DIXFIELD – Construction of an east-west highway across Maine is critical to the growth of the economy, a leader in the movement told the River Valley Growth Council Wednesday night.
And although the council wants to see one of the spurs of the proposed highway system aligned with Route 2 through Rumford and Bethel, they agreed that support of nearly any plan would benefit the area.
Sandy Blitz, executive director of the East-West Highway Association, made a strong case for a highway that would connect Maine with Maritime Canada, northern New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, and Toronto, Canada at the council’s monthly meeting.
Highways have always run north to south, leaving out a significant portion of the northeast, including Maine.
“Our association isn’t road builders, but we’re looking to improve the economy without despoiling the environment,” he said.
Most of Maine’s counties lie in a federally designated economic distress zone, meaning that the unemployment is high, out migration is great, and the per capita income is below the national average. Construction of an east-west highway would bring jobs and a stronger economy, he said, showing proof that just such economic improvements occurred when a once-poor section of West Virginia showed a greatly improved highway system boosted its economy.
“We need to reorient our economy, east to west, so we’d be connected to each other,” he said.
Not only is an east-west highway important, but so, too, are east-west systems for rail, air and fiber-optics, he added.
Right now, he said the National Highway System shows no high priority highway corridor plans for anywhere in the Northeast. But, he said, Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, who is on the Congressional Transportation Committee, is pushing to make an east-west highway a priority. If the proposal passes both the House and Senate, funds would become available to start building the highway.
One proposal would have a four-lane highway begin in Calais and cross the state until about Augusta, then divide into two spurs – one exiting the state through Coburn Gore and on to Montreal, and the second through Bethel and Gilead onto northern New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and on to Toronto.
Although the council has not yet taken an official stand on the highway, Executive Director Scott Christiansen said it may try to get a member on the East-West Highway Association as well as make a strong case for the highway through working with the state legislators and the congressional delegation.
Blitz said he hopes to see passage of the east-west highway concept by the U.S. Congress and Senate by June.
eadams@sunjournal.com
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