have to poke around in the archives of a newspaper for long before being reminded of the truth of the biblical observation that there is not a whole lot new under the sun.
A case in point is the current discussion concerning a proposed privately funded east-west toll highway that would cut across Maine’s midsection, linking the Maritime Provinces with Quebec Province and the American Midwest.
Recently, as the Legislature was working on a bill that would authorize a $300,000 feasibility study of the proposed highway — a bill signed into law by Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday — a Bangor Daily News editor researching the newspaper’s files spotted a front-page story from the distant past that brought to mind the old philosopher’s observation that the more things change, the more they remain the same.
The story in the April 5, 1968, edition of the paper — 44 years ago to the very day, as I write — was headlined “Corridor road proponents change thinking on highway’s location” and was packaged with a map sketched by the paper’s editorial cartoonist, Vic Runtz. Because the piece carried my byline, it was forwarded to me.
It reported that backers of the International Atlantic Corridor Road project who envisioned a highway across Maine’s midsection from the New Brunswick border to the Quebec border had changed their thinking as to where the highway should exit western Maine.
Where once the highway was proposed to run from Vanceboro to Lincoln, Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville and into Quebec Province via Jackman, the new thinking was that it should run from Vanceboro through Lincoln, Milo, Dover-Foxcroft, Abbot and on to Coburn Gore, exiting there. Canadians would upgrade highways involved in New Brunswick and Quebec provinces.
The newly favored route was similar to an alternate that had been recommended by a corridor highway study committee named by the 102nd Legislature. It had been discussed at a high-level meeting in Fredericton, New Brunswick, that involved Maine Gov. Kenneth M. Curtis, the premiers of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and members of the cross-border highway committee.
Quebec proponents of the highway in the Sherbrooke area had given the project the cold shoulder when they learned of plans for the road to enter Quebec in the Jackman area rather than at Coburn Gore.
“They threw up their hands and said they wouldn’t have anything to do with it,” said Rep. Percy Porter, R-Lincoln, a corridor road committee member.
The idea of an east-west highway bisecting Maine has been floated for decades, as any Mainer with a half-decent memory knows, but never has advanced beyond the talking stage, mainly because of the cost of such a huge undertaking.
A paragraph from the 1968 story quotes highway proponents as acknowledging that “the largest stumbling block to the project is, quite simply, a lack of funds.” A year earlier, voters had rejected a $3 million bond issue that would have been used to upgrade hazardous portions of Route 6 from Vanceboro to Jackman.
Fast-forward to the latest version of the proposed cross-state highway, the precise route of which presumably would be determined by the study. At a public hearing last month, Peter Vigue, chairman of Cianbro Corp. and an outspoken advocate of the highway, said he has been actively recruiting investors who would privately fund the highway. Tolls paid by motorists would pay for maintenance of the road.
Money for an “investor-grade” study to be conducted by an independent agency will come from the Maine Department of Transportation’s highway fund. Should final authorization be given to build the highway, investors would reimburse the Department of Transportation for the study’s cost.
Highway proponents acknowledge that the corridor highway proposition has been well studied over the years, but they say they believe the pending study will conclusively settle the matter.
Maybe it will. But given the nature of such things, it’s not hard to imagine that 44 years from now — as the Legislature approves yet another study of the east-west highway concept in the year 2056 — some news reporter trolling the cyberspace archives will discover Friday’s news story about the governor signing into law the bill authorizing the project’s study that was to end all studies way back in 2012.
At that point, the reporter likely will have gained a new appreciation for what that eminent New York Yankee philosopher Yogi Berra was talking about when he spoke of having experienced deja vu all over again.
BDN columnist Kent Ward lives in Limestone. His email address is maineolddawg@gmail.com.
It’s no different than the Keystone pipeline proposal.
That Canadian proposal would ruin and poison thousands of across of prime farm and cattle land. We won’t get the gas, that will be refined at Port Arthur. Diesel and jet fuel will be processed and shipped out to Latin America, China, and Europe.
This East-West Highway is primarily the link the Quebecois and the New Brunswick folk have been trying to excavate across Maine for forty years, or, more. For Maine – nothing. Just a high speed Autobahn ripping up Maine’s beautiful midriff. Ultimate beneficiaries – Canadian commerce and vacationing Canadians.
Three-hundred-grand just to drag this old moth eaten and worn out idea out of the attic.
