Draft Report Available: The Draft Report is now available for review (click to view files). Note that this is a planning study, the purpose of which is to evaluate and identify impacts of various options. No recommendations to advance any particular option have been made at this time. We want and need your comments. Please submit your comments on the Draft Report by Friday September 10, 2010.

The Maine Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Office of the Governor, the Maine Office of Redevelopment and Re-Employment, the Towns of Brunswick and Topsham, and the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, has initiated a transportation planning and preliminary engineering Feasibility Study that will promote development of immediate and long-range transportation improvement strategies that support the phased redevelopment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station (NASB). The study area is generally bound by I-295 on the west between Exits 28 and 31, by Route 196 to the north, and US 1 and Bath Road to the east and south. Building on recent and concurrent planning efforts associated with NASB and the Midcoast area including: the Brunswick Naval Air Station Reuse Master Plan, 2007; the US Route 1 Corridor Study, Brunswick, 2007; and the on-going US Navy EIS, the current Feasibility Study will evaluate five (5) specific transportation strategies:

• The need and potential locations of improved base access from US Route 1;
• The need for additional capacity for current and future traffic along Route 196 from I-295 to US Route 1 (current Topsham Bypass), and congestion relief at the Route 196/US 201 intersection;
• The need for mobility improvements between I-295 (Exit 28) through the town of Brunswick to Route 123;
• The need for additional capacity for current and future traffic along US Route 1 (Mill Street) from Pleasant Street to Route 196 (Topsham Bypass); and
• Potential direct access to the base freight rail spur redevelopment.

The Feasibility Study will consider and compare the transportation efficiency, cost, right-of-way, constructability, environmental and community impacts of specific strategies and alternatives ranging from transportation system management improvements to major reconstruction or expansion of existing infrastructure. The study approach is multi-modal in nature and will consider the existing and future movement of people and goods by rail, transit and automobile, as well as the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists. Phased implementation of such improvement alternatives would be coordinated and sequenced with the phased redevelopment of the NASB.

Key to the development and refinement of smart transportation strategies and improvement alternatives to carry forward is an open and consensus-driven public participation process that engages all stakeholders. Good planning practice involves a mutual learning process among practitioners, elected officials, residents, business groups, citizen groups and other affected parties. Your thoughts, concerns and ideas on study area transportation needs, problems and solutions are critical to crafting and refining smart strategies that are practical, permittable, affordable and context sensitive in meeting the transportation needs. View Feedback/Mailing List form

Currently, the study team is engaged in data collection (environmental, traffic, socio-economic, cultural) and analysis, and in identifying and defining issues of concern.

The study schedule extends through June 2010 and culminates with the Final Feasibility Report that will summarize the recommended strategies and detail a blueprint for moving forward.