Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

East-west highway gets private helping hand

— Public resources to build new highways may be scarce. However, it's also clear the state would benefit greatly from a major road crossing it from east to west -- just as Interstate 95 acts as an economic transmission belt for north-south traffic.

So, if private sources can get an east-west highway built, more power to them. And there's an active investigation of just such a project under way, spearheaded by the chairman of the Cianbro Cos., Peter Vigue.

Acting as a facilitator for many groups, Vigue foresees a private, four-lane toll highway connecting Coburn Gore on the state's western boundary with Quebec through Bangor and extending to Calais on Maine's eastern border with New Brunswick.

There's plenty of interest in the state for such a road, which would let businesses in northern and central Maine get their goods headed west along a route that would cut hundreds of miles off the journey to markets on the other side of the Hudson River.

But interest in Canada is even stronger. Such a road would be a major shortcut for commercial traffic from that nation's Maritime Provinces to its central region. Right now, trucks from Nova Scotia must travel all the way north of Aroostook Country and south again to Montreal to connect with the Trans-Canada Highway.

In addition, Canada is building a major deepwater container port in Melrose, Nova Scotia, for ships carrying up to 15,000 cargo containers. Truckers offloading such vessels would appreciate a route that would save them hundreds of miles of travel.

Vigue's plan would have major economic benefits to gas stations, motels, restaurants and other service businesses, along with strengthening economic opportunities in central and northern Maine.

Consultants engaged by Vigue say the road would cost upward of $1 billion, but most of the route is composed of private roads used or owned by the forest products industry.

A 2,000-foot-wide right of way would offer room for vehicles and natural gas pipelines, electric lines and telecommunications links. It would link to rail lines at Costigan and Brownfield Junction. And because it would be private, trucks would not have to conform to federal weight limits that are stricter than Canada's, another attraction for cross-border commerce.

While much remains to be done to make this road a reality, its economic benefits would be substantial, so it deserves all the support it can get.