Last Thursday, the Turnpike Authority held a meeting in Room 114 at the High School. The purpose of discussion was to get public input from the taxpayers on the topic of the Stroudwater Street Bridge and closing it totally for up to one year. The Turnpike Authority decided to hold the meeting, when the feedback they got from the city council, was less than acceptable.
As I listened to the meeting, it was very upsetting to me, that the representative of the Turnpike Authority kept reiterating how the authority discussed with “city officials” back in December of 2004 that they were going to close that road for up to one year. As a city official, I want everyone to know that the Turnpike Authority never discussed this issue with me or any members of the council concerning their plans with the bridge. He blatantly tried to mislead taxpayers in believing that the council had knowledge of the turnpike’s plan and that the council had no problems with it.
I confronted the representative after that meeting and expressed my anger in his trying to mislead you, the taxpayer, in believing the council had any knowledge in this. The council was only aware of this situation when the authority presented the idea, to the City Council, three weeks earlier.
I understand that the Turnpike Authority has control over this situation and really does not have to get the city involved in their decisions. Especially, when the bridge is in the city of Portland. However, I have to disagree with their reasoning of the traffic impact and that it is “acceptable” to divert the traffic onto Main Street, Spring Street, Forest Street and Westbrook Arterial. These individuals have no idea as to the day-to-day traffic headaches that we the taxpayers of Westbrook have to deal with. To try and divert that many cars off that road onto other roads is totally ridiculous. If you think we have problems NOW, just wait until that bridge is closed.
The city council has “made a motion” to ask the administration to look into the necessary legal steps to try to stop the Turnpike Authority from closing the bridge. I hope the administration does what it needs to do to protect our neighborhoods and streets and try to stop the process.
James A. Violette
President, Westbrook City Council
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