Cory King’s “We’re stuck and need to get unstuck” opinion piece published in the Times Record on March 7 requires a response.

Mr. King’s piece is brilliant in its lack of understanding and comprehension of what is at the heart of this so called “project.” The talking points and fictitious opinion polls he uses come directly from MaineDOT’s (MDOT) playbook.  Let me list some: small local group, unsafe, rust, delay-caused by local group, inflation. All used to deflect from MDOT’s culpability.

The National Historical Preservation Act of 1966 is a federal law that applies to the Frank J Wood Bridge (FJWB) specifically Section 4F; it states that any federally funded project must avoid use of historical properties unless there is no feasible or prudent alternative. The FJWB, by law is historic. MDOT agrees, this is not in dispute. MDOT also states it is feasible- actually possible to rehab the bridge to carry legal loads. Section 4F requires that all possible planning and alternatives are presented to the public in the form of an Environmental Assessment (EA) before any final decision is made. The EA was released March 2019.

MDOT failed to follow the law and prematurely, thus illegally made the decision to replace the bridge, announcing it in April 2016. Thanks to Cory King we now have a clearer picture how MDOT worked behind the scenes to get the business community onboard before making their illegal decision public. According to Cory King the chamber voted in March 2016 in favor of a new bridge. A full three years before the EA.

A review of articles in the Times Record from 2016 leaves a confusing trail. In April 2016 the article(s) stated unequivocally MDOT having made the decision for a new bridge. Then in July the article(s) changed their tune and state that MDOT had not made a final decision. The reason for this is a group of local advocates reminded MDOT that the law applies to them.

Even Commissioner VanNote, at the time (March 2016) a private citizen, weighed into the behind-the-scenes email chain of the good old boys and gals club, saying “at your meetings, you want to be clear that the engineering decisions for this state-funded bridge … will be ultimately made by State bridge engineers. (No Bucksport replay),” in reference to the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. VanNote is pointedly subverting the Federal 4F – by falsely claiming the bridge will be state funded and by negatively referencing the last time MDOT had to actually follow the National Historical Preservation Act of 1966.

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We can thank John Shattuck, then the economic director of Topsham, for inventing a unique new way of looking at cost compassions between civil engineering projects (Shattuck Method). The Shattuck Method was to just add up all the costs, everything an old bridge might need over 75 years and call that the true cost. The conclusion the Shattuck Method arrived at: $17.3 million for the new bridge and $35.2 million for rehab. To be very clear, these are MDOT’s estimates of costs over 100 and 75 years respectively, their construction costs were $13 million and $15 million. Again, Mr. VanNote, as a private citizen, weighs in and claims the Shattuck Method is a wonderful idea … if there is any record of the Shattuck method actually being a real thing. Come to find out there isn’t.  This difference of $17.9 million was not a prudent use of tax dollars.

The case went to court and the Federal Appeals ruled that the Shattuck Method was not a valid methodology. MDOT did a press release stating they won. The Press just repeated it. This is the equivalent of being on trial for murder and three shoplifting changes. MDOT is correct they won; they didn’t get convicted of the shoplifting charges. However, they were found guilty of murder. The reason MDOT used to rule out rehabilitating the bridge, was ruled as fabricated.

MDOT had a problem, time had forced them to release realistic number for the new bridge, $21.8 million in 2021 then $33.5 million in January of 2022, then $42.2 million in August of 2022.

On March 8, this year, MDOT opened two bids for the new bridge construction $49.8 million and $83 million, assuming the lower bid will be win. The $17.9 million magically evaporated and became more expensive by $14.6 million!

This would be 283% inflation. This is not inflation.  It’s because the original number was artificially low, an unrealistic lie, required to subvert Federal 4F law. “No Bucksport!”

All taxpayers should be furious with MDOT.

One can lay blame on the delay solely on MDOT’s feet. If they had spent less time convincing the public in 2016 that a shiny new thing was better and actually followed the law the FJWB would be painted green today, have two 5-foot bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides, at a cost closer to $12 million. Today with inflation that cost is closer to $15 million.

When a small group of so-called experts; fabricate numbers, statistics, use safety as a scare tactic and outright lie using their positions of leadership in the community to achieve their desired outcome, are not checked, corruption wins.

John Graham of Topsham is President of the Friends of the Frank J Wood Bridge and resides in Topsham and runs businesses on both side of the bridge.

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