Maine Department of Transportation officials have unveiled their final design for reconfiguring the intersection at the head of Mount Desert Island. Work could begin as early as this fall.—ILLUSTRATION OF COURTESY MDOT

BAR HARBOR — The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) is moving forward with a $1.4-million project aimed at improving traffic flow at the head of the island at the intersections of Routes 3 and 102.

The plan would move the traffic light at the head of the island 700 feet south along Route 3 toward Bar Harbor, allowing southbound traffic on Route 102 to avoid waiting at the light. A new connector road just south of the Parkadia Exxon station will join Routes 102 and 3. The northbound side on both routes will be widened to double lanes to allow more traffic to cue up at the light.

“In July and August, this is one of the highest traveled two-lane roads in the state, and it’s just going to get worse. The bridge is the only vehicular access to the island. The intersection is the problem. It is a gateway, but it’s a roadblock too,” said MDOT engineer Bruce Mattson at an April 2 public hearing at the Mount Desert Elementary School in Northeast Harbor.

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.

Some people in Bar Harbor remain hesitant about the traffic project because to them town roads seemed to be a more pressing concern.

“This project seemed to blossom all at once and other projects don’t seem to have moved up the list at all,” said town council member Bob Garland.

“I heard support for the intersection but frustration dealing with priorities,” said Bar Harbor councilor Paul Paradis, who reaffirmed the town’s support for the work.

“It sounds like it’s really going to help and it’s going to work,” said Bar Harbor resident Lucy Barnhart.

Island residents at the public hearing had many questions for MDOT officials.

“What happens when people who know the intersection favors the left-hand lane?” asked Mount Desert resident John March.

“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.

“This may move more cars through this intersection, but where are you going to put them after that?” asked Tim Ray, owner of the Parkadia Exxon and the property behind it.

“You’ve got to start somewhere – with the Island Explorer and the Acadia Gateway Center we’re working on getting cars off roads,” responded Mr. Mattson.

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.

“Why has the Route 230 project been put on the back burner?” asked Trenton selectman Mike Swanson.

“When the initial cost estimate was made, nobody anticipated the need for an extra lane and the money is not there. I suspect Sen. Dennis Damon had something to do with it, he lives in Trenton,” said Mr. Mattson.

“I think it’s a huge waste of money. You can wait in line at the head of the island or at the Wal-Mart light,” said Mr. Ray.

Mr. Ray purchased the land behind his store in order to develop it commercially. Until the MDOT finalizes its evaluation of the new roadway, he will not know if that will be an option.

“It’s taken me 14 years to buy up that land and the state is going to put a road through it. My world has been turned into a wait-and-see game,” he said.

The project, set to be funded with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state monies, will go to bid in September. The bid is expected to be awarded by early October. 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. Including land acquisition, the total price of the project is expected to be about $1.9 million.