In an emotional and tense meeting at the Edgecomb Eddy School Dec. 15, Members of the Midcoast Bypass Taskforce voted to continue working with the Maine Dept. of Transportation to find a practical plan for a Wiscasset bypass.
By a vote of 9 for and 5 against with one abstention, the motion effectively allows the DOT to continue exploring an alternative to the recently shelved N8c bypass route, a decision based on the discovery of a Bald Eagle nest on Davis Island in Edgecomb. The other option on the table, abandoning a bypass entirely, did not sit well with some members of the taskforce.
“I’ve spent many years of my life working on the concept of a bypass and I’m not sure how many years I have left. We need to continue our efforts,” said committee member Bob Faunce.
The meeting concluded with public comment from the packed gymnasium of the Eddy School. Emotions were high as Lincoln County residents accused the DOT of everything from lack of basic human decency to ignoring common sense in favor of endless “process.”
“To call this an informational meeting is wrong. Why is the DOT not giving fair notice to residents whose lives may be permanently changed?” said Edgecomb resident Diane Eacobacci.
With a bypass back on the table, the DOT will present the issue to the incoming administration of Governor elect Paul Lepage in January.
Complete coverage of the Midcoast Bypass Taskforce meeting and local reaction will be available in the Dec. 23 print edition of The Lincoln County News.