You’re right.
Ask the folks in Brownville and Milo whether they’d appreciate some truckers in the area. I’m not saying I’m loving the E-W highway idea but there’s places that would benefit from working.
except the Vigue proposal is a Canadian throughway – two exits in the whole state. Temporary construction jobs (oh – what does Vigue’s company do? Build bridges?) are not real economic growth.
We’ll have to see the Master Plan. People thought I-95 would benefit their communities. It bypassed them. The spill-offs are few and far between. I believe that this is going to be on par with the Autobahn, a rapid transit highway between Quebec and New Brunswick. There’ll be plenty of construction work. Communities adjacent to the project will benefit from that. Otherwise, a super highway is designed strictly for one purpose – to get from here to there in the fastest way possible. Ultimate beneficiaries – Canada and Cianbro and allied construction interests.
It would open up a lot of rural area for those big wind mills
Actually I think this road will be more like I-95 is myself it may be designed differently just like other privately funded Interstates and roadways across the country. Most of those highways are in better condition than the Publicly run taxpayer funded roads that are in place now. Tolls on those roads also are half the costs that the current publicly funded turnpikes are. Folks are forgetting the Maine Turnpike will be having a huge toll increase going into effect sometime during the upcoming winter. If this road gets built and tolls are less you will see folks use this road. Then get on I-95 heading south , while then finding an alternative route Rt. 1, 201 , and 202 while advoiding the Maine Turnpike Toll Road at all costs.
If you don’t have an E-Z pass when the toll increase goes into effect which most don’t using I-95/Maine Turnpike is going to be very costly. So having this privately run road and very low tolls could be an advantage in the long run for this new highway.
Unable to understand why would anyone want to drive either north of south to get on a toll highway, which links New Brunswick with Quebec? The highway is strictly a Canadian bypass. The $300,000 would have been better spent mapping out an extension of I-95 from Houlton to Presque Isle.
two interchanges in this study (so far) neither of which is near Milo or Brownsville. The purpose of this road is to get trucks THROUGH Maine in a hurry.
Many times, when traveling east-west across our state, I have wished that there was a better east-west route. It would be good for Maine’s economy, I believe, to have a better east-west route — and to extend I-95 further north in Aroostoock County as well.
To add they can also extend I – 395 farther East and West as well in addition to building this new road to give Mainers 2 East-West routes.
So we should pay up to 50% of the cost of one East West highway we won’t use and the full cost of another that some of us might use? and the money from both comes from the DOT budget largely financed by gas tax and other automobile fees leveled on people who will never see, much less use these roads?
Did I get your position correctly?
Great Article..Great Point.
I only hope the weddedness to this project doesn’t impede the needed improvements to Route 2 and 9.
Reminds me of the l three decade debate over NYC’s west side highway..finally it became an elevated park and everyone loves it..no one even seems to remember the highly polraized debate about it that went on for 30 years.
How is this going to take away from Route 2 or 9. It isn’t. This highway if it is built and does become successful could lead to even more private sector dollars coming in to help upgrade our infrastructure. We need to start becoming more foward thinking. I along with others on here have said Maine does things backwards or does things completely wrong. The reality is if we are to fix our roads and bridges and build new highways like this one we need to open up the state to the private sector. We should be reasonable to them and let them invest in our infrastructure. If we wait for Augusta to do it then it will never get done. Look at how long it took to rebuild some of the bridges in Maine that are unsafe like Norridgewock (travel it all the time), the bridge with the viewing deck, the Kittery-Portsmouth bridge that is closed, Veteran’s Bridge in Portland.
Hello Darkcat..
My reference to route 2 and 9 is that both of those roads need improvements for local existing use and traffic. I hope all the focus on the East West Highway won’t detract from that and that route 2 and 9 will still get the improvements they need for existing local users ( and tourists who love the historic old airline highway trip and bring business to local buisnesses along the route)
See Title 23 Section 4152..Maine Highway Privatization Statute drafted by Cianbro and other contractors and enacted without any public knowledge or input in April 2010.
This is what is referenced when Vigue & the Governor talk about “private funding”; this is the only context in which “private funding” would be involved in the east west highway. The “investors” actually own and operate from design to completion and afterwards for 50 years.
As you can see no public bidding, no pubic input to or review of the design, locatio of exits, number of exits fare proections for non commercial traffic…nothing.. and up to 50% public financing.
