At present, signs on I-95 instruct all travelers from Brunswick to Belfast to use Route 1. Turnpike access with east-west routes makes a lot of sense. This gives travelers a choice of going the fast track or taking their time through the midcoast villages. The congestion around Tourist season can never be totally solved. Increasing highway capacity to 4 lanes just brings more cars and the problem cycles again.
Roads beget roads.
The Maine Turnpike is adding more lanes because of increased traffic. The State Planning Office and the Maine Coastal Program should be brought in as cooperating agencies on such an EIS, through a joint task force or similar arrangement. Midcoast development needs to be in concord with the things that we like about being here. A project like this which is so vital to the future of the Coast requires citizen input. However, the PAC is non representative of the area and is narrowly focused.