Calais claims DOT puzzled over bridge City united on location, council says

CALAIS – Augusta is confused.

That was the message at the City Council meeting Thursday night after interim City Manager Jim Porter said that some people who work for the Maine Department of Transportation claim that the city is divided over the issue of where to build a third bridge.

As the state nears a decision on where to locate a new bridge across the St. Croix River between Maine and Canada, the city councilors fear state officials may be confused about where city officials stand.

For the past few months, state and federal officials have considered two possible locations for the proposed bridge: near the Calais Industrial Park, two miles north of downtown; or in Baileyville, near the intersection of Routes 1 and 9, more than eight miles from downtown Calais. The state has been working with a public advisory committee, made up of private-sector representatives from Calais to Bangor.

City officials fear that the state is placing too much weight on the cost of the two alternatives as a decision nears. If the state ever has to build a four-lane highway in the area of the Calais Industrial Park, it would drive the overall cost of the bridge there to more than $20 million. But a similar four-lane facility in Baileyville would cost less than $10 million.

Last week, the county’s largest employer, Domtar Industries Inc., which earlier this year acquired the pulp and paper mill in Baileyville from Georgia-Pacific Corp., said it believes the Calais Industrial Park would be the “preferred location” for the third bridge. For a time, the project seemed to get off track when DOT Commissioner John Melrose suggested to the Calais Bridge Committee – made up of business leaders from across the city – that a trucks-only bridge would be an option.

At the City Council meeting Thursday night, Porter said New Brunswick officials had indicated they would not favor such a proposal. “The trucks-only issue kind of clouded the water a little bit, but that was their suggestion coming from them [the state],” Porter said.

Councilor Earl Jensen wondered if the governor was aware that businesses were looking to relocate to Calais. “I think he does realize that people are looking at this area. I can’t say for sure because I never met the fella. Has he ever been up here?” Councilor Billy DelMonaco asked.

Councilor Joyce Maker said the governor had on occasion visited the Calais area.

Any delay in deciding where to place the bridge would be detrimental to the city’s economy, DelMonaco charged. “We should have a quick answer. One way or the other, where this bridge is going to go, so we can get on with life in Calais,” he said.

The councilors suggested that they write to the governor and Melrose stating that the city was united on the issue of where the bridge should be located, and that site was in the area of the industrial park.

Mayor Eric Hinson said he wanted original letters with original signatures hand-delivered to both men.

The councilors decided to ask the members of the county’s legislative delegation to deliver the letters to Augusta.