Plans for bridge in Calais proceed despite controversy

A large group of Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) officials met with about 75 members of the community from both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border at Washington County Community College on May 18 to update and discuss a design and schedule plan for the new $100 million Calais/St. Stephen border crossing project. MDOT officials met with some opposition to the project from residents whose property will be affected by construction and who were also concerned about the decision for the location of the crossing in Calais instead of Baileyville.

According to the officials, 11 residences and three business properties would be affected by the project, but property owners would be compensated for acquired property. Luther Yonce of MDOT said, "We are in the process of negotiating with these owners and will do everything we can to assist them in any way that we can." Property owners had access to booklets on how the MDOT acquires private property for transportation projects.

MDOT Commissioner David Cole said, "I am anxious that we are going forward with the project. We want it [the new crossing] to promote trade and commerce in the area."
It wasn't so easy to convince some in attendance about the project. Concerns were aired and questions were asked and answered about trucks traveling through the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, the noise of more traffic, the safety of wildlife and wildlife-watchers and the decision for the Calais location instead of Baileyville. Jeff Andrews, MDOT traffic specialist, said, "This is not introducing truck traffic that hasn't already been there. Traffic is traveling through there now." The MDOT also stated that it had been in contact with the Maine Motor Transport, "which represents truckers, and they said they were fine with what we have here."

Kevin Rousseau, the MDOT project manager, spoke to those in opposition to the route through Calais, saying, "We are very satisfied with our decision-making process. We feel we have the best decision, to bring this through the service center, Calais, and we think that it fits." Mary Barnett, a resident being directly affected by the crossing, said, "Yes, this issue has been settled. I just want to know if there is going to be a blinking light and sign in my area [Higgins Road]," which brought some laughter from the audience.

An elderly man stood up to opponents to say, "This decision was made back in 2002. Where were you people three years ago when this all started?"

Mike Clark, an MDOT environmentalist, also assured attendees at the meeting that the state does not "anticipate any land-taking at the Moosehorn. We are subject to rules of the day regarding any decisions about the area."

Calais City Manager Linda Pagels said that the MDOT planners and agencies had delivered "a very comprehensive and fair process" in regard to the overall bridge plan. "The bridge will benefit not just Calais but our entire region, and we have already begun to meet and discuss the challenges and opportunities. The towns and cities of the St. Croix Valley have met two times to develop cooperative development strategies for the St. Croix region after the construction of the third international bridge. Elected officials from Calais, the Passamaquoddy tribal community and the towns of St. Stephen, Baileyville and Eastport were in attendance, along with managers from these communities and local and regional economic and business development staff from both sides of the river." Pagels reviewed a vision for business and economic development for the area which would partner with communities from both sides of the border.

Construction is planned to begin in the spring of 2006 and be complete by the spring of 2008 and will involve creating a temporary construction access road from Nields Avenue to the new river crossing.