CONNECTING ATLANTICA

There has long been talk of the need for an east-west highway in Maine and for better cooperation among northeastern states and eastern Canadian provinces. A study that will soon get under way will formally marry these two concepts while cataloguing existing gaps in the region’s existing transportation system and quantifying the economic benefits of a better, more coordinated system.

The study, which will look at all forms of transportation, is a necessary step in securing federal support for major upgrades, but it means more time will be spent documenting a well-known problem instead of devoting the time and money to fixing it.

Community leaders such as Bangor’s Tim Woodcock have been touting the benefits of an east-west highway for more than a decade. Since then, Congress has designated the area from Calais to Watertown, N.Y., as a “high priority” corridor. The designation, which came about in part because of the work of Rep. Mike Michaud, should make it easier to get federal funds for projects in this area.

The Federal Highway Administration in 2003 committed $1 million toward the regional study, which is modeled after work that was done in Europe when individual countries – and their transportation assets and liabilities – were meshed to form the European Union. Maine contributed the remaining $250,000 for the study.

While it was important to begin work on this project, it is troubling that Maine is the only state or province that helped pay for the work. It is also odd that the aim of the project is to better link the northeastern United States and Canada, but the funding has only come from one side of the border.

Sandy Blitz, the executive director of the East-West Highway Association in Bangor, says that Maine put up the $250,000 so the study could begin without waiting for debates over where the money should come from. He also notes that officials from the four other states and Canadian provinces are enthusiastic about the study and the work that will follow. Enthusiasm is important, but so is commitment, which could be shown by sharing the costs.

A further challenge is to ensure that improved roads and ports meant to connect Atlantic Canada with markets in the United States don’t mean that goods and people simply pass through Maine or bypass the state altogether. For example, Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the region’s leading port. Moving goods more quickly and efficiently to markets to the west and south will benefit manufacturers and consumers. This can be done on highways and rail lines that pass through Maine. Another important part of the mix, however, should be the docks in Eastport and Searsport that can handle ship traffic that Halifax cannot.

The region now called Atlantica has long known that better transportation links would bring economic benefit by making the region seem not so far away, lowering the cost of doing business all across Maine and opening up markets.

The focus now should be on building those links.