Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-04
Maine's HIGHWAY System.

wav Commissioner, in his report. has
found favor with those who have the
best interests OF our State at heart.
Each years work in the highway de-
partment demonstrates the necessity
for outlining and following some def
mite plan which will eventually PROVIDE
the State with a system OF through
trunk highways so that on the main
lines of travel one may find suitable
roads. There may come a time IN the
far distant future when every road and
llane in the State will be macadam, or
something as good, but for the present
l the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der lies in building a system of trunk
highways.
Mr.. Sargent sketches II of the most
important trunk lines. They COM
prise 1,150 miles of road and in the
light of such investigation as the high
way department has been able to
make. will meet the needs of the State
for some years to come. From the
language of the report, it is evidently
not Mr.. Sargents purpose to set forth
that the trunk lines he suggests are the
only ones feasible, or the only ones
which could be decided upon to adj
| vantage.
The system outlined is for the pur-
pose of calling the attention of the
people to the matter and to cause dis
| cussion. A discussion of the matter in
| all it's phases will rebound TO the good
| of the department as we'll as to the
good of the State and of the COM
nunities through which the trunk
highways would be built. The first.
and what appears to almost every one
to be the most important, highway is
that which begins at the New Hamp-
shire line in kittery, extends through
| the coast towns in York and Cumber-
land counties through Portland, Fail
mouth and Cumberland, thence into the
Androscoggin river valley by the way
| OF Gray, NOTtH biouIeolOi' -hupoi H.
Lewiston and Greene, thence across
| into the Kennebec Valley through
Monmouth and Winthrop, Manchester
| to Augusta; thence up river to Clin-
ton; thence following practically the
same route as the railroad, into Ban
gor, in all distance of 1S5 miles.
The second route would leave the
first in Falmouth and follow the coast
line very closely through Freeport to
Brunswick. cross the kennebec at Bath
to Woolwich, thence through the Lin
coin county towns of Wiscasset, New
castle, Damariscotta. Nobleboro and
WATERFORD into Knox county at War
rem, thence to Rockland and then
along the coast through Rockport
Camden and the coast towns in Waldo
county to Hampden and Bangor. A
link from Brunswick reaching up the
Kenncbec Valley to Augusta would
complete the first part of this system
which would seem to serve the lower
| part Of the State very well.
Beyond Bangor two routes are pro-
posed. One northerly along the
PenObscot through Mattawamkeag to
Houlton, Pressure Isle, Fort Fairfield
and Caribou with branches to Van
Buren, and Fort Kent. The second
trunk line east of Bangor would be
down through Hancock county to Bar
Harbor and along the coast to Machias.
Eastport and Calais.
Returning to the kennebec Valley,
proposed, is that from Fairfield in a
general northerly direction to Madison
and thence up the Kennebec to The
Forks and then by the old Quebec Road
to the Quebec line. Another proposed
line would start at Norridgewock and
extend through Mercer and New
Sharon to Pennington and through
Strong. Avon, Phillips to Rangeley.
Other lines projected are in Cumber-
land county from Naples TO DanVllie
Junction in Androscoggin; another
from Auburn by the way of Danville
Junction or Mechanic Falls to Gilead
on the New Hampshire line; another
from the main line in the Androscoggln
valley to Rumford and a branch from
Newport to Dover and Foxcroft and
thence to Greenville.
In tracing these proposed routes on
the map it is seen that they constitute
a very complete trunk highway system
which would serve majority of the
people of the State. Such a system
represents the best development of the
good roads campaign. 1t means an ex-
penditure of many thousands. but the
wisdom of the expenditure is unques-
toned, provided it is extended over a
short term of years.
New Works Resources.
In view of the fact that Maine is TAX.