Mount Desert Islander - Intersection work gets green... -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 4/11/2008
Last Visited: 4/28/2008
The intersection update is projected to cut current wait times at the light by 86 percent, said project manager Ernie Martin.If nothing is done, wait times are expected to more than double by 2028.Under the plan, wait times would still increase over the next 20 years, but remain manageable.
The project has garnered both positive and negative feedback from Mount Desert Island residents and town officials.Mr. Martin scheduled the latest public hearing after receiving what he perceived to be an unfavorable response to the project from the Bar Harbor Town Council last year.
"The comments that were heard were ,take the money and go elsewhere.' Most of those comments were from Bar Harbor.My concern was that the project concerns the island, not just Bar Harbor," said Mr. Martin.
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"It's going to be trial-and-error and a lot of fine-tuning," said Mr. Martin.
Once area residents adjust to the new traffic patterns for the road structure, the MDOT plans to do further study in order to refine the system.
In response to concerns about increased traffic on side roads, Mr. Martin said that the MDOT predicts the project will actually cut down on side road usage."It's going to help the back roads quite a lot," he said.
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The intersection redesign planned for Route 230 in Trenton could help alleviate pressure from the increased mobility at the head of the island, but it has been postponed, said Mr. Martin."Sometimes when we fix one problem, we cause another problem," he said.
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Much of the work will be completed over the winter months to avoid causing further congestion during the tourist season said Mr. Martin.
Barring any complications, the project is scheduled for completion by the fall of 2009.