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February 11, 2010 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
Reps. Ayotte and Edgecomb Say Caribou Bypass Will Ease Traffic, Strengthen Economy

AUGUSTA – State Reps. Peter Edgecomb and Bernard Ayotte say the new Caribou Connector bypass will improve traffic safety, reduce congestion in downtown Caribou and provide better access to areas to the north. It also will enhance the marketability of the area and improve business conditions downtown.

“Now that we have approval from the Federal Highway Administration, the Maine Department of Transportation can move forward with a bypass that will loop around Caribou and connect Route 1 with Route 161,” said Rep. Ayotte (R-Caswell). “This is a major project that has been years in the making, and it is expected to bring more business activity to our area by separating local traffic from through traffic, reducing travel times and enhancing overall travel mobility.”

According to the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT), the decision from the federal government allows for developing the final design for the 4.28-mile Connector, budgeted at $25 million. MDOT plans to advertise a portion of the project for bid later this year. Construction on that phase of the bypass is expected to begin by the end of 2010.

Rep. Edgecomb (R-Caribou) said any improvements to the road system in Aroostook County could generate economic activity and produce more jobs. “We ship a lot of fresh and processed potatoes, and better roads will bring in new industry,” he said. “We used to grow 200,000 acres of potatoes. Now we’re down to 55,000. We have the cropland, and improvements in the transportation infrastructure will attract additional potato processors to the county.”

The Caribou Connector is one segment of the much larger Aroostook County Transportation Study (ACTS). Since 1998, Congress has designated $50.4 million for the study and construction of a North-South highway in the county. Through the National Environmental Policy Act, the ACTS has identified four potential corridors for the highway, which would run about 100 miles from Houlton into Canada. MDOT officials said any decision on building the highway, at an estimated cost of $1 billion, would be made sometime in the future.

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