AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - For years people in Central and Northern Maine have talked about the need for an East-West highway.
Now its being tried again.
A legislative committee Tuesday began considering a proposal to have the state pay for a new East-West highway feasibility study.
But this is different from previous proposals because the road would be privately built and paid for by private investors.
Peter Vigue of the Cianbro Corporation is leading the effort to build the new highway. He says the 220-mile long road would connect Maine businesses with markets in Canada and the midwestern United States, and that it could change the economic future of a big part of Maine.
There is opposition to the idea. A coalition of environmental and political activist groups says the highway would harm the environment and only help big corporations, but Vigue says it would finally let rural Maine be part of the global economy.
The basic plan is to build much of the highway on existing paper company and forest land roads, finally connecting to Route 27 in Eustis before it reaches the Quebec border.
Peter Vigue says it would be a toll road, with the money going to pay back the investors.
How much? He estimates the project would cost "less than two billion dollars".
The legislature is being asked to provide $300,000 for an independent feasibility study.
NEWS CENTER