Brewer starts construction on Dirigo Drive - Parallel Road

Some say "da-ri-go" and others say "dear-a-go," but no matter how people pronounce it, there are now two Dirigo Drives in Greater Bangor. Construction on Brewer's Dirigo Drive, a new 1.6-mile road that runs parallel to Wilson Street and Interstate 395, kicked off on Wednesday. The new roadway will be finished in the fall.

"The name is symbolic because 'Dirigo' in Latin means 'I lead,'" economic development Director Drew Sachs said Wednesday.

"Dirigo" also is the state's motto.

The benefits of the new roadway are twofold, Mayor Michael Celli said Wednesday during a ceremony at the junction of Dirigo Drive and Sparks Avenue.

"It [the parallel road] will help alleviate our traffic that continues to increase because of economic development in Brewer and it will open up more property of economic development," he said.

Dirigo Drive runs from Parkway South to Wilson Street near the junction of I-395. H.E. Sargent of Stillwater began work in March, which will cost nearly $3 million."They cleared the right of way and removed the stumps and are currently installing the water line," City Engineer Frank Higgins said Wednesday about the work being done.

Work crews then will work on sewage and storm water drainage and underground utilities before the roadbed is poured. Once the road is complete in September or early October, Brewer City Council must give its approval before residents can drive down the road, Higgins said.

The area was rezoned to create a professional development zone, which Sachs said will "create further diversity for the city." Bangor Federal Credit Union already is building a branch office at the western end of Dirigo Drive.

The new street name will not cause issues with emergency services because Enhanced-911, the emergency system, is aligned with phone number exchanges, Brewer Fire Chief Richard Bronson said.

"There is not a problem with Dirigo Drive, just like there is no problem with Main Street," he said Wednesday. "There is a Main Street in Hampden, Bangor, Brewer, Veazie, Orono and Old Town."

In addition to Main Street, Bangor and Brewer also share the street names of Union Street, Maple Street, State Street and, now, Dirigo Drive.

Bronson, along with Bangor Fire Department Assistant Chief Rick Cheverie, did recommend that people calling for assistance continue to state clearly the address and say the town.

"There is no substitute to teaching your children their address," Bronson said.

"When people say they have an emergency on Maple Street, they should say it's in Bangor [or Brewer]," Cheverie said.

A copyright story from the Bangor Daily News, by Nok-Noi Hauger, Of the NEWS Staff: Thursday, May 13, 2004.