Worthy roads investment

The state’s revenue surplus allowed lawmakers last session to approve two significant projects that eventually will help Maine businesses move goods more efficiently around the state. These projects are likely to look like smart investments over the next decade.

First, the Legislature approved $3.6 million to link I-395 in Brewer to a spot yet to be determined along Route 9. To anyone who has tried to drive across the state, the lack of simple connection in the Bangor-Brewer area is an obvious impediment and causes needless traffic snarls in both cities. The trick will be finding the right spot — between wetlands and neighborhoods — to site the connection. The state money will be matched with $14 million from the federal government.

Second, lawmakers accepted a farsighted proposal by Department of Transportation Commissioner John Melrose and agreed to accelerate the repair of rural arterial roads statewide. These repairs had been on a 20-year schedule; an added $5.6 million, again with a hefty match from the federal government, moves them to a 10-year schedule. They key to this project, which will improve and make safer dozens of roads from Route 1 in the County to Route 11 in York, is an ongoing commitment from lawmakers. Funding this project for just a single year won’t do it; a long-term focus on funding improvements for these major routes is essential.

For many years, but especially lately, the lack of high-quality infrastructure in Maine has left its businesses at a economic disadvantage or forced them to hold down other costs, like wages. A worldview puts Maine in the middle of trade between North America and Europe, but it is inescapable that most of its trade will continue to come from the region south and west of here. And Maine cannot expect to compete in an arena of freer global trade if it cannot compete first in its own backyard.

Bringing Maine’s road network up to a safe and satisfactory level over the next decade takes away some of the state’s disadvantage of being far from major markets. The Legislature this session provided a serious beginning to accomplish this goal.