I think even you would agree that the public interest is pretty much not even considered in this astonishing bit of legislation which, by the way, they can invoke at will for an existing Maine road.
If you had been reading in the articles parts of Rt. 9 is being upgraded as part of them expanding I-395 farther into Downeast Maine. Rt. 2 the worst portions of the road is being fixed as well. As I stated if this road is successful , I think it will lead to more private sector investing in fixing our roads. I also think the misinformation on this new highway once the study is done this fall will be that. I think the route especially in the Central and Western portions of the road will also be modified so that it will benefit more of those folks in Northern , Central and Western Maine. Though still end up either in Coburn Gore or Jackman into Canada.
I know you are a huge supporter of the road dark cat and if it comes to pass I hope it brings all the good you hope for.
It is not misinformation that the private public partnership on this road will be pursuant to a woefully inadquate statute that Cianbro & associates wrote for themselves, Title 23 Section 4251. Compare it to a bill underconsideration in Pennsylvania right now and you” catch my drift ( Pennsylvania HB3)
I recall a lot of concern’s regarding the interstate system especially in Vermont, but it was a done deal and got done.
Now folks see the interstate in Vermont as wonderful and scenic!
Unfortunately the folks in Northeast Kingdom do NOT see the addition of interstate 91 as a positive. I have family and friends in that area who still to this day bemoan the “scar’ on their farming community.
Some sections could become as scenic as Interstate 89 through N.H; and other sections wipe out hundreds of businesses along Rt. 2…gotta be a way to enhance the existing roadside economy with small ‘relocation’ business parks at interchanges. Done right it could revitalize an entire economy and let Rt. 2 revert to a local road, maybe even repave it once and while for less money.
LePage has a chance to get it right; and with his success in promoting a common sense ENERGY POLICY he has an excellent chance to achieve this.
Perhaps it could be combined with an HVDC power conduit and a monorail from Montreal to Halifax using CP rail resources….go for the Moon, people love big projects. Get Canadian money behind it.
I agree, done correctly it could be astonishing. In my testimony some time ago I envisioned the possibility of scenic turn out franchises ( swimming, canoe rental, fishing guides, nature tours, kayak rentals) along the way to enhance public awareness of and access to the UT and of course hopefully including or providing access to existing hunting & fishing based businesses all along the route.
As soon as it is warm enough I plan to drive 9 all the way to Calais and stop at every single business along the way and take loads of pictures. It goes through some spectacular vistas. I had even though of doing it in a sort of caravan with lots of us.
It would be a real shame for the state to think about putting up as much as $ 1billion for this $2 billion road and not require these kinds of considerations and opportunities in the design. With these kinds of considerations and requirements it could be one of the most remarakable and scenic toll roads anywhere and it could create very significannt eceonomic development opportunities along the entire route.
SCENIC TURNOUTS!!!!…cabins, trails, kayak/mtn bike rentals, diner,link to the trail hut system or the Allagash or Baxter, etc. I love it!
I was think about enhanced relocation of businesses on Rt. 2; but on 89 in N.H. there similar commercial parks every so often.
Not really sure about running HVDC from East to West; or West to East; the market is from Quebec to Boston. Maybe enough to run monorail….Imagine a high speed monorail 35′ above the ground, snow, ice, cars and critters….what a tourist attraction that would be, eh?
you are fun to imagine with..maybe we should put in our own crowdsourced proposal for this…
Interesting concept, I like the expanded passenger rail idea. I worked in Japan for a year, and marvelled at the high speed rail (shinkansen) system there. Only to return the the US and face the I-95 corridor–shudder–
We’ve stored the early plans for the Dickey-Lincoln Tidal power project for almost 100 years now. There must be some extra room in that old file cabinet for this study.
How will this help Maine other than the construction cost?
Personally, I like all of the northern/east/west routes and the stops on the road support local businesses.
In Quebec they are building a highway currently, a 4-lane highway that will arrive in St.George in 2014. That 25 miles away from the border.
That’s in the corridor to Jackman which now has a state-of-the-art border station.
Interesting. Is that more than an anecdotal few, pockets of opinion, minority or majority viewpoint of NEKingdom?
I just recall it took forever to get to St Johnsbury or Newport. I do recall that many folks were against it initially, but after a little while folks liked the access.
I was surprised at how many interstates Tennessee seemed to have through and around the Appalachians.