Wiscasset bridge crash snarls Route 1 traffic

There is, but the locals don't want you to know about it. From the north, take Sheepscot Road (across from Midnite Oil) in Newcastle. Go a couple of miles and bear left onto the River Road, across the bridge and intersect with Rt. 218, turn left at the t-intersection, and it runs into Federal Street in Wiscasset. The other way, take the right onto North Cross Road from Rt. 218.

It was a mess today!

Ouch

http://lincolncountynewsonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=75&...

I am prepared to be enlightened by former or current law enforcement and emergency personnel, but it seems to me that it took far too long to get traffic moving. Once all the injured have been assessed, stabilized and removed, and the wrecks have been photographed (digital camera's are terrific) from every conceivable angle for law enforcement purposes, why aren't the wrecks removed as fast as possible to restore function to the key artery of commerce in the midcoast? It seems to this observer that the cost to the society are not well balanced against whatever concerns the responders have to go slow and deliberate. What am I missing?
During WWII fixable vehicle were bulldozed off the roads in France to keep the supplies flowing to the front line. Repairable aircraft were pushed off the side of carriers to get the rest of the aircraft on the deck before running out of fuel. This is obviously not a war situation, but the balancing costs and benefits concept still applies.

From the Lincoln County News July 30, 2009

"The impact caused the front end of Berry's Volvo to swing into the northbound lane, colliding with a northbound 2003 GMC pickup...

Still unable to stop, Mallett's tractor-trailer truck continued past Berry's Volvo and struck a 2007 BMW operated by Brian McNamara of Marshfield, Mass. The BMW was crushed between Mallet's tractor-trailer and another stationary tractor-trailer in the southbound lane operated by Terrence Gray of Hope.

No charges are expected..."

http://lincolncountynewsonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=75&...

Anyone care to speculate why the tractor-trailer driver will likely not be charged?

An ill-informed writer to the Lincoln County News said, "Accident lessons to be learned:

1. The people of Wiscasset need to recognize they cannot continue to frustrate the creation of a bypass. Their intransigence has safety and financial implications." Link to complete letter is below.
http://lcnews.the72dpisite.com/main.asp?sectionid=1&subsectionid=33&page...

My letter to the editor in reply: "To the Editor:

I have read with some interest the several letters in this and the other local weekly that lash out at Wiscasset because of traffic backups in that village. I sympathize with the writers’ annoyance but they wrongly focus their anger. There is a widespread but false belief that Wiscasset has somehow prevented the construction of a Route One bypass. The facts are otherwise.

In 1970 the people of Wiscasset petitioned the State Highway Commission to build a bypass of Wiscasset. This resulted in the first bypass study completed in 1972. More studies followed.

A 1990 bypass referendum in eight Midcoast towns received 79% support in Wiscasset. A similar 2000 referendum received 77 percent approval. This overwhelming level of support started to slip when the Maine Dept. of Transportation in the most recent study began to look at expressways through Wiscasset instead of bypasses around the village. Not surprisingly a referendum in 2002 produced only 48% support for a bypass.

In 2008 Wiscasset and neighboring towns including Edgecomb, Alna and Newcastle agreed on a compromise bypass route that, although more of a throughway than Wiscasset wanted, was enough of a bypass to be acceptable. This compromise route was immediately adopted by MDOT as their preferred route.

Now here is the rub, and the thing that should invite your letter writers’ wrath. The Army Corps of Engineers, which has final approval over the bypass route, has said that it does not concern itself with the human environment and, short of overwhelming public support, it is not inclined to approve the compromise route because of effects on the natural environment.

This fall the Army Corps will invite public comment on whether to approve the compromise route preferred by MDOT. Those angry letter writers and all others who drive Route One through Wiscasset should take the time to write the Army Corps or attend their public hearings to express support for the compromise route, because if the compromise route is rejected, public opposition will in all likelihood prevent the construction of a bypass in the foreseeable future.

Tell the Army Corps to support the compromise. Let’s get the bypass approved and built now.

Donald Jones, Chairman Wiscasset Transportation Committee

Build a parking garage and a pedestrian tunnel over or under the Rt.1 village. If the town would let a power plant back on Maine Yankee lands the tax base might be there to fix some issues.

I suggested either a pedestrian tunnel or overpass to the MDOT. They told me that people were scared of tunnels and that an overpass would have to be handicapped accessible. I asked if they had thought of illuminating the tunnel or putting elevators on the overpass, all of which would be cheaper than a bypass. Silence.

I went to the Skowhegan State Fair (Skow Vegas) last week and people used the oversized culvert pedestrian tunnel to go under the track with ease. They didn’t look scared to me and they hardly had enough elbow room in the tunnel with people going in both directions. It was a fast way into the infield so people used it.

And if there were no crosswalks and constant traffice, wouldn't you use the tunnel to get from Sarah's to Red's? And if it's night and you're afraid of the boogie man, there's a lot less traffic to worry about, so you could cross on the surface. Makes way too much sense to be viable.

