Wiscasset Bypass Options
The Maine Department of Transportation has released it's long awaited Draft Environmental Impact Statement which is part of the Wiscasset Route 1 Corridor Study. This statement outlines 5 proposed routes for a bypass of Route 1 around the village of Wiscasset. Anyone who has ever visited the mid coast area in July or August knows that traffic going through the village can back up for miles in either direction. Many locals go to great lengths to avoid heading south of Edgecomb during the summer months or if they do, use circuitous routes that can take almost as long but are less frustrating than sitting in traffic.
The five different options range in estimated cost from $68.4 million to $79. million. That's in todays dollars but Dale Doughty, acting director of MDOT's Bureau of Planning predicts it could take another decade before construction of a bypass could begin.
One of the options would require the taking by eminent domain of 33 homes and 15 businesses. Others would take less but all would take some. It's hard to imagine spending the next 10 years waiting for that sword to fall. That's on top of spending the last 10 years wondering if you were on one of the proposed routes. Reportedly the property owners so concerned have been notified by the state.
There is also a "no build" option in the study which would only cost $1 million and consist of improvements to roads and intersections. Some have offered the suggestion that getting rid of the seasonal, "Reds Eats" would solve the problem since most of the traffic slow down is caused by folks crossing the road to get back and forth from Reds. This has little chance of happening because Reds is probably more popular with the tourists than the traffic is unpopular. I don't think I've ever met a local person who has ever eaten at Reds. Not twice anyway.
Public meetings will be held in Boothbay Harbor, Wiscasset, Edgecomb, Alna and Westport and after that the State will do darn well what they please. See their website for more information including times and places.
Comments