FORT KENT, Maine — A group of state, county and local officials will meet at the Fort Kent Town Office at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, to discuss options for improving highway connections throughout Aroostook County.
The meeting is the result of bill LD 607, “Resolve, to Direct the Department of Transportation to Examine Improving Highway Connections from Interstate 95 to the St. John Valley.” The bill, co-sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, passed in June.
The bill originally focused on extending the interstate to Fort Kent, but its final iteration focused more on improving access to the highway. This was primarily due to the funding issues associated with the extension. Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Nina Fisher said in March that the project would cost roughly $1.8 billion, making federal funding extremely unlikely.
As a result of the bill, an 11-member stakeholder group will hold three public meetings. The first was held in Madawaska last month. The second is the upcoming meeting in Fort Kent. And the third meeting is set to take place in Caribou in November. Each meeting starts at 3 p.m., with public comments being received from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The group’s work will be reviewed during a virtual meeting on Dec. 12. From there, the Maine DOT will submit a final report with findings and recommendations by the end of the year.