Tunnel or pedestrian bridge are not viable solutions. This has been hashed out ad nauseum during the study because they seem "so obvious" to so many people. The fact is pedestrians, contrary to what so many "see with their own eyes", have only a small impact on the traffic slow down. The real cause is slowing to 25mph, S-curve, steep hill, Route 27 and Route 218 intersections, and side street traffic. The estimated costs for the tunnel and ped bridge were millions for an improvement of 1-2%. Just not cost effective, even if not otherwise prohibited by the historic district impact. Only a bypass would provide the mobility highway and midcoast economic artery MDOT desires.

It’s always easier to study something than to do something. In 20 years we can revisit this thread, by then someone will have a permit and the sea levels will put the area in question under water, according to computer models that study this type of thing. :)

If Wiscasset eliminated or cut down on Main St. Parking and 2 pedestrian tunnels were built the problem would be solved for many years and $100 million in tax dollars would be saved.

There is a beautiful pedestrian tunnel in Sacremento, California - well lit, art hanging on the walls and big enough for emergency vehicles. Pedestrain tunnels work, when necessary.

Jon. Inform yourself on the pedestrian issue. Ask MDOT for the pedestrian impact figures from the bypass study. Then ask MDOT for the preliminary sketches and costs for a pedestrian bridge or tunnel. Then ask for a copy of the comments by Maine Historic Preservation Office

How bout we just watch traffic on a Saturday morning...
moving slowly but steadily until Red's opens,
then within 30 minutes backed up for five miles.

Call this "The Alternate MDOT Study".
Cost of Study: zero.

Don - been driving though Wiscasset for 34 years. 2 major problems that we should at least look at before we build the $100 million bypass that will only be used 3 months of the year. First - the parking on Rt. 1 Second - the crosswalks.

I'll see your 34 years and raise you 23 more:-)

Jon. I can't make you look at the information that was provided to the Bypass Task Force. Wiscasset already sacrificed 12 parking spaces on Main St. to improve traffic flow. Did you notice the difference? I thought not. Do you think that Damariscotta would sacrifice 12 parking spaces on their Main St? Oh, I forgot, they were privileged enough to receive a bypass!

But you know - it is not Wiscasset people that need a bypass. It is everyone who makes his living driving Route One. It is the electricians and plumbers and appliance repairmen, and the trucks delivering food to Hannaford's and fuel oil to Irving that need the bypass 12 months a year. Route One is the economic lifeline of the midcoast.

I understand how important Rt. 1 is. And there is a big difference between the Damariscotta bypass and the proposed Wiscasset bypass. Either way there will be at least 10 years before the bypass is complete - should we just accept what we have until then?

Rep McKane said,"should we just accept what we have until then?"
What alternative do we have? Destroy one of the best preserved New England villages in Maine? The important thing is to lobby Army Corps to accept MDOT's compromise bypass route and then get it built ASAP. It is now 51 years that we have been studying this, and 48 years since the Damariscotta bypass was completed.

Path to Route 1 solution takes another twist
Officials announce a preferred Wiscasset bypass route, stirring immediate criticism.

By Tux Turkel tturkel@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

WISCASSET - ...snip

....officials from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maine Department of Transportation held a briefing Tuesday on a potential bypass route.

It's a 3.2-mile, limited-access road that would leave Route 1 south of the village and swing north, crossing the river via a 4,150-foot bridge. The route would rejoin the existing highway at Davis Island in Edgecomb, where a DOT maintenance lot now stands.

Not everyone likes this route.... DOT preferred ... a longer road but a shorter bridge.

Source

Posted: 11:56 AM

Eagle's nest could mean end of Wiscasset Rt. 1 bypass

By Beth Quimby bquimby@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

A recently discovered eagle’s nest may mean the end of the proposed Route 1 bypass in Wiscasset.

The Department of Transportation announced it is now reevaluating the decades-long effort to build a road to relieve congestion in downtown Wiscasset.

...The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service informed the department last month that the nest is protected and may not be moved.

Source

May the Eagle of Happiness roost on the site of all planned future Government buildings. And on any site where the ruling class wishes to spend any of the public treasure. That includes just about everything I can think of, and especially those items described as 'public investments' and/or 'public/private partnerships.'

Let the cry from here on out be 'The Eagle has landed.'

"Let the cry from here on out be 'The Eagle has landed."

Thanks a bunch. I was going to use that line for a new topic.

Amazingly, after 30+ years of working on this,
few folks in Wiscasset seem to give a hoot about this latest setback.
Probably because few folks in Wiscasset really want a bypass.

Let's face it, by the time they factor in all of the variables for this bypass we'll be using flying cars powered by Mr. Fusion, and won't need it any more.

I assume eagle could posse a threat to calm diggers on flats move nest save bypass and sales of beer !