Two protesting Route 1 widening arrested in Warren DOT project draws active opposition

WARREN – Two protesters opposed to the state’s Route 1 widening were arrested Friday.

Susan Higgins, 34, of Boothbay Harbor and Tim Sullivan, 33, of Rockport were taken to Knox County Jail after they refused to move away from a tree that was being removed from in front of former Selectman Vernon Jordan’s house.

Higgins and Sullivan, who were charged with criminal trespass, were being released on $200 unsecured bail late Friday, according to a jail officer. They are to make an initial appearance in 6th District Court in Rockland on July 9.

On Thursday, more than two dozen protesters came close to being arrested, but the Knox County District Attorney’s Office held off while its lawyers reviewed the criminal code.

By Friday, District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau also had reviewed survey plans with Department of Transportation officials and talked with sheriff’s Chief Deputy Todd Butler and Maine State Police Lt. Jeffrey Trafton, he said.

They determined that the protesters could be arrested.

The showdown was the latest in the continuing dispute over the state’s plan to reconstruct the scenic, heavily traveled coastal highway.

DOT’s plan is to maintain the stretch as a two-lane highway, but with 8-foot shoulders that are composed of 6 feet of pavement and 2 feet of grassy area capable of supporting vehicles. The existing gravel shoulder varies from 1 foot to 6 feet. The travel lanes will range in width from 11 to 12 feet – as they are now.

Opponents claim that wider shoulders will encourage drivers to speed and will ruin the scenic country charm of the highway.

DOT’s goal is to have a safer road that meets federal standards.

In trying to compromise with the opponents, DOT has made numerous design changes and has decided to postpone further improvements for several years to see how the modifications work.

The current project stretches 1.6 miles from Route 90 to Sandy Shores Road along Route 1. The other three phases that were planned would improve the coastal route from Sandy Shores Road to the Thomaston-Rockland line.

Only half as many protesters were present Friday compared to the planned demonstration the day before. On Thursday, the opponents caused a work stoppage when they sat on a utility pole that was ready to be installed.

A few protesters quickly filled in the freshly dug hole for the pole and planted a lily.

On Friday, Route 1 resident Steve Burke had positioned his car over the filled hole, and police were considering towing it.

As contractors cut limbs from Jordan’s tree, fellow protesters said Jordan was making progress in convincing DOT engineers to consider changes to preserve the so-called “Elephant Tree” across the street. The massive horse chestnut on Lorna Smale’s property was being occupied by Susan Beebe of Thomaston, who had climbed it. In preparing to defend the tree removal, she remained in the tree, hugging a large branch.

At one point Friday afternoon, DOT engineers had the road plans spread out over the hood of a state police cruiser and were going over the plan with Jordan.

Allan Haggan, DOT assistant program manager, would not confirm that there could be a change in plans to save the Elephant Tree.

“It’s still there,” he said.

He said the state wants to prevent accidents like the one that killed a 17-year-old Gardiner High School junior last week. The road where she hit a fixed object was similar to Route 1, he said, adding that the Elephant Tree is just three feet from the edge of the road.