Members of the Midcoast Bypass Task Force spent nearly two hours discussing

traffic diversion as it relates to the proposed Route 1 Wiscasset bypass options at their February 21 meeting.

However, Dale Doughty, Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) Deputy Chief for Highway and Bridge Planning said, "It will not be the only consideration in determining a bypass route."

Other considerations include, but are not limited to, wetlands, construction cost, homes, businesses and many environmental issues.

"The goal of the project is to reduce the congestion through the downtown area of Wiscasset, not to remove the through traffic of the downtown area," he said.

According to traffic studies done by MDOT, there is very little difference in the volume of traffic diversion between the four bypass alternatives with the exception of N8C (see the Web site, www.midcoastbypass. com for maps and descriptions of the options).

The N8C route, according to the study, would divert more traffic than the other three bypass alternatives, from the Davey Bridge.

"The N8C route would take about 80 percent of the Davey River traffic," Ed Hanscom, MDOT Transportation Analyist said, "because of the time advantage being the shortest route."

The N8C route, unlike the N2 routes, would only take property from Wiscasset, not Edgecomb. The N8C route would take 25 homes and 12 businesses, as well as MDOT's highway lot on Davis Island. This route would have a 4,150 foot long bridge, about 1,000 feet less than a mile long. The total length of the bypass would be 3.2 miles, at an estimated cost of $79 million, and take 57 acres of land.

The Edgecomb selectmen officially endorsed the N8C route as their preferred route in a letter to MDOT in December of last year. The selectmen listed seven reasons why N8C is the best bypass route: The route diverts the greatest amount of traffic from Route 1 to the new highway; fewer homes and businesses are displaced; considerably less earth is excavated or fill added on N8C than any other route; there is less impact on wetlands, vernal pools, floodplains and streams; it has no impact on the Maine Natural Areas Project of the Sheepscot River; and it would add the least amount of new impervious area. The N2 options vary in distance from 4.1 miles to 5.1 miles, the use of land ranges from 82 acres to 101 acres, and the cost ranges from $68 million to $77 million. Although the estimated cost to build N8C is more, it takes less land, and is the shortest route.

According to Hanscom, a study shows that without traffic calming (assuming a five mile per hour reduction in the speed through Wiscasset Village) N8C would send an average of 5,400 cars over the Davey Bridge in the summer; with the traffic calming, it would be about 4,400 cars across the bridge.

Using the N2/N2f option, the estimated cars going through the village would be 9,600, with traffic calming 4,500; the N2/N2h route is estimated to have 15,500 cars through the village, with traffic calming about 5,600; N2/N2H would sent about 17,000 through town, and 6,300 with the traffic calming.

Hanscom also told the task force the bypass would increase the miles traveled per car, but decrease the hours traveled, because the bypass would add miles, but save time to travelers who do not need to go through Wiscasset.

Members of the task force asked MDOT representatives if any thoughts were being given to the intersection of Route 1 and Route 27 in Wiscasset after the bypass is in place.

Doughty indicated the department had not gotten that far as yet, however, a rotary in the area would be one solution. After the bypass is built, the amount of traffic from Route 27 and Route 1 would be about the same, creating a balance of traffic that would make a rotary feasible.

The MDOT representatives were asked by a member of the task force if any thought had been given to making the bypass a four-lane road. Doughty said the plan is to have a two-lane road.

The next meeting of the task force will be Thursday, March 6, at the Lincoln Communication Center Conference Room, at 6:30. The agenda will include an interchange analysis, and interchange utilization.

In the current plans for all bypass routes there is no interchange off the bypass on Route 218. According to Doughty, there are some people who would like an exit off the bypass onto Route 218, while others disagree.

Another area that will be discussed at the next meeting will be the Route 27 exit onto the bypass. In the current plans, motorists traveling on Route 27 will be able to enter the bypass if they want to go Edgecomb (east). Those who want to go toward Woolwich (west) will come into Wiscasset Village. The need for an interchange for motorists going west to enter the bypass routes will be on the agenda at their next meeting.

The Task Force was formed to help the MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration interpret and incorporate comments and recommendations into the Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

The group consists of representatives from Wiscasset, Edgecomb, Alna, Westport Island, Woolwich, Newcastle, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln County, The Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association, the Chewonki Foundation, and the Friends of Coastal Preservation.

According to the MDOT Route 1 website, "Public participation is especially important to this process, as the federal and state government's abilibity to successfully fund a bypass solution would depend on the communities' ability to agree on a route that most people will be willing to accept